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Washington Update Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Virginia's Fourth Congressional District Week of April 28 - May 2, 2008 |
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ü Cosponsored H.J. Res. 81, which would amend the Constitution of the United States to control federal government spending by prohibiting the federal government from spending more than 20% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The GDP is the dollar amount that represents the whole U.S. economy. An exception can be made for years when a declaration of war is in effect or when the Congress votes by a two-thirds supermajority.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 406, the Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act, which would posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Alice Paul in recognition of her role in the women's suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women. Alice Paul dedicated her life to securing suffrage and equal rights for all women. As founder of the National Woman's Party, she was instrumental in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 5868, the Caleb Martin-Travis Dodson Wounded Warrior Retention Act, which would allow those members of the Armed Forces who would otherwise be retired or separated due to a combat-related disability to continue to serve in the military so if they are able to medically perform noncombat-related military duties.
ü Signed a letter asking Senate Judiciary Chairman Leahy to give immediate consideration to the five nominees for the Fourth Federal Circuit Court. The 4th Federal Circuit hears federal cases in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Only ten of the authorized 15 judges on the Fourth Circuit are doing the work of administering justice in these states while the Senate delays the consideration of the judicial nominees. The nonpartisan Judicial Conference of the United States has deemed three of the five vacancies “judicial emergencies,” and in the case of the Fourth Circuit, the seat based in North Carolina has been vacant for more than 5000 days – the longest unfilled vacancy in the country. The letter states in part, “As Members of Congress who represent citizens of these states, we believe that urgent action is necessary.” The vacancies hurt average citizens hoping for courts to resolve their disputes, small businesses trying to get by in our uncertain economy, and crime victims seeking justice.
ü Signed a discharge petition to require a vote on the FISA bill. The FISA bill is needed to help intelligence officials monitor the communications of suspected terrorists overseas without first obtaining a warrant. A temporary fix of the FISA law, which was enacted in August 2007, expired in February, and House leaders have since refused to bring a bill to the floor that would make these changes permanent. The Senate passed a FISA modernization bill in February by a vote of 68-29. The lawmakers were required to wait 30 legislative days before circulating the discharge petition, as dictated by House rules.
ü Wrote a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee requesting funding for the Maritime Administration’s Title XI Ship Loan Guarantee program. Funding for Title XI is vital to ensuring that small and medium sized ship owners have access to affordable financing to build ships in the United States to meet the country’s domestic commerce, energy transportation, and military sealift needs. The financing terms and conditions facilitated by Title XI are comparable to finance rates at commercial banks to which large corporation have access. The $60 million request could generate up to $1.2 billion in ship construction in the United States.
ü Wrote a letter to the Navy requesting 45 more days to study the Environmental Impact Statement regarding the alternatives to move Navy ships or submarines to Mayport, Florida. After the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier that was based in Mayport, FL was retired more than a year ago, the Navy has been studying what ships, if any, should relocate to the southern port. The Navy agreed to provide a 15-day extension to allow more time for the Commonwealth of Virginia and other interest parties to provide comment to the Navy.
ü Lauded the agreement between U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) and the Old Dominion University that will utilize modeling and simulation (M&S) technologies to support joint training and experimentation. The three year agreement signed on April 29, 2008 will harness ODU’s Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) capabilities to advance M&S and enhance training development for the U.S. military. During this year’s congressional budget cycle, Congressman Forbes requested funding for Modeling and Simulation Standards Development at JFCOM to be accomplished at VMASC. If this funding is provided, it will help JFCOM bring together the military’s M&S community to identify common standards for use across the Department of Defense. Congressman Forbes is the Founder and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus.
For a comprehensive look at Congressman Forbes' work on legislative issues, visit the Spotlight Issues page on his website.
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