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Washington, Nov 16 -

I am looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday next week, as I am sure many of you are as well. Thanksgiving is a time to spend with friends and family, and to be thankful for all of our blessings.

This year, as always, there is much for which I am thankful. I want to update you that I am recovering well from my hip surgery in August. Thank you for all your kind words and well wishes. I am proud to report that I have not missed a single vote in the House this year, and I am looking forward to serving you in the 113^th Congress.

After a long political season, the Thanksgiving holiday also provides an important reminder to pause, reflect on our nation’s history, and focus on what unites us, not what divides us, as Americans.

Today, that means working hard to tackle the challenges ahead.

The remainder of the 112^th Congress will be busy. Just weeks away, looms the fiscal cliff—a mix of automatic spending cuts and tax increases. Both parties should work together to replace the automatic across-the-board-cuts with common-sense spending reductions that preserve America’s national defense capabilities.

I hope the President will engage with Members of Congress to address the fiscal cliff, support economic growth and address our nation’s growing debt problem. The stakes could not be higher. Our economy continues to underperform, growing at the slow rate of just two percent.  I believe it is crucial to protect our small businesses and hard-working Americans from higher taxes.

With over 15 trillion dollars in debt, our nation needs to act now to avert a crisis. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, tackling our debt problem must remain a top priority. Job creation and debt reduction go hand-in-hand. We cannot solve our debt without economic growth.

With everything going on in Washington in the next months and year, it is important to keep up with how these issues impact you and your family. This newsletter is one of the ways that I keep folks updated. I also regularly update my website at www.sensenbrenner.house.gov.

It is important that I hear from you. Each year, I hold dozens of Town Hall meetings across the Fifth Congressional District. Be on the lookout in January for the new schedule. In the meantime, please visit my Facebook page or drop me an email.

I look forward to hearing from you, and seeing many of you at a Town Hall or Office Hour meeting soon.