November 12, 2013

Dear Friend,

San Diego's innovation economy has been at the center of our region's growth over the past decade. Local leaders in science, technology, and research have helped foster the industry that has produced thousands of new, high-quality jobs. We lost one of those leaders, Duane Roth, in August to injuries sustained in a bicycle accident, but his legacy of involvement in the local innovation economy will not soon be forgotten.

To honor Duane and help promote the entrepreneurial spirit that he embodied, I introduced a resolution in Congress, H.Res. 401, that would designate a day each year as "National Entrepreneurs' Day." The City and County of San Diego both adopted resolutions this week honoring Duane. I was honored to join with local leaders last Tuesday to highlight my resolution, bring more attention to local entrepreneurs, and honor Duane's memory. My office worked with Duane's family and former colleagues at CONNECT - both personal and professional - to get this done.

Scott with local leaders and family members of Duane honoring his memory

Stopping Government Paralysis

Recently U-T San Diego covered my proposal to stop the govern-by-crisis mentality that comes every time we move to raise the debt ceiling, which doesn't authorize new spending but allows the government the ability to pay bills we've already racked up. While I have consistently advocated for spending reductions and getting serious about our long-term debt, we cannot put the full faith and credit of the United States on the line in any situation. Read the U-T's coverage here.

Bipartisan Algae Caucus

Last month, I joined my colleague Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) to start the Congressional Algae Caucus that will bring more attention to this nascent, job-creating industry. In San Diego, our universities and businesses are at the forefront of cutting-edge technology to turn algae into cosmetics, food, and fuel. See news about the caucus launch by clicking here or here.

Recent Opinion Pieces

Over the past few weeks I have had several opinion pieces published. I wrote about the need to continue and support Impact Aid funding, where federal funds are used to support local school districts with high percentages of military children, in the Coronado Eagle and Journal. Read it here.

I also joined with a bipartisan group of colleagues to highlight why aircraft carriers are an important part of our national security apparatus and must be adequately maintained so we get the maximum useable years from them. It was published in Roll Call, a D.C. paper, and can be read here.

Staying in Contact

Please continue to let me know your thoughts on issues facing our country. Feel free to email me or call my office at 202-225-0508 or 858-455-5550 if you have suggestions, questions, or issues with a federal agency. For updates on what I'm working on make sure to 'like' me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter at @RepScottPeters, or visit my website.

Sincerely,

 
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