-- Randy’s Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

November 1, 2010

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.

Since 9/11, America has worked diligently to put in place a robust intelligence and counter-terrorism operation to protect our freedoms and keep our enemies at bay. Still, it is widely recognized that the enemy only needs to be right just once, while we need to be right 100 percent of the time. The War on Terror is not just America’s war, but one that is being fought globally. After the events of last week, it is even clearer to me that we must continue to pursue an aggressive fight against terrorist threats both at home and abroad. This includes continuing our missions in Iraq and Afghanistan to root them out and restore stability as well as bolstering our intelligence operations.

The freedoms we have as Americans are what make this nation great. As we face these threats, we must never stop our efforts to confront radical terrorism and defeat its enemies. No matter who controls Congress or the White House, this is a task we must pursue to protect this nation and honor those who have sacrificed everything to protect our very way of life.

Upcoming Deadlines

Important deadlines for the U.S. House of Representatives Page Program and Military Service Academy Nominations are approaching in the next several weeks.

The Page Program is an ideal opportunity for students who want to get involved and participate directly in the legislative process. Any high school junior wishing to come to Washington during the spring semester to serve as a Congressional Page must submit their completed application to my office by November 4, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. CT.  All applications must be either received by mail to my Lubbock office or submitted in person to any of my district offices. I encourage you to visit my website for more information on the qualifications for this program and to download the application form.

The deadline for those wishing to be nominated to one of our nation’s military service academies for the summer of 2011 is November 15, 2010.  All applications must be submitted in-person to one of my district offices  or postmarked by November 15th.  To learn more about the service academies or download a copy of the application, please visit my website.

If you know of anyone who might be interested in these programs, please pass this information along. If you should have any additional questions about either of these opportunities, I encourage you to contact my office toll-free at 1-800-763-1611.

District Work Period Wrap Up

As the October Work Period comes to a close, I wanted to share with you some of the messages I have heard from your fellow constituents. To be certain, it is a difficult time for people in the 19th District and across the nation who are out of work, out of money and out of patience with Washington. During my visits, I heard from many individuals who were concerned about the unprecedented levels of government spending and debt. The rapidly growing federal bureaucracy and harmful new EPA regulations were also common conversation topics. Many of you are hoping that Congress will pass much-needed tax relief for working families and small businesses before the end of the year. Hearing directly from you helps me to better represent you in Congress, and I’m looking forward to getting back to work on your behalf in November to address many of these issues.  

It was great to be back in West Texas and the Big Country these past few weeks. I enjoyed my time traveling across the 19th District and meeting with many people along the way. As I wrap up my travels this week, check out my photos on Facebook to see where I’ve been traveling and who I have visited with during the October Work Period.
 
“Question of the Week”

Currently, cargo screening remains an elusive and unreliable tool due to exorbitant costs and lengthy waiting times which can bring our economy to a grinding halt.  In light of last week’s attempted mail bombings on cargo planes, would you be willing to pay more in shipping costs and wait longer for delivery to ensure that every package loaded on a cargo plane or boat is thoroughly screened by security?

Please visit my website to submit your answer to this week’s question.