The Times-News, Nov. 30, 2011

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U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, was elected today by Democratic members of Congress from North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and South Carolina to represent them on the Steering & Policy Committee.

The Steering & Policy Committee, which is designed to formulate and promote strategies for success in the 112th Congress, is comprised of 12 regional representatives and 24 regional whips.

Shuler's office in Washington said in a news release that, as a regional representative, the congressman will be in a prime position to advocate for the middle class, small business owners and strong American companies. The focus of the committee will be to create jobs and improve the economy over the next two years.

"Our government needs strong leadership to steer it back on course," Shuler said in a statement. “I am honored that my colleagues from North Carolina, as well as from other neighboring states, have faith in my ability to steer us in a positive direction for North Carolina, for the South and for the country. I look forward to serving as a strong, moderate voice on this committee."

Congressman Larry Kissell, D-N.C., who was elected to serve as a regional whip, said in a statement, "Heath has proven himself to be a leader in this Congress, and he will do a great job in this position. He represents millions of moderate Democrats in our party, and his voice is needed in leadership."

Washington, D.C.-This morning, Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) was elected by Democratic Members of Congress from North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and South Carolina to represent them on the Steering & Policy Committee.

The Steering & Policy Committee, which is designed to formulate and promote strategies for success in the 112th Congress, is composed of 12 regional representatives and 24 regional whips. Congressman Shuler, as a regional representative, will be in a prime position to advocate for the middle class, small business owners, and strong American companies. The focus of the committee will be to create jobs and improve the economy over the next two years.

"Our government needs strong leadership to steer it back on course," said Rep. Shuler. "I am honored that my colleagues from North Carolina, as well as from other neighboring states, have faith in my ability to steer us in a positive direction for North Carolina, for the South, and for the Country. I look forward to serving as a strong, moderate voice on this committee."

Congressman Larry Kissell (D-NC) who was elected to serve as a regional whip said, "Heath has proven himself to be a leader in this Congress, and he will do a great job in this position. He represents millions of moderate Democrats in our party, and his voice is needed in leadership."

Washington, D.C. - Last week, Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) stood out as a strong, moderate leader in the U.S. Congress.

On Tuesday, Rep. Shuler was elected as the leader (Co-Chair for Administration) of the fiscally responsible Democratic Blue Dog Coalition. The team that will lead the Coalition’s efforts in the 112th Congress also includes Rep. John Barrow (D-GA) as Co-Chair for Policy and Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) as Co-Chair for Communications.

Accepting the new role, Rep. Shuler said, "The Blue Dogs will continue to be a voice in Congress for the large majority of Americans who expect us to come together to develop common-sense solutions to the serious problems facing this country. This isn't about party politics; it’s about doing what's right for the country, and I am proud to be a leader in that effort."

Also last week, Rep. Shuler challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the position of Minority Leader in the 112th U.S. Congress. Congressman Shuler was greeted with strong support from across the Democratic Caucus, winning the votes of 43 of his colleagues.

"I am proud of the support I received from my fellow Democrats," said Rep. Shuler, who was nominated by Blue Dog Representatives Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Mike Ross (D-AR) and seconded by Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC). "It was never about winning; it was about giving the moderates a voice in this Caucus. We are strong because we are a big tent party, not in spite of it. Today we proved that we will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the next Congress, and I am proud to be a leader in that effort."

Reflecting on the week, Rep. Shuler remarked, "I have always prided myself on my ability to work with people regardless of political affiliation, and I look forward to getting to work in the next Congress to develop middle-of-the-road solutions to the problems facing this country."

Yesterday, Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the position of Minority Leader in the 112th U.S. Congress. Congressman Shuler was greeted with strong support from across the Democratic Caucus, winning the votes of 43 of his colleagues.

"I am proud of the support I received from my fellow Democrats," said Rep. Shuler, who was nominated by Blue Dog Representatives Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Mike Ross (D-AR) and seconded by Rep. Larry Kissell (D-NC). "It was never about winning; it was about giving the moderates a voice in this Caucus. We are strong because we are a big tent party, not in spite of it. Today we proved that we will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the next Congress, and I am proud to be a leader in that effort.

I have always prided myself on my ability to work with people regardless of political affiliation, and I look forward to getting to work in the next Congress to develop middle-of-the-road solutions to the problems facing this country."

Representative Shuler was recently elected as the leader of the fiscally responsible Democratic Blue Dog Coalition.

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Today, Congressman Shuler announced that the deadline for stop-loss pay was extended 43 days until December 3rd. Stop-loss pay is extra compensation that service members and veterans are eligible to apply for if they received orders to remain on active duty after their planned separation or retirement date during the period of September 11, 2001 through September 30, 2008.

Stop-loss is a retroactive payment that was authorized by Congress last year for one-year, and was set to expire today, on October 21. Congress extended the deadline when the Defense Department found that only about 59,000 of the 145,000 eligible servicemen and women have had applied and had their payments approved.

"I am very glad that our veterans and members of military have more time to file for this compensation," said Rep. Shuler. "Thousands of men and women have been apart from their families and their loved ones for extended periods, serving our country in Afghanistan and Iraq. This stop-loss pay is an important way for us to express our thanks and repay them for their outstanding sacrifices."

Service members who had their duty extended must provide documentation stating that they were held on active duty. Current military, veterans, and families of deceased service members may be eligible for stop-loss pay. Claims can be made online through the website www.stoplosspay.army.mil or service members can pick up an application at Congressman Shuler’s Asheville office and submit through the mail.

Asheville, NC-Today, Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville), Land Of Sky Officials and representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $1.6 million grant award for Sustainable Housing and Community Planning in Western North Carolina.

The "WNC Livable Communities Consortium", coordinated by Land of Sky, will synchronize local community planning efforts to integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments. The group will create an Actionable Implementation Strategy that integrates existing plans into a comprehensive guide focusing on sustainable development throughout the region over the next twenty years.

"Our region has seen a great deal of population growth in recent years, as more and more people learn how great a home Western North Carolina can be," said Rep. Shuler. "As we develop, we must think strategically about land use, transportation and conservation. I was proud to support Land of Sky throughout the grant application process, and I congratulate them on this achievement that will have a long-lasting impact on our mountain communities."

The funding, won by Land of Sky through a competitive grant process, is part of $150 million allocated to HUD by Congress to establish a Sustainable Communities Initiative to improve regional planning efforts that integrate housing and transportation decisions. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are partners with HUD in the initiative.

Joe McKinney, Executive Director of Land-of-Sky Regional Council, said, "We are honored to be included as one of the forty-five regions in the nation to receive funding this important initiative. The WNC Livable Communities Initiative will be an unprecedented collaboration between local governments, area non-profits, the private sector and out region’s communities. The purpose of the initiative is to help design our region's future to ensure quality jobs, affordable housing, better transportation, cleaner energy, while preserving our region's environment and culture well into the 21st century. This endeavor would not have been possible without the support of our congressional delegation."

Members of the WNC Livable Communities Consortium members include the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization, Land-of-Sky Rural Planning Organization (RPO), City of Asheville, Buncombe County, State of North Carolina, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, AdvantageWest, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Renaissance Computing Institute of the University of North Carolina at Asheville (RENCI), Asheville Housing Authority, Asheville-Buncombe Sustainable Communities Initiative of the Asheville Hub, and the Asheville Design Center.

Asheville, NC-Today, Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville), Land Of Sky Officials and representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $1.6 million grant award for Sustainable Housing and Community Planning in Western North Carolina.

The “WNC Livable Communities Consortium,” coordinated by Land of Sky, will synchronize local community planning efforts to integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments. The group will create an Actionable Implementation Strategy that integrates existing plans into a comprehensive guide focusing on sustainable development throughout the region over the next twenty years.

“Our region has seen a great deal of population growth in recent years, as more and more people learn how great a home Western North Carolina can be,” said Rep. Shuler. “As we develop, we must think strategically about land use, transportation and conservation. I was proud to support Land of Sky throughout the grant application process, and I congratulate them on this achievement that will have a long-lasting impact on our mountain communities.”

The funding, won by Land of Sky through a competitive grant process, is part of $150 million allocated to HUD by Congress to establish a Sustainable Communities Initiative to improve regional planning efforts that integrate housing and transportation decisions. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are partners with HUD in the initiative.

Joe McKinney, Executive Director of Land-of-Sky Regional Council, said, “We are honored to be included as one of the forty-five regions in the nation to receive funding this important initiative. The WNC Livable Communities Initiative will be an unprecedented collaboration between local governments, area non-profits, the private sector and out region’s communities. The purpose of the initiative is to help design our region’s future to ensure quality jobs, affordable housing, better transportation, cleaner energy, while preserving our region’s environment and culture well into the 21st century. This endeavor would not have been possible without the support of our congressional delegation.”

Members of the WNC Livable Communities Consortium members include the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization, Land-of-Sky Rural Planning Organization (RPO), City of Asheville, Buncombe County, State of North Carolina, The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, AdvantageWest, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Renaissance Computing Institute of the University of North Carolina at Asheville (RENCI), Asheville Housing Authority, Asheville-Buncombe Sustainable Communities Initiative of the Asheville Hub, and the Asheville Design Center.

Asheville, NC-Tomorrow, (Friday, October 15), Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville), Land Of Sky Officials and representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will a $1.6 million grant award for Sustainable Housing and Community Planning in Western North Carolina.

The “WNC Sustainable Communities Initiative,” coordinated by Land of Sky, will synchronize local community planning efforts to integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments.

The funding, won by Land of Sky through a competitive grant process, is part of $150 million allocated to HUD by Congress to establish a Sustainable Communities Initiative to improve regional planning efforts that integrate housing and transportation decisions. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are partners with HUD in the initiative.

What: Announcement of Land of Sky’s $1.6 Million Grant Award for Sustainable Housing and Community Planning

Who: U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, Land Of Sky Officials and representatives from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

When: 1:15pm on Friday, October 15th

Where: Biltmore Doubletree Hotel, Garden Terrace 115 Hendersonville Road Asheville, NC 28803

Washington, D.C.-- Today, Congressman Heath Shuler (D-Waynesville) voted in support of the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, H.R. 2378, which gets tough on China and other countries who have been giving themselves an unfair advantage in trade and manufacturing. For years, China has been using illegal subsidies and keeping the value of its currency artificially low, tactics which promote Chinese exports by making them comparatively cheap to buy in the U.S.

“Studies report that China may be undervaluing their currency by as much as 40 percent,” said Rep. Shuler. “This unfair trade practice put American workers and manufacturers in America at a disadvantage that is simply unacceptable. We’ve lost enough jobs to China. It’s time for China to stop cheating with their currency so we can get those jobs back to the U.S.”

According to a study by the Economic Policy Institute, 2.4 million U.S. jobs were lost or displaced due to trade with China between 2001 and 2008. This bill could generate as many as a million domestic manufacturing jobs and reduce our trade deficit with China by $100 billion a year.

Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize winning economist, said “China is taxing imports while subsidizing exports, feeding a huge trade surplus.” For decades, previous Administrations and Congress lobbied China to stop playing with the value of their currency and allow the Yuan to respond to natural market forces, to no avail.

The bipartisan Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act gives the federal government tools to correct currency manipulation like that employed by China. The legislation allows for additional tariffs to offset the negative effects of currency undervaluation. It also allows the Commerce Department to treat foreign currency manipulation as an export subsidy and to determine the amount that subsidy is worth. The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act passed the House by a vote of 348 to 79.

“I am a member of the bipartisan Buy America Caucus because we need to address the unfair trade agreements that have closed our factories and sent thousands of good-paying jobs overseas,” said Rep. Shuler. “I am glad to see Congress getting tough with China, and I am going to work to make this the first of many such bills.”

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Last week, I was proud to vote for, and see the House pass, two important bills that will bring jobs back to North Carolina and the U.S. The House passed the Congressional Made in America Promise Act and the Berry Amendment Extension Act to advance domestic manufacturing by obligating Congress and the Department of Homeland Security to buy products that are made in America.

We’ve seen in North Carolina how the textile industry was hammered by unfair trade and a barrage of cheap imports. We currently operate with a $575 billion trade deficit in apparel and textiles. Since December of 2000, we have seen a loss of 587,000 American textile jobs. These bills are an important step in turning that trend around.

I’m a proud member of the House Buy American Caucus, a bipartisan group working to stop the trend of sending American manufacturing jobs overseas and promote American manufacturing. Unfair trade agreements have closed too many American factories and given too many jobs to China and Mexico. We need to incentivize small businesses to grow and expand to offer their products to markets abroad, as well as close tax loopholes that encourage U.S. companies to move aboard or to outsource the jobs we need here.

While we need to bring manufacturing back to America, we also need to focus on how our region’s proven success in science, technology, and green industry can lay a foundation for job growth. Last week, NOAA announced that the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) received a contract for a Climate Data Records program, which will create as many as 25 jobs at NCDC’s Asheville location. This is a remarkable opportunity for the National Climatic Data Center, the largest environmental data center in the world and the home of the world’s most impressive and comprehensive collection of climate data.

The success of NCDC, combined with the regional strength of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the increased broadband connectivity we are acquiring, should be a boon to Western North Carolina, allowing us to expand our climate research and create new high-paying, stable jobs in our area. This contact, and the 25 new jobs that come with it, is one more step forward in making our mountain region unsurpassed in climate research in America.

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