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HIGH-PRIORITY PACKAGE TO EXTEND PAYROLL TAX SET FOR HOUSE VOTE.  On Tuesday, the House is scheduled to consider H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, a measure to extend the Social Security Payroll Tax, renew unemployment benefits and address Medicare reimbursement rates, among other things.  The cost of the legislation is fully offset, meaning it doesn’t add a single penny to the deficit.

THE MIDDLE CLASS TAX RELIEF AND JOB CREATION ACT CONSISTS OF BIPARTISAN IDEAS that will help employers by providing pro-growth tax relief and focusing on private-sector job creation.  Read a detailed summary.    

TWENTY-SEVEN BIPARTISAN JOBS BILLS PASSED BY THE HOUSE ARE ON HOLD IN THE SENATE.  A good number of these bills dial back regulations either already in place or proposed by the Obama Administration.  So far this year, there have been 77,106 pages of regulations in the Federal Register.  The cost of these new regulations: $230.2 billion. 

ONE BILL AWAITING SENATE ACTION IS THE REINS ACT—passed by the House last week.  The REINS Act, H.R. 10, requires Congressional oversight of all proposed regulations deemed “major rules” to ensure businesses aren’t unduly burdened.  Over 4,000 new regulations are in the pipeline, 219 of which have an economic impact of more than $100 million annually.

NATIONAL DEBT INCREASES $4.4 TRILLION SINCE JANUARY 2009—according to the Department of Treasury.  That’s a 42 percent increase over the last 33 months.

CONGRESS IS ONE STEP CLOSER TO SENDING THE ANNUAL DEFENSE BILL TO THE PRESIDENT.  Following House-passage earlier this year, the Senate recently passed its version of the FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act.  Differences between the two bills are being negotiated in a House-Senate Conference Committee and a final bill is due on the House floor sometime this week.  Given my role on the House Armed Services Committee, I was selected to serve as one of several House negotiators.

THE DEFENSE BUDGET SITUATION IS SURE TO GET MORE ATTENTION OVER THE COMING YEAR now that nearly $1 trillion in national security cuts are set to begin.  Congress will continue weighing the challenges of additional budget cuts beyond $450 billion in reductions already required by law.  In anticipation of this debate, my recommendation to President Obama is that he exercise authority granted in the Budget Control Act and exempt military pay for active duty service personnel from sequestration.

FUNDING FOR NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ON THE SOUTHWEST BORDER is one cost that’s expected to be trimmed.  On Friday, I spoke to the Adjutant General for the State of California, who informed me of current plans, including a drawdown from 264 to 14 National Guardsmen on the California border.  Reducing costs across the entire federal government is necessary, but, pertaining to the defense budget, this is another example of arbitrary and disproportionate cuts interfering with our national interests.  Read more from two different sources—the Washington Times: President to slash National Guard force on U.S.-Mexico border and the San Diego Union Tribune: National Guard to Remain on Border.      

AGENT DIAZ UPDATE: My last email included news of a $7,000 fine imposed on Agent Diaz, along with my request to the Attorney General that immediate payment be waived or delayed pending the outcome of an appeal.  It was decided by the Department of Justice that Agent Diaz’s commissary account will be docked for payment.  I’m still awaiting a response to my letter, but more on this story is available here: Justice presses jailed agent for $7000 in fines.