October 2009 PDF Print

 

Washington Report / October 2009
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House Extends Homebuyer Tax Credit for Veterans

On Thursday, the House of Representatives unanimously passed legislation to extend the first-time homebuyer tax credit to veterans and other civilian personnel stationed overseas. The legislation, H.R. 3590, which passed the House by a vote of 416 – 0, provides members of the armed forces, foreign and intelligence services who have been stationed abroad for at least 90 days, another year to take advantage of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit.

The current first-time homebuyer tax credit is set to expire on November 30, 2009. Pending Senate approval and signature by the President, veterans and other civilian personnel will remain eligible for the tax credit until the same date in 2010.

Meanwhile, consideration is being given to extend the tax credit to all first-time homebuyers, not just those individuals eligible under H.R. 3590. The House Committee on Small Business recently held a hearing on this issue, which examined the current state of the housing market and the impact of the first-time homebuyer tax credit over the last year. Information regarding this hearing, which I encourage you to review, is available on the Small Business Committee website.

Recognizing our nation’s ongoing military and diplomatic missions worldwide, I am pleased the House took action to ease the transition of the men and women undertaking these duties and help them achieve the American dream of homeownership. At the same time, I am also hopeful that we can more closely consider extending the first-time homebuyer tax credit – an important tool to assist prospective homebuyers and promote housing purchases in today’s economy – to all Americans.

I am interested to hear your thoughts on this particular issue and, more generally, the condition of our nation’s housing market, both in San Diego and nationwide. You can contact me through my website by clicking here.

Health Care Update

As the Senate moves forward with consideration of its own version of health care reform legislation, efforts are underway in the House to produce a single piece of legislation following a tri-committee review of the original proposal, H.R. 3200. Once released, I will post a copy of this legislation on my website.

Clear differences remain between the House and Senate versions of health care reform legislation. Nonetheless, as it currently stands, I remain strongly opposed to any proposal that includes excessive federal mandates, tax increases or fails to responsibly create a marketplace for competition.

Troop Surge Promptly Needed in Afghanistan

Now that the security situation in Iraq is under control and U.S. forces are beginning to rotate out of the region, America is confronted with a challenge of equal significance in Afghanistan. By all accounts, the combat mission in Afghanistan has reached an important crossroad.

In March, the President announced a new approach in this region of the world, reminding all Americans of the necessity to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country.” Leading the mission in Afghanistan is General Stanley McChrystal, who was appointed by the President to evaluate the situation on the ground and provide a resource request detailing what he needs to achieve victory.

The President now has General McChrystal’s request in hand, which includes adding another 40,000 combat troops to the region. As the President considers what course to take, the security situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate. The insurgency is gaining strength and U.S. soldiers, Marines, as well as our allies, are being increasingly targeted by ambushes and roadside bomb attacks. To prevent mission failure and protect those troops already there, I believe the President must act quickly to fulfill General McChrystal’s request.

Only until recently, the collective commitment to this new strategy has come into question. Some in Congress have raised opposition to any type of troop surge, instead preferring to maintain or draw down combat forces, focus on training local security forces and rely on targeted airstrikes. While a scaled-back strategy might be attractive to some, it would inevitably constrain resources already in short supply, putting our mission and the safety of coalition forces at risk.

General McChrystal has made clear that a small footprint, counter-insurgency strategy will not work. What’s more, General McChrystal has clearly defined our objectives and the metrics for achieving victory against a resurgent enemy. This entails our ground forces working to standup Afghanistan’s security and police forces as we did in Iraq, and substantively weaken the stronghold of Al Qaeda and the Taliban to the point where these local forces can effectively take control.

Consistent with General McChrystal’s recommendation, the initial strategy outlined by the President almost seven months ago constitutes the best way forward. My hope is that a favorable decision is reached promptly so our military, Congress and the Administration can begin doing their respective parts to provide the full resources to execute an effective counter-insurgency strategy.

Experience also tells us that wars must be run by military leaders, not politicians or bureaucrats. The President rightly recognizes the importance of defeating Al Qaeda and the Taliban but, in order to do so, he must stay clear of political undercurrents and do what is right. In this case, it’s committing the necessary force level to complete the mission and bring our troops home.

On two occasions over the last few years, I have been to Afghanistan as both a Member of Congress and a U.S. Marine. While there, I have served alongside and shared experiences with some of the military men and women who have dutifully undertaken their mission to protect our nation and the people of Afghanistan. I have also spoken to civilian and military leadership on both sides. They too recognize what is at stake.

Our goals in Afghanistan will become further out of reach if we significantly reduce our military presence at such a critical time. Understanding this risk, I hope that President Obama, as Commander-in-Chief, will follow the recommendation of his appointed military commander and commit his full support to this important mission.

In the meantime, I would appreciate hearing from you on our efforts in Afghanistan and General McChrystal’s troop request. Please contact me with your thoughts through my website by clicking here. I also encourage you to watch a video segment from my recent interview on CSPAN, where I raised some of my thoughts and concerns on this issue. 

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