ü Cosponsored H.R. 4005, the Capturing On-line Predators Who Misrepresent Their Age Act.  H.R. 4005 would establish criminal penalties for adults (over the age of 18) who knowingly misrepresent their age in an online communication to a minor with the purpose of persuading, inducing, enticing or coercing them to engage in sexual activity.  One in five children is estimated to be approached online by a sexual predator.

ü Cosponsored H.R. 3971, the Deaths In Custody Act.  The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 directed the Bureau of Justice Statistics within the Department of Justice to collect data on deaths that occur in two primary stages of the criminal justice system: first, deaths that occur “in the process of arrest” or during transfer after arrest; and, second, deaths in jails and prisons.  H.R. 3971 reauthorizes this data collection program and directs the Attorney General to commission a study of death in custody data to determine how to reduce deaths in custody and examine the relationship between deaths in custody and the management of jail and prison facilities.

ü Cosponsored H.R. 4175, the Privacy and Cybercrime Enforcement Act of 2007, legislation that would expand and tighten cyber crime laws to enhance data security.  H.R. 4175 would broaden the jurisdiction of existing cyber crime provisions, create a new crime of cyber-extortion, prohibit conspiracies to commit cyber crime, and revise the penalty structure for cyber crime violations.  Furthermore, H.R. 4175 would direct the U.S. Sentencing Commission to revise cyber crime guidelines and would require notice to law enforcement of security breaches of sensitive personal information.  The legislation would authorize the Attorney General and State Attorneys General to seek civil penalties or injunctive relief against persons who violate federal data privacy laws (e.g. credit reports, banking information).

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 3845, the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2007.  H.R. 3845 would establish the Office of Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. The Special Counsel, who would be appointed by the Attorney General, will be responsible for coordinating the policies and strategies of Department for the prevention and investigation of child exploitation cases, coordinating with other agencies, and directing the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program.  ICAC is comprised of state and local law enforcement task forces in each state.  The purpose of the task forces is to increase prosecutions, training, investigations and awareness of internet crimes against children.

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 719, the Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2007.  H.R. 719 would require that, in addition to existing registry requirements, sex offenders must report any electronic mail address, instant message address, or other similar Internet identifier the sex offender used or will use to communicate over the Internet.  The offender must also update his or her information prior to use of a new email or instant message address.  The bill would require the Attorney General to maintain a system allowing a commercial social networking website to compare the database of registered users of that commercial social networking website to the list of electronic mail addresses, instant message addresses, and other similar Internet identifiers of persons in the National Sex Offender Registry.  The bill would provide liability protections for social networking sites that use the registry appropriately for screening users or to compare their list of users with the registry.  The bill would also create a penalty of fines and up to 20 years in prison for any person 18 years or older who knowingly misrepresents their age with the intent to use the Internet to engage in criminal sexual conduct involving a minor, or to facilitate or attempt such conduct.

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 4136, the Enhancing the Effective Prosecution of Child Pornography Act of 2007.  Under current money laundering statutes, violators are those that knowingly conduct or attempt to conduct a financial transaction which involves the proceeds of “specified unlawful activities.”  HR 4136 would add child pornography when it involves minors and the production of pornography for importation into the United States to the list of unlawful activities.  The bill adds “knowingly accesses child pornography on the internet with intent to view it” to a list of violations that are subject to penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment for 20 years. 

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 3461, the Safeguarding America’s Families by Enhancing and Reorganizing New and Efficient Technologies (SAFER NET) Act of 2007.  H.R. 3461 would require Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to carry out a nationwide public awareness and education campaign regarding Internet safety.  By coordinating with Federal, State, and local governments as well as nonprofit organizations, private technology and financial companies, Internet providers, and others, the FTC would be able to encourage Internet safety best practices, establish national outreach and education programs, and facilitate access to Internet safety information and education.

Judiciary

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 3013, the Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act of 2007.  H.R. 3013 would prohibit an agent or attorney of the United States from demanding, requesting, or conditioning treatment on the disclosure by an organization, or person affiliated with that organization, of any communication protected by the attorney-client privilege or any attorney work product.  The bill would also prohibit an agent or attorney of the United States from conditioning a civil or criminal charging decision or from using one or more such actions as a factor in determining whether an organization or affiliated person is cooperating with the government. Congressman Forbes is an original cosponsor of this legislation.

ü Voted in favor of H.R.1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007.  H.R. 1593 would reauthorize a grant program designed to improve the re-entry of felons into communities.  The bill focuses on four main areas related to reentry: development and support of programs that provide alternatives to incarceration, expansion of the availability of substance abuse treatment, strengthening the families of ex-offenders, and the expansion of comprehensive re-entry services.  Congressman Forbes is an original cosponsor of this legislation.

Transportation and Infrastructure

ü Voted to overturn the President’s veto of H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which contains critical funding for water and infrastructure projects in the 4^th District and in the Hampton Roads/Tidewater area.  WRDA would authorize funds for improvements to the Deep Creek Bridge and for a study of the Chowan River Basin.  Congress has not enacted a WRDA bill since 2000 due to disagreement between the House and Senate.

ü Cosponsored H.R. 2550, the Recreational Boating Act of 2007, which would restore an exemption from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for incidental discharges, other than ballast water, from recreational boats.  Incidental discharges would include deck run-off, engine cooling water, and uncontaminated bilge water.  This exemption would not impact separate regulations on oil discharge, sewage, hazardous pollutants, garbage or debris.  This legislation is supported by the Congressional Boating Caucus, of which Congressman Forbes is a member. 

Health

ü Voted to uphold the President’s veto of H.R. 3043, the Fiscal Year 2008 Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.  This legislation would have appropriated $607 billion for these departments and agencies, and of the total, three quarters was for mandatory entitlement spending programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.  The conference agreement for H.R. 3043 would appropriate a total of $606.4 billion for programs in the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, which represents an increase of approximately $61 billion (11%) more than the current level and $10 billion (2%) more than the president's request. Furthermore, this legislation contained more than 2,200 earmarks totaling nearly $1 billion, many of which were not added to the bill until the final hour.

ü Cosponsored H.R. 2762, a bill to reauthorize the Special Diabetes Program for Type I diabetes.  This would reauthorize the research for Type I diabetes and reauthorize the diabetes prevention and treatment programs.  Almost 21 million Americans are affected with diabetes, with over six million of them unaware and untreated for the disease.

ü Cosponsored H.R. 3334, the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act, a bill to require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to upgrade and unify existing spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) clinical trial sites to establish a national clinical trials network for SMA.  SMA is a genetic disease that affects the spinal cord and brain stem and leads to muscle atrophy.  Approximately one in 6000 babies is born with some form of SMA and SMA kills more babies than any other genetic disease.

ü Cosponsored H.J.Res. 54 which would overturn a rule from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that limits the availability of erythropiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) in some treatments of anemia.  CMS issued a recommendation earlier this year that would significantly reduce access to ESA treatments for Medicare patients. Anemia is a common complication for cancer patients, and ESAs are a widely-used treatment to help beneficiaries cope with its effects. Without ESA treatments, patients would be forced to rely on blood transfusions through the course of chemotherapy to combat anemia, which carries risk of transmissible diseases and a hospital visit to receive the transfusion.  Congressman Forbes is a member of the Cancer Care Working Group and is committed to ensuring quality care and treatment options to cancer patients, no matter what their coverage.

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 1567, to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide increased assistance for the prevention, treatment, and control of tuberculosis.  Tuberculosis is one of the greatest infectious causes of death of adults worldwide, killing 1.6 million people per year--one person every 20 seconds.  Twenty-two countries account for 80 percent of the world's burden of tuberculosis, and more than 50 percent of tuberculosis cases in the United States are attributable to foreign-born individuals.  Recent research has shown that to invest in tuberculosis control abroad, where treatment and program costs are significantly cheaper than in the United States, can be a cost-effective strategy to reduce tuberculosis-related morbidity and mortality domestically.

ü Voted in favor of H.Res. 335, which expressed the Sense of the House of Representatives that lung cancer should be a public health priority and interagency programs should be implemented to reduce lung cancer mortality rates by 50% by 2015.  Over 210,000 people are estimated to be diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007 in the United States and over 160,000 people will die of lung cancer in 2007 in the United States.

ü Voted in favor of H.Res. 760, which supports the goals and ideals of Children’s Health Month.  H.Res. 760 recognizes and salutes the health care professionals who provide care and treatment for childhood illnesses and afflictions.  H.R 760 also recognizes and salutes the officials who educate parents, schools, and communities about health risks and related issues for children.

Budget

ü Joined Members of Congress is sending a letter to President Bush in support of entitlement reform.  The letter calls on President Bush to meet with cosponsors of the SAFE Commission Act to talk about the need for entitlement reform.  Earlier this year Congressman Forbes cosponsored the SAFE Commission Act (H.R. 3654) which will would institute a comprehensive review and reform of the United States tax and entitlement systems.  With the first baby boomer signing up for Social Security a couple weeks ago, it is important for the United States to address this growing fiscal problem to ensure that future generations are left with a country that is financially solvent.

Veterans

ü Signed a letter to Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs asking him to ensure all veterans are afforded the opportunity to have the 13-fold flag recitation at their funerals.  The recitation, a long tradition in the military, accompanies each fold to pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of our veterans, their families, the United States, and the beliefs they hold dear.  After banning the recitation because of references to "God" and religion, the Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs reversed course on November 2, 2007 after the letter was sent.  The Secretary issued a directive that restored this right to the surviving family of any veteran who wished to have the recitation included in the burial of their loved one.

ü Voted in favor of H. Res 680, which condemns all attacks upon the memory of veterans and their service to the United States, such as the incident of vandalism of September 7, 2007, at the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Foreign Affairs

ü Attended a Joint Session of Congress to hear an address of French President Nicola Sarkozy.  To read the text of Nicola Sarkozy's remarks, click here.

ü Voted in favor of H.Res. 573, which commends the advocacy groups that raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis and genocide in Darfur, Sudan.  The current crisis in Darfur began in 2003 as a result of rebel insurgent groups rising up against the Sudanese government as a result of poor treatment, and has resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths and 2.3 million Darfuris fleeing their homes.  Congressman Forbes also supported H.Res. 726, which calls upon the President and leaders of other countries to take immediate action to respond to and prevent acts of sexual violence against women in Central Africa

ü Voted in favor of H.Con.Res. 234, a resolution calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to respect the human rights of refugees from North Korea.  As Chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, Congressman Forbes hosted a briefing on refugees in China with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom on October 19, 2007.  The Government of China currently returns refugees to North Korea, where they often face torture or other punishment, and up to 90 percent of female North Korean refugees are sold into sexual slavery by Chinese traffickers.

ü Sent a letter to the President regarding a proposed sale of military hardware to Saudi Arabia.  According to media reports, the $20 billion package might include Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) technology, which transforms unguided conventional bombs into precision munitions with highly accurate targeting capabilities.  If it falls into the wrong hands, JDAM technology could significantly harm U.S. forces in the region and undercut Israel’s qualitative military edge.  Saudi Arabia remains in a formal state of war with Israel, which is the preeminent democracy in the Middle East.  Additionally, Saudi groups continue to export Wahabi extremist ideology throughout the world which is an anti-American ideology we face on the battlefields of the Global War on Terror.  The letter states that any sale of JDAM technology to Saudi Arabia must come with guarantees backed by strict conditions notified to Congress followed by regular reporting, tight Congressional oversight and intense consultations with Israel. 

ü Cosponsored H.Con.Res 235, which urges the World Bank and the United Nations to withhold loan support to Iran until it comes into compliance with U.N. resolutions and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).  The World Bank disbursed at least $220 million to Iran in fiscal year 2007, and more than $870 million is scheduled for disbursement in the next three years.  Iran is a signatory of the NPT, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has reported several violations of the treaty by Iran earlier this year because of its expanded efforts to enrich uranium, which turns nuclear fuel into material that can be used for nuclear weapons.

Tax

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 3997, the Heroes’ Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act, a bill to make it easier for some veterans to qualify for certain low-cost mortgages, help service members receiving combat pay qualify for the earned-income tax credit, and improve some military families’ ability to receive Supplemental Security Income.  It would also allow volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders to avoid paying federal income taxes on any state or local tax rebates or abatement they receive.

ü Voted against H.R. 3996, the Temporary Tax Relief Act.  This bill would have provided a one year extension for many popular expiring tax deductions and tax credits and it would have adjusted the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) level.  However, although this bill included positive provisions, it would offset the the temporary tax cuts by imposing new permanent taxes to pay for the revenue loss.

Immigration

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 2884, the Kendell Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act.  This would direct DHS to use fingerprints already provided by service members at the time of their military enlistment for citizenship applications.  This bill is named after Specialist Kendell Frederick who was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb as he traveled off base to get fingerprinted for naturalization.  He had been trying to become a U.S. citizen.  He was posthumously granted U.S. citizenship.

ü Cosponsored H.Res 800, which expresses the Sense of Congress that illegal immigrants should not be issued driver’s licenses and H.R. 4176, the Prevention of Unsafe Licensing Act.  H.R. 4176 would prevent states from issuing any driver’s license or identification card to an individual unlawfully present in the United States.

Financial Services

ü Voted in favor of the H.R. 3355, the Homeowners’ Defense Act.  This would allow states to form a National Catastrophe Risk Consortium to pool their natural disaster risks and then sell bonds and reinsurance contracts to private investors.  The bill would establish the National Homeowners Insurance Stabilization Fund which would provide low-interest loans to state-run insurance funds.  In the event of a hurricane or other catastrophic natural disaster in the Commonwealth of Virginia, state-run insurance programs could receive low-interest loans from this fund to meet claims made by policyholders.

ü Opposed H.R. 3915, the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007.  H.R. 3915 would bring mortgage brokers, currently regulated on a state-by-state basis, under a nationwide licensing registry.  In addition, this legislation would add new federal regulations on mortgage loan originators.  For example, mortgage lenders and brokers would be required to ensure that mortgages are appropriate to the consumer’s existing circumstances based on whether the borrower has a reasonable ability to repay the loan and whether the borrower receives a net tangible benefit from the loan.  This legislation would restrict access to credit, limit borrowers’ choices and reduce refinancing opportunities for current homeowners.  Congressman Forbes supported the addition of language to the bill that would have prohibited a creditor from extending any credit in connection with a residential mortgage loan unless the creditor verifies the identity of an individual seeking to obtain any such loan.  This language was not included in H.R. 3915 before final passage in the House of Representatives and Congressman Forbes opposed the final bill.

Trade

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 3688, the Peru Free Trade Agreement.  This would remove most of the tariffs on U.S. products entering Peru immediately and phase out the rest over the next several years.  It would also designate more than two-thirds of U.S. farm exports as duty-free goods.  Most of the products from Peru already enter the U.S. duty free.  This bill was supported by the National Cotton Council, American Farm Bureau, American Forest & Paper Association and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. 

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 1473, the Anthony DeJuan Boatwright Act.  H.R. 1473 would amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to require providers of child care services to carry current liability insurance as part of state regulatory processes for issuance and renewal of licenses, post a notice specifying whether it carries current liability insurance publicly and conspicuously in the service area of its premises, and give written notice to parents about whether it carries such insurance.

Education

ü Cosponsored H.R. 4165, which would provide grants to encourage and enhance the study of modeling and simulation at colleges and universities.  The bill would make grants of $750,000 available to schools that already have an established modeling and simulation program and also to schools that wish to establish a new program.  The bill would require schools to develop matching funds as well to demonstrate their commitment to the project.  Congressman Forbes is co-chairman of the Modeling & Simulation Caucus.  

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 1429, the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007.  H.R. 1429 amends the 1965 Head Start Act to revise and reauthorize Head Start programs, the nation’s primary early childhood development program for low-income youth.  Specifically, this legislation increases funding by $450 million to $7.35 billion for fiscal year 2008, increases the number of qualified children by raising the eligibility to 130% above the poverty level, and requires that at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers programs must have a baccalaureate or advanced degree in early childhood education.  Moreover, H.R. 1429 codifies the provision which allows faith-based organizations to be Head Start agencies, and establishes a new grant program where successful Head Start agencies are designated as Center for Excellence responsible for providing and disseminating best practices for achieving early academic success to other Head Start agencies in the State.

Environment

ü Cosponsored H.R. 3981, the Preserve America and Save America’s Treasures Act.  The Preserve America Initiative promotes the preservation of America’s heritage by advancing the protection, enhancement, and contemporary use of historic properties. Preserve America enables Americans to gain greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past, strengthens regional identities, increases local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets, and enhances the economic vitality of communities. Save America’s Treasures is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of America’s historic legacy and works to recognize and rescue the symbols of American tradition that define our nation. Save America’s Treasures has preserved several symbols such as the Star Spangled Banner, the homes of notable Americans such as Montpelier (James Madison), and enduring collections such as the Charters of Freedom.  Several localities in the 4^th District have successfully applied for and received funding under the Save America’s Treasures program.  The Suffolk Museum of African-American history has received funding under the Save America’s Treasures program for the purpose of renovating and restoring the Phoenix Bank of Nansemond.  Saint Luke’s Church, in Smithfield, Virginia received a Save America’s Treasures grant to restore the landmark gothic style church, the earliest surviving Gothic style building in the United States.

ü Joined the International Conservation Caucus.  The International Conservation Caucus (ICC) was founded in September 2003 with a commitment to helping the United States lead public and private international partnerships that provide stewardship of natural resources for habitat and bio-diversity protection, poverty reduction, economic development and regional security.

ü Voted in favor of H.Con.Res. 122, which supports the goal and mission of America Recycles Day.  American Recycles Day encourages all Americans to participate in promoting the social, environmental, and economic benefits of recycling and buying recycled-content products.  November 15, 2007, marks the 10th anniversary of America Recycles Day, which is dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle and buy recycled products.  To learn more about American Recycles Day, click here.

Family Values

ü Authored a letter defending America’s religious and spiritual heritage to the Director of the National Park Service, Mary Bomar, demanding that the replica of the top of the Washington Monument be properly displayed so that the inscription Laus Deo, which means “Praise be to God,” is fully visible.  Additionally, the letter asked that all educational materials and signage accurately reflect America’s religious and spiritual heritage.  The letter was sent with the signatures of 18 Members of Congress following reports that the display had been changed to remove any mention of the inscription, and the replica had been placed facing a wall so that it was hidden from view.  Shortly after the letter was sent, NPS issued a statement acknowledging the oversight and committing to redesign the display so that the Laus Deo inscription could be seen.

ü Cosponsored H.R. 3908, the Loyalty to Our Legacy Act of 2007, which would ensure that the new Capitol Visitor Center will preserve America’s religious heritage by requiring that the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and the national motto `In God We Trust' are each displayed prominently there on a permanent basis.  This bill would also ensure that in preparing and producing any exhibit or other material relating to the Capitol Visitor Center, the Architect of the Capitol may not remove or refuse to include any language, symbol, writing, document, or record on the grounds that the language, symbol, writing, document, or record includes a religious reference or Judeo-Christian content.

ü Voted to uphold the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman by opposing H.R. 3685, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).  H.R. 3685 would prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on “actual or perceived” sexual orientation.  Congressman Forbes offered a motion that would have preserved the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, by ensuring that nothing in the Act could be construed to modify, limit, restrict, or in any way overturn any State or Federal definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, including the use of the Act as a legal predicate in litigation on the issue of marriage.  Specifically, this would have prevented courts from citing ENDA as justification for striking down so-called “discriminatory” marriage laws in the 49 of 50 states that currently restrict marriage to between one man and one woman.  The motion failed and Congressman Forbes voted against final passage of H.R. 3685.

ü Signed on as an original cosponsor of H.R. 4157, the Sanctity of Life Act, which would declare that the life of each human begins with fertilization, cloning, or its functional equivalent, at which point every human being shall have all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood. 

ü Cosponsored H.Con.Res. 239, which recognizes and honors birthparents who carry out an adoption plan.  This legislation states that birthparents should be recognized, honored, and commended for making a loving decision to carry out an adoption plan, recognizes adoption as a loving, viable option in the event of an unplanned pregnancy.  November is National Adoption Month.

Small Businesses

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 3867, the Small Business Contracting Improvement Program, which would allow businesses owned by disabled veterans to qualify for sole-sourced government contracts.  H.R. 3867 would also expand the eligibility of many minority owned businesses to qualify for the Small Business Administrations 8(a) program, which one of the important vehicles for minority business participation in federal contracting. The 8(a) program has contributed to the development of over 20,000 firms over the past two decades.  There are over 9,000 firms currently participating in the 8(a) program and more than half of all federal minority business contracting is accomplished through the 8(a) program. 

Space and Aeronautics

ü Joined Members of the Hampton Roads Delegation in sending a letter to the House Appropriations Committee in support of increased funding for NASA in fiscal year 2008.  Increased funding for NASA in Fiscal Year 2008 will support NASA Langley Research Center, which celebrated its 90th Anniversary this year.  NASA Langley began in 1917 as the nation's first aeronautical research laboratory and has become a world leader in aeronautics research and space exploration. 

Technology

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 3919, the Broadband Census of America Act of 2007.  H.R. 3919 would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to submit a report showing the prices, the advertised and actual speeds, and the availability of broadband services throughout the country, and comparing them to those of other leading nations.  The bill would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to develop and maintain a broadband inventory map that depicts the deployment and availability of broadband service capabilities in the U.S. This map must be capable of breaking down the information for each State and for each county or parish.  H.R. 3919 would establish a NTIA grant program to assist with the local planning and development of broadband capacity.  

Public Safety

ü Voted in favor of H.R. 3403, the 911 Modernization and Safety Act of 2007.  H.R. 3403 would require IP-enabled voice service providers (Voice over Internet Protocol) to provide 911 and E-911 services to its subscribers.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would be required to issue regulations granting these providers access to the components that are necessary for 911 and E-911 services on the same rates, terms, and conditions as mobile service providers within 90 days of the bill’s enactment.  H.R. 3403 would require the E-911 Implementation Coordination Office to develop a national plan for migrating to a national IP-enabled emergency network capable of receiving and responding to all citizen-activated emergency communications.  The bill would provide liability protection for IP-enabled voice service providers equal to that of wireless providers for releasing subscriber information to emergency officials.

ü Cosponsored H.Res. 695, a resolution expressing support of a National Fire Fighter Appreciation Day.  This resolution honors and celebrates the brave fire fighters of the United States who are integral to the safety and security of Americans.

Agriculture