Earlier this year the House of Representatives approved legislation to overhaul Washington’s regulatory process. The ALERT Act (H.R. 1759) requires federal agencies to provide detailed information about the cost and impact a proposed regulation would have on American taxpayers and businesses– before the new regulation goes into effect. The bill was designed to increase federal accountability and minimize the risk that new regulations potentially pose to our entrepreneurs and small businesses’ ability to create, compete, and succeed. The ALERT A...
At a recent joint hearing between the Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, chaired by Congressman Forbes, and the Readiness Subcommittee, chaired by Congressman Wittman, Navy sailors testified about the challenges that commanders of Navy ships and aircraft face equipping, resourcing, and training our fleet. Over the past eight years, the United States military has faced a series of significant cuts, resulting in less training, aging equipment, and fewer resources. In the Navy, an average deployment has gone up from 5.5 mo...
Regulatory cost burdens have a heavy impact on the private sector, according to a recent study by American Action Forum, an independent policy institute. The study shows that even a small increase in regulatory compliance costs can have a significant impact on small businesses. This Congress, legislation was passed in the House of Representatives aimed at curtailing this trend of runaway regulation. The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, (H.R. 427), requires Congress to take an up or down vote on all major rules or ...
Over 10 million immigrant and non-immigrant visas were issued by the U.S in Fiscal Year 2015, according to the State Department. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General testified before Congress that,"the present system presents risks to our national security – in that we may be admitting individuals who wish to do us harm, or who do not meet the requirements for a visa.” The most recent example of the vulnerabilities of the United States’ current visa application screening process was when Syed Farook filed a peti...
This week, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald drew heavy criticism when he downplayed veterans' wait times, stating to reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast in Washington: "When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what's important? What's important is what's your satisfaction with the experience?" These comments drew sharp rebukes from a number of veterans organizations, lawmakers, presidential candidates, and citizens across the country. In response, calls have been made for Secretary...
In the ten year span between 2002 and 2012, funding for the United Nations nearly tripled, from roughly $15 billion to $41.5 billion, according to the Heritage Foundation. The United States, the largest contributor to the United Nations, provided approximately one-fifth of the contributions during that time, according to those same estimates. Within the U.N., there are many distinct agencies, each with their own funding streams and their own missions. Although the U.N. is subject to audits in some cases, funding to the U.N. largely operates in ...
This Congress, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2015, H.R. 986, has been introduced in the House of Representatives to allow law-abiding Americans who have concealed carry permits in their home states to legally bring their firearms into any other state with concealed carry laws. This legislation was created as a common sense solution to the often confusing patchwork of state and local laws, which can pose a real problem for gun owners who may accidentally cross state lines with guns they are legally permitted to carry in their home state...
When Israel was founded in 1948, the United States was the first nation to recognize Israel as a sovereign state. Since that time, the United States has staunchly stood by Israel as one of its closest allies. This strong bond was founded on the common interests the two nations share in the region and the shared values of the Israeli and American people. The United States remains a close partner with Israel, collaborating on shared technology, missile defense programs and systems, and supporting the Iron Dome, Israel’s short-range anti-rocket sy...
This year, the Administration announced its proposed budget request for the Fiscal Year 2017, which contained cuts to the defense budget, including $7 billion in cuts to Navy warships and personnel. Additionally, the Administration announced its plan to deactivate one of the U.S. Navy's ten Carrier Air Wings. In addition, the Administration has also repeatedly attempted to mothball half of the Navy's cruisers, some of the Fleet's most capable warships. In response, Congressman Forbes authored legislation in his Seapower and Projection Forces Su...
30,558. That is the number of criminal aliens that the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) released in Fiscal Year 2014 alone, according to information ICE provided to the House Judiciary Committee. This has fueled conversations over whether the federal government is doing enough to protect U.S. citizens from criminal aliens. In response, Congressman Forbes introduced legislation (H.R. 4856) which would make any alien, legal or illegal, associated with a criminal gang inadmissible, deportable, and ineligible for immigration bene...
