Northern California News and Events

Recently, I had the pleasure of presenting the Jubilee of Liberty Medals to local veterans who served with Allied Forces in Normandy, France during Operation Overlord in World War II.

The medals were awarded to U.S. veterans by the French government to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by the Allied forces on June 6, 1994. These medals are no longer distributed by the French government, but a private company in Kansas commercially-minted the Jubilee of Liberty medals and made them available to veterans. Eligible veterans include all who served in Normandy from June 6, to August 31, 1944, comprising land forces, offshore supporting personnel and airmen flying cover overhead.

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Last month, I testified on the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group at a hearing held by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest and Public Lands. I originally drafted this pilot forest management project with Senator Feinstein in 1998, and this hearing was an important first step in extending and expanding it. Helping rural forest communities in Northern California to access their own resources and prevent catastrophic wildfires is one of my long standing priorities. These communities have been devastated by years of mismanagement of our national forests, and QLG is a collaborative and locally-driven solution to bring health and stability to our communities and the forests they live in. You can watch a video of my testimony here or read a full transcript of my testimony here.

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Right Now

Creating a budget before spending money is a concept that American families understand, but it is routinely forgotten in Washington. The need for a responsible budget has never been greater. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently reminded us that deficits are still too high. Their latest report forecast a $1.1 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2012 - the fourth consecutive deficit over a trillion dollars. CBO also projected that the national unemployment rate will remain above 8 percent throughout 2012 and into next year.    

During February, the House continued our efforts to reduce wasteful spending in Washington and to promote a more effective budgeting process. You can read more about these bills here. 

Unfortunately, the President’s fiscal year 2013 budget proposal would continue the old Washington habit of higher taxes and more spending. It calls for massive annual deficits as far as the eye can see, and would never balance the budget. I believe the President’s budget is unacceptable, and I intend to work with House Republicans on an alternative budget proposal that seriously addresses our debt crisis by reining in spending.

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As you may know, President Obama has approved a new rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that would require faith-based employers, including religiously affiliated hospitals and universities, to pay for procedures that go against their religious convictions. While the President later made minor changes to it, the policy continues to violate the freedom of religion. I recently cosponsored H.R. 1179, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act, which would reverse this policy by allowing health plans to decline covering items that are contrary to their religious beliefs. This administration’s clear infringement of religious freedom cannot be allowed to stand.

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Recent Past

I wanted to follow up on my previous e-update regarding the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit against SB 1070, Arizona’s immigration law. Recently, I joined my colleague, Representative Diane Black, in cosponsoring H.R. 3842, which would prohibit the DOJ from using federal funds to sue states over recently passed immigration laws. I believe this legislation sends a clear message to the Administration that it should cease its attacks on states that are simply trying to protect their citizens and enforce federal immigration laws that are already on the books.

The Supreme Court  is scheduled to hear the case on April 25 and will issue its decision on the Arizona law later in the year.  The ruling will be especially significant because it likely will also settle the fate of  laws modeled after SB 1070 that Alabama, South Carolina, and a number of other states have passed. It is my hope that the Supreme Court upholds SB 1070 and recognizes the crucial role states play in assisting with immigration enforcement—a task that Congress has explicitly authorized them to do. 

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