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| bankrupting the American Dream |
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This week, I opposed a budget deal negotiated by congressional leaders because it failed to adequately address the national debt. The measure lifts spending caps first enacted in 2011 by $80 billion, offsets the increased spending with cuts elsewhere and suspends the statutory debt limit through March 2017.
Specifically, the legislation would:
- lift spending caps enacted in 2011 by $80 billion over the next two years equally divided between defense and non-defense spending;
- offset those spending increases with spending cuts and reforms elsewhere;
- increase spending in the Overseas Contingency Operations fund by at least $16 billion without offsets;
- transfer funding to the Social Security Disability Trust fund to maintain the solvency of the program;
- enact structural entitlement reforms to strengthen Social Security such as closing loopholes that allow individuals to obtain larger payments than those intended and require medical review before awarding disability benefits;
- equalize payments for Medicare services obtained in outpatient settings in hospitals with those obtained in a doctor’s office;
- provide a two-year budget window to provide certainty to defense programs;
- eliminate Obamacare’s auto-enrollment mandate; and
- suspend the statutory debt limit through March 2017.
While there are good and much needed reforms in this deal that I fully support, it falls woefully short when it comes to the kind of structural reforms necessary to prevent Washington’s spending addiction from bankrupting the American Dream. The national debt is the greatest threat to our national security and I cannot support legislation that threatens to leave our children and grandchildren with a life indebted to China.
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I introduced H.R. 3842 this week to reauthorize the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick.
FLETC is the preeminent facility for law enforcement training in the United States. The center provides security training for the Department of Homeland Security and 91 federal partner organizations, as well as state and local law enforcement agencies. FLETC is very important for our local economy as it is responsible for an economic impact in the surrounding five counties of more than $313 million. Statewide, that number jumps to more than $975 million.
Since its creation in the 1970’s, FLETC has provided high-quality, cost-effective, standardized training for federal law enforcement training officers from multiple agencies. While they have done their part in providing topnotch training, Congress has failed to provide FLETC with a reauthorization and an opportunity to codify important authorities within the Office of the Director into law to ensure they can continue to provide the highest quality and most cost effective training possible.
I am proud to introduce this legislation to reauthorize FLETC to ensure they are able to continue their critical and impressive work. |
| From our Nation's Capitol XXXXi |
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Monday, October 26, 2015: I have had many honors in my life and many during the past 10 months since I have been a member of Congress. However, the honor of welcoming WWII veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the WWII Memorial is among the most special.
This past weekend, Amy and I stayed in Washington to welcome an Honor Flight of 22 veterans along with their ambassadors from Savannah as they visited the WWII monument. Amy and I were so proud to be present and especially proud that every member of my Washington office, with the exception of one who was out of town, was also present with signs and banners welcoming our heroes. This is the second time that I have stayed to welcome an Honor Flight, led by Carol Megathlin and other volunteers, and it only gets better. The looks on the face of these heroes as they exit the bus and see the beautiful WWII Memorial is beyond description. They act as if I have done something special by staying to greet them when the truth is what they have done for our country is what is special. Today is my sister’s birthday, and I dare not forget it. The first thing I do today is call her at her home in Waycross and wish her a Happy Birthday. My first meeting is with representatives from WOLA, the Washington Office on Latin America.
This is another group that advocates for improving relations with Latin American countries and they want to discuss my visit to Cuba earlier this year. Next, we have our weekly staff meeting where we discuss the events of last week and this week’s upcoming events. We take time out this week to call our Brunswick office and sing Happy Birthday to our Field Representative in that area, Emmitt Nolan, who celebrated his birthday this past weekend. Afterwards, I have a call with Ann Purcell, who represents the First Congressional District on the Georgia Board of Transportation, to discuss the most recent proposal for the Highway Trust Fund as well as other transportation projects in the District. Next, I head to a Republican Conference meeting where Speaker Boehner announces that an agreement on raising the debt ceiling along with a two year budget deal is close to being reached with the Senate and White House. Following our first and only vote series of the day where we pass a discharge petition on the Export-Import Bank, I head to another Republican Conference meeting to discuss proposed rule changes to the way the House is governed.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015: My day starts with a member’s only meeting of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform where we discuss issues before our committee, followed by another Republican Conference meeting where the Speaker announces that the two year budget deal was finalized last night and gives us details of the agreement. While there are some good reforms in the agreement, especially in the way of entitlement reform, many members including myself, are very skeptical of the agreement. Next, I head to a subcommittee meeting of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, where we have a hearing on Career and Technical Education and how to help students succeed in the workforce. A link to my questions can be found here.
Afterwards, I head back to my office to meet with representatives from the Healthcare Supply Chain Association to discuss generic drug price spikes before heading to the House Chamber to deliver a one minute speech on the Ex-Im Bank. A link to my speech can be found here. After my speech, I stay in the chamber to preside as Speaker Pro-tem during debates. Following our first vote series of the day, I head back to my office to meet with federal prison workers from Jesup who are visiting the Capitol this week before meeting with representatives from the Food Policy Action and Chef Action Network to discuss the school lunch programs.
Next, I participate in a conference call with members of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) to bring them up to date on pharmacy issues before returning to the House Chamber for our final vote series of the day where we pass legislation reauthorizing the Ex-Im bank. In case you missed it, you can read the email I sent out about the importance of the bank by clicking here.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015: We have our third Republican Conference meeting of the week this morning as we hear from the two candidates for Speaker, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-WI) and Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL). Next, I head to a mark-up of legislation in the Committee on Education and the Workforce, where I offer an amendment to the legislation we are considering to block the Obama Administration’s Joint Employer Standard which threatens to unravel the franchise business model. In August, I heard from business owners from around Georgia, including Alex Salgueiro and Kal Patel from Savannah, about how the change could force them to close their businesses and let go of the many people they employ.
Following this, I head to a health fair being sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) where Pharmacy students from around the region are administering flu vaccines, cholesterol screenings and various other healthcare services in celebration of National Pharmacy Month. Afterwards, I head to yet another Republican Conference meeting, this time for the purpose of nominating our candidate for Speaker, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-WI). I count Paul as a friend and am proud to support his candidacy. While he has many positive attributes, I especially like his fiscally conservative values and am excited about his leadership. Next, I head back to my office for a meeting with the Georgia Independent Auto Dealers Association represented by my good friends, Mo Thrash and John Haliburton. Finally, I head to the House Chamber for our only vote of the day as the two year budget deal negotiated by Speaker Boehner, the Senate and the White House passes despite my vote against the deal.
Thursday, October 29, 2015: My day begins early with a radio interview with Bill Edwards at WTKS in Savannah as we discuss last night’s Republican Presidential Debate followed by a meeting with members of the Georgia Psychiatric Physician Association, including Dr. Joe Morgan from Valdosta. Today is a momentous day as we go into session early and have a roll call vote where Paul Ryan (R-WI) is elected as Speaker of the House, becoming the 54th Speaker of the House in our nation’s history and the first ever from Wisconsin. It is both an exciting and somewhat sad day as we say goodbye to Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) as he ends his 25 year House career. But excitement is definitely in the air as newly elected Speaker Paul D. Ryan delivers an outstanding acceptance speech while his family members and other adoring guests, including 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney who had Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate, are in attendance. After running back to my office to film a television interview with WSAV, I head back to the Capitol to grab a picture with my friend, the newly elected Speaker Paul Ryan.
After a couple of meetings with staff back in my office, I head to the airport to return home.
Friday, October 30, 2015: I’m back home this morning and honored to attend the Vietnam Veteran’s Certificate of Honor Ceremony at Hunter Army Airfield where, along with other state and local officials, we honor about 300 Vietnam Veterans. These sometime overlooked heroes, are most deserving of this recognition, and I am honored to participate. Later, I have the opportunity to address the International Propeller Club Conference that is being hosted by the Port of Savannah and consists of around 120 maritime professionals from around the U.S. and the world. Finally, I head down to Saint Simons Island where I am honored to speak at the Annual Glynn County GOP Georgia/Florida Shrimp Boil.
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