Congressman Randy Forbes | Washington Update
Send me an email | Forward to a Friend
Weeks of March 8- March 21, 2010 Twitter Facebook YouTube Digg RSS
 

Voting Against a Government Overhaul of Healthcare
Congressman Forbes joined 211 Republicans and Democrats in the House in voting against a government overhaul of healthcare. This sweeping legislation costs more than $1 trillion, raises $569 billion in new taxes on individuals and small businesses, and cuts Medicare by $523 billion. Congressman Forbes said, "Through letters, emails, and conversations with my constituents, it is clear the vast majority agree that while Congress must eliminate discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions and make insurance more accessible and affordable, this bill is not the way to do it." Click here to read Congressman Forbes’ full statement on the bill’s passage. Congressman Forbes has a better plan for healthcare, which is available here.

This bill passed the House by a vote of 219-212.


 
Eliminating the Marriage Tax Penalty 
Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R.85, the Marriage Tax Penalty Permanent Elimination Act of 2009.  This legislation would provide permanent relief from the marriage penalty under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. Under current tax law, married couples are often pay more in taxes than their single counterparts simply because they are married.

 
Raising Doubts About the Navy’s Mayport Analysis
Congressman Forbes questioned Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the Navy’s #2 military officer, on the Navy’s decision to move an aircraft carrier from Norfolk, Virginia to Mayport, Florida.  Congressman Forbes pointed to NOAA data over the past 160 years that shows that Mayport is far more vulnerable to hurricanes than Norfolk.  The Navy claims that neither location has a “significant advantage.” A video of the hearing can be viewed here. Charts presented at the hearing are available here. 
Healthcare
Called for an up-or-down vote on healthcare reform legislation. Congressman Forbes cosponsored a measure to require lawmakers in Washington to fully debate and publicly vote on the healthcare bill.

Protected TRICARE coverage for military personnel and their families.Congressman Forbes voted to support the TRICARE Affirmation Act (H.R.4887), which would prevent TRICARE programs from being negatively affected by healthcare reform legislation.
This bill passed the House by a vote of 403-0.

Applauded the work of long-term care physicians.
Congressman Forbes supported a resolution (H.Con.Res.244) expressing support for the designation of March 20 as a National Day of Recognition for Long-Term Care Physicians.
This resolution passed the House by a vote of 395-0.
American Heritage
Supported National Women’s History Month.  Congressman Forbes supported a resolution (H.Res.1174) to recognize and celebrate women’s historic achievements throughout our nation’s history during. March is National Women's History Month.
This resolution passed the House by a vote of 420-0.
Defense

Questioned Pentagon officials about prioritizing Navy construction dollars. Congressman Forbes questioned the Pentagon’s top installation official as to why the Pentagon is seeking to expand its physical footprint at Mayport, Florida for an aircraft carrier at a cost of up to $1 billion after the Department did not make such a recommendation during the BRAC 2005 Round. BRAC is a Department-wide study that resulted in billions of dollars being spent to consolidate, rather than expand, military facilities.  This is a concern to Congressman Forbes, particularly because there is a more than $3 billion backlog in military construction at the Navy’s four public shipyards, including Norfolk Naval Shipyard, as of December 2009. To read Congressman Forbes’ opening statement, click here.

Supported women serving in the U.S. Army. Congressman Forbes gave introductory remarks at the annual U.S. Army Women’s Foundation, an organization dedicated to women who serve or have served in the U.S. Army. Congressman Forbes expressed his support for women serving in the Armed Forces and the critical role they have played over the years in defense of this nation.

Met with Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), a broad-based national trade association representing the shipbuilding industry and discussed important issues facing the shipyard industrial base.  Hampton Roads is home to the largest naval base in the world, and two of the largest shipyards: Northrop Grumman Newport News and Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Ensured military personnel are properly counted in the 2010 Census.  Congressman Forbes signed a letter to the President of the United States expressing concern over how deployed military personnel will be counted in the 2010 Census. The current census process uses population data for military personnel based on home of record, rather than current where service members actually live, depriving many state and local communities of resources to support military populations.

Discussed expanding modeling and simulation.
Congressman Forbes met with Mr. John Illgen from the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), which is America’s leading defense industry association representing thousands of business and individual defense contractors around the nation and in the Virginia Fourth Congressional District. They discussed the importance of expanding M&S technology in Virginia and across the nation.

Addressed national security issues with the top military officer for U.S. Southern Command.  Congressman Forbes met with General Doug Frazier, the senior leader for military operations in the southern hemisphere including areas such as Central America, South America and the Caribbean to discuss national security matters relating to that region of the world.

Affirmed the value of modeling and simulation to our military and economy. Congressman Forbes discussed the value of Modeling and Simulation with General Jim Mattis, Commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command in Suffolk and Norfolk, VA, including how the use of modeling and simulation ensures our troops have the best possible training and saves time, money, or lives. The modeling and simulation industry brought an economic output of $365 million to the Hampton Roads region in just one year alone.

Called for release of Pentagon report on Fort Hood shooting. Congressman Forbes signed a letter calling for the full release of the Pentagon report detailing information gathered on the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas that left 12 dead. The Pentagon report, called an annex, is not classified, yet it has been prohibited from being released to Members of Congress. The letter sent to the Secretary of Defense states "The restricted annex of the West-Clark investigation provides important insight and background for Americans to understand how such a transformation could have taken place.

Taxes

Supported tax benefits for charitable donations to Chile earthquake victims.  Congressman Forbes supported a bill (H.R.4783) that would allow donations to Chile earthquake relief made before April 15, 2010, to be treated as 2009 donations for the purposes of tax deductions.
This legislation passed the House by voice vote.

Government Reform
Required that tax forms be written in easy-to-understand language.  Congressman Forbes voted for the Plain Language Act of 2009 (H.R.946), which requires that public federal documents, including tax forms, be written in plain language to increase government accountability and make it easier for Americans to understand what the federal government is doing and what services it is offering.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 386-33. 
 
Opposed increasing spending on special government programs.  Congressman Forbes voted against the Electronic Message Preservation Act (H.R.1387), which expands the preservation of federal electronic records, and establishes special procedures for storing Presidential electronic records at the cost of $156 million over four years.  This bill would make the records system more inefficient due to an increase in the number of records and would expand the Archive’s role throughout the government.
The bill passed the House by a voice vote.
Family Values
Opposed federal funding of abortion.  Congressman Forbes supported a Motion to Recommit, which would have required an amendment prohibiting federal funding of abortion to be added to the healthcare reconciliation bill.  This Stupak/Pitts amendment originally passed the House in November by a vote of 240-194.   
This motion to recommit failed by a vote of 199-232.
Education
Spoke at National Home School Summit.  Congressman Forbes spoke at the Home School Legal Defense Association’s Annual Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., where he was joined by home school leaders from 31 different states. Congressman Forbes spoke about the work of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, of which he is the Founder and Chairman.
Economy
Supported a temporary extension of unemployment insurance.  Congressman Forbes supported a package of temporary extensions of programs (H.R.4851) including unemployment insurance, COBRA health insurance subsidies, Medicare physician payments, national flood insurance programs, and national highway programs.
This bill passed the House by voice vote.
Foreign Affairs
Called for an end to human rights violations in China.  Congressman Forbes supported H.Res.605, which calls for an immediate end to the campaign to persecute, intimidate, imprison, and torture Falun Gong practitioners in China. Falun Gong is a system of beliefs and practices founded in China.

Supported Religious Freedom in Pakistan. Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.Res.764, to ensure inter-religious dialogue and the protection of religious freedom and human rights for persons of all faiths and nationalities in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Supported debt relief for Haiti.  Congressman Forbes supported the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act (H.R.4573), which instructs the U.S. Directors at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cancel all debts owed by Haiti and suspend Haiti's debt payments until the debts are canceled completely.
This legislation passed the House by voice vote.
Science and Technology
Opposed new federal spending for an algae program. Congressman Forbes voted against the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act (H.R.3650), which would create a new federal program, the National Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Program at the potential cost of $153 million over five years.
The resolution passed the House by a vote of 251-103.
Agriculture
Protected agricultural producers and their creditors from litigation, bankruptcy and foreclosure.  Congressman Forbes supported H.R.3509 to increase access to the State Agricultural Mediation Program, which helps agricultural producers and their creditors resolve disputes confidentially and in a non-adversarial setting. 

Met with agricultural leaders in the Fourth Congressional District. Congressman Forbes meets annually with his Farmers Advisory Board to discuss local agriculture issues and legislation.
Judiciary
Voted to strengthen tobacco smuggling penalties.  Congressman Forbes voted to support legislation (S. 1147) that would strengthen penalties against criminal enterprises that purchase cigarettes from low-tax states and resell them in high-tax states.  The bill also places restrictions on selling bulk cigarettes over the telephone or on the internet, and requires sellers to check the identification of recipients upon delivery.
This bill passed the House by a vote of 387-25.

Voted to impeach U.S. District Court Judge G. Thomas Porteous.  Congressman Forbes voted to support the articles of impeachment (H.Res.1031) against Judge Porteous of the Eastern District of Louisiana.  A judicial impeachment is a rare event and has occurred only 13 times in 219 years.  Judge Porteous was found soliciting and accepting items of value from attorneys, litigants, and other persons with matters before his bench. The four articles of impeachment were unanimously approved by the House.
 
Voted to increase the number of bankruptcy judges.  Congressman Forbes supported the Bankruptcy Judgeships Act of 2010 (H.R.4506) in the House Judiciary Committee.  This bill would create 35 new permanent judgeships to more effectively handle bankruptcy cases.  The number of judgeships was recommended by the Judicial Conference.  Bankruptcy judges are appointed to 14 year terms and are selected by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the relevant circuit.  This bill will pay for the additional costs created by new judges through a modest increase in bankruptcy filing fees.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 345-5.
 
Commemorated the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.  Congressman Forbes voted to support a resolution (H.Con.Res.249) commemorating the Selma-to-Montgomery march for voting rights that represented a key moment in the civil rights movement.
The resolution passed the House by a vote of 409-0. 

Supported National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.  Congressman Forbes supported a resolution (H.Res.1081) to raise awareness of teen dating violence in the United States.
This resolution passed the House by voice vote.
About Washington Update
Washington Update serves as a resource to the constituents of the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia on the work of Congressman Forbes. It is published weekly while Congress is in session. Hyperlinks to bill information are provided if the information disseminated by the House of Representatives is available at the time of distribution.

As always, Congressman Forbes welcomes your comments. To share your thoughts on legislation, votes or issues, please visit http://randyforbes.house.gov to send an e-mail or call any of Congressman Forbes' three district offices.

Home | Contact | Forward to a Friend | Unsubscribe | Subscribe | Privacy | Office Locations
Please do not reply to this message. This email address does not accept incoming messages. To send an email, click here.