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Washington Update Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Virginia's Fourth Congressional District Week of May 5 - May 9, 2007 |
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ü Introduced H.Res. 1178, which expresses support and sympathy for the citizens of Suffolk, Colonial Heights, and Brunswick for the tornadoes that struck these communities on April 28, 2008. Rep. Forbes introduced the resolution to express the gratitude and support of the House of Representatives to the hundreds of citizens that have volunteered their time and assistance as well as the first responders, emergency medical personnel, and state and local governments that have well prepared us to deal with the consequences of such a storm. Rep. Forbes said "We thank God that no one was killed in this natural disaster, and we continue to pray for those who are injured and those who lost so much in this terrible incident. We have begun the process of coming together as a community to rebuild both the physical structures that were damaged as well as the lives that were impacted." All eleven members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation cosponsored the resolution.
ü Cosponsored H.R. 5857, the Homeownership Protection and Housing Market Stabilization Act of 2008, which would help struggling homebuyers by instituting long-overdue reforms to the Federal Housing Administration, updating regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and providing homebuyers with access to better information through improved disclosures for borrowers and increased support for financial counseling. This bill would also improve the integrity of the appraisal process and address mortgage appraisal fraud, and strengthen current mortgage fraud prevention efforts. In addition, this legislation would help veterans by temporarily raising loan limits for VA housing loans, and doubling foreclosure protections for returning veterans. The bill addresses the housing crunch by putting the needs of homeowners who are truly victim first, and without raising taxes or rewarding irresponsibility. ü Opposed H.R. 3221, the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008, which included a series of provisions to prop up the struggling U.S. housing market—including an overhaul of mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, a modernization of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), an expansion of the FHA’s loan guarantee program, and a housing-focused tax measure. It would also give the FHA $300 billion to insure refinanced loans for borrowers struggling to afford their current mortgage, and it would authorize $230 million for financial and legal counseling. Although Rep. Forbes supports some provisions in this bill, such as reforming the FHA, increasing financial literacy, and providing counseling for struggling homeowners, this legislation could delay economic recovery since it creates incentives for homeowners to declare bankruptcy rather than to work out the terms of their loans with their lenders. ü Opposed H.R. 5818, the Neighborhood Stabilization Act of 2008. This bill would have created a massive new taxpayer-funded loan and grant program aimed at stabilizing areas hard hit by foreclosures by providing $15 billion to states for purchasing and rehabilitating foreclosed properties. Rep. Forbes opposed this legislation because it would constitute a costly bailout for lenders and speculators at a cost of billions of dollars to responsible homeowners, while not addressing the underlying problems in the housing industry. Rather, Rep. Forbes believes H.R. 5857, the Homeownership Protection and Housing Market Stabilization Act of 2008, can provide genuine, long-term stability to the housing market. ü Supported H.R. 5937, to facilitate the preservation of certain affordable housing dwelling units. This bill would authorize the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to work with local housing authorities to convert certain multi-family housing units to public affordable housing.
ü Opposed several motions that would have further delayed negotiations on the Farm Bill, H.R. 2419. Negotiations on this complex piece of legislation have been ongoing for over a year, but conferees announced this week that they are on the verge of reaching a final compromise. These motions would have directed the conferees, who are negotiating final details on a five-year Farm Bill, to change several key provisions just before a final agreement is reached between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Rep. Forbes opposed these motions that were offered by opponents of the Farm Bill in order to prevent further delays on this legislation.
ü Served as Ranking Member during the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee markup of the annual defense policy bill. The bill authorizes $143 billion for operation and maintenance and $24 billion for military construction. The bill also increases funding for Army training, prepositioned stocks and aircraft maintenance. The bill was approved by voice vote and will now be considered by the full House Armed Services Committee. The bill also includes:
ü Voted to approve the House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee markup of the annual defense policy bill. During the markup, Rep. Forbes, along with Rep. Joe Courtney, Rep. Brad Ellsworth, and Rep. Rob Wittman, introduced a bipartisan amendment to increase submarine funding by $300 million. The amendment was adopted by voice vote, and the funding will allow the Navy to accelerate the delivery of an additional Virginia Class Submarine in 2010. Under current plans, the Navy would not deliver two submarines per year until 2011. The draft bill also included:
ü Supported H.R. 5512, the Coin Modernization and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2008. This bill would reduce the costs of producing one-cent and five-cent coins, provide authority to the Secretary of the Treasury to perform research and development on new metallic content for circulating coins, and require biennial reports to Congress on circulating coin production costs and possible alternative metallic content. A recent report revealed that rising metal costs have caused the cost to create a penny to exceed the value of the penny. ü Supported H.R. 2894, the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act. This bill would require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the bicentennial of the writing of the "Star Spangled Banner" and the War of 1812. On September 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key visited the British fleet in Chesapeake Bay to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes, who had been captured after the burning of Washington, DC. The release was completed, but Key was held by the British overnight during the shelling of Fort McHenry, one of the forts defending Baltimore. In the morning, Key peered through clearing smoke to see an enormous American flag flying proudly after a 25-hour British bombardment of Fort McHenry. He was so delighted to see the flag still flying over the fort that he began a poem to commemorate the occasion, with a note that it should be sung to the popular British melody `To Anacreon in Heaven'. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that it be played at military and naval occasions, and in 1931, the `Star-Spangled Banner' became our National Anthem. Rep. Forbes is a cosponsor of this bill. ü Supported H.R. 5872, the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act. This bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 350,000 $1 coins in commemoration of the centennial of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America, and requires that proceeds from sales of these coins go to the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation, to be made available to local councils in the form of grants for the extension of Scouting in hard-to-serve areas. The Boy Scouts of America is the largest youth organization in the United States, with 3,000,000 youth members and 1,000,000 adult leaders in the traditional programs of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturing.
ü Supported H.Res. 1086, Recognizing National Nurses Week. This resolution recognizes the contributions of nurses to the U.S. health care system, and expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, and is the time each year when nurses are recognized for the critical role they play in providing safe, high-quality, and preventative health care.
ü Supported House passage of H.Res. 952, which expresses support for a National Teachers Day to recognize our nation’s teachers each year. As a cosponsor of this resolution, Rep. Forbes believes it imperative to honor our children’s teachers for their selfless dedication, knowledge, and sacrifice.
ü Wrote a letter to the Architect of the Capitol requesting information on the display content for the videos and permanent displays in the Capitol Visitors Center (CVC). There are concerns that our country’s religious history will not be represented in the new Capitol Visitors Center as originally agreed upon by several working groups. Previous requests for official documentation of the permanent exhibits and the introductory video to be seen by each visitor at the beginning of Capitol tours have been denied. Under the previous Architect of the Capitol, such documentation was routinely provided. Currently, the CVC has been unable to provide the content of the finalized plan and intends to open in the fall of 2008.
For a comprehensive look at Congressman Forbes' work on legislative issues, visit the Spotlight Issues page on his website.
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