June 27 – July 7, 2008 – My Travels to the Middle East

I have just returned from a 10 day trip to the Middle East and Africa with five other Members of Congress. We visited Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Israel and the West Bank. While in these countries, I had the opportunity to meet with the President or Prime Minister of each. Over the next few weeks, I will share my thoughts and insights from this journey.

One of the first observations I made is that this war on terrorism is truly a global one. In each of these countries, security and law and order were the main goal and challenge for each government.  More and more, these leaders realize that the future of their countries lies in their ability to control terrorism.

Like America, the rising energy prices are causing economic hardship for the governments and their citizens.  Many of these countries have been subsidizing the cost of energy and recently the governments have lifted these subsidies.  Citizens are now faced with very sudden increases in the costs of energy which has created a backlash for the political leaders. Along with the increase in energy prices, food prices and availability continue to be a major challenge as well. Many of these countries have some of the highest poverty rates in the world, and inflation has not helped their situation.  Inflation is also increasing the cost of building new infrastructure, impacting the quality of life.

There are many other issues and I will discuss those in the future, but the one thing that cannot be ignored is that the Middle East is very much interconnected in many ways, and the events in one country can cause ripples in the rest of the region.  While similar in many ways, each country has its own challenges and in many cases, very different methods of addressing them.


Upholding Americans’ 2nd Amendment Right To Keep and Bear Arms

Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a landmark decision regarding a citizen’s right to possess a firearm. This decision marks the first time in America’s history that the Supreme Court has ruled that Americans have a right to own firearms for personal use. Additionally, this is the first time in nearly 70 years that the highest court in America ruled that the Constitution protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm, without having any ties to a state militia.

Through this decision, the Supreme Court has clearly defined the 2nd Amendment. This is a tremendous win for individual liberties and will provide clarity to the debate on whether the right to own a gun is tied to membership in a militia.

Welcome To The New Version Of Randy’s Roundup

I am pleased to be able to keep you updated weekly via e-mail on events that are going on in Washington and now I am pleased to announce a new format for Randy’s Roundup. This new format continues the traditional Washington updates but now allows you to take surveys, forward the e-mail to a friend and see various photos, sign up for specific areas of interest on legislation as well as link directly to my new, more user friendly website.

To ensure you receive Randy’s Roundup in this new format, make sure to add Randy.Neugebauer@Houseenews.net to your address book. I hope you enjoy this new version of Randy’s Roundup. 

As always, when events unfold in Washington, I will be sure to update you. In the meantime, do not hesitate to visit my website, or call my office toll free district wide at (888) 763-1611 or my Washington, DC office at 202-225-4005.

--Randy