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Washington Update Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Virginia's Fourth Congressional District Week of April 16 - 20, 2007 |
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ü Cosponsored H.Res. 306, a resolution offering support and condolences for the Virginia Tech community following the tragedy that occurred on Monday, April 16. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a unanimous vote on April 18, 2007. Congressman Forbes' penned an initial statement and shared his thoughts in a column, Prevailing Over Tragedy.
ü Signed a letter to Speaker Pelosi asking that she not bring amnesty legislation to the House floor. The letter states in part, “The United States has the most generous legal immigration system in the world. We should take the side of American workers and taxpayers, legal immigrants and the rule of law. Please oppose any effort to put illegal immigrants on the path to amnesty.”
ü Signed a letter to President Bush calling for vigorous enforcement of immigration laws relating to employees. The letter states in part, “As Members of the House of Representatives, we appeal to you on behalf of American workers. We urge you to continue recent efforts to vigorously enforce the laws that ensure that employers do not hire illegal immigrants.” The letter goes on to state that the hiring of illegal immigrants creates “unfair competition in the labor market and depress wages for all workers.” The Center for Immigration Studies has found that the current level of immigration has reduced the wages of the average native-born worker in a low-skilled occupation by 12% a year, or almost $2,000.
ü Questioned witnesses at a hearing of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law on the failed attempt of past amnesty programs to control illegal immigration at the borders and the failed attempt to decrease the substantial burden that illegal immigration places on our education, transportation, and law enforcement at the state and local levels of government.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 1355, the Scott Gardner Act, a bill that would make DUI convictions grounds for mandatory detention and deportation for illegal immigrants and provide local law enforcement with the tools to effectively partner with the federal government to address illegal immigration. The bill aids the enforcement of our immigration laws by requiring the sharing of immigration information among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, improving the operation and compatibility of federal immigration and criminal databases, and increasing detention facility space.
ü Cosponsored H.Con.Res 117, legislation that commemorates the 400th Anniversary of the settlement at Jamestown and recognizes its historical significance in the founding of the United States.
ü Voted in favor of H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA), legislation dedicated exclusively to authorizing the activities of the Army Corps of Engineers, which studies water issues and is charged with the construction and maintenance of water resource facilities across the country. The bill included authorization for two important projects for the Fourth District: $37.2 million for the replacement of the Deep Creek Bridge in Chesapeake, and a federal study of the Chowan River Basin. Authorization is the first step in a two-part process to secure federal funding.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 1766, Chesapeake's Healthy and Environmentally Sound Stewardship of Energy and Agriculture Act of 2007. This legislation increases funding to help the region's farmers control excess runoff that contributes to polluted waters across the Chesapeake Bay. This legislation also proposes changes in current law, including efforts to curb the current high level of chemicals, including nitrogen, phosphorus, fertilizers, manure and other substances from local farms.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 1647, legislation to expand Medicaid coverage to include essential foot care services performed by podiatrists. Foot disease is a common complication of diabetes, and thousands have diabetes-related leg, foot, or toe amputations each year. Comprehensive foot and ankle care would improve quality of life by increasing mobility and preventing amputations.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 1560, the Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2007. This legislation would increase federal commitment to Alzheimer's research by providing researchers with additional resources to make breakthroughs in diagnosis, prevention and intervention. It also creates a national summit on Alzheimer’s to be held by the Department of Health and Human Services to examine new research, to prioritize federal Alzheimer's initiatives, and to review informational and educational programs for health care professionals and the public. The bill also provides assistance to caregivers through expanding the Alzheimer's Call Center to a 24-hour, seven-day a week service to provide care consultation and crisis intervention. More than five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease.
ü
Cosponsored
H.R. 1198,
the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2007. This legislation
would allow for the continuation of the successful Early Hearing Detection and
Intervention (EHDI) programs for an additional five years. This
legislation would provide assistance to ensure timely follow-up after an
infant fails their newborn hearing test, and would also help to integrate
recently developed state EHDI programs with existing public health
systems.
ü Cosponsored and voted in favor of H.Res. 273, a resolution supporting Financial Literacy Month. This legislation raises public awareness about the importance of financial education and calls on the President to issue a proclamation of support to encourage government entities, businesses, schools and other organizations to observe the month with appropriate programs and activities to increase financial literacy rates for individuals of all ages.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 1261, the Capital Gains Inflation Relief Act of 2007, legislation that would eliminate the capital gains tax on inflation. The capital gains tax is charged on a profit from the sale of assets, such as real estate or stocks. This legislation would encourage more long-term investments and reduce the tax burden for millions of Americans.
ü Cosponsored the Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies (CARFA) Act, legislation that would establish a bipartisan commission to review federal agencies and programs in an effort to eliminate wasteful spending on duplicative, inefficient or outdated programs. CARFA would make recommendations to Congress and to the President for changes to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of taxpayer dollars.
ü Met with members of the Virginia Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) to discuss servicemember pay and military health care benefits. MOAA is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing military officers in the U.S. MOAA has a national membership of approximately 362,000 members from every branch of military service, with nearly 44,000 MOAA members in Virginia.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 711, the Troops to Teachers Improvement Act, which will expand the amount of eligible schools for the Troops-to-Teachers program. This program provides assistance for retiring military personnel to become teachers in school districts with a lack of teachers or a large low-income population. Through this program, over 10,000 veterans have brought important areas of expertise such as math, science, and foreign language to the nation’s classrooms since its beginning in 1993.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 1400, the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act, which aims to peacefully prevent Iran from securing nuclear arms and the means to produce them. This legislation severely limits the export of U.S. items to Iran and prevents nuclear cooperation between the U.S. and any countries that provide nuclear assistance to Iran. Furthermore, the legislation prevents U.S. branches of foreign oil companies that invest in Iran’s oil sector from receiving U.S. tax benefits for oil and gas exploration.
ü Cosponsored H.Res. 313, a resolution to recognize Our Military Kids, Inc., for its dedication to children of deployed and severely injured National Guard and Reserve personnel. The mission of Our Military Kids, Inc., a Virginia-based organization, is to ensure that these children can participate in important activities such as athletics, fine arts and mentoring or tutoring programs.
ü Cosponsored the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act. This legislation would require those who perform abortions on unborn children as early as 20 weeks to inform the mother that, at that stage, their baby has the ability to feel pain, to cry, to breathe and to survive outside of the womb. It would also provide the mother with the option of having pain-reducing drugs administered directly to the child.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 628, the Helping Families Adopt Orphans Act, legislation to aid families adopting orphans from foreign countries. Because of the wait time between an application approval and receiving a child, many families' applications expire, requiring them to repeat the expensive and time-consuming application process. The entire process of international adoption can cost thousands of dollars.
ü Cosponsored H. Res. 179, a resolution supporting National Foster Parents Day, to recognize the contributions of foster parents across the nation. Foster parents, who open their homes and hearts to children, play a vital role in helping children launch into successful adulthood. Approximately half a million children in this country are in foster care.
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