| House Passes Rep. Doggett's bill to Continue Full FDIC Protection for Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts |
For Immediate Release Washington—Last night, the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 6398, a bill authored by U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) to continue full FDIC protection for Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA). When an attorney receives funds for use on behalf of a client, those funds are normally placed in a trust account at a financial institution. Many years ago, leaders in the legal community determined that interest could be earned on such accounts and applied to finance legal services for those, who otherwise would have no access to our justice system. For decades, revenue from these Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts, called IOLTAs for short, have provided a key funding source for legal assistance in all 50 states. This bill continues full FDIC protection for these trust accounts. This protection, which exists today, would otherwise have expired at the end of this year, when prior law is to be replaced by the extensive new Wall Street reform law. The bill extends existing FDIC protection into the future. The Senate must now act.
Video of Rep. Doggett’s remarks on the floor of the House are available by clicking here. |
| U.S. Rep. Doggett Hopes to Reunite Taxpayers with Their IRS Refunds |
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced that the IRS has more than 600 undeliverable tax refund checks belonging to taxpayers who filed their returns in Travis, Taxpayers who locate their name on the IRS Refund List below can use Where’s My Refund? on www.irs.gov to check on the status of the missing refund, initiate refund tracers and update their addresses online, 24/7. Taxpayers without internet access can call 1-800-829-1954 to check on a missing refund. Click here to see the list of individuals due a tax refund check. |
| U.S. Rep. Doggett Announces Open Enrollment Period for Medicare |
Today, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett announced the beginning of the open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries, until December 31, 2010. It is vital that Medicare beneficiaries use this opportunity to review and make changes to their Medicare plan as this opportunity is only available once each year. More information on open enrollment for Medicare beneficiaries is available at http://www.Medicare.gov. Or, if you have questions, e-mail Rep. Doggett at Lloyd.Doggett@mail.house.gov. |
| KVUE: Daughter of Late World War II POW Receives Her Father’s Medals |
My office recently helped Linda Hutson of
by ANDREW CHUNG / KVUE News When Linda Hutson looks at photos of her late dad, Army Corporal William Earl Shults, the memories are there. "I just thought my daddy was a skinny kid. I didn't know he had been in a prison camp when some of these pictures were made, just months before,” Linda said. Corporal Shults was in that prison camp following the infamous Bataan Death March. The memories were too painful and traumatic for him to share. "I never ever remember my dad speaking about it. I do remember my mother saying, 'Go back to bed. He's having a nightmare about the war'," she added. Linda wanted to find out more about her dad, who died in 1998. "People in my days, before the Internet, never had computers and we didn't have the money to hire a high-priced genealogist to study your family," Linda says. Linda's home is in essence a treasure trove of history. She is kept photos and other reminders of her father so people will remember the sacrifices he made for our country. A trip to the public library and some help from relatives shed light on Corporal Shults. He was a P.O.W. who was part of the Bataan Death March. "They would make American soldiers, in order to live, just to be able to keep marching, they'd make you cut the head off of your fellow soldier who went down," said Linda of her dad’s Japanese captors. Thousands died. Corporal Shults survived. Further research by Linda revealed her dad received numerous military honors, and only now is Corporal William Earl Shults getting the recognition he deserves. "She had requested these medals from our office for the first time just a few months ago and so we were fortunate to able to get them rather speedily. I think she had some of the medals in the past but over time he may not have been awarded all the medals," says U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett, who presented Shults’ eight medals to Linda, including the Purple Heart. Linda wants people to remember the past. "We need to know who we come from. We need to know where we've been. We need to know that we are not a free nation automatically. We need to know that people have suffered mightily," she said. Finally knowing her dad's heroic past brings her closure. |
| Rep. Doggett Statement on Texas’ Legal Challenge Against U.S. Department of Education |
“This is another act of political theatre, reflected in a press release longer than the accompanying legal petition. Only Governor Perry’s purposeful alteration of the application is temporarily delaying these funds. Yesterday the Secretary of Education indicated that these funds were being held for
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| Rep. Doggett: 6 Months After Health Insurance Reform, Consumers are Beginning to Get Back Control of Their Health Care |
On the six-month anniversary of health insurance reform, consumers are beginning to be handed back control of their health care with their own ‘Bill of Rights,’ ending some of insurance companies’ most abusive practices – see excerpts from a recent USA Today article below. For the Central Texans that I met with recently at the Austin CureSearch walk to support pediatric Cancer research, this means that no longer can an insurance company drop you if you become ill, no longer can children with pre-existing conditions be turned away, no longer can health insurance giants put caps on your lifetime coverage. Health consumers to start feeling effectsBy Alison Young Page: 8AWednesday, September 22, 2010 Several key consumer protections under the nation's new health law begin taking effect Thursday — six months after its enactment. Insurers can no longer set a dollar limit on the amount of care they'll provide over a person's lifetime or deny coverage to sick children. Young adults can stay on their parents' health plans until age 26. And consumers get greater rights to appeal insurers' decisions. "It's really putting in place long overdue consumer protections," Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in an interview with Many people, however, will have to wait until Jan. 1 for the changes to help them. That's because most of the new provisions apply to insurance policies that begin on or after Thursday. Many plans operate on a calendar year, and this fall will begin enrollment for next year. "It's not like a switch gets flipped and everything gets changed on Sept. 23," said Jennifer Tolbert, an associate director at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy group. Steve Findlay, a senior health policy analyst at the non-profit watchdog group Consumers Union, said consumers need to focus on the law's benefits, "what it does for them and their loved ones — rather than listen to politically driven criticisms and attempts to undermine the law." What's changingKeeping young adults covered
Be aware:
Free preventive careBe aware:
Coverage for sick childrenBe aware:
Protection against canceled coverageBe aware:
No lifetime coverage limitsBe aware:
Restrictions on annual coverage limitsBe aware:
Greater consumer appeals rightsBe aware:
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| Rep. Doggett Defends Federal Student Support for our Students and Universities – the Sparkplugs of Economic Development and Job Growth |
| Today during a House Budget Committee hearing on the role of the Perkins Loan Program, a need-based student loan offered by the U.S. Department of Education to assist college students in funding their post-secondary education, Rep. Doggett discussed the importance of such student financial aid. Rep. Doggett stated “I represent the students and faculty members of During his questioning, he also made clear that while he shares the view that in this time of growing deficits, we must be ferreting out wasteful spending, this federal support for education is not where cuts should be made:. “I have heard this view echoed loudly by some in The witnesses agreed that getting rid of these programs that make post-secondary education attainable for so many would be “disastrous.”
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| Smithville’s Mike Oldham Awards U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett Legislative White Hat Award on Behalf of Texas Farmers Union |
Mike Oldham of Smithville [right] and Steve Maikell of Sweetwater [left] present U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett with the 2010 Legislative “White Hat” Award on behalf of the Texas Farmers Union for Rep. Doggett’s outstanding voting record on behalf of Texas farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. “Congressman Doggett has won this honor consistently through the years for his work on behalf of our families,” said |
| From the Hays Free Press: It takes a Village |
by HOLLIE O’CONNOR Supporters of the ongoing effort to build a one-stop social services campus for The stakeholders’ meeting coincided with an announcement from U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett that the non-profit groups behind the village project are in line for a $450,000 federal appropriations grant to go toward construction of the main building, the first on the 22-acre campus at “That will be money to ensure this project becomes a reality as soon as possible,” Doggett said. “Different organizations are out there doing their work now, but I think they will be even more effective when they are neighbors, being a one-stop service for The Village Main is planned as a 22,000-square-foot complex and will include wings for each of the non-profits, a central common area with a multi-purpose meeting room and a courtyard. The building is expected to cost approximately $3 million of which $1 million has been raised or committed including the expected federal funds, said Nora Linares-Moeller, a The city of
“When you have one (project) that is several agencies who would normally compete against each other come together for the sake of efficiency, it deserves our support, and that is what these agencies have done,” Narvaiz said. Doggett said he takes personal interest in the project, especially in the Todd Bennett, principal of TrB Architecture, said Village Main will be built with sustainability in mind. The building will be oriented to maximize natural lighting using rows of windows above eye-level. Native plants will be used in landscaping to limit the need for irrigation and the courtyard will feature a rain garden, which will slow storm water runoff, he said. Village “We looked at bringing the building to the street so it really has a presence,” Bennett said. “We acknowledged that a lot of people will come to this campus by car, but many will come by bus, so we envisioned Riemer being a main street that gives the campus its whole identity and feeling.” Linares-Moeller said the project will be complete in about two years and is still in the fundraising stage. Stakeholders are currently sending requests for grants and asking individuals for donations, she said.
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| Rep. Lloyd Doggett Appears on Good Day Austin |
Rep. Lloyd Doggett joins Good Day Austin to discuss his efforts to ensure more accountability for federal spending. He has been seeking to ensure that new federal aid to education be used to aid education and not simply to replace state resources that are then diverted to other purposes. Governor Rick Perry's deliberate alteration of an application for $830 million in new federal education funding recently caused the U.S. Department of Education to reject his improper request. As Rep. Doggett explains in an earlier statement, ' Rep. Doggett also notes that at this time of economic uncertainty, he supports extending the Bush Tax Cuts for middle class families and is eager for Congress to approve legislation to continue necessary government operations in a fiscally responsible manner before promptly concluding this Session.
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| Austin Chronicle Readers Name Lloyd Doggett “Best Elected Official” for 2010 |
In their annual “Best of Austin” ratings, Austin Chronicle readers have named Lloyd Doggett Best Elected Official for 2010. “As U.S. Representative for During four previous years, readers of the Austin Chronicle have named him “Best Elected Official,” and during another year he was named “Best Unsung Hero.” “With a number of able officials in |
| Congressman Doggett's Remarks at the 2010 Lockhart National Night Out |
As I continue to listen and visit with families in Central Texas, I was pleased to participate in another town-hall meeting, this time at the National Night Out in Lockhart. As was evident by the great turnout this year down at City Park and then over to Bill and Dorothy Buckner’s annual gathering, there are many reasons to take prid...e in the Lockhart community and the rest of Caldwell County. And, certainly the security of our neighborhoods and the professionalism of the men and women in the Lockhart and Luling Police Departments, led by Chief Mike Lummus and Chief Bill Salas, are at the top of that list. While it is easy to be brave from a distance, our law enforcement officers know bravery up close. The spirit of National Night Out is to show that our police officers are not alone in fighting crime – that we all must work together – house by house, neighborhood by neighborhood, to keep our streets safe. I will continue working to ensure our police in small towns across Central Texas have state of the art technology to fight crime While most of my time was devoted to listening to residents, you can hear my remarks (over the sound of the cicadas!) after the introduction of Lockhart Chief of Police Mike Lummus by clicking here. |
| Congressman Doggett Visits With Capital Area Food Bank |
This video is a great illustration of the good work that both the Capital Area Food Bank and Boys and Girls Club do helping many local children get good, nutritious meals over the summer while school is out of session. On a hot afternoon, I enjoyed visiting with the kids and the devoted staff working with them in this important endeavor. It was another reminder of the importance of federal support for our local food banks, which are vital to the well being of thousands of our neighbors. To watch a video of my visit, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Speaks at Austin’s Data Foundry Groundbreaking |
(Note: The first minute of this video has no sound, but my introduction and remarks begin shortly thereafter.) Attending a Groundbreaking for the groundbreaking visionaries, Ron and Carolyn Yokubaitis. They dreamed of the potential of Data Foundry and now they are expanding to this Data Ranch with careful planning and the dynamic team working for them. The success achieved here in Central Texas is remarkable. In 1994, Data Foundry—as Texas-dot-net— imagined the Internet's potential to transform the way we work and live as few others did. With bold risk-taking and smart execution, this company has grown from a fledgling start-up to an international high-tech leader. I was happy to take part in the groundbreaking of the premier greenfield data center in Texas. To see my remarks, please click here. |
| President Obama Discusses Congressman Doggett’s ‘More Education’ Tax Credit in Speech at University of Texas |
When President Obama addressed thousands at UT this week, I appreciated his focus on making education more affordable for students and their families. This is certainly a concern on which we have complete agreement, even though we have differing views on some other major national issues. And I especially appreciated his comments on the near $14 billion “More Education” targeted tax cut, which I authored. It encourages those, who want to further their education and gain more job skills. Those who spend up to $2,500 for tuition, textbooks and course materials, can take $2,500 off their federal tax bill. I look forward to working with him to ensure that this tax cut is expanded and continued. To see an excerpt of the President’s discussion of my “More Education” tax credit, please click here. If you would like to hear President Obama’s remarks at the University of Texas in their entirety, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Statement on Senate-passed Education Language to Keep Federal Education Dollars in Texas Schools |
We have listened to the needs of parents and school leaders across Texas, we overcame the opposition of the Obama Administration, and we are writing into federal law a requirement that federal education dollars not be diverted again from local schools. To get a better understanding of what is happening, please read: |
| Congressman Doggett Targets Multinationals’ Tax Dodging “Shenanigans” |
Today, in the Ways and Means Committee, we addressed a topic that tends to make even the most thoughtful citizens’ eyes glaze over. It’s a topic that is boring for the multitude, but it’s billions for those who exploit our complex tax system. It concerned the way some multinationals avoid taxes and shift the burden of paying for our national security, our homeland security, and other public services on to the small businesses and family taxpayers who play by the rules and cannot engage in such international shenanigans. To see my opening statement at today’s hearing, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Continuing Work to Make All Levels of Government More Accessible |
Making all levels of government more accessible to the people they represent has been one of my number one concerns in Congress. Specifically, I have worked hard to open-up the process for both federal direct and indirect spending. My latest effort, working with the Sunlight Foundation and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Levin, has been to change the secretive process that has governed prior Miscellaneous Tariff Bills, known today as the Manufacturing Enhancement Act, by creating an official public database on Ways and Means’ website that identifies the Congressional sponsor of each provision, the provision’s beneficiaries, the lobbyists involved, and the cost to the taxpayer. Now, any citizen can look up the details of the bill, learn who the losers and winners are, and see who pushed them over the finish line. To see my remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on the importance of such transparency, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett: Social Security at 75 years is More Important and More Necessary Now, Than Ever |
There is every reason to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Social Security, but unfortunately resistance from various forces to Social Security has lasted more than 75 years and continues to this day—it just changes forms and tactics. Ensuring that our grandchildren have the same protection as our grandparents do today must remain a goal. Today, I questioned Nancy Altman, the Co-Director of Social Security Works on how we can work together to maintain the essential role Social Security plays in the lives of American families as they face retirement, disability, or the death of a bread-winner not just today, but far into the future. To listen to this questioning, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Speaks in Favor of Wall Street Reform and Its Important Protections for Families |
Today I spoke in favor of the Wall Street Reform bill. If you are mugged on the street, you’ll lose the contents of your wallet, but if you are mugged by Wall Street, you can lose the savings of a lifetime. This bill arms families with more ways to protect themselves. In my speech, I did acknowledge that this bill should have done much more about those Wall Street interests that are paid too much, taxed too little, and whose immense power continues to threaten our economic stability. But with stubborn opposition from both Senate Republicans and the Treasury Department to other, more complete reforms, we at least make significant strides forward in offering consumer protection that Americans deserve. To watch my full remarks, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett: We Want to Keep America the Best Democracy, Not the Best Democracy Money Can Buy |
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court overturned decades of precedent in a misguided court case freeing corporations to engage directly in political activity that had long been prohibited, including financing their own campaign commercials. In response, the House today will vote on legislation, the Disclose Act, which requires stricter disclosure requirements on such political activity. I spoke in support of the bill, stating “This is a vote for a fully informed, fully empowered American people. We want to keep America the best democracy, not the best democracy money can buy. This bill stops a tobacco company from masquerading as a phony ‘healthcare coalition’; a Wall Street bank from promoting another bailout as a ‘consumer alliance’; and a polluter claiming it is ‘citizens for clean air and clean beaches’ while attacking those seeking to hold it accountable.” To listen to my full remarks, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett: Solving the National Debt Crisis Must Include Rigorous Scrutiny of Tax Breaks |
I have been trying to put a stop to the unchecked growth of tax breaks and to slow our growing National debt. I am concerned about spending—whether through the Appropriations Act or the Tax Code. We need to closely examine both types of expenditures to ensure that each is effective, efficient and truly necessary. As we continue seeking ways to reduce the deficit, I look forward to hearing from you. I believe that closing tax loopholes is an important way to protect the Treasury and better avoid raising taxes on working families. You may view my exchange with Jeffrey Liebman, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget by clicking here. |
| Congressman Doggett calls on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to Take Steps Necessary to Prevent Identity Theft |
44 million Americans are carrying in their wallet or purse something that makes them more vulnerable to identity theft: their Medicare card. Apart from the Social Security card itself, the Medicare card is the most frequently issued government document containing a person’s Social Security number and displaying such information on Medicare cards unnecessarily places millions of individuals at-risk for identity theft. In 2008, the House of Representatives passed without objection my bill, the Medicare Identity Theft Prevention Act, which requires Medicare to take steps that private companies and other government agencies have already taken to protect the identities of seniors by removing the display of Social Security numbers on Medicare cards. Unfortunately, this important step to protect America’s seniors has not been taken. To see my questioning of the Director of Medicare Program Integrity at the CMS, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Questions Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke |
Today, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testified to our House Budget Committee regarding his views on the state of our economy. One of the measures that we discussed was H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund bill. I also raised the alarming fact, according to a New York Times article today, that “The Federal Reserve, six months into a compensation review of the country’s 28 largest financial companies, has found that many of the bonus and incentive programs that economists say contributed to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression remain in place.” I voted against the bank bailouts. To see this questioning, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Developing More Effective Oversight of Tax Dollars |
An important part of budget discipline is ensuring we are spending our precious tax dollars as effectively and efficiently as possible. This means careful scrutiny of not only our spending programs, but also tax provisions to ensure we get the most “bang-for-the-buck. As a small first step, I authored a study of expiring tax expenditures (“tax spending”) to ensure they are still necessary and are functioning as Congress intended. This study was included in legislation that recently passed the House of Representatives. You can read more about this initiative by clicking here. |
| Congressman Doggett on Judicial Vacancies in Texas |
The Austin American-Statesman recently posted a letter to the Editor I wrote in response to an editorial about the judicial nomination process and alarming fact that one in eight federal trial courts, which consider 99 percent of cases never heard by the Supreme Court, are vacant—six in Texas. To read my letter to the editor, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Joins Students from Across Central Texas to Salute Historic Investments In Higher Education |
As I discussed with students from across Central Texas at the downtown Austin campus of ACC (which was long the home of my old high school), the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act invests in our future through a historic commitment to students. The need is great with the number of those receiving financial aid today because of skyrocketing costs having grown by 34% at UT alone in less than a decade. While this investment won't solve all financial challenges, it is a major step forward. Texas students will receive almost $2.5 billion more this decade. To hear my remarks at ACC, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Calls for Approval of Measure to Create Jobs and Level the Playing Field for American Companies |
Today, on the House floor, I spoke in favor of the Small Business and Infrastructure Jobs Tax Act, which includes provisions to spur investment in local rebuilding projects and to help our small businesses grow, fueling our Central Texas economy. Specifically, the bill includes a measure that I authored to crack down on foreign corporations using tax havens to dodge American taxes. I have been an outspoken opponent of offshore tax abuse. In addition to my bill, Fairness in International Taxation, on which this measure is based, I also introduced the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act (STOP Act), comprehensive legislation to curb abuse of offshore tax shelters that cost taxpayers nearly $100 billion a year. The STOP Act was incorporated in part into the HIRE Act, which was recently signed into law. To hear my remarks, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett: A Jobs Bill Ought to Create Jobs |
Today, the House of Representatives considered legislation intended to create jobs. In these difficult economic times, we should encourage the growth of American jobs, and it is also important that we get the most for every tax expenditure. But, as I noted in a House floor speech today, this provision does too little to create jobs and costs too much. I am very concerned that this credit will end up simply rewarding select companies for doing what they would have done anyway, and provide no help to their struggling competitors that are doing all they can simply to avoid laying off employees. Our economic recovery measures should be as effective and efficient as possible, and I do not believe this tax credit meets this test. To see my full remarks, please click here. To see a visual aid showing who benefited the most from "worker" assistance legislation, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett: “We Must Turn the Volume Down on Hate” |
Today, I introduced a resolution strongly condemning the terror attack on IRS employees, recognizing Vernon Hunter, who was killed in the attack, and saluting the service of those first responders and employees who kept this event from becoming an even larger tragedy. |
| Congressman Doggett Recognizes Life of Victim of Austin Suicide Attack, Vernon Hunter, During Questioning of Treasury Secretary Geithner |
During a House Budget Hearing today, Congressman Lloyd Doggett recognized the life of Vernon Hunter, who was killed last Thursday in the suicide attack on IRS employees in Austin. Before beginning his questioning of U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner, Doggett observed, "Certainly the professionalism of the IRS employees there, the help of a good Samaritan and our first responders were vital in minimizing the loss of life [in Austin]. Some of the responses to that attack have been nothing short of appalling. The terror caused by a suicide attack on this public building certainly didn't involve any heroism by the attacker. Because terror knows no discrimination, it is, as you know from meeting with his widow, particularly tragic that Vern Hunter, who provided 48 years of public service, almost 30 at the IRS, and two tours of service with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, was killed." To see Congressman Doggett's comments and Secretary Geithner's response, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Introduces Wall Street Bankers Bonus Tax Act |
Every American knows about the speed limit. We proposed a Wall Street bankers tax for those exceeding the greed limit. In advance of President Obama's announcement of a fee on the nation's biggest banks, I announced a separate initiative that applies a 50-percent tax on Wall Street bank bonuses in excess of $50,000 paid by TARP-recipient firms: The Wall Street Bonus Tax Act. This measure would not apply to local community banks, since they did not cause the financial crisis. To see my full remarks, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett: We Need a Cop on the Beat to Protect Working Families Who Are Too Important To Fail |
On the floor of the House of Representatives, I expressed my strong support for the Consumer Financial Protection Agency, as envisioned by former U.T. Law Professor Elizabeth Warren. Today, we have the opportunity to create a new squad of financial cops who will work to protect those living on Main Street from the greed we've seen from Wall Street. Congress finally has the chance to stand up not for the banks they said were ‘too big to fail,' but for America's working families, who are far too important to fail, and that is exactly what I urged my colleagues to do. To see my full remarks, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Calls for Tax Justice for Working Families, Level Playing Field for Small Businesses |
On the floor of the House of Representatives, I voiced my strong belief that before Congress ask working families to pay more in taxes, we must question why Congress has done so little to crack down on special interests getting special treatment, and to prevent billions of dollars in corporate tax avoidance. Furthermore, I called on my colleagues to further scrutinize all tax expenditures, even the most popular, at least as closely as Congress looks at direct spending measures before it writes the check. Next year, America deserves a little more tax justice and a more level playing field for small businesses that cannot take advantage of all the dodges available to their multinational competitors. To see my remarks, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett on the Medicare Physician Repayment Reform Act |
Today on the House Floor, I spoke in strong support of the Medicare Physician Repayment Reform Act-a bill that is about more than the reasonable desire of physicians for reimbursement rates that cover their actual costs and fairly compensate their work; it is about access to quality health care and strengthening seniors' ability to choose the doctor best for them. Today is one time that the ‘just say no' party ought to say ‘yes' to this good policy, which is supported by the Texas Medical Association and medical associations across the country. To hear my full remarks, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Sounds the Horn at Austin Race for the Cure |
I sounded the horn at Austin's Race for the Cure-and what an inspiring gathering it was. Each person who took part, each dollar raised, each step taken represents our collective response to the scourge of breast cancer. Since my wife Libby and I co-chaired this race nine years ago, the event has almost quadrupled in size and moved to this year's new location so that even more could participate. I was also pleased that my office ran this year as "Team Doggett." With our many small steps, we can make great strides. We're walking so that one day together we can finally defeat breast cancer-one step, one mile, one dollar, one team at a time. |
| Congressman Doggett Supports Single Largest Investment in College Aid in American History; Funds will Expand Access to Affordable Education for Central Texas Students |
With families struggling in this difficult economy, it's more important than ever that we work hard to expand educational opportunities for Central Texas students. I spoke in support of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act-the single largest investment in college aid in American history, at no cost to taxpayers. This bill corrects both the budget deficit and the "opportunity deficit" - when students cannot reach their God-given potential because of financial barriers. By eliminating the unnecessary middleman role of private financial institutions, eliminating the red tape, and lending directly to students, the federal government will have more money for our students and more resources left over to reduce the national debt. Investing in our students is an investment in America's future. To see a video of my floor remarks, click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Urges Return to Fiscal Responsibility |
On the House floor, I urged my colleagues to support the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act. This bill is an important step to restore the kind of fiscal discipline abandoned in 2002. If we have any hope to invest in the vital priorities that are critical to our economic future, including health care, education, and clean energy policies, we must make these tough choices and begin bringing down our crippling deficit. A vote for fiscal security is a vote for national security, and the quickest way back to American economic prosperity. To see a video of my floor statement, please click here. |
| Congressman Doggett Discusses Importance of Prioritizing Expenses and Fiscal Responsibility with OMB Director Peter Orzag at House Budget Committee Hearing |
Addressing our nation's education, health care, and law enforcement needs is vitally important to our economy, to keeping America competitive in the 21st Century, and to keeping our citizens safe. Congress and the Administration should work together to ensure a more fiscally responsible pay-as-you-go government. To hear my discussion about prioritizing expenses and fiscal responsibility with Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orzag, click here. |
| House Passes Congressman Doggett’s Wounded Veteran Job Security Act |
On June 8, the House passed my Wounded Veteran Job Security Act to ensure no wounded veteran ever has to make the decision between getting well and getting paid. The bill amends existing law to establish the right of veterans who receive treatment for illness, injuries, and disabilities incurred in, or aggravated by, uniformed service to the United States to be retained by their employers. This bill is important to our commitment to our nation's veterans because battlefield injuries often don't end on the battlefield, and neither should our commitment to wounded warriors. The legislation is supported by many organizations, including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Fleet Reserve Association, and Disabled American Veterans. Click here for video of my remarks on the House Floor about the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act. |
| Congressman Doggett Questions Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke on Fed’s Emergency Lending Powers, Calls for Accountability and Transparency |
As a member of the Budget Committee, I questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke on its emergency lending powers and expressed my concerns that the Fed is lending large amounts of public money, mostly through this power, with little transparency or accountability. |
| Doggett Bill to Help Wounded Vets Headed to House Floor |
The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has approved the Wounded Veteran Job Security Act. This bill changes existing employment law to ensure that veterans are able to keep their jobs when they seek medical treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Congressman Doggett introduced the bill in response to concerns from veterans in his district that were in danger of losing their jobs because treatment for wounds suffered on active duty have exceeded the maximum number of absences allowed to all employees by the employer. |
| Praise for Efforts to Close Tax Havens |
President Obama recently recognized the leadership of Congressman Lloyd Doggett for his work to close tax loopholes and end the use of tax havens. To view a video of the President's remarks click here. Congressman Doggett has introduced HR 1265, the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act, to curb efforts to evade taxes by hiding money in offshore tax havens. HR 1265 was previously endorsed by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee. Click here to view a video of Congressman Doggett's exchange with Secretary Geithner. |
| Congressman Doggett Demands Tax Fairness from Corporations that Hide Income in Overseas Tax Shelters |
As a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, I questioned U.S Treasury officials and tax law experts about banking secrecy practices that allow the very wealthy to conceal more than $1.5 trillion in offshore tax havens. These tax havens cost ordinary taxpayers up to $50 billion a year in lost revenue, roughly half of the total estimated tax gap caused by corporate and individual overseas tax evasion. It strikes at the fundamental fairness of the tax code for the very wealthy to dodge taxes being paid by every firefighter, police officer, and small business owner in Central Texas. You can watch my discussion of these issues online by clicking here. |
| Appropriations Requests to Meet the Needs of Central Texans |
Buda Police Department Technology and Equipment Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC) Health Information Technology ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) SafePlace Outreach and Service Provider Program Austin Urban Rail Alternatives Analysis St. Edwards University Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Equipment Center for Hetero-Functional Materials City of Smithville Police Department Technology and Equipment San Marcos Storm Water Abatement Project Hays Health, Wellness, and Domestic Violence Center Regional Tactical Operations Command Center Texas State University Grosvenor Center University Math and Science Center San Marcos Alternative Transit Project Hays-Travis Trail Conservation Center for Entrepreneurial Action Luling Police Department Technology and Equipment San Marcos Aquatic Education Center | |
| CONTINUE READING |
| Transportation Requests to Meet the Needs of Central Texans |
City of Lockhart State Highway 142 Improvement Project -- $800,000 South East Travis County Onion Creek Trail Project -- $2,000,000 San Marcos Northern Corridor Project -- $2,000,000 San Marcos Loop 82 Rail Road Overpass Project -- $7,000,000 Bastrop Trail Expansion Project -- $1,000,000 Downtown San Marcos Streetscape Improvement Project -- $2,000,000 Ladybird Lake Trail Improvement Project -- $15,000,000 Surfacing of Caldwell County Roads -- $840,000 | |
| CONTINUE READING |
| Water Project Requests to Meet the Needs of Central Texans |
San Marcos Storm Water Abatement Project San Marcos River Bank Stabilization Redevelopment of Gills Branch Tributary Surface Water Treatment Plant Simsboro Aquifer Water Source Feasibility | |
| CONTINUE READING |
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