Economy

ü Voted to support S. 383, to increase oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). This bill would grant the Special Inspector General (SIG) of the TARP bailout program the authority to conduct audits or investigate any action with regard to the use of TARP funds that the SIG deems appropriate. Congressman Forbes voted against the Wall Street bailout when it came before Congress in 2008.

ü Was awarded the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Enterprise award, for his support of pro-business policies like lowering taxes, simplifying the tax code and reducing burdensome regulations during the 110^th Congress. This is the twenty-first year that the U.S. Chamber has honored the accomplishments of this select group of members of Congress.

ü Met with the Mayor and other city officials from Hopewell, Virginia to discuss their priorities for the FY2010 federal budget and the city.

ü Met with Tom Powell, Vice President for DuPont, to discuss military procurement practices and their work with the Department of Defense. DuPont has its largest manufacturing plant in the Richmond/Chesterfield area of Virginia, which is home to five businesses: Kevlar®, Mylar®, Nomex®, Tyvek® and Zytel®, and it is the global headquarters for two of DuPont's fastest-growing businesses: Advanced Fibers Systems and Personal Protection. 

Foreign Affairs  

ü Spoke on the House Floor about the release of the Department of Defense’s Annual Report on China’s Military Power.  Congressman Forbes argued that China’s persistent expansion of its already 260-ship Navy and its two decades of double digit increases in defense spending represent a shift towards a more offensive military strategy. To view Congressman Forbes’ statement, click here. 

Homeland Security

ü Voted to support H.R. 730, urging the President to develop a framework to determine the source of confiscated nuclear materials. The Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act also urges new protocols for the exchange of sensitive information needed to identify the source of nuclear or radiological materials. Most national security experts believe the proliferation of nuclear weapons represents one the greatest threat facing our country.

Defense

ü  Served as Ranking Member for a House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing on Navy ship repair shortfalls. Congressman Forbes requested this hearing, and he questioned the Navy on the $417 million shortfall the Navy has for repairs to its surface fleet, and the implications that has for the service life of each ship. He also voiced his concern over the classification of the Navy’s inspection process. The Navy recently classified the results of its ship inspections so that it is more difficult to determine the preparedness of our naval fleet. Congressman Forbes believes we should not wait until ship repairs are needed to find out ship inspection results.

ü Attended a House Armed Services Committee hearing with the military commanders of the Pacific Region, European Region and the Korean Peninsula. Congressman Forbes questioned the Pacific Commander as to whether he is concerned about the Chinese threat in terms of antiship/carrier weapons in light of the current budgetary crisis and the considerable debt associated with the bailout and stimulus plans.  

ü Served as a panelist at the U.S. Army Women’s Foundation Annual Symposium.  Congressman Forbes thanked the soldiers for their military service, and in particular, the pioneering women who served in the Army for their sacrifice and commitment to defending freedom and democracy. 

ü   Signed a joint letter to the President encouraging him to nominate a Director of Energy Plans and Policy at DoD. The FY09 National Defense Authorization Act required the President to appoint someone to this position to more effectively manage energy consumption by the military’s operational force. Congressman Forbes believes this assignment and the subsequent development of an energy plan, as well as oversight, would ensure the military is making the most of its funding and resources in terms of supporting the operational force’s energy requirements.  

ü Was interviewed by Aviation Week & Space and Technology about missile defense and modeling and simulation.  Congressman Forbes discussed the importance of incorporating modeling and simulation into real missile defense tests to maximize the capability of our missile defense system.

Judiciary

ü    Supported H.R. 985, the Free Flow of Information Act, in a House Judiciary Committee markup. Often referred to as the “press shield law,” this bill would prevent news reporters from being forced to reveal confidential sources to the government unless a court makes a determination that the identity of the source is critical, in the clear interest of public interest, or a consideration of national security.

Law Enforcement

ü Voted to support H.R. 1139, to increase funding for COPS programs, in a House Judiciary Committee markup. The COPS program awards grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire new officers and prosecutors, purchase new technology, and develop anti-drug task forces. This bill will increase funding for the COPS program from $1.05 billion to $1.80 billion annually. A number of localities in the Fourth Congressional District have received funding through the COPS program including the City of Hopewell, Powhatan County, the City of Petersburg, the City of Chesapeake, and Chesterfield County.

Environment

ü Voted to support H.R. 1404 to establish a fund for emergency firefighting efforts on national parks and forests. Wildfires have become increasingly problematic for the Forest Service, as wildfire suppression efforts currently consume 48% of the agency's budget. In 2008, a wildfire lasting 121 days burned over 4,400 acres in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

ü Opposed H.R. 146, which would have put millions of acres of land into government regulation. The Omnibus Public Land Act would block millions of acres from new energy exploration and other business activity. The 1,248-page bill would cost over $10 billion and is composed of 172 individual bills, 75 of which were never previously considered in the House of Representatives. The federal government already owns over 650 million acres of land, much of which is experiencing severe maintenance backlogs or is in disarray. 

Health Care

ü   Supported H. Res. 178 promoting enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury.  The Brain Injury Association of America has called for designating March as Brain Injury Awareness Month. Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the United States.