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Week in Review: July 26 - 30
August 3, 2010
Contact: Jennifer Drogus
Week in Review: July 26-30
You Cut Program
On July 29, I offered a procedural motion on behalf of the Republican Whip’s You Cut program that would eliminate the Advanced Earned Income Tax Credit (AEITC) and save taxpayers $1.1 billion. The AEITC, designed for low-income workers, is an underutilized and overly abused tax provision. This bill aligns with my desire to reduce government waste and streamline the tax code and requires all beneficiaries to claim the EITC at the end of the tax year, as 97 percent of recipients already do. By incorporating a slight change to the EITC as recommended by the Government Accountability Office and even President Obama, my initiative provides the dual benefit of saving taxpayers over a billion dollars while simplifying our tax code. Despite previously garnering bi-partisan support, a vote to adopt this sensible reform failed.
You can find out more about the House Republican You Cut program here.
Defense News
1). H.R. 4899, the “Iraq and Afghanistan War Supplemental”
On July 27, I joined twelve of my fellow House Republican colleagues, including Georgia Representatives Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey, in voting against H.R. 4899, also known as the Iraq and Afghanistan War Supplemental. I fully support the $37 billion included in the bill to fund our troops in the field, however, the Democratic leadership added on over $21 billion in unfunded, unrelated domestic and foreign affairs spending, including $5 billion for FEMA and nearly $3 billion in aid to Haiti. While these may be worthwhile expenditures, they need to be openly debated and voted on as separate measures. I strongly support passing clean supplemental bills to fund our missions in the Middle East rather than perpetuating a string of multiple-issue funding measures. This is not the way for Congress to manage the nation’s defense and fiscal affairs.
To view a list of the wasteful provisions included in H.R. 4899, please click here.
2). H.Res. 1442, the “Supporting the Gaols and Ideals of U.S. Military History Month”
This week I was proud to co-sponsor H.Res. 1442, “Supporting the Goals and Ideals of U.S. Military History Month.” Introduced by Representative John J. Duncan, Jr. (TN-02), this resolution would establish November as the United States Military History Month for the purposes of celebrating the influence of the military on our nation’s narrative and showing appreciation for our service men and women of the past, present, and future.
Throughout the history of the United States, Americans have never shied away from a fight to make life better, not only for themselves, but for many millions around the world. Our country proudly celebrates and commemorates American soldiers who gave their life in combat on Memorial Day, and we honor all who served in the military on Veterans Day. However, it is just as important to celebrate our nation’s military history, which H.Res. 1442 will do. The history of the military in the United States is a priceless and unique aspect of our country. Our military history has told the story of the countless freedoms Americans and individuals around the globe enjoy, and I am proud to sponsor legislation that would set aside a month to honor the United States Military.
To read the text of H.Res. 1442, please click here.
3). U.S. Army Signal Corps
This week I co-sponsored a resolution, H.Res. 1590, that would recognize the 150th Anniversary of the Army Signal Corps. Since Major Albert Myer first conceived the idea of a separate, trained, professional military signal service in 1860, the Signal Corps has become essential to the conduct of battlefield missions worldwide.
Through its evolution from balloons and signal flags to radio, radar and satellites, the Signal Corps has been a leading developer and innovator of communications and information technology from the battlefield to the home front. The men and women of the Signal Corps have lent their expertise and professionalism and given their lives in support of every major conflict since the American Civil War. In accordance with continuing to recognize and honor those who have fought and died for the freedom of our country, I am proud to have co-sponsored this important piece of legislation which would honor the enormous contributions that our Signal Corps Soldiers have made to the United States Army and to the nation over the last 140 years.
To read the text of H.Res. 1590, please click here.
You may be interested to know that Georgia’s own Fort Gordon is currently the home of the Army Signal Corps. You’ll be pleased to know that last year I co-sponsored H.Con.Res 206, honoring the service of the men and women of Fort Gordon, which passed both the House and Senate unanimously.
To read the text of H.Con.Res. 206, please click here.
Honorary Measure
This week I co-sponsored H.Res. 637, honoring the life and accomplishments of Herbert Klein, the first White House Communications Director. Mr. Herbert Klein is best known as the first White House Director of Communications, a job he created during his service in the Nixon administration and held until 1973. As President Nixon’s Communication Director, Mr. Klein expanded Presidential media to include a greater focus on public relations and was influential in the Nixon Administration for his assistance to the President during his tours of China. On July 3, 2009, America lost a great patriot when Mr. Klein passed away at the age of 91. I am proud to have co-sponsored this resolution which would honor Mr. Klein’s life and accomplishments.
To read the text of H.Res. 637, please click here.
Thwarting Identity Theft
On July 26, 2010, I was proud to join many of my fellow Congressmen on the House Ways and Means Committee to co-sponsor H.R. 5854, the “No Prisoner Access to Social Security Numbers Act of 2010.” This bipartisan bill, introduced by Representatives Sam Johnson (R-TX) and Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), would prohibit prisoners from working in jobs where they have access to Social Security Numbers (SSNs).
In 2006, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a report detailing problems with prisoner work programs in 13 states that allowed prisoners access to SSNs. In March 2010, the OIG updated that report to show that 8 of the original 13 states on the list were still allowing prisoners to access SSNs. Those states are Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia. The Johnson-Pomeroy bill would prohibit any government entity from employing or entering into or maintaining an employment contract for the use or employment of prisoners in any capacity that would allow access to SSNs.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, 11.1 million Americans were victims of identity theft in the 2009, and approximately 38% of those crimes involved a stolen or otherwise misused SSN. What is additionally concerning to the Federal government is that Social Security benefits are calculated using lifelong posting of wages under a particular SSN. Improperly securing SSNs has far-reaching consequences into the future. I was proud to support this measure.
To read the text of H.R. 5854, please click here.
Fighting for Small Businesses
This week I joined 130 of my House colleagues in co-sponsoring H.R. 5141, the “Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act.”
Buried deep in the text of ObamaCare was Section 9006. This provision of the law places an unprecedented and onerous burden on small business by requiring that a 1099 tax form be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service for any purchase of a good or service from another business in excess of $600. While large corporations have special departments that do nothing but address issues with the tax code, small businesses do not have that luxury. Instead of moving our economy forward, Section 9006 will force many small businesses to stop working and spend time and money on complying with the tax code.
In fact, Section 9006 is expected to raise $17 billion. That is $17 billion coming out of the pockets of small businesses and into the hands of Uncle Sam. What is most egregious is that this tax will do nothing to help our economy; every penny of the $17 billion will go to fund the ObamaCare boondoggle. It is wrong to punish small businesses with this tax, and I pledge to continue opposing such economy-killing initiatives as Section 9006.
To read the text of H.R. 5141, please click here.
Blog of the Week
My office receives many calls from constituents who are having problems with their mortgages. If your loan has Federal oversight, my office can make an inquiry to the Federal agency and ask for a response on your behalf. To determine if your loan has Federal oversight, first contact the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance at (770) 986-1633, or online at http://gadbf.org.
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