Life in Washington D.C. is often a paradox.   Congress is often criticized for moving too slowly to find solutions to our nation's problems.  Yet, other times we move so quickly that legislators and citizens barely have time to review the legislation coming up for a vote.  

I try to give you my weekly view on topics in the Capitol Monitor, as well as a run-down of the week’s happenings in the Washington Update.  But, oftentimes, there is so much more that is happening (or not happening) that I want to share with you. 

So, I've been blogging.  I like my blog posts to feature statistics I've come across that shed light on our national challenges, my thoughts on current events, listings of what I'm reading, and commentary on both the hot topics of the day as well as issues that may not be in the national spotlight.

I update my blog daily - sometimes multiple times a day.  And, I encourage civil comments and discussion right on my blog.  Below you'll find just some of my recent posts.  I hope you'll become a regular reader and I look forward to seeing your comments.

Read some of my latest blog postings:

Taking Control of Our Fiscal Future
Posted by Randy l October 1, 2009

Yesterday was the last day of the 2009 fiscal year.  According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the federal government ran a $1.4 trillion deficit through the first eleven months of the fiscal year.  Revenues are down 16% and outlays are up 19% compared to last year.  The federal government will borrow 43 cents for every dollar that it spends this fiscal year.  The total FY 2009 deficit is roughly $1.58 trillion—$1.12 trillion or 244.2% more than last year, which was at that time the highest deficit in U.S. history.  Other facts of note on the nation’s fiscal challenges as the 2009 fiscal year ends: 

Rising Debt:  The national debt now stands at $11.77 trillion.  This is a $3.1 trillion or 35.8% increase since the majority party took over Congress in January 2007 (a period covering only 33 months).   That is more debt than the total debt accumulated by the federal government from the 1789 to 1989—the first 200 years of the federal government.  In FY 2009 alone, the federal government ran up $1.75 trillion of debt.  In addition, to cover this debt, the Treasury has had to auction off several record-setting levels of debt.  CBO projects that the national debt will exceed the U.S. economy by 2022. Keep reading... 

Simple, right?
Posted by Randy l September 30, 2009

Reading a bill seems simple enough to do. And, Americans across the country have spent months rightfully admonishing their leaders for not reading what they are voting on.  But have you thumbed through bill text before? Take a look at the first 200 words or so from H.R. 3631, The Medicare Premium Fairness Act, which was up for consideration by the House last week:

H.R.3631 - 111th Congress

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

A BILL

To amend title XVIII to provide for the application of a consistent Medicare part B premium for all Medicare beneficiaries in a budget neutral manner for 2010. Keep reading...

Victory: “In God We Trust” Unveiled in Capitol Visitors Center 
Posted by Randy | September 30, 2009

Yesterday, individuals across the country who were willing to stand up on behalf of our nation's religious heritage saw a major victory. After more than one year of fighting to restore references to our nation’s spiritual history stripped from the newly-constructed $621-million Capitol Visitor Center, the engraving of our national motto "In God We Trust" was unveiled in the Center. 

When I along with several other Members of the Prayer Caucus first toured the newly constructed Capitol Visitor Center, we were troubled to learn that the Center was stripped of all references to America's religious heritage and it contained a number of factual inaccuracies, including incorrectly stating that our national motto was “E Pluribus Unum” and inaccurately representing Capitol church services.  Keep reading . . .

 
Misplaced Priorities: Transportation 
Posted by Randy  September 29, 2009

If you’re sitting in traffic at the I-295 Meadowville Road Interchange, or if you’re wondering when the Kings Highway Bridge is going to be rebuilt, if you’re concerned about emergency evacuations on Route 460, or if you’re bumper-to-bumper on Dominion Boulevard – consider the following:  

    --This week, Virginia stands to lose about $229 million in transportation funding through a provision that rescinds $8.7 billion in contracts from the federal highway program on the last day of the fiscal year (Sept 30).

    --A tiny car company in Finland has just gotten a $529 million loan from the U.S. government to build $89,000 hybrid luxury sports cars. 

What’s wrong with this picture? Keep reading...

The Missing Piece 
Posted by Randy l September 25, 2009

The Heritage Foundation listed interagency reform as a missing piece in the puzzle of sufficiently protecting our homeland. Here's an excerpt from their report:

Homeland security is a new core competence of government. The professionals that lead the effort must have three essential skills: Keep reading...


Birthright Citizenship 
Posted by Randy | September 23, 2009

Did you know there are an estimated 300,000 "anchor babies," or children born to illegal aliens, each year in the United States? Under current law, these children automatically become U.S. citizens and are entitled to all the benefits available to permanent U.S. citizens, paid for by law-abiding American taxpayers.  Often times, these children serve as anchors for illegal immigrant parents to remain in the country. 

I've joined with my colleagues in cosponsoring the Birthright Citizenship Act, legislation that would deny automatic citizenship at birth to children born to illegal immigrants. The bill would clarify that children born in the U.S. would only be eligible for American citizenship if they are born to parents who are citizens or if the parent is performing active service in the armed forces. Keep reading . . .  

Considering Czars 
Posted by Randy | September 18, 2009

Czar.  It’s a word that has just recently come back into widespread circulation in the American political scene to describe high-ranking Administration officials with widespread responsibility from energy to healthcare to the environment.  While the term ‘czar’ has been coined primarily by the media and not the Administration there are legitimate concerns about the rise of czars. The basic definition of a czar gives some insight into why:

czar–noun
1. an emperor or king.
2. (often initial capital letter) the former emperor of Russia.
3. an autocratic ruler or leader.
4. any person exercising great authority or power in a particular field: a czar of industry. 

Americans have a natural skepticism for any government official that has the ability to exercise great power or authority – especially if unchecked.  Keep reading . . .


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We need some wins in Washington. Read Congressman Forbes' Playbook with opportunities to achieve some first downs in healthcare.
 

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Applications from graduating seniors in the class of 2010 for consideration for nomination by Congressman Forbes to the U.S. service academies must be submitted by October 30, 2009. For more information, use the link below.

Follow this link for information. 

Unwanted Phone Calls? Add Your Number to the Do Not Call List
 

The National Do No Call List puts you in charge of the telemarketing calls you get at home. Placing your number on the registry will stop most telemarketing calls. Sign up online by clicking the link below.   

Follow this link to sign up. 

Other News

Oct 1, 2009 
Forbes Announces Funding to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness  
 

Sep 30, 2009
Forbes “Because We Believe, We Stand Because We Stand, We Can Make a Difference”  

Sep 28, 2009
Forbes Supports Resources for Local School Districts Impacted by Fort Lee Expansion