January 2010 Archives

For the past fifteen years I have had the privilege and honor of representing the thousands of brave men and women stationed at Fort Campbell who serve our country. While we owe these soldiers and their families a debt of gratitude we can never fully repay, it is essential we do all that we can to support them.

One way we can show our support for our military members and their families is through the adoption of Army Community Covenants. The Covenant was established on April 17, 2008 and encourages towns, counties and states to develop programs and initiatives that aid military members and their families. Since the program began, the Army Community Covenant has extended to building local community support for all branches of the Armed Forces. Last year, I was proud to introduce a Resolution in the House of Representatives supporting the goals and ideals of the Community Covenant and encouraging communities to adopt it. For more information on the Covenant, please visit www.army.mil/community.

There are a number of trusted organizations that provide services and support to military members and their families. Be it through writing letters to soldiers stationed overseas, sending care packages or visiting wounded warriors, I encourage Kentuckians of all ages to find a way to give back to our service members and their loved ones. Please visit the U.S. Army’s website at www.army.mil/howyoucanhelp/ for a list of organizations you can get involved with. You can also visit www.ourmilitary.mil for additional information on giving back.

For many Americans, April 15 is a dreaded day - the deadline for filing your taxes. While I know this can be a frustrating and cumbersome process for many, there are a variety of tools available online to help Kentuckians and business owners file their taxes.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website, www.irs.gov, provides links to important forms and publications that will make filing your taxes easier than ever this year. There you can file your taxes online, check the status of your refund, find answers to frequently asked questions as well as various other resources that will make filing simpler.

Should you have additional questions, you can also contact the Kentucky Taxpayer Advocate at 502-582-6030. They offer free, independent, and confidential tax assistance to taxpayers unable to resolve their tax problems through normal channels or individuals experiencing a hardship.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) issued the following statement this evening after President Obama delivered his annual State of the Union Address.

“As Americans across the country tuned in to watch President Obama deliver his annual State of the Union Address, many of my fellow Kentuckians spent the evening worrying about how they are going to put food on the table, pay their bills, or find a job. With the unemployment rate in the Commonwealth still at a staggering 10.7%, there is no question that many residents of the First Congressional District are still struggling to get by.

“During these challenging times, it is more important than ever for Democrats and Republicans to come together to deliver commonsense solutions that will put Americans back to work. While I appreciate President Obama reiterating his commitment to bipartisanship, the proof will be in the pudding if in the coming year the President, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid at long last reach across the aisle to incorporate the very best ideas from both parties. It has become abundantly clear that the American people are opposed to many of the sweeping changes the Administration has advocated this year and are concerned about the impact these proposals will have on their families. Moving forward, I hope that President Obama will heed the call of the American people and work with Democrats and Republicans to implement change which will put our citizens back to work and turn our economy around.

Spending

“There is perhaps no greater threat to the future of our nation and the well-being of our citizens than the federal government’s runaway spending habits and consequent record deficit. Since President Obama took office, federal spending has increased by 22% - putting us at the highest spending levels this nation has ever seen. Freezing spending at this level, while better than increasing it, will not get our country back on a path to fiscal solvency. It is time for us to make some hard decisions regarding federal spending before our national debt becomes an insurmountable burden for future generations. I am committed to reining in spending and reducing our national debt and will continue to do all that I can to ensure Washington starts living within its means.”

Healthcare

“Public outcry against President Obama’s and Speaker Pelosi’s healthcare proposal has been loud and clear, particularly in the First Congressional District. While we are all committed to bringing down costs and ensuring every American has access to quality healthcare, the bills pushed through the House and Senate last year are simply not the way to do it. We need to enact reform that lowers premiums for working families and small businesses and leads to expanded access to affordable healthcare coverage for all Americans without increasing taxes, cutting benefits to seniors or raising the federal deficit. Moving forward, I hope the President and Members of Congress from both parties can come together and work openly toward reforms the American people can support.

War on Terror

“I share the President’s commitment to maintaining stability in the Middle East and eliminating terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Having recently traveled to Afghanistan, I understand just how challenging the road ahead will be. The nation is deeply fractured and without the security being provided by U.S. forces, there is little doubt that the Taliban would take over. However, we must remember that the ultimate success or failure of our efforts will depend on the Afghan people. They and they alone must be responsible for establishing a government to protect their people and ensure a successful future for their nation.

“Our brave military men and women, many from Fort Campbell, continue to serve on the front lines as we root out terrorists abroad and work to keep Americans safe here at home. I share the President’s commitment to ensuring they have the resources they need to fight the war on terror and the benefits they and their families have more than earned when they return.”

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) continued his efforts this week to shield Kentucky tobacco farmers from the consequences of a new Canadian initiative which would effectively result in a ban on U.S. burley tobacco. The Congressman spearheaded a letter, along with four other Kentucky Members of the House of Representatives, to the Prime Minister of Canada asking that their government stop encouraging other nations to implement similar laws which could have a devastating impact on tobacco farmers in the United States.

“A worldwide ban on burley tobacco imports would be a crippling blow to Kentucky tobacco farmers and wreak havoc in several rural economies throughout the Commonwealth,” Whitfield said. “For the Canadian government to be advocating a reckless policy which endangers a critical Kentucky industry is simply unacceptable, especially considering they don’t yet know the ramifications of their own new law. I join my Kentucky colleagues in calling on Health Canada to stop encouraging other nations to adopt similar policies and look for ways to revise their own law so that American tobacco growers are not unfairly hurt.”

Whitfield, along with Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05), Congressman Ben Chandler (KY-06), Congressman Geoff Davis (KY-04) and Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday asking that Health Canada, the Canadian health department, stop lobbying other nations to adopt a law similar to their own which has effectively resulted in a ban on American air-cured burley tobacco. Through the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a treaty adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2003 to address worldwide tobacco use, Health Canada has been lobbying the other 164 nations who have signed this treaty to enact laws aimed at discouraging flavored tobacco products marketed toward minors, but which actually ban products made with air-cured burley tobacco, mainly from Kentucky.

Whitfield expressed concerns that if other nations were to follow Canada’s lead in banning products made with burley tobacco, the market for American tobacco could become non-existent outside the U.S. Since 85 percent of burley tobacco grown in the U.S. is exported, this could put many growers out of business and devastate communities dependent on the industry.

Last year, Canada enacted the “Cracking Down on Tobacco Marketing Aimed at Youth Act.” The law is so broad that it bans traditional blended products containing burley tobacco, even though they taste like tobacco and not like confectionary or fruit flavors which could be marketed to young people. Whitfield led U.S. efforts to stop this legislation from being passed with this ban, penning letters to leaders of the Canadian and American governments. Since the law was passed and signed into law in Canada, some countries are asking the World Trade Organization to examine the new policy to see if it violates international trade agreements. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield (KY-01) released the following statement today after news reports surfaced that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have agreed to forego the traditional process of combining the two chambers’ healthcare bills together in an open and transparent conference committee.

“I am disappointed that Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid have, once again, decided to shut the American people and almost all Members of Congress out of important negotiations that will have a significant impact on just about every facet of our nation. No matter how you feel about healthcare reform, there is one thing we should all be able to agree on – the need for transparency and an open and honest public debate about the effect this legislation will have on American citizens. This bill will not only impact the quality of healthcare every American will be able to receive, but it will have a significant effect on our economy and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Too much is at stake here for a few political leaders to exclude everyone else from the discussion and is totally contrary to protecting the American people. My fellow Kentuckians deserve better.”

Whitfield is a co-sponsor of a resolution which would require any meetings held by policymakers to determine the final content of national healthcare legislation be conducted publicly. The Congressman is calling on House and Senate leaders to combine the two bodies’ bills in a traditional conference committee which would include input from both Democrats and Republicans.

Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to travel to Afghanistan to survey the situation on the ground and visit with the brave men and women in the United States military. As our nation prepares to commit more soldiers in Afghanistan, I felt it was essential to see first hand the obstacles we face and meet with our military leaders and Afghan leaders to obtain a candid assessment of the situation. While there is no doubt that the road ahead will be difficult, the stability provided by U.S. forces in Afghanistan is critical to maintaining stability in the region and eliminating the Taliban. 

I traveled to Afghanistan with eight other Members of Congress as part of a Congressional Delegation. While in the country, we visited Kabul and Kandahar and met with several Afghan leaders including President Hamid Karzai, Parliament Speaker Yunus Qanooni and members of the Parliament. We were also able to meet with General Stanley McChrystal and other top military leaders to discuss U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.

The situation in Afghanistan remains challenging and complicated. The country is deeply fractured with many tribes enforcing laws and paying little attention to the central government. Without the security being provided by U.S. forces, there is little doubt that the Taliban would take over the country. Worse still, military leaders continue to be concerned about the expansion of the Taliban into Pakistan, which could pose a dangerous threat because of nuclear weapons located in Pakistan. A Taliban takeover of Pakistan poses grave consequences to our country and the world. 

U.S. military forces are currently working with Afghan civilians to help them take back control of their country and stabilize their government. It is our hope this can be accomplished in two ways. First, training and helping the Afghan people establish a competent army of 150,000 soldiers. Secondly, training and helping to establish a national police force of 100,000 policemen. If we are successful in these goals, it will go a long way to providing the necessary security for the Afghan people.

However, everyone recognizes that the ultimate success or failure of our efforts will depend on the Afghan people. They and they alone will be responsible for establishing a government to protect individual freedom or capitulating to the Taliban, which would impose a theocracy and create more instability in the region.

During my trip, I was able to visit with many soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. Their spirits are high, they are well organized and they are totally committed to our mission. For the past 15 years I have had the privilege of representing thousands of soldiers stationed at Fort Campbell and the dedication and brave service of our military members never ceases to amaze me. Thousands of soldiers from Fort Campbell will deploy to Afghanistan this year. While there is no way I could adequately thank these brave service members and their families, rest assured I will continue to do all that I can in Congress to support them and ensure they have the resources they need abroad and the benefits they have more than earned when they return home.