Budget and Economy

ü Voted to debate the Budget.  Congressman Forbes supported a motion on H. Con. Res. 85, the 2010 budget resolution, which would have required any health care reform or climate change legislation to undergo debate and amendments to the proposals.  The motion failed to pass the House by a vote of 196-227.  H. Con. Res. 85, the $3.5 trillion budget proposal, will create more debt in the next ten years than the entire amount of debt accumulated by the federal government from 1789 to today.  Congressman Forbes supports amending the Constitution to control federal budgets by requiring the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress and force Congress to pass a balanced budget (H.J.Res.1).

ü Met with the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator from Sussex County.  During the meeting, the Board and Rep. Forbes discussed the stimulus bill, the Navy’s ongoing study for an Outlying Landing Field in Virginia or North Carolina, and ways to spur economic growth in the County.

Defense

ü Awarded the U.S. Army’s highest civilian honor. Congressman Forbes was presented the Distinguished Civilian Service Award for his support of Fort Lee and his contribution to the advancement of the U.S. Army.  Maj. Gen. James E. Chambers presented the award to Forbes at the Civilian Military Council Luncheon at Fort Lee on Monday, April 20th.

ü Reviewed the BRAC progress at Fort Lee, Virginia. Congressman Forbes met with the Commanding General of Fort Lee, General Chambers, to review the building plans and progress at Fort Lee. Fort Lee will grow by 37% as a result of the 2005 BRAC round and construction is scheduled to be complete in September 2011. 

ü  Served as Ranking Member for a House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing on the Defense Department’s air response program.  The hearing focused on the funding allocated to the program that protects airspace over the United States.  Congressman Forbes closed the hearing by challenging the Department of Defense to make sure the Nation’s defense strategy was shaping the budget and not shaping a strategy to fit a budget. 

Taxes

ü Championed an optional flat tax. Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R. 1040, the Freedom Flat Tax Act, which would allow individuals and businesses the option of selecting a one-page flat tax in lieu of the current system.  The flat tax rate would be 19%, and then decline to 17% after two years of participation. As of 2005, the IRS code contains over 2,000,000 words.  Filling out a one-page flat tax form would take less than hour, saving families and businesses billions in tax preparation cost.  Because the Freedom Flat Tax is optional, Americans would be able to continue to pay taxes under the current system if they believe that is a better fit for their personal circumstances.

Health Care

ü Increase pancreatic cancer research.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R. 745, the Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act, which would establish and implement a Pancreatic Cancer Initiative to assist in coordinating activities to address the high mortality rate associated with pancreatic cancer.  According to NIH, diagnoses of pancreatic cancer have significantly increased over the past several decades and it now ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States.  The American Cancer Society recorded over 33,000 new cases and approximately 32,000 deaths in 2006.

ü Supported tax credits for needy families who require hearing aids.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R. 1646, the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act,  which would provide a tax credit of up to $500 per hearing aid, once every five years, for parents purchasing a hearing aid for a dependent child or persons over 55, with a $200,000 per year income eligibility cap.  This bill offers assistance to those most in need of these devices but who are unable to afford them, since hearing aids are not covered under many health insurance plans. 

ü Establish national Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease data registries.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R. 1362, the National MS and Parkinson’s disease Registries Act, which would establish for the first time national Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease registries at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The registries would help provide more accurate research data, which is critical in gaining a better understanding of these diseases that are estimated to affect more than 1.4 million Americans.  

Education  

ü Supported a program to help veterans begin second careers as teachers. Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R. 1313, which would amend the Troops to Teachers program to allow 49% more schools to be eligible to participate in the program. Troops to Teachers is a unique program that provides veterans with stipends to help cover the costs of teaching certification in exchange for service in an eligible school. Since its authorization in 1993, nearly 10,000 troops have participated in the Troops to Teachers program - bringing important math, science, and foreign language expertise to our classrooms. 

ü Supported mentoring programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Congressman Forbes voted on H.R. 1824, the Best Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009, which would expand and develop the Best Buddies program. The Best Buddies program is the first national social and recreational mentoring program for people with intellectual disabilities and operates on 1,300 middle school, high school, and college campuses.  This bill would award grants to organizations that work with Best Buddies to carry out activities to promote the expansion of the program. Such activities include expanding the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in "social relationships," as well as education and employment.

Veterans

ü Met with Virginian veterans to discuss veterans programs. Congressman Forbes met with veterans associated with the Military Officers Association of America where he discussed his commitment to implementing a two-year budget cycle for veteran health care funding, his opposition to TRICARE fare increases, and his support for a robust defense.  To read more about Congressman Forbes' work on veterans issues, click here.

Environment

ü Advancing "green" initiatives in collegiate curriculum. Congressman Forbes voted for H.R. 957, the Green Energy Education Act, which authorizes higher education curriculum development and graduate training in advanced energy and green building technologies.

ü Voted for better management of our water resources. Congressman Forbes voted for H.R. 1145, the Implementation of a National Water Research and Development Initiative, which would allow for better management of one of the nation’s most valuable resources – water.  This bill would provide oversight, management and research for the nation’s water supplies coupled with the availability of safe drinking water.     

ü Supported recycling electronic waste.  Congressman Forbes voted on H.R. 1580, which would enable the Environmental Protection Agency to provide grants to reduce electronic waste such as outdated TV’s and computers.  This bill encourages creativity and innovation to find better solutions to reducing or eliminating electronic waste.  

Judiciary

ü Increasing awareness of domestic and animal violence.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H. Res. 191, a bill to increase awareness of the link between animal violence and domestic violence.  This resolution affirms the need for additional resources to be focused on how violence toward animals is indicative of other violent tendencies.  In a nationwide study, more than 71 percent of battered women reported that their abusers harmed, killed, or threatened their pets, and more than 75 percent of those incidents occurred in the presence of the women or their children.  Psychological, sociological, and criminological studies have shown that violent offenders frequently have a history of abusing animals during their childhood and adolescence. 

ü Voted against Hate Crimes legislation in a House Judiciary Committee markup.   H.R. 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 would create a new federal prohibition against hate crime for any person who causes bodily injury to another because of race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.  Rep. Forbes believes all victims deserve equal protection under the law, and that hate crime legislation allows criminal action that is already illegal to be treated as more harsh or lenient based of gender, religion, or other characteristics.