Latest News

10/27/2008
Tom Feeney in Brevard for Max Brewer Bridge Dedication and National Homeless Veterans Support Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

(Oviedo, FL) – Tom Feeney (R-Oviedo) today will be in Brevard County for the Max Brewer Bridge Dedication and the National Homeless Veterans Support Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.  Tom Feeney fought to secure $8 million in federal funds for the Max Brewer Bridge which will serve as a critical evacuation route for Brevard County residents and federal employees at the Kennedy Space Center.  Additionally, on the heels of the VA Hospital Groundbreaking, Tom Feeney today will join Brevard County Veterans who have been instrumental in opening a new office for homeless veterans support.   When: Today at 2:00 p.m. What:  Max Brewer Bridge dedication Where:  Titusville Memorial Fishing Pier Concession Area (NW side of the bridge) 2 A. Max Brewer Memorial Pkwy Titusville, FL     When: Today at 4:00 p.m. What:  National Homeless Veterans Support ribbon cutting ceremony for their new office Where:  Harry T. Moore Social Service Center 725 S. Deleon Ave Suite 118 Titusville, FL ... view more

10/23/2008
VA Secretary to Participate in Groundbreaking for New Orlando VA Medical Center

What:   VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake, Representative Tom Feeney and other Florida officials will break ground at the site of the New Orlando VA Medical Center. Other officials in attendance include Governor Charlie Crist, Senator Mel Martinez, Senator Bill Nelson,  Congressional Representatives, Corrine Brown, John Mica, Ric Keller, Dave Weldon, and Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.   Who:    Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake  and Rep. Tom Feeney                         When: Friday, October 24th                                                10:00 a.m.—Ground breaking ceremony begins   11:30 a.m.—General Media availability   Where:  Site of the new Orlando VA Medical Center 13800 Veterans Way Orlando, FL 32827       Background: The new Orlando VA Medical Center will serve nearly 400,000 veterans as a 134-bed hospital, 118-bed nursing home, 60-bed domiciliary, large outpatient clinic with support services. The new facility will make it easier for east-central Florida veterans to access VA’s world-class medical care and relieve the burden of traveling long distances for their inpatient care. The Orlando VAMC will be across the street from the University of Central Florida’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences campus, along with the Burnham Institute of Research and the Nemours Children’s Hospital, creating a "medical city" in southeast Orlando.      ... view more

9/29/2008
Tom Feeney Opposes Bailout of Wall Street Speculators

(Washington, DC) – Tom Feeney (R-Oviedo), member of the House Financial Services Committee, today released this statement regarding his opposition to the largest intervention in financial markets since the Great Depression. In 2005, Rep. Feeney and Rep. Jeb Hensarling introduced an amendment in the Financial Services Committee that protected taxpayers from crushing bailouts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Rep. Feeney also introduced the Taxpayer Bailout Protection Actrequire executives of publicly traded companies who are bailed out by taxpayer funds to repay any bonus from the year of the bailout and the two previous years to the U.S. Treasury.  Tom Feeney's economic plan and concerns with the Paulson/Frank "rescue" plan are attached. to   "Last week, I said that I will vote against a bailout unless a free market approach is taken that puts the burdens of rescuing Wall Street on the private sector, not taxpayers.  This $700 billion bailout is touted by Treasury Secretary Paulson and Chairman Barney Frank, as once again, the cure all for America’s economic woes. Yet it fixes none of the fundamental structural problems that American government is responsible for.  While I believe that intervention is needed, the Paulson plan's broad alteration of our free market system is not the answer and we need proposed market solutions to the credit crisis.   Buying troubled assets on Wall Street balance sheets does NOT stimulate American banks in Central Florida, but it does create a huge new bureaucracy which may control lending in America and become the largest leap toward socialism in my lifetime.   "I fear that this rushed plan mirrors the populist-socialist responses that lengthened the Great Depression during which 50% of American banks collapsed and unemployment stayed over 10% during a dismal decade. While we cannot turn back time and undo decades of government actions that allowed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to swell to unsustainable financial heights, we can move forward and ensure that hardworking Main Street Americans do not foot the bill for past speculation by Wall Street executives or liberal politicians who browbeat lenders to make loans to people without adequate credit ability.    "Finally this bill increases the amount of federal debt to $11.3 trillion, a 26% increase in the two years since Democrats took control of Congress.  That is an additional $8,000 of debt for each American man, woman and child," said Feeney.   ### ... view more

9/25/2008
Feeney Introduces a Space Gap Filler Bill -- Ambitious plan to close the upcoming gap in human spaceflight and reduce American reliance on the Russian Soyuz

(Washington, DC) – Today, Representative Tom Feeney (R-Oviedo) introduced legislation to narrow the planned gap in America’s human spaceflight program. Under current plans, the Space Shuttle will be retired in 2010 but its successor, the Orion/Ares 1 spacecraft, will not fly operationally until 2015 at the earliest.  During that gap, the United States would purchase flights on the Russian Soyuz vehicle. Yesterday, the House passed legislation authorizing such purchases.  Tom Feeney discusses his bill:   "While I support allowing the purchase of Soyuz flights, that option should be a last and not first resort.  Russia’s Putin Regime has engaged in a series of unfriendly actions culminating in last month’s invasion of Georgia.  Collectively, these acts cast serious doubt on Russia’s reliability as an international partner.  My legislation tasks NASA with developing alternates to fill this spaceflight gap.   “My legislation charges the next Administration to aggressively develop methods of providing access to the International Space Station for the U.S.A. and its allies.  A changed international environment requires midcourse corrections in our strategy.  America and its allies have the talent to accomplish this task.  This legislation provides the needed will," said Feeney.   Under Representative Feeney’s bill, the ISS GAP FILLER Act:   ·         NASA would immediately suspend activities precluding continued Shuttle operations after 2010 and provide a detailed analysis of the actions and resources needed to continue Shuttle flights beyond 2010. ·         Authorizes over $3 billion annually in fiscal years 2010, 2011, and 2012 for continued Shuttle operations. ·         Authorizes a one-time $2 billion injection into the Orion/Ares 1 program to accelerate spacecraft development. ·         Initiates a domestic crewed vehicle demonstration program under which at least two private entities will propose rapid development and prototyping of a spacecraft that provides crew transfer and rescue services to the International Space Station. ·         Simultaneously, the NASA Administrator will begin discussions with the European Space Agency (ESA) on joint development of a human-rated spacecraft based on ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle. ·         After reviewing all proposals, the NASA Administrator will select a course of action that best provides crew transfer and rescue services to the International Space Station.  $575 million is authorized over three years for developing such access.  If a vehicle is successfully demonstrated, NASA would contract with that entity – and not Russia – to transport American astronauts. ·         Permits the purchase of Soyuz flights but immediately terminates such purchases as soon as an alternate means of access to ISS is developed.   ... view more

9/24/2008
Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Uncovers Vote Fraud in Central Florida

(Washington, DC) – After reports that the Seminole County Supervisor of Elections uncovered vote fraud in Central Florida, Tom Feeney (R-Oviedo) today pointed yet again to the need for an investigation and hearings to probe potential abuse of taxpayer funds by the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN).  In June, Rep. Feeney joined Congressman Jeb Hensarling and Congressman Ed Royce to urge Chairman Barney Frank to convene a hearing on potential ACORN illegalities. Last week, Rep. Feeney joined 38 other members to request an immediate Department of Justice investigation into whether or not ACORN is engaging in criminal voting fraud, promoting fraudulent registrations, or criminally misusing taxpayer funds.      Today, Tom Feeney sent letters to the Supervisors of Elections urging extreme vigilance in examining voter registrations. Even today, the JudiciarySubcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties and Subcommittee on Electionsheld a joint hearing in which the Consumers Rights League testified about ACORN's seemingly illegal practices in multiple states including the introduction of affidavits from former ACORN employees. ... view more