The Week Just Passed: Quick Action to Protect Families of the Fallen

The House is Funding Critical Government Programs

Rodney’s Nuclear Security and Non-Proliferation Bill Clears House

Negotiations: A Record of Fiscal Discipline, Much More Needed

This Week’s Salute: Valley Brook Village at Lyons VA Medical Center

The Week Just Passed: Quick Action to Protect Families of the Fallen

“In the midst of a government shutdown, the Congress and the President demonstrated this week that they can move with significant speed when they so choose. 

“I am sure you saw or heard the stories this week about how the families of fallen U.S. troops were denied the U.S. government benefits to which they were entitled.  And, I am sure you were just as incensed as I was.

“After all, our government has no greater responsibility than to take care of the families of our brave men and women who have fought and died for our country.  And yet, the Pentagon, relying on the narrow interpretation of Department of Defense and White House lawyers, denied ‘death benefits’ to the families of the 17 servicemembers killed since October 1, including four soldiers and one Marine killed in Afghanistan last weekend. 

“It was a situation that demanded action.  So I introduced corrective legislation, House Joint Resolution 91, on Tuesday evening and brought it to the House floor on Wednesday where it passed 425-0.  The Senate approved my bill on Thursday and sent it to the President for his signature.

“Our men and women serving in uniform serving in dangerous places all over the globe deserve the peace of mind of knowing that, during the worst of times, their families will receive the benefits they deserve immediately.  This bill removes any ambiguity on this point.”

“Of course, I welcomed the President's signature on this bipartisan legislation.  And, as I told my colleagues during House floor debate on Wednesday, this was a consensus bill that could serve to unite the Congress as we search for ways to end the overall government shutdown.

“As a natural born optimist, I am encouraged that the President seems to have agreed to ‘talk’ to House negotiators about the critical need to end the shutdown and avoid default on our debt.  No one - the President, the Senate, nor the House Leadership - can continue to sit on the sidelines as inaction and paralysis threatens an economic recovery! 

“It is past time to stop the ‘finger-pointing’ and the ‘blame-game.’ This weekend’s ‘discussions’ can set the stage for real solutions. It can be done and it must be done.

“Just like the families of the fallen, the American people deserve better.”

Rodney Frelinghuysen

To read more about Rodney’s legislation, visit:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:HJ00091:@@@D&summ2=m&

Negotiations: A Record of Fiscal Discipline, Much More Needed

The American people expect their leaders to work together. So as the President and the Congress “discuss” ways to re-open the government, there is one overriding imperative: we cannot default and risk an economic calamity.

We should be focusing on the larger issue of America’s debt crisis, reducing Washington spending, pro-growth tax reform and preserving and protecting Social Security and Medicare.

However, in that context, it is important to remember what we have achieved in the battle for a more effective and efficient federal government:

• For the first time since the Korean War, total federal spending has gone down for two years in a row.
• The most significant spending reductions in modern history – more significant than Ronald Reagan and more significant than Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich.
• The Budget Control Act (BCA) was the largest spending reduction bill of the last 25 years (and perhaps ever) - $630 billion in savings over five years all from the spending side.
• The BCA was the largest deficit control bill since 1981 not to contain a penny in tax increases.
• Successfully protected 99 percent of Americans from a tax increase on a permanent basis, and ensured that almost all of the Bush tax policy was made permanent, including the death tax and lower rates on capital gains and dividends.

The House is Funding Critical Government Programs

Until the President and the Congress reach agreement on re-opening the federal government and extending the debt ceiling coupled with spending and debt reduction measures, the House will continue to pass funding measures to keep critical programs running. 

In addition to four resolutions that fully fund the operations of the federal government and Rodney’s legislation to protect the families of fallen servicemembers, the House has passed these free-standing bills:

Pay Our Military Act (H.R. 3210): ensures our troops would be paid in the event of a government shutdown. (Passed in the House 423-0)

Provide Local Funding for the District of Columbia Act (H.J. Res. 71): allows our nation’s capital to continue operating using its own funding. (Passed in the House by voice vote)

Open Our Nation's Parks and Museums Act (H.J. Res. 70): opens all of our national parks and museums, including the WWII Memorial in Washington, DC that was initially closed to veterans by the administration. (Passed in the House 252-173)

Research for Lifesaving Cures Act (H.J. Res. 73): provides funding for the National Institute of Health, which is responsible for lifesaving medical innovations and cancer research. (Passed in the House 254-171)

Pay Our Guard and Reserve Act (H.R. 3230): ensures the government shutdown doesn’t affect pay for our National Guard and Reserve. (Passed in the House 265-160)

Honoring Our Promise to America’s Veterans Act (H.J. Res. 72): provides immediate funding for critical veterans benefits and services, including disability claims, education and training, and more. (Passed in the House 259-157)

National Emergency and Disaster Recovery Act (H.J. Res 85): provides immediate funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). (Passed in the House 247-164)

Nutrition Assistance for Low-Income Women and Children Act (H.J. Res. 75): provides immediate funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, which “serves nearly 9 million mothers and young children,” and provides “vital nutrition that poor families might otherwise be unable to afford.” (Passed in the House 244-164)

Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act (H.R. 3223): provides for compensation of federal employees furloughed due to Senate Democrats' government shutdown. This is similar to bipartisan legislation enacted during previous shutdowns. (Passed in the House 407-0)

Food and Drug Safety Act (H.J.Res. 77): provides immediate funding for the Food and Drug Administration. (Passed in the House 235-162)

Head Start for Low-Income Children Act (H.J.Res. 84): provides critical education funding to support Head Start programs across the country. (Passed in the House 248-168)

Deficit Reduction and Economic Growth Working Group Act (H.R. 3273): creates a bipartisan, bicameral working group charged with beginning negotiations, resolving the differences between the House and Senate, and helping re-open the government and address our debt. (Passed in the House 224-197)

Federal Worker Pay Fairness Act (H.J. Res. 89): ensures that federal employees who are still on the job during Democrats' shutdown are paid on time. (Passed in the House 420-0)

Flight Safety Act (H.J.Res. 90): provides immediate funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (Passed in the House 252-172)

Honoring Families of Fallen Soldiers (H.J.Res. 91): ensures that death benefits to families of fallen troops will continue to be disbursed during the government shutdown. This is the second time the House has voted to protect these benefits, the first being under the Pay Our Military Act. (Passed in the House 425-0)

Border Safety and Security Act (H.J.Res. 79): provides immediate funding for border safety and security operations in the Department of Homeland Security. (Passed in the House 249 - 175)

Nuclear Weapon Security and Non-Proliferation Act (H.J. Res 76): provides immediate funding for National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) programs and operations that ensure the safety of America's nuclear weapons arsenal, and that prevent the spread of nuclear technology to hostile regimes and terrorists. (Passed in the House 248 - 176) (See below)

Rodney’s Nuclear Security and Non-Proliferation bill Clears House

Rodney’s opening remarks as the House debated his Nuclear Weapon Security and Non-Proliferation legislation this morning.

Statement of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen

H.J. Res. 76

Nuclear Weapon Security and Non-Proliferation Act

October 11, 2013

Mr. Speaker,

“I rise today to present critical legislation to ensure our nation’s nuclear security. 

“This legislation continues funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at the current level provided in fiscal year 2013 until December 15, or until full-year appropriations have been signed into law. There are no new anomalies and there is no special treatment. But continuing these activities without interruption is vital to our national defense.

“The NNSA is responsible for maintaining our nuclear deterrent, securing vulnerable nuclear materials around the world to keep them out of the hands of terrorists, and supporting our Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.

“Funds will be used to keep the doors open so our scientists and engineers can keep our nuclear arsenal at the ready and our nuclear fleet operating efficiently. These vital programs keep our country safe and secure, and require well trained, dedicated personnel.

“So far, the highest priority national security missions have been sustained during the shutdown by operating off of prior-year funding. While most of the Department of Energy’s science and energy laboratories have enough carryover funding to operate through November, the national security laboratories and stockpile production sites of the NNSA are not in that same position.

“This week, the NNSA sites began notifying workers they would be shutting down as early as October 17^th to preserve remaining funds for essential functions like protecting nuclear materials. By the end of the month, 90 percent of personnel at our nuclear weapons sites may be laid off, halting work to keep our nuclear weapons reliable. And, once laid off, some of these vital workers may never return.

“Suspending an ongoing nuclear production operation is no simple task, and that interruption will lead to higher costs and will only make it more difficult to maintain an aging stockpile. We must act now to prevent disruption of these important nuclear security activities.

“We also must sustain the critical work that the NNSA’s nonproliferation experts perform overseas. Despite hopeful press reports, Iran has still not turned off its centrifuges. North Korea may have restarted its reactors to make more plutonium.   And the Russian and Chinese governments continue to build nuclear armed ballistic subs. The technical expertise provided by our nuclear security experts is essential to our nation’s ability to monitor and respond to international developments such as these.  We simply cannot afford to lose this oversight of nuclear weapons and their potential for proliferation.

“Finally, our nuclear deterrent relies on the mission of our submarines, the very capable assets of which are maintained by the Naval Reactors program at the Department of Energy. We must ensure they have adequate support to perform their mission across the globe.

“Colleagues, I do recognize that this bill will not solve the larger funding problem. We must enact full-year, annual appropriations that meet today’s requirements as voted on earlier this year and not rely on continuing resolutions to keep the government open.  And, in this regard, my thanks to Ranking Member Kaptur for her leadership and support of our annual appropriations process.

“Until we get back to regular order, this bill will provide funding critical to this nation’s security, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”

This Week’s Salute: Valley Brook Village at Lyons VA Medical Center

Congratulations to Community Hope, the Veterans Administration (VA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the staff and management of the Lyons VA Medical Center as the first veteran at risk of being homeless recently moved in to Valley Brook Village, a supportive housing community in Lyons.

For over a decade, Rodney has been supportive of this innovative project and other programs as the VA combats homelessness among veterans. 

“I have long agreed with the notion that ‘homelessness is a national issue that will be solved at the local level.’  That is why we’re so proud of the efforts of Community Hope and its private-sector and government partners.  Valley Brook Village is pulling male and female veterans out of homelessness and setting them on the path to independence. In this way, this valuable coalition is serving our nation by serving those who have worn the uniform of our Armed Forces.”

The innovative Valley Brook Village is a 62-apartment community built ona 16-acre site donated by the Lyons Campus of the Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System.

Recommended Reading: Oren Dorell, writing in the Monday USA Today which appeared in the Morris County Daily Record, “After Libyan Raid, What About Benghazi Suspects?”