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WEEK IN REVIEW: 6/7 TO 6/11
June 14, 2010
Contact: Jennifer Drogus
Week in Review: June 7-11
Unemployment Insurance Extensions:
On Thursday, as Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee, I presided over a hearing on responding to long-term unemployment. Some suggested that the Federal government should extend unemployment insurance to beyond the already unprecedented 99 weeks by increasing our astounding government debt and raising taxes yet again. However, as Dr. Jason Taylor, associate professor of economics at Central Michigan University and authority on American economic history, pointed out in his testimony, an extension of such magnitude would certainly create an incentive to remain on government assistance. Every projection made by this Congress and this Administration about the Stimulus bill was wrong. It said 3.7 million jobs would be created, but instead 2.7 million have been lost. It said unemployment would be 7.4% and falling today, but instead it’s hovering around 10%. Since more taxes and government debt hasn’t worked so well lately, why don’t we hold off on doing more of the same? Please click here to view my opening statement.
Foreign Affairs Update
I am pleased to report that my bill, H.Con.Res. 18, gained another co-sponsor this week, Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX). This bill would express the sense of the U.S. Congress that the President should normalize diplomatic relations with Taiwan and officially recognize Taiwan and a sovereign nation separate from China. As I have stated many times before, it is our duty as the world’s oldest continuous democracy to support all democratic countries in the world that promote our values of freedom and individual liberty. As a Member of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, I am proud to support H.Con.Res. 18. To view the text of the legislation, please click here.
Two months have passed since the horrific sinking of the ROKS Cheonan in South Korean waters in the Yellow Sea. Last week, representatives from the South Korean embassy shared with Congress the results of a team of international investigators from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, and South Korea, which determined the cause of this tragedy to be the firing of a torpedo from a North Korean submarine. Since the report was released, the South Korean government and the United States have taken steps to ensure the peace and security of the people of South Korea while also responding firmly to this latest provocation by the authoritarian North Korean regime. I fully support the efforts undertaken by the United States and South Korea to punish this act of aggression, while also maintaining the peace and security of the people of Korea and the more than 28,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in the Republic of Korea.
I also wish to express my sympathy and condolences to the people of South Korea during this time. Given the growing Korean-American population in the Seventh District of Georgia, and the economic ties that have been developed between the Republic of Korea and Gwinnett County, this situation is of particular concern to me. I urge the President and the Secretary of State to continue to fully support and work with the Republic of Korea to ensure that the South Koreans never face another act of such brutality. Congress has been receiving regular briefings from the Embassy of South Korea on the tragic event from the outset, and I will continue to monitor the situation on the Korean peninsula closely in the coming months
Almost a decade has passed since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2010, and there is still a lack of interoperable communication for our nation’s first responders. In the event of a future terrorist attack or natural disaster, it is imperative that first responders have the ability to communicate in order to maximize their life-saving potential and plan effectively.
Telecommunications:
To achieve the goal of enhanced communication and improved public safety, I have co-sponsored H.R. 5081, the “Broadband for First Responders Act of 2010.” This legislation takes steps toward providing our first responders with the means necessary to perform their duties safely and efficiently. If enacted, it would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to allow for increased electromagnetic spectrum allocation for the use of public safety services, such as firefighters and law enforcement officials, by 10 megahertz and reduce the allotted commercial use by the same amount. H.R. 5081 would also apportion the electromagnetic spectrum bands of 758 – 763 megahertz and 788 – 793, commonly referred to as the “D Block,” for public safety broadband communications to ensure our nation’s first responders have sufficient spectrum to develop a broadband wireless network for exclusive use during emergencies.
As a Member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, I am proud to support efforts that help all of our first responders save lives and get home safe to their families.
To view the text of H.R. 5081, the “Broadband for First Responders Act of 2010,” please click here.
Blog of the Week:
Early voting for the 2010 primaries has begun and will run until July 16 for those who wish to cast their ballots before the official primary on Tuesday, July 20. I encourage you to visit the “My Voter Page” maintained by Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp by clicking here. There, you will find information about absentee ballots, poll locations, and sample ballots.
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