My First Term in Congress

Restoring Fiscal Sanity and Creating Jobs…Out-of-control spending at the federal level has led to record high deficits.  In the 112th Congress, we took action to reduce spending and restore fiscal sanity.  In total, I worked to cut $1.819 trillion in unnecessary, frivolous spending.  Many Americans are struggling to pay their bills and they should not be asked to send more money to Washington, D.C. just to pay for bigger government and increases in spending.  As families scaled back their budgets, I did the same in my office saving taxpayers over $300,000.

I, along with my Republican colleagues in the House, made a commitment to the American people that we would focus on creating jobs.  During the 112th Congress, I voted in favor of over 30 bills that address job creation. This includes fighting unnecessary and burdensome regulation, empowering small businesses, and fostering the entrepreneurial spirit that makes this country so great. These bills passed the House, but were never considered in the Senate.

Serving the 8th District…I have made it a top priority for my office to be a resource for the constituents of the 8th District.  In the 112th Congress, we assisted over 1,000 constituents with casework and responded to almost 90,000 letters, phone calls, or emails regarding issues related to the federal government.  I regularly held office hours in Terre Haute and Evansville to meet with constituents and my staff held traveling office hours throughout the district.  I also held three jobs fairs to connect local businesses that were hiring with individuals looking for meaningful employment.  As your 8th District Representative in Congress, I have the privilege of nominating the best and brightest young men and women from the 8th District to our nation’s service academies. I held two Academy Days to provide interested students information about how to apply to the U.S. Service Academies, and about the Congressional Nomination process. I was honored to have three students accepted into the U.S. Service Academies as a result of my nomination.

Fighting for Hoosiers…Too often members of Congress lose sight of their job in Washington, DC.  I ran for office to represent the 8th District of Indiana and work on behalf of Hoosiers and that remains my priority.

Interstate 69
I have been a proud supporter of I-69. It is a vital lifeline for Southern Indiana to connect to Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center and then onto Indianapolis. Thanks to our work on the Highway Bill, Indiana will now receive a 97% return on highway funding, up from 92% in previous years.  This funding is used to develop infrastructure projects like the newly completely I-69, which are critical for economic development.

I was honored to join Governor Daniels at the ribbon cutting for I-69 in November of 2012. I look forward to continuing to use my role on the Transportation and Infrastructure committee to work toward the completion of I-69 to Indianapolis.

Veterans
I was proud to see my first bill passed into law during my first term in Congress.  I was even more proud that it focused on creating employment opportunities for members of the military.  The Military Commercial Drivers License Act (CDL) will allow active duty military personnel to obtain a Commercial Drivers License in the state where they serve, or where they received their military training, even if it is not their state of permanent residence.  This bill passed by unanimous consent through the House and the Senate. It was signed into law on October 19, 2012.

Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center and WestGate @ Crane Tech Park.
The 8th District of Indiana is home to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, one of Indiana’s largest employers.  NSWC Crane directly supports over 2700 government employees and more than 1000 contractors. This unique research base, located mostly in Martin County, is critical for developing cutting edge technology for the war fighter, as well as serving as a key component for economic development in Southern Indiana.  Toward the end of 112th Congress, I voted in favor the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013, which specifies the budget and expenditures of the Department of Defense. This funding is critical to bases like NSWC Crane as well as the local economy it supports.

During my first term in Congress, I personally visited Crane over 10 times and brought Governor Mike Pence and Congressman Mike Conaway (R-TX) to the base in an ongoing effort to highlight the important work that’s been done.

The Medical Device Industry
I joined all my colleagues from Indiana in a bi-partisan manner to oppose the medical device tax, a 2.3% excise tax on medical device equipment, imposed in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  This is an onerous tax that threatens over 300 Indiana companies like Cook Medical and Boston Scientific supporting around 40,000 well-paying Hoosier jobs.  We cannot expect businesses to grow and create jobs if we continue to place an unnecessary burden on their operations. I look forward to continuing to fight to repeal this tax in the 113th Congress.

Regulation and the Coal Industry
As the son of an underground coal miner, mine safety and satisfactory working conditions are my first concern.  That being said, I worked closely with Representative John Shimkus (R-IL) to push back against this Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency’s onerous coal regulations, such as unfair dust regulations.  During the 112th Congress, I offered an amendment to the Stop the War on Coal Act requiring regulation to be based on science, not ideology.  This amendment passed the House and I will continue to fight for regulations that are based solely on sound science. The 8th District is home to every coal mine in Indiana making this natural resource vital to our economy. As a member of the Congressional Coal Caucus, I remain committed to preventing the unnecessary over-reach of this Administration.

Agriculture and Farming
I keep in constant contact with my agriculture advisory committee, which consists of 18 constituents from various sectors of the agriculture community, including agronomists, veterinarians and farmers. Additionally, my voting record earned me the American Farm Bureau’s “Friend of the Farm Bureau” award.

Unfortunately, the House was unable to pass a long term extension of the farm bill.  However, we passed a short term extension as well as drought relief assistance to help farmers through the intense drought season.  I hope to provide input and ensure a long term extension is passed that provides certainty to Hoosier farmers.

Common Sense Healthcare Reforms…As a physician, I am very concerned about the direction of our nation’s healthcare system.  Since taking office in January 2011, I have voted four times to repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. This is a critical step in replacing the Affordable Care Act with common-sense reforms that help individuals receive access to quality care at reasonable prices, without adding hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending. As it stands, the Affordable Care Act fails to address the most fundamental problem – reducing the cost of care.  This law contains unfunded mandates, increased taxes on middle class families and small businesses, unnecessary regulation and cut over $716 billion from the Medicare system.  The solution is not more government. Instead, we need common sense reforms that address costs and keep the patient and doctor in charge of healthcare decisions.

I also introduced the Drug Shortage Prevention Act with Rep. John Carney (D-DE) to address the issue of drug shortages.  A number of key provisions from the Drug Shortage Prevention Act are included in the Food & Drug Administration Reauthorization legislation, including a faster FDA approval process for critical drugs, a proactive national drug shortage list, and cooperation between the Attorney General and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary to increase drug production quotas. 

Improving our Nation’s Transportation Infrastructure… As a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I proudly served on the Conference Committee for the most recent Highway Bill re-authorization, Moving Ahead for Progress for the 21st Century (MAP21).  This legislation will provide over $922 million of dollars in federal funding to Indiana for transportation projects for the 2013 fiscal year.  In addition to this, Indiana will receive an estimated $930 million in federal funding in 2014, an increase in the rate of return to 97%, up from 92%.

Working to Improve Education and Develop Indiana’s Workforce…Throughout the 112th Congress, my colleagues and I in the House Committee on Education and the Workforce explored the challenges facing our nation’s education system. In the committee, I focused on commonsense solutions that will help prepare children and young adults for success.  The committee approved legislation to reform the Elementary and Secondary Education Act by allowing states and school districts to develop better learning systems for all students, supporting effective teachers, and eliminating wasteful federal programs.  Additionally, the committee held hearings to discuss the appropriate federal role in higher education in preparation for the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The committee will continue its efforts to reauthorize both laws in the 113th Congress.

With unemployment consistently hovering around 8%, improving the nation’s job training system remains a top priority. Further, improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education continues to be an important objective. As a physician with a background in science, I understand the importance of developing STEM education. Focusing committee efforts on STEM-specific needs of students, schools, and educators is essential to the practical success of education reforms in America.

The 113th Congress… In the 113th Congress, I will work tirelessly to address our nation’s unsolved challenges.  I am committed to restoring fiscal sanity in Washington, DC, repealing the medical device tax, protecting and securing Medicare, reforming education, and ensuring that Hoosiers have every opportunity to find meaningful employment.

I am optimistic we can address these issues and ensure prosperity for the next generation.

I look forward to serving you for another term in Congress.

Sincerely, 

Larry Bucshon, M.D.