The House will continue its work to pass legislation to improve the lives of Americans, strengthen the economy, and create long-term bipartisan solutions to the issues facing our country. I will continue working on H.R. 1575, the Kelsey Smith Act and H.R. 1852, the Email Privacy Act, important bills I introduced earlier this year. 

 

In September, Congress must also act on legislation to reauthorize the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank, which expires September 30, and pass appropriations bills to fund federal agencies. Congress is expected to pass a bill known as a continuing resolution (CR), which will fund the government until the House and Senate can agree on appropriations bills. The House as passed a majority of the funding bills for the upcoming fiscal, however the Senate has yet to act on any of the passed legislation.  

 

A recent Gallup poll revealed Americans have very little confidence in the current economy. The House has sent more than 40 jobs bills to the Senate. It’s clear the bills will remain stuck in the Senate, but the House isn’t giving up the fight to help build a stronger economy with more jobs for Americans. The House is introducing a single jobs package that will bring together already passed bipartisan jobs bills into one comprehensive piece of legislation. Below are a few of the bills that will be included in the package, all of which I support. You can read more about each bill by clicking on the bill title.

The United States can no longer sit back and passively monitor the violence taking place in the Middle East. I am gravely concerned about the increasing instability in Iraq and Syria as the terrorist group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) grows stronger by the day, posing a huge threat to our nation’s safety.

 

Throughout Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn, various groups of insurgents struggled for power and control in Iraq. Recently the activity of these groups has flared, and in the early weeks of June 2014 there were several deadly attacks committed by al-Qaida splinter cells which have come to be known as ISIS. Instability throughout the region, including the conflict in Syria has led to deterioration in an already war-torn area. Terrorists and jihadists of ISIS are thought to be radicals with goals of conquering land, governments, and cities in the Middle East. They consider America as their primary enemy, and have flaunted their merciless killing of American citizens including the recent beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

 

In early August 2014 President Obama authorized American Generals to carry out air strikes in Iraq against ISIS in an attempt to support our American diplomats and troops stationed in Erbil or Baghdad as well as to provide tactical cover to our allies of the Yazidi sect and the fighters counter to ISIS known as the Kurdish peshmerga.

 

The world turns to the United States for leadership, but leading from behind is not leading. A new foreign policy strategy is needed for not only Iraq, but the entire Middle East. The men and women of our armed service spent the past decade serving our country and fighting for our freedoms.  But the Administration’s failing foreign policy is making the world a more dangerous place and undoing the progress we made.

 

The actions of ISIS cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. A political solution and sovereign enforcement from Iraqi governments as developed in that solution is the best pathway to stability.

 

This week the President is to lay out a strategy to combat this global threat. I and other members of both parties look forward to a serious and important debate on this critical issue.