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Washington Update Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Virginia's Fourth Congressional District Week of February 9 - 13, 2009 |
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ü Voted to oppose the conference report of H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This $787 billion “stimulus plan” includes education spending, new military construction, spending for transportation and water infrastructure, expanded Medicaid payments, and some tax rebates. Proponents of the bill claim it will create or save 3.5 million jobs. If accurate, that would translate to a cost of $229,000 per job created. By comparison, the median wage in the United States is $24,325. Congressman Forbes said, “Just last year, Americans lost $14 trillion in total wealth. The fundamental question we have to ask is this – are we simply going to redistribute what is left or are we going to embark on a plan to rebuild what we’ve lost? I believe, and the American people believe, that we have a responsibility to our country and to our future generations to rebuild what we’ve lost. Unfortunately, the economic stimulus package we voted on today is nothing more than a redistribution plan. Americans know the answer to our economic situation is to grow our economy, not to grow our government. Americans deserve a plan that invests in real and long-term economic growth. Americans deserve better than what Congress gave them today.” Congressman Forbes is one of only 16 of 435 Representatives to vote against all of the government bailouts thus far, including the 2008 Bush stimulus plan. H.R. 1 passed the House on February 13th by a vote of 246 to 183 and was signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday, February 17th. Click here to read Congressman Forbes' statement on the vote. ü Voted to support a House of Representatives rule to allow Members 48 hours to review the conference report text of the stimulus bill before voting on it. Unfortunately, the Speaker of the House chose not to honor that rule by pushing for a vote roughly 14 hours after the thousand-page text was made available at 11:00 p.m. the night before to Republican members and the public. ü Spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the $790 billion stimulus spending bill. Visit Congressman Forbes’ YouTube page to watch his speech.
üSpeaker Pelosi announced that House leadership is working to block the pay raise for Congress Members’ salaries next year after Congressman Forbes and 108 other Members cosponsored H.R. 156. This bill would prevent Members of Congress from receiving an automatic cost of living adjustment (COLA) in 2010. Congressman Forbes has never supported the annual cost of living adjustment for Members. Under the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, increases in salaries for Members are an automatic COLA that is mandated by law unless otherwise declined by Congress. Congressman Forbes has consistently voted against the pay raise each year it has been considered by the House of Representatives. ü Attended House Republican Select Committee on Earmark Reform meeting to make recommendations to increase transparency and accountability in the annual federal spending process.
üSent a letter welcoming prospective math and science teachers to Virginia for the 14th Annual NASA-Pre-Service Teacher STEM Training Workshop. For 14 years, the Pre-Service Teacher STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Program has been instrumental in developing training methods for prospective math and science teachers in our Nation’s universities. This workshop helps to ensure our schools are sufficiently prepared to teach STEM courses and develop the next generation of American scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. This workshop provides a unique opportunity for educators to share ideas about programs that afford students opportunities to improve their skills in STEM disciplines.
ü Supported H.R. 912, the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, to make flight attendants eligible for extended family and medical leave, benefits that have not been guaranteed to those workers due to the way their work hours are calculated. The Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees employees who have worked a 60 percent full-time schedule, or 1,250 hours, for a single employer over a 12-month period up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a family member’s illness or death or for the birth or adoption of a child. Flight attendants, whose paid work hours are calculated in gate-to-gate flight time, exclusive of time spent away from home on layovers, have had difficulty meeting this threshold.
üVoted in favor of H.Res. 139 commemorating the bicentennial of the birth of President Abraham Lincoln. This resolution recognizes and echoes the commitment of President Lincoln to what he called the “unfinished work” of unity and harmony in the United States and encourages Americans to recommit to fulfilling his vision of equal rights for all. ü Supported H.R. 663 designating a post office located at 12877 Broad Street in Sparta, Georgia, as the “Yvonne Ingram-Ephraim Post Office Building.” Yvonne Ingram-Ephraim was a committed educator and public servant, serving as councilwoman and mayor pro tempore of the City of Sparta, Georgia. She also served as assistant secretary and secretary to the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials and was a member of the National League of Cities, the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the National Rainbow/Push Coalition, and the Georgia Association of Educators and the National Education Association.
üAgreed to cosponsor the Defense of Marriage Amendment to amend the United States Constitution to protect the traditional definition of marriage. This proposed amendment would (1) define marriage in the United States as a legal union of one man and one woman; (2) expressly prohibit the judicial power of the United States or of any state from being used to redefine marriage as anything other than a union between one man and one woman; and (3) resolve questions relating to the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act by incorporating language which would prohibit the courts from imposing the policy of one state on other states.
ü Attended a hearing on Afghanistan and Iraq and the possible strategies for the future. The panel headed by top academics as well as a former Army General speculated on the impact of resetting the force from Iraq to Afghanistan. Congressman Forbes’ concerns include the potential cut to the defense budget and the impact on our efforts overseas because of the excessive stimulus package that is getting ready to be sent to the President. ü Co-chaired testimony for the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee from the Army on training the force. The Army is shifting their training to focus on specific skill sets in an effort to standardize training force-wide. This shift will better prepare the Army for the multiple types of operations – offensive, defensive, stability, and various levels of conflict from peace time military engagements through major combat operations.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 775, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act. At present, a surviving spouse can only receive the sum equal to the benefits in their survivors benefit pay package. This bill would allow a spouse to be compensated for a service related death and still receive full survivor benefits. This bill is being considered by the House Committee on Veteran’ Affairs
ü Supported H.R. 631, Water Use & Conservation Research Act, which would address the growing concern that water is a valuable resource and authorizes the EPA to research ways to conserve water.
ü Supported HR 554, National Nanotechnology Initiative Act, which would place a greater emphasis on nanotechnology research and enhance educational opportunities in this field. ü Supported H.R. 469, Produced Water Utilization Act. Between 15 and 20 billion barrels of water are extracted from the earth each year during energy extraction efforts. This bill authorizes research for the use and management of this water. ü Voted in favor of H.Res. 117 , National Engineers Week, which aims to increase awareness and interest in engineering technology.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 997, to declare English as the official language of the United States, and would require the U.S. Government to preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States. The bill also would create a uniform language testing standard to ensure that all citizens are able to read and understand generally the English language text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the laws of the United States. Congressman Forbes also cosponsored this bill in the past three Congresses. ü Supported H.R. 448, the Elder Abuse Victims Act of 2009. This bill directs the Attorney General to study state laws and report to Congress on the subject of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The bill also establishes the Elder Serve Victim grant program to coordinate programs to provide emergency services to victims of elder abuse. ü Supported H.R. 632, the National Silver Alert Act of 2009. This bill directs the Attorney General to establish a national Silver Alert communications network within the Department of Justice to assist regional and local search efforts for missing seniors in coordination with states, local governments, and law enforcement agencies. ü Supported H.R. 908, the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program Reauthorization of 2009. This bill provides federal grants to expand programs that work with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of people with Alzheimer’s disease. ü Voted to support H.Con.Res. 35, to honor the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP was founded in New York City on February 12, 1909, on the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. ü Supported H. Res. 129, to recognize the historical significance of the Merced Assembly Center to the country. In 1942, the Merced Assembly Center was used to temporarily hold some four thousand Japanese-Americans en route to internment camps during World War II.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 982, the Tax Code Termination Act. This bill will accomplish two goals. It calls on Congress to approve a new federal tax system by July, 2012, and will abolish the Internal Revenue Code by December 31, 2012. The current tax code which Americans are forced to comply with is unfair, discourages savings and investment, and is impossibly complex. It has become all too clear that the current code cannot be fixed and is in need of an overhaul.
For a comprehensive look at Congressman Forbes' work on legislative issues, visit the Spotlight Issues page on his website.
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