-- Randy’s Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

June 25, 2012

Supreme Court Decision Expected Thursday on Obamacare

On Thursday morning, the Supreme Court will likely announce its ruling on an unpopular, and, I believe, unconstitutional law – Obamacare. No matter how the Court rules on this law, it will always be bad policy. Obamacare makes health care more expensive, pushes many businesses to hire fewer people and stop offering insurance to their employees, and reduces the health care choices available to many Americans.  Even if the Court rules the individual mandate or other provisions unconstitutional, it could leave other parts of the law intact. Whatever remains after Thursday should be completely repealed. We can then start over and take the time to get health care reform right with strong public support. We don’t need a complicated, 2,700-page law to make health care more affordable. We just need to put the decision-making power in the hands of patients and families.

When the decision is released later this week, I will do my best to keep you informed.  Please check my website for updates on the Supreme Court decision.

Vote to Hold Attorney General Holder in Contempt

The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on whether or not to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress.  I will vote for this contempt resolution. West Texans and all Americans deserve a government that is honest, informative and straightforward, not secretive and evasive.  Attorney General Holder and the Justice Department were not forthcoming with documents that were subpoenaed by a Congressional investigation on the Fast and Furious scandal. Furthermore, they initially denied this program even existed through a written letter to Congress that they later withdrew. The Obama Administration tried to block further investigation by invoking Executive Privilege over the documents in question.  Government must be transparent and accountable if it is going to have the trust of the American people. If you’d like to know more about this issue and the events that led to these proceedings, please visit the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s website.

Supreme Court Rules on Arizona Immigration Law

Today, the Supreme Court struck down several parts of the Arizona anti-illegal immigration law, but did not change the part of the law that requires police to conduct immigration checks on individuals they arrest or suspect are in the U.S. illegally. According to the Supreme Court, this does not intrude on the federal government’s powers to control immigration, and so does not violate the U.S. Constitution. I am glad that states will retain the power to discourage and enforce laws on illegal immigration. A bold line must be drawn between those here legally and illegally, and I remain strongly opposed to giving a free pass to those who have broken our immigration laws.

The Senate passes its version of the Farm Bill

I am pleased the Senate passed a Farm Bill last week. This action moves us one step closer to ensuring our farmers have a predictable, efficient safety net in place before they make next season’s planting decisions. I do believe, however, that parts of the Senate bill will need to be changed to make it fairer for every region of the country.  I’m also happy that my Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) on crop insurance was included in the Senate’s bill. This group crop insurance option will be especially valuable to Southern farmers, who face different risks than corn and soybean producers up north.  When the House Agriculture Committee takes up its own version of the legislation in July, I anticipate some changes to what the Senate passed. I will continue to work to develop fiscally responsible policy that protects the lifeblood of American agriculture.