Washington Update

Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Virginia's Fourth Congressional District


Week of March 3 - 7, 2008


 

Foreign Affairs

ü Issued a statement after the Pentagon released its Annual Military Report on China. To review the Defense Department’s findings, read the Pentagon’s report.

ü Supported passage of H. Res 951, a resolution condemning the ongoing Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. Since Israel withdrew its troops from the Gaza Strip in 2005, Hamas and other terrorist organizations have fired more than 4,000 rockets and mortar shells at Israel from the Gaza Strip.  The groups have targeted their near-daily rocket fire primarily and intentionally at civilian communities in Israel, and the shelling has led to dozens of casualties, hundreds of shock victims, thousands of traumatized children and severe disruption of daily life.

 

Health Care

ü Voted against H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act.   Rep. Forbes supports the Senate-passed version of this legislation, which would enact mental health parity.  It would break down existing barriers of higher insurance co-payments and deductibles, without requiring insurers to cover specific mental health conditions, and without limiting the growth of physician-owned hospitals.  H.R. 1424 would require health insurance companies that cover mental illness to do so at parity with physical illness. It would require the same co-payments, deductibles, limits on doctor visits, limits on hospitalization, and annual and lifetime limits on coverage.  However, unlike the Senate’s version of this bill (S. 558), H.R. 1424 would mandate the mental health conditions that must be covered, which could lead some plans that currently offer mental health coverage to drop mental health coverage all together.

 

Defense

ü Announced that the Department of the Army will construct a $4.9 million Child Development Center (CDC) at Fort Lee, Virginia, as part of the Army’s increasing support for Army families.  Once completed, the center will have a capacity for 135 children.  The contract is slated to be awarded by October 2008.  Fort Lee was one of a select group of Army posts awarded the construction of a CDC.  Rep. Forbes received the notice of the construction as part of his responsibilities as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee.

ü Questioned Admiral William Fallon, Commander of U.S. Central Command and Rear Admiral Eric Olson, Commander of Special Operations Command, during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Iraq, Afghanistan and U.S. Special Operations Forces.  Rep. Forbes asked both flag officers how they felt about the quality of the soldiers under their command and what they thought would happen if the U.S. left Iraq tomorrow.  Both commanders indicated that the soldiers under their command were the most professional, capable, experienced and adaptable soldiers they had ever served with, and that leaving Iraq too quickly would present devastating consequences to our national security.

ü Met with Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Commander of Fleet Forces Command in Chesapeake, Virginia.  Rep. Forbes and the Admiral discussed fleet repair and ship construction.  The Admiral stated that he was very upbeat and positive about the state of the fleet and they can support any mission handed down Admiral Greenert took over as Commander of Fleet Forces Command when the previous commander, Admiral Gary Roughhead, was selected to become the top naval officer in the country, the Chief of Naval Operations.

üRepeatedly voted to have the House consider the Senate passed S. 2248, a bipartisan foreign intelligence surveillance bill.  The legislation gives intelligence agencies long-term certainty in their efforts to protect the nation and would protect companies assisting the government from lawsuits related to national security activities.  However, House leadership refuses to bring this bill to the floor, which has led to lapses in our intelligence-gathering efforts.

 

Budget

ü Expressed disappointment after the House Budget Committee reported a Federal budget plan that will raise taxes for Virginians by an average of $3,120 per year.  Rep. Forbes said, “With the strain we are currently seeing on our economy - declining home value, slowing job growth, and rising energy and health care prices - the last thing we should do is raise taxes for our working families. Washington has enough of Americans' hard-earned money. Congress should instead focus on how to best spend the money that they already have, rather than taking more money out of the wallets of hardworking Americans."

 

Virginia

ü Cosponsored H.R. 5489, to name the U.S. Post Office in Gloucester, Virginia, after the late Rep. Jo Ann Davis.  Rep. Davis became Virginia's first Republican woman elected to Congress in 2000.  She represented Virginia’s First Congressional District and served as a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.  Rep. Davis passed away on October 6, 2007, after a hard-fought battle against breast cancer.

 

Education

ü Supported House passage of H.Res. 1013, which expresses the sense of Congress that providing breakfast in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on classroom performance.

 

Government Reform

ü Cosponsored H.Con.Res. 286, to honor and recognize, Earl Lloyd, who broke the color-barrier in basketball by becoming the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association League in 1950.

 

For a comprehensive look at Congressman Forbes' work on legislative issues, visit the Spotlight Issues page on his website.

 

 
 

Congressman Randy Forbes' Website

Legislative Information or Bill Lookup

Current Floor Proceedings

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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. 

 

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