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Randy's Roundups 2010

  • Looking Forward to a New Year and a New Congress

    At the end of each year, we reflect back on what brought us to this point. While 2010 was a difficult year for many, I have great hope for 2011.
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  • Individual Mandate Unconstitutional: Government Doesn't Know Best

    From the start, the people of the 19th Congressional District and around the nation did not want a government takeover of health care. Almost nine months later, a federal judge in Virginia confirmed that portions of the law are also unconstitutional. The ruling found that the individual mandate – the piece of the new health care law that requires individuals to purchase health insurance – is unconstitutional and oversteps the authority of Congress. This is just further proof that Washington cannot dictate your personal health care decisions.
    < Read more >
  • Political Posturing Could Prove Costly for American Taxpayers

    It's just a waiting game here in Washington. Which will come first: A bill to permanently extend tax relief to every taxpayer, or January 1st, when taxes are set to increase by $3.9 trillion? Over the past several weeks, political posturing has pushed a permanent extension of the expiring tax cuts further and further into the Lame Duck session. Last week, House Democrats made a symbolic attempt to pass a bill that would only extend the tax cuts for some Americans. A similar measure failed in the Senate over the weekend. This piecemeal policy keeps a cloud of uncertainty over the marketplace. American businesses are discouraged from hiring and expanding while the unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent for November. We are learning here in the House that a new proposal on the tax cuts could be up for a vote as early as this week, but it will most likely include other trade-offs in the form of extending long-term unemployment benefits.
    < Read more >
  • Lame Duck: Continuing Resolution on Deck

    What is a Continuing Resolution (CR)? A CR is legislation enacted by Congress to provide budget authority for Federal agencies and programs to continue operating until the regular appropriations acts are enacted.
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  • A Taxing Situation

    If you're keeping count, there are only 39 days until the New Year and the LARGEST tax hike in American history. After the first week of the Lame Duck session, Speaker Pelosi's Congress is no closer to preventing these job-killing tax hikes for every taxpayer. Letting the estate tax return to 55 percent, cutting the child tax credit in half and letting several other tax provisions expire at the end of the year is a tax increase our economy cannot handle. What I know and what the American people know is that raising taxes during the worst economy in decades will kill even more jobs and lead to greater uncertainty for small businesses looking to expand. As December 31st approaches along with this massive $3.9 trillion tax hike, I will continue to fight to make the tax cuts permanent for everyone by promoting my bill, the Taxpayer Certainty Act. If this November has made anything clear to the Democrats in Congress, it's that the American people want a trimmed down government that taxes less and significantly reduces spending in Washington.
    < Read more >
  • The New House of Representatives

    For those of you keeping up with the recent elections, the makeup of the 112th Congress will look very different than the current 111th Congress. With just a handful of races still undecided, it looks like the House will have at least 94 new faces in January. When looking over these numbers, I found some of them particularly interesting, especially the breakdown of new Members and the fluctuation in the number of Blue Dog Democrats.
    < Read more >
  • Countdown to Lame Duck

    As lawmakers head back to Washington next week for the Lame Duck session of Congress, the voices of the American people will still be ringing loud in our ears. They told us they are tired of politics as usual and the policies of more spending, more borrowing and more taxes. They said they want Congress to listen to them, not pass a trillion dollar government takeover of health care or job-killing cap and tax legislation. They want to focus on job creation and increase certainty so they can grow their businesses and invest in the economy.
    < Read more >
  • Terrorism Continues To Be A Real Threat

    As we witnessed last week, terrorism is still a threat to the United States. The foiled plot by al Qaeda operatives in Yemen to detonate explosive devices in our nation's skies or places of worship was thankfully thwarted by U.S. and Saudi intelligence officers. These threats, along with others this year, show us that the Yemeni based al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is an even more aggressive enemy to the United States than it has been in years and one that should be taken very seriously.
    < Read more >
  • Welcoming Home the 317th Airlift Group

    This weekend, I had the honor of helping to welcome home approximately 170 Airmen from the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene. These Airmen returned from a four month rotation in southwest Asia where they performed operations in support of overseas contingency operations including Operation New Dawn and Operation Enduring Freedom. It was a blessing to be at Dyess to greet them along with their family and loved ones.
    < Read more >
  • Administration Lifts Job Killing Oil Moratorium, But Keeps a Firm Grasp on Issuing Permits

    Last week, the Obama Administration made the decision to lift the nearly 6-month ban on deepwater oil and gas exploration. While this announcement was good news for the oil and gas industry in the Gulf, it's hard to forget the thousands of Americans who have had their lives disrupted as a result of this moratorium. My hope is by lifting this ban we will get the oil and gas industry moving again. However, I remain concerned over the timeline and evolving regulatory framework that the Administration plans to follow when granting permits for many of these rigs. Even though the moratorium has been lifted, it will be several weeks before any rigs can actually start producing. New, more strenuous regulations have created several additional steps to tackle for those companies requesting a permit for drilling.
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  • The American People Still Want to Know: Where Are the Jobs?

    This past Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the economy lost 95,000 jobs in September as the nation's unemployment rate remained at 9.6 percent. The unemployment rate has been stuck above 9.5 percent for 14 consecutive months, the longest stretch since the 1930s. Almost 15 million Americans are unemployed today. Another disturbing number is the 17.1 percent underemployment rate. The underemployed rate includes those unable to find full-time work and those discouraged from looking for work.
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  • A Lack of Clarity

    Are you concerned about the impact of the January 1st tax hikes on your family or business? Or do you think the federal government needs to cut back on spending and borrowing in the coming year? Like many of you in West Texas and the Big Country, looming tax increases and the massive amount of borrowing and spending by the federal government are two issues weighing on my mind. Last week, Congress left town until November without doing anything to address either of these looming problems. It turns out that Speaker Pelosi and her Democrat Majority would rather head home to campaign for over a month than vote to provide this needed certainty for the American people. Congress isn't even scheduled to return to Washington until November 15th.
    < Read more >
  • Pledge to America

    Last week, House Republicans released the "Pledge to America." The Pledge was developed from the ground up, not from the top down. After hundreds of town hall events and listening sessions across the nation, this Pledge was created from what we heard you say. The best ideas about the future of our country don't come from Washington DC – they come directly from the American people. I saw this first-hand from your comments and concerns from my town hall meetings.
    < Read more >
  • The Effects of the Obama Tax Plan

    Sometimes it's difficult to fully determine how what's happening in Washington will affect you in Texas. When issues get talked about in terms of billions and trillions of dollars, many people wonder exactly what that means for them.
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  • Congress is Back in Session

    After spending several weeks at home meeting with those we represent, Members of Congress will be back in Washington this week for a few more weeks of the legislative session before the November elections. Like many of you in the 19th Congressional District, I am very curious to see what issues the Democrat Leadership will decide to bring before Congress. Other than "deeming" budgets and passing government takeovers of the financial and health care systems, Congress has accomplished very little this year. Despite looking at a deficit of more than $1 trillion, we don't have a real federal budget and the House has only passed two of the 12 annual spending bills required to fund the government for the next fiscal year, which begins October 1.
    < Read more >
  • Another Disappointing Jobs Report

    For the 16th consecutive month, the national unemployment rate remained well above 9 percent, increasing to 9.6 percent for August. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 54,000 jobs were lost in August, marking the third straight month of job losses. While this is a lower number than predicted, losing 54,000 jobs is not exactly something to celebrate.
    < Read more >
  • 1 out of 6 Americans on Government Assistance

    Over the past several weeks, we have heard the Democrats' talking points reiterating that the economy is moving in the right direction and that results can be seen across the nation. I'm not sure what results they are looking at, but as this "Recovery Summer" draws to a close I can tell you it has been anything but a summer of economic recovery.
    < Read more >
  • America Loses Jobs Even as Government Continues to Spend More

    Last week, state employment numbers for July were released. The latest information from the Department of Labor shows that 48 out of 50 states have lost jobs since the Democrats signed their $787 billion stimulus bill into law early in 2009. The State of Texas alone has lost 54,900 jobs. After looking at these numbers, I noticed an interesting trend. While the rest of the nation has lost 2.6 million jobs to date, the District of Columbia has gained 26,100 jobs. Creating more jobs in the federal government and further expanding the bureaucracy is not going to help the people of West Texas and the rest of America get back on their feet.
    < Read more >
  • Drawdown in Iraq

    On August 31, the U.S. mission in Iraq will officially transition from a combat role to an advisory and assistance role for the Iraqi government and its security forces. In parts of Iraq, our troops have already begun performing many of these roles.
    < Read more >
  • Justice Kagan's Supreme Court Confirmation

    Last week, the Senate voted 63-37 to confirm Elena Kagan as the 112th justice and fourth woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. While I do not doubt Kagan's knowledge of the law, I am greatly concerned with her lack of experience on the bench and previous statements that suggest her ideological views may influence her objectivity.
    < Read more >
  • An Amendment to Cut Spending

    Last week, the House voted on annual legislation to fund the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Transportation. This was only the second of the 12 annual spending bills Congress needs to fund the government, but it was one of our first direct opportunities this year to try to reduce spending.
    < Read more >
  • "Lame Duck" Congress

    The clock is ticking on the legislative schedule for Congress. This is the last week before House Members head home for the month of August and part of September, but there is still plenty that hasn't been accomplished. We don't have a budget and have yet to bring up the 12 annual spending bills required to fund the government for the next fiscal year, which begins October 1. Last year at this time we had already completed seven of these bills. To put it plainly, Congress is failing to get even its most basic responsibilities done this year.
    < Read more >
  • Budget Deficit Tops $1 Trillion

    The U.S. reached another big milestone last week, but this one is not something to celebrate. The Department of Treasury announced that the federal deficit for 2010 hit $1 trillion dollars during the month of June.
    < Read more >
  • Debt Commission Update

    Over the weekend, President Obama's own special "Debt Commission" called the current budget situation in Washington a cancer "that will destroy the country from within." Erskine Bowles, President Clinton's former White House Chief of Staff who heads the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, even went so far as to say that "we can't tax our way out" of this mess. Instead, "we've got to cut spending…"
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  • Celebrating Independence Day

    This weekend families and friends across the 19th District gathered together to celebrate the birth of our great nation. Independence Day is a special day of celebration for all Americans. For 234 years, the United States has stood as a beacon of freedom and democracy for the entire world to see.
    < Read more >
  • Designating National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

    As some of you may already know, last summer I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. This was a tough time for my family and me, but thanks to the outpouring of support and prayers from many of you, September 30th will mark my one-year anniversary of being cancer free. Because of routine screening, I was able to catch my cancer early. However, many men never take the time to get screened.
    < Read more >
  • Economic Impacts of Oil Moratorium

    Every day the deepwater oil rigs are closed for business, the economic impact on the Gulf states grows worse. Communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas are full of anxious workers ready to get back out on the oil rigs. But if President Obama has his way, that won't happen for six months. Because of this job killing moratorium, I was pleased to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 5525, which would terminate the moratorium on deepwater drilling.
    < Read more >
  • The Empowerment Project

    Over 200 years ago, our Founding Fathers gathered to create a government of the people, by the people and for the people. America was founded on the principle of empowerment, and today I still believe that government should empower individuals and small businesses to be successful in the economy rather than enact policies that make them more dependent on the federal government.
    < Read more >
  • Debt Gone Wild

    Last week the national debt officially surpassed $13 trillion. $13,000,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros and more debt than any one nation should ever face. According to the International Monetary Fund, the outlook isn't good for the U.S. debt situation. If we continue at this rate, by 2012 our debt will surpass our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This means the size of our debt will be greater than annual output of our economy.
    < Read more >
  • Memorial Day Reflections

    Over the weekend, families across the 19th Congressional District gathered to celebrate the beginning of summer. And while we enjoyed the weekend celebration with friends and loved ones, we must also recall the real reason we mark the fourth Monday in May.
    < Read more >
  • Tax Limitation Amendment

    Over the past several months the message hasn't changed. The federal government spends too much, borrows too much and taxes too much. After continuously reaching record levels of debt and hearing the outrage of the American people, Democrats in Washington have yet to take any decisive action to reverse this.
    < Read more >
  • The Law of Unintended Health Care Consequences

    When the government takeover of health care was signed into law earlier this year, we all knew it would only be a matter of time before we saw the adverse effects of such misguided, flawed legislation. But until now they have yet to really hit home.
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  • YouCut/President Obama's Supreme Court Nomination

    This morning, President Obama formally announced his nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to replace Justice John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court. With this announcement, the Obama Administration and Solicitor General Kagan will begin the lengthy and often heated process that accompanies a Supreme Court nomination.
    < Read more >
  • Saving Money Where We Can

    I am always looking for opportunities to curb government spending, even if they are small. Last week in the Financial Services and Science and Technology Committees, I had the opportunity to introduce a few amendments to bills that were up for a vote. In Financial Services, my amendment would have prohibited the creation of two new federal government insurance programs that could potentially cost up to $200 billion. In Science and Technology Committee, I offered an amendment that would delay the implementation of new federal programs in the America COMPETES Act until the government is no longer running a deficit. As you know, the deficit is currently projected to continue hitting, $1 trillion or more each year for the foreseeable future. At a time when we are borrowing 41 cents for every dollar the federal government spends, we simply cannot afford many of these new programs. Until the Congressional Budget Office certifies to Congress in writing that we no longer have a budget deficit, it would be irresponsible of us to move forward by adding to our nation's state of fiscal disrepair.
    < Read more >
  • H.R. 5111: The Protect Life Act

    Last week, a bipartisan group in the House introduced the Protect Life Act, and I was pleased to be part of this initiative. This bill would amend the recent health care law to completely prevent federal funding for abortion coverage through government exchanges, community health centers, or any other program funded or created by the government takeover of health care forced through Congress. Additionally, the bill would protect the right of conscience for health care professionals and ensure that private insurance companies are not forced to cover abortion.
    < Read more >
  • To budget or not to budget?

    There really is no question. American families have to set a budget to live by and stick to every year. What makes the federal government any different? Just because the numbers don't look good for Democrats, Congress cannot just decide not to create a federal budget this year. The bottom line is that Democrats in Washington are afraid of the backlash from the American people. And frankly, they should be. According to a survey by the Associated Press, nearly 8 in 10 people in the country say they don't trust the federal government and have little faith it can solve America's ills.
    < Read more >
  • SPECIAL EDITION: TAX DAY 2010

    Today is a ‘special day' for the American people. It's the day Americans are reminded just how much of their money goes to Washington – the money they've labored to earn all year – so that the Democrat Majority can continue on its spending spree.
    < Read more >
  • District Wrap Up/Brazil Cotton Update

    It was great to be back in West Texas and the Big Country for the Easter district work period. During my travels, I was able to meet with a wide variety of groups to discuss health care, agriculture, education and many other important issues affecting the 19th Congressional District. I look forward to taking this information back to Washington.
    < Read more >
  • District Events in the Week Ahead/Tax Freedom Day

    This promises to be a busy week in the 19th Congressional District, full of opportunities to visit with a variety of local groups, as well as meet with local government officials and host two Service Academy Forums for students.
    < Read more >
  • Health Care Going Forward

    On Tuesday, March 30, President Obama will sign the last piece of the new health care legislation into law.
    < Read more >
  • My Comments on the House Floor

    I'm sure many of you have seen news reports about comment I made on the House floor Sunday night, and I've also received many messages from constituents in the 19th District about my comment.
    < Read more >
  • Health Care Update/Mobile Office Hours

    The final countdown on health care has begun, or so the Democratic leadership says. The White House and Speaker Pelosi have promised a final vote on a health care bill in the House this week. It is still unclear exactly how and when this vote will take place, or even what is going to be in the bill. The bottom line is that Americans want improvements in our health care system, but they don't want a trillion dollar government takeover of health care.
    < Read more >
  • The Taxpayer Certainty Act

    As you may already know, your income taxes will increase after 2010 unless Congress takes action this year to extend the tax relief enacted in 2001 and 2003 or make it permanent. The tax provisions which are scheduled to expire include: lower rates for individual tax brackets, marriage tax relief, the death tax, child tax credit and others. President Obama proposes that we extend some of these tax provisions; however, he also proposes allowing many of these tax policies to expire, which would increase taxes by billions of dollars for families and small businesses at a time when our economy can least afford it.
    < Read more >
  • Small Businesses Need Certainty to Create Jobs

    Last week, I participated in a Financial Services Committee hearing on status of lending to small businesses. While the Committee heard from witnesses in Washington, I also submitted several statements for the hearing that I received from small businesses and lenders from West Texas and the Big County who are wary of higher taxes, burdensome regulations, and restrictive mandates.
    < Read more >
  • Health Care Update/Empowering Small Businesses

    This morning, President Obama released his latest proposal for health care legislation. Once again, we see a health care plan that was created without bi-partisan input behind closed doors in the White House.
    < Read more >
  • President's Day Reflections

    Over the last year, we have seen an outrageous increase in the size, scope and intrusiveness of the federal government. Perhaps today, more than others, it is fitting that we pause and assess where we have been and where we are headed. Today, we also celebrate the founding principles that make us unique among nations and the presidents who upheld those principles.
    < Read more >
  • Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport

    I understand many of you have been impacted by both the disruptions with the Instrument Landing System and the weather at Lubbock Preston Smith Airport. I want you to know that I have been monitoring the situation very closely and personally had several calls this weekend with Teri Bristol, Vice President for Technical Operations at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
    < Read more >
  • GOP Issues Conference/Budget

    I was glad that President Obama was willing to reach across the aisle and attend our House Republican issues conference last Friday. In a time where the difficulties we face as a nation continue to grow, this conference was a great opportunity to come together, share ideas, and develop solutions to get America back on track.
    < Read more >
  • Rhetoric Vs. Reality

    This week, President Obama will give his first State of the Union address. Now more than ever, we must pause and take an assessment on where we are as a nation.
    < Read more >
  • Service is the Right Way to Honor Dr. King

    Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most urgent and persistent question is: what are you doing for others?" Today, people across the 19th Congressional District joined hundreds of thousands of Americans to serve their communities on the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, making the holiday a day ON, not a day OFF by serving in honor of the slain civil rights leader's legacy.
    < Read more >
  • Congress Reconvenes/District Wrap-Up

    Last year, our country started out with the inauguration of a new President and great promises of change and transparency in government. Unfortunately for the American people, 2009 brought nothing but broken promises and the same old Washington politics. We saw millions of jobs lost, frozen financial markets, and record-breaking federal spending while the national debt surpassed $12 trillion.
    < Read more >
  • Health Care Update/Congress Reconvenes

    This year Americans got a Christmas present they would be happy to return. As you have probably heard by now, on the morning of Christmas Eve, the Senate passed its $871 billion version of a government takeover of health care by a 60-39 party line vote. Rather than well thought-out policy, the Senate's health care bill is the result of backroom deals that include countless handouts and special treatment for certain states in exchange for votes. In an effort to meet an artificial holiday deadline, Senate leaders turned the bill into a Christmas tree decorated with treats for all Democrat holdouts.
    < Read more >