-- Randy's Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

August 20, 2012

President Obama to Drop Welfare-to-Work Requirement

In 1996, Congress passed and President Clinton signed a welfare reform law which included work requirements for welfare recipients.  Recently, President Obama announced that he wants to drop this work requirement. I am disappointed, but not surprised, that President Obama wants to increase reliance on welfare and other government programs, rather than helping recipients get back to work.

Recently, I joined 75 of my House colleagues in sending a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing our concern that the Administration is seeking to waive mandatory work requirements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients, which have been in place since the 1996 law. At a time when we are running trillion-dollar deficits, welfare programs should incentivize participants to find a job, not keep them on welfare. I am committed to getting our country back on a sustainable path where economic growth, personal responsibility and freedom do not come from the federal government.

The President’s Healthcare Law puts Medicare on “Highly Uncertain” Path

A May 2012 memo from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) examined and explained the changes in reimbursement rates for doctors who provide service to Medicare patients. These payments are scheduled to be reduced under Obamacare. The memo calls the reductions not sustainable in the long range and “clearly unworkable.”

These payment cuts to doctors for Medicare services shed more light on the impact of Obamacare on the health care community which benefits neither doctors nor Medicare patients. This is why we must begin the process of readjusting the program so that future generations of Americans can benefit as well. The administration must stop lying to the American people. Medicare is on an unsustainable path, by CMS’s own admission, and will not be available in the future unless we fix it now.

Abilene Community Leader Joins the Neugebauer Team

Today, we welcome a new team member to our Abilene office. Marci Braden will serve as District Representative for Abilene and the surrounding counties. Some of her responsibilities include acting as a liaison with federal, district, and local agencies and answering casework correspondence.

Marci is a respected public servant and community leader, and joins us after working as Assistant Vice President of Treasury Management Services for First Financial Bank, Abilene for over seven years. Since 2003, she has held the credentials of a Certified Treasury Professional accredited by the Association of Financial Professionals.  Marci also serves on several boards within the Abilene community including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Abilene State Supported Living Center, the Grace Museum, and the Abilene Business Council. She chairs the Hispanic Business Council of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, is a local redcoat for the Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of Leadership Abilene 2008. I am proud to have Marci on our congressional team. Please do not hesitate to contact Marci in Abilene, or any of my offices, if you have questions or concerns.

Action Item of the Week

Last week, I discussed education issues with teachers and school board members across the district. As school begins in the next few weeks, I will continue to advocate for more focused and individualized school districts that make decisions at the local level. I will also continue to support vocational schools across West Texas and the Big Country, which give students an opportunity to learn specific trades that will lead to successful careers in the future.