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Washington Update Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Virginia's Fourth Congressional District Week of April 14 - 18, 2008 |
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üCosponsored H.Con.Res. 323, expressing support for the goals and ideals of National Health Care Decisions Day. This resolution would encourage all Americans to take the time to discuss their medical wishes with their families, and prepare advance directives through a living will or designation of a medical power of attorney. These steps allow individuals to maintain control over their health even at the end of their lives, regardless of the circumstances they may face.
ü Wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee supporting H.Res. 888, the Religious Heritage Resolution. H. Res. 888 recognizes some of the many examples of how religious faith has influenced America’s founding and subsequent history, and would establish the first week of May as America’s Religious History Week to commemorate this aspect of our nation’s heritage. Chairman Henry Waxman has so far refused to place H.Res. 888 on the committee’s schedule for consideration because of its religious content.
üVoted to prohibit taxpayer dollars from going to “Sanctuary Cities” that harbor illegal immigrants. During consideration of H.R. 5719, a motion was offered that would have eliminated the tax-exempt treatment of the interest on bonds issued by states or localities that are considered “Sanctuary Cities.” These cities have a policy in effect which doesn’t require employees of that state or locality to notify federal officials of an alien who may be unlawfully present in the United States. A list of these cities was produced by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service and was listed in a recent Human Events article.
ü Voted against H.R. 2634, the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation of 2007. This bill would allow the U.S. Treasury Secretary to negotiate an agreement with the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Paris Club to cancel the debt of 24 additional, eligible low-income countries. Total debt relief could exceed $6 billion. The bill would require Congress to authorize any agreements for debt cancellation before the Secretary enters into them. Debt relief has been cited as an important tool for improving security in the developing world. However, in a time when the U.S. economy is struggling and our own national debt exceeds $9.4 trillion, Congressman Forbes believes that we must first secure our own economy before forgiving other countries’ debts.
ü Voted twice to prevent the largest tax increase in American history. The Majority’s budget proposal for FY 2009-2013 (H.Con.Res. 312) would impose the largest tax increase on American taxpayers in history — $683 billion over the next five years, and a $2,915 annual increase in federal taxes on the average taxpayer in Virginia’s Fourth District. This week, Congressman Forbes voted on two procedural motions that would have prohibited these tax increases from going into effect. ü Voted against H.R. 5719, the Taxpayer Assistance and Simplification Act of 2008. H.R. 5719 contained several tax incentives for American consumers and businesses, many of which have been included in legislation previously passed by the House of Representatives during the 110th Congress. However, this legislation would also eliminate the Internal Revenue Service’s ability to utilize private debt collection companies and impose substantiation requirements for withdrawing money from Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). HSAs have become an increasingly important and popular option for providing individuals more control over the cost of their health care. The substantiation requirements proposed in this legislation would create unnecessary delays in reimbursements, fewer electronic transactions, and increased administrative costs for consumers. ü Signed a letter to the House Budget Committee supporting a tax credit for parents who choose to adopt. Today, international adoptions can cost as much as $20,000 to 30,000, and domestic adoptions can cost as much as $15,000. These high costs often deter parents who otherwise would be willing and able to adopt a child. Making the 2001 adoption tax credit permanent will ensure that Americans who adopt a child continue to receive a credit for qualified expenses, and guarantee the maximum $10,000 credit for those who adopt children with special needs.
ü Served as Ranking Member during a House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing on H. Res. 834, a resolution regarding the readiness of the U.S. military. During the hearing, Congressman Forbes said, “We must realize we cannot snap our fingers and produce a military that is fully ready — regardless of the funds provided. It takes time measured in months — not weeks — to recruit, train, and ready soldiers and Marines. It also takes time, often 18-months or more, to field the equipment our soldiers and Marines need to accomplish their missions. Every day that passes without the readiness funding included in the 2008 supplemental is one more day that we delay gains in strategic readiness.” ü Cosponsored H. Con. Res. 295 to express the deep appreciation of Congress to the families of members of the United States Armed Forces. ü Co-authored a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates requesting a timeline for promoting the top National Guard official to four-star general. As part of last year’s defense policy bill, Congress required the Pentagon to ensure the National Guard had a representative at the highest rank in the military, which is a four-star general. Congress made the change to ensure the National Guard has a seat at the table in the discussion of defense issues. The National Guard has transitioned from a strategic reserve to an operational one that is equipped and deployable alongside active duty units. The current National Guard Bureau Chief, Steve Blum, is a three-star general. ü Was cited in an article in The Hill newspaper for writing a letter to the Pentagon’s top acquisition official, John Young, about why the Air Force appears to be wasting taxpayer dollars on package deliveries. A recent package sent by the Air Force from Corpus Christi, Texas, to a base in Lexington, Oklahoma, traveled 2,243 miles before reaching its destination — even though the two cities are only 576 miles apart. This happened due to an Air Force regulation that is sometimes interpreted as a requirement that a shipment be flown for at least one leg of the delivery route. The letter states in part, “This confusion is generated by lack of clear guidance and poor training and is resulting in inefficiency and unnecessary cost to the taxpayer.”
ü Supported House passage of H.R. 5715, the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008. The bill would increases the annual loan limits on federal unsubsidized student loans by $2,000 for all students in good academic standing. Additionally, this legislation would allow parents who have been delinquent on their home mortgage or medical bills for up to 180 days to still qualify for a parent PLUS loan. H.R. 5715 also would give the Secretary of Education the temporary authority to purchase loans from lenders in the federal guaranteed loan program to ensure that lenders have access to capital to make new loans. ü Supported House passage of H.Res. 1097, which expresses support for the designation of April 2008, as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The intent would be to raise awareness of the traumatic situation facing some of our Nation’s children and to emphasize our commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect so that all children can live in a healthy and nurturing environment. ü Supported House passage of H.Res. 259, a resolution honoring the work of the Meals On Wheels Association of America, its member senior nutrition programs throughout the country, and their annual March For Meals campaigns for providing meal services to people in need.
üAttended Virginia Council of Chapters of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) annual Congressional Appreciation Luncheon. The luncheon was for the members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation for their leadership and support of veterans, military retirees and active military force issues. MOAA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan veteran’s organization, which represents regular and reserve association members from the seven uniformed services. MOAA’s main mission is to provide assistance to military personnel on career transition and military benefits issues.
For a comprehensive look at Congressman Forbes' work on legislative issues, visit the Spotlight Issues page on his website.
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