Right Now

National Energy Tax is a Job Killer

I am disappointed to inform you that the House of Representatives recently passed “cap and trade” legislation, one of the most sweeping, damaging measures that I have seen during my time in Congress. I am opposed to putting a new national energy tax on working Americans and small businesses. This legislation will kill jobs in Northern California and all across the United States. People in rural areas like ours will be especially hard hit by the resulting skyrocketing gasoline and electricity prices caused by this legislation. As for protecting our environment and reducing global temperatures, the major purpose of the bill, it will have very little impact because high polluting developing nations like China and India have adamantly refused to adopt similar emission standards. This deeply flawed legislation will put America at a significant economic disadvantage and result in more expensive food, fuel, and electricity as the cost gets passed onto consumers. Northern Californians need opportunities at lasting jobs and should not be burdened with tax increases that do such significant damage. We should allow the free market to tackle climate change by giving our businesses, consumers, and industry every incentive to develop and utilize the alternative energy technologies that will lead to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Share your thoughts

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Government-Run Health Care Will Cost Money and Quality

I wanted to share my concerns about the House Democrats' recently unveiled plan for government-run health care. I am troubled by the fact that the American people have yet to see any concrete details about how much this will cost them. With this year's federal deficit already approaching $2 trillion, amounting to $26,800 per household, we can’t afford the high cost of a massive new government-run program, and we can’t have an honest and open debate without acknowledging the price tag that accompanies it. Along with the unacceptably high costs, I believe that the American people should also be concerned about the non-monetary costs of government-run health care: lower quality, less accessibility, and bureaucratic meddling in decisions that should be made by doctors and patients. Government-run health care will be paid for by tax increases that will hurt our economy during a recession but won’t come close to covering the long-term costs. So the rest will be borrowed on the backs of our children and grandchildren, leaving them with a less effective health care system and a mountain of debt. House Republicans are prepared to work together and develop a bipartisan solution because, as President Obama said, ‘health care reform should not be a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, but an American issue.’ But we will strongly oppose any plan that puts government in control and completely disrupts what works for patients in our American health care system. Share your thoughts

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Recent Past

Iran Cracks Down on Massive Uprising following Controversial Presidential Election

As you probably know, Iran held its presidential election on June 12, and current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner with 62 percent of the vote. With a strong belief that the outcome was manipulated and fraud was rampant, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to protest the election results. However, the Supreme Leader of Iran, a religious figure who holds the most power over the domestic and foreign affairs of the nation, concluded that the election results were fair and accurate. The Iranian government’s response to the democratic uprising has been extreme. The regime’s security agents have taken a number of unacceptable actions, including: unleashing violence against protestors, killing several of them; imprisoning political dissenters; removing foreign journalists; and jamming the use of cell phones and the Internet to stymie the demonstrations. I supported House passage of H. Res. 549, a resolution that expresses support for the Iranian people who are participating in this struggle for freedom and the protection of the rule of law, condemns the ongoing violence against demonstrators, and affirms the importance of democratic and fair elections. With Iran nearing the capacity to produce a nuclear bomb, I believe it is critical that the United States approach this looming crisis with strength, moral clarity, and realism, and that we keep all options on the table. The threat to U.S. security and international peace cannot be more serious. Share your thoughts

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Government Ownership of GM Sets Dangerous Precedent

Recently the Obama Administration engineered a prepackaged bankruptcy for General Motors (GM). Bankruptcy is a sad but necessary step to bring much needed restructuring to the failing automaker and, if done appropriately, could have brought an end to ineffective government involvement. Unfortunately, President Obama’s prepackaged bankruptcy terms will result in increased government involvement instead. The bankruptcy agreement includes an additional $30 billion in taxpayer financing in exchange for 60 percent ownership of the company. The federal government is now officially in the car making business and American taxpayers are on the hook for $50 billion that will be difficult to recover. This is of enormous concern to me, and why I strongly opposed President Bush’s initial grant of loan money to the automakers. Government ownership of GM is clearly the wrong step for American taxpayers and the health of our domestic auto industry. What Americans need from the Administration right now is an exit plan – how the massive government intervention in the private sector is going to be dialed back – not plans for how the government is going to take over and run private companies. Share your thoughts

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Northern California News and Events

Veterans Clinic Sets Up Preliminary Service

I wanted to follow-up on an earlier e-update I sent in January regarding the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) plan to expand health care services in Siskiyou and Yuba Counties. For the Yuba-Sutter area, the VA recently announced that it is finalizing an agreement with the Feather River Indian Tribe and Indian Health Service for veteran patients to be seen at the Indian Health Service Clinic in Yuba City starting this summer. This important preliminary action will allow veterans to start receiving primary care services while the VA prepares to open a new Yuba or Sutter County Community Based Outpatient Clinic in 2010. The VA has identified a 2-mile radius around Marysville and Yuba City and both major hospitals in which to solicit proposals of spaces that would meet the criteria required for the clinic. Their goal is to have the clinic site selected within the next 90 days. While it is difficult to estimate the timeline for modifying the space, staffing needs have already been identified and personnel will be brought on-board to coincide with the opening of the clinic. In Siskiyou County, the VA has collected proposals from medical providers in the Yreka area to provide primary care services to local veterans. The VA expects a contract to be awarded this summer with the start of the contract beginning in early September. Please know that I will continue to keep you updated on these important developments for veterans in our local communities. Share your thoughts

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Reducing the Threat of Catastrophic Wildfire

I wanted to inform you that I recently introduced H.R. 2899, the California Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention and Community Protection Act, to expedite hazardous fuels reduction and forest thinning projects on the federal lands surrounding our forest communities. Since 2003, California has experienced three of its worst fire seasons in history. Last year's fire season tragically destroyed hundreds of homes and caused thousands of citizens to be evacuated. In addition, these fires affected our health through the thick smoke that clouded our air throughout the fire season. The best and only way to prevent these large wildfires is by thinning the overstocked forests that fuel them. My legislation seeks to implement fuels reduction and thinning projects that have been cooperatively-developed and identified at the local level by utilizing and expanding on previous legislation, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, which I supported in 2003, and also by establishing a process to further accelerate these projects should the county and state declare an emergency due to the threat of catastrophic wildfire. If passed into law, this legislation would allow for commonsense forest management to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire that endangers our forest homes and communities. Share your thoughts

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Funding for Drug Enforcement on Federal Lands

In June the House of Representatives took a positive step to deal with a serious ongoing problem in our national forests. Marijuana cultivation on federal lands by heavily armed Mexican drug traffickers represents a real and growing threat to the people of Northern California. I supported an amendment to dedicate $25 million in the FY2010 Interior Appropriations bill for the Forest Service to combat drug production on federal lands. I’m pleased this change to the bill was adopted. In addition to the illegal cultivation of marijuana, those responsible are willing to harm or kill to protect their enterprise. Last week, two men fired automatic weapons on law enforcement officials during a raid on a marijuana garden in Shasta County that was located just a few hundred yards from a popular fishing and recreation area. Furthermore, just recently, two officers with the Lassen County Sheriff's Department were shot when they came across another marijuana garden on public land. Thankfully, these officers survived their injuries, but it is simply a matter of time before innocent lives are lost. I will continue working with the proper authorities and organizations to ensure the federal government does its part to address this real and growing problem. Share your thoughts