|
||||||||||
|
Washington Update Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Virginia's Fourth Congressional District Week of February 25 - 29, 2008 |
||||||||||
|
ü Questioned Secretary of the Army, Mr. Pete Geren, and Chief of Staff of the Army, General George Casey, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2009 Army budget. Rep. Forbes questioned both officials on the state of the Army and the execution of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round. The Army senior leaders noted that BRAC is slated to remain on schedule and meet the September 2011 deadline as long as Congress provides the BRAC funds in full and on time. Fort Lee near Petersburg, VA, will nearly double in size as a result of the 2005 BRAC round. ü Served as Ranking Member during a House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing on Military Construction in Fiscal Year 2009. Rep. Forbes questioned Navy officials about their study of potential sites for the Outlying Landing Field (OLF). He asked officials to describe the timeline for the study process and whether officials would request any authorization or funding for the OLF this year. The Navy official said that after the Washington County site in North Carolina was no longer being considered, the Governors of Virginia and North Carolina gave the Navy additional sites. The officials also stated that the study typically takes 30 months, and that there could be no funding or authorization for OLF construction this year until the sites are studied under the National Environmental Protection Act provisions. The officials also said that the Navy was considering possible incentives for localities impacted by a new OLF. ü Signed on as an original cosponsor to a congressional resolution honoring the 60th anniversary of the integration of the U.S. Armed Services. On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which ordered that all people in the armed services be treated equally and be given opportunites regardless of race, color, religion, or national origin. The resolution honors the brave African Americans who served our nation in uniform during a critical time in our nation’s history. ü Attended the Submarine Industrial Base Council congressional breakfast on February 28th. The members of the council were in Washington to meet with Members of Congress to discuss the contributions submarines have made to our national security, particularly in light of the growing Chinese navy. In last year’s budget process, Rep. Forbes and other Members of Congress supported increasing the number of submarines the government purchases each year from one submarine to two submarines. After receiving the additional funding, the Navy’s budget now shows that it will purchase two submarines in 2011 rather than 2012. Nuclear submarines are built in Newport News, VA and Groton, CT. ü Addressed the National Ship Repair Industry Conference on February 27th regarding the challenges facing our naval forces and the size of the U.S. Navy. Rep. Forbes reminded members that they should consider the Navy’s official goal of a 313-ship fleet as a floor, not a ceiling. Rep. Forbes also thanked the members of the association for their service to the country and encouraged them to share their message with other Members of Congress who may be unaware of their contributions to the Navy. ü Submitted a statement for the record to the House Budget Committee to increase the defense budget if Congress does not address the Fiscal Year 2008 or 2009 supplemental spending bills. The bills provide funding to reset and restore military equipment while replacing worn vehicles and aircraft. Rep. Forbes is the Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee. ü Submitted questions for the record to Secretary of the Air Force, Mr. Mike Wynne and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Mike Moseley, concerning the Fiscal Year 2009 budget for the U.S. Air Force. Rep. Forbes questioned the Air Force’s decision to cut 30,000 personnel over the last few years in light of the service’s request for more personnel this year. Given the Army’s announcement of its plan to increase the size of the Army by 72,000 personnel last year, Rep. Forbes asked Air Force officials if they would consider putting Air Force personnel reduction on pause. He pointed out that taxpayers may save money if the Air Force halts its reduction now, instead of having to pay more money in the future to build up its force. ü Cosponsored H.R. 5440, which would extend modernizations to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This bill ensures the intelligence community has every legal tool at its disposal to detect and disrupt terrorists before they can launch an attack. The text of the legislation is exactly the same as a bill that the Senate has already passed, so the bill could be sent swiftly to the President’s desk to be signed into law. Important temporary modernizations in FISA expired Saturday, February 16th, limiting the Intelligence Community’s ability to monitor terrorist communications. House leaders have not scheduled a vote on this bill.
ü Supported House passage of H.Res. 978, which designates the week of March 3-7, 2008, as “School Social Work Week” to promote awareness of the vital role of school social workers in helping students prepare for their future as productive citizens. ü Supported House passage of H.Res. 930, which designates February as “Career and Technical Education Month” and recognizes the importance of career and technical education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce in America. ü Cosponsored H.Res. 952, which expresses the sense of Congress that there should be a National Teacher Day to recognize our nation’s teachers each year.
ü Supported House passage of H.R. 4116, which provides for the issuance of a veterans’ health care postage stamp. Proceeds from the stamp would go to veterans’ health care funding through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
ü Voted against H.R. 5351, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008. While Rep. Forbes supports improved conservation and renewable energy, and expanding consumer tax incentives for energy efficiency, the legislation also would increase the tax burden on U.S. energy-producing companies by $18 billion. The legislation would make it more expensive for current energy producers to operate within the U.S, which in the end would prevent the bill from making any impact on the rising gas prices for Virginians. To learn more about why Rep. Forbes voted against the bill and the energy policies the congressman supports, click here. For a comprehensive look at Congressman Forbes' work on legislative issues, visit the Spotlight Issues page on his website.
|
||||||||||
