We face a pivotal turning point in this new year.  A new Congress convenes next week and a new president is inaugurated in two weeks.  At this juncture we face many challenges, but we also face even more opportunities.  Times are too hard to draw partisan battle lines.  And, times are too hard for the Washington blame game.  This is the time for serious discussion and the time for bipartisan, commonsense solutions to our country’s biggest problems.  Together, we can live up to America’s greatness.

As Congress enters a new session, it is appropriate to discuss the country’s top issues in the days and years ahead.  This week, I want to share my thoughts on five of these issues and will address five more next week.  Please know that I am committed to working with my colleagues to find common sense solutions to these problems and will do all I can to help working families in Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District.

* The Economy

It will be some time before our nation fully recovers from the economic problems now plaguing American families and businesses, and I will continue working to rebuild our ailing economy. In the last session, we raised the federal minimum wage, enacted an economic stimulus plan that put recovery rebates in the hands of 130 million American households, and extended unemployment insurance for the millions of workers who continue to search for new jobs in these difficult economic times.  Serious action will be required in this Congress and Democrats and Republicans must come together to help bring relief to working families.

* The War in Iraq

After almost seven years, it is past time for the Iraqis to step up and take responsibility for securing their own country.  The government estimates that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may cost $2.4 trillion over the next decade. Spending in Iraq alone has reached $16 million per hour. We should be investing in our towns and communities throughout America and that can only begin when our troops begin to come home.  

* Health Care Reform

As a member of the Health Subcommittee, I am committed to providing affordable and accessible health care for all Americans.  Last session, I was proud to help pass legislation reducing the cost of drugs for seniors and people with disabilities and legislation to help reauthorize and strengthen the State Children’s Health Insurance Program providing health coverage for an additional 5 million children.  In the years ahead, I will work closely with my colleagues to fix the insurance problem in this nation ensuring that all families receive the adequate support needed to live healthy lives.

* Energy Independence

I have been working in Congress to lower the price of energy for Arkansas's working families and will continue to do so.  As a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, I was proud to help pass in the last Congress the largest expansion of domestic drilling in our nation’s history, as well as one of the largest investments in alternative and renewable energy.  We must enable our country to access more of our domestic energy resources and invest in alternative energy sources like cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, solar, wind, nuclear, and clean coal technologies.   

* Meeting our Infrastructure Needs

We learned a tragic lesson on Aug. 1, 2007, when the I-35 West bridge collapsed in Minneapolis.  We have also since learned that numerous other structures across our nation could face similar fates if left unaddressed.  We need a bold response to our nation’s crumbling infrastructure problem that includes significant new investments and thousands of new jobs.  Infrastructure is vital to our local and state economies and we must continue repairing and expanding Arkansas’s infrastructure network.

These are just some of the top issues facing our country in the new year.  Next week, I will discuss five more equally important issues Congress must address in this next session.

Sincerely,

 
Mike Ross

Mike speaks with members of the Malvern Rotary Club on Dec. 3 about the important issues Congress will address in the new year.