-- Randy’s Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

November 29, 2010

Lame Duck: Continuing Resolution on Deck

What is a Continuing Resolution (CR)? A CR is legislation enacted by Congress to provide budget authority for Federal agencies and programs to continue operating until the regular appropriations acts are enacted.

The Lame Duck session continues this week and Congress is set to take up the 2011 Continuing Resolution yet again. The 2011 fiscal year began October 1st without completing several of the appropriations bills needed to fund the government.  Since the Democrat Majority failed to bring a budget up for consideration, Congress was forced to pass a CR that would continue funding the federal government through December 3rd.  With that deadline approaching, we still don’t have a budget and Congress must pass yet another CR to keep the doors of the federal government open for business.

This is just another example of how the Democrat Leadership has grossly mismanaged their priorities. Instead of making sure the government was operational and cutting back on spending, they forced through government takeovers of health care and the financial sector. With no budget or appropriations bills, it’s difficult to reduce spending and work towards the ultimate goal of lowering the federal deficit and getting this economy turned around. This week, The Democrats will likely pass a CR that extends the federal government for only a few weeks, leaving their failed responsibilities behind. As I’ve said time and time again: if you can’t budget, you can’t govern. And this is exactly what we’ve seen from this Congress. For more updates on this process as the week continues, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Federal Pay Freeze

President Obama’s proposal to freeze non-military federal pay for the next two years is a good start, but it should have been proposed two years ago. Earlier this year, House Republicans proposed a federal pay freeze through the YouCut initiative, but the Democrat Majority in the House blocked this attempt.

The President’s proposal represents only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to reining in federal spending. Most members of our federal workforce are effective and hardworking public servants who understand that if the American people are tightening their belts, our government should as well.  The list of spending cuts needed to get the federal budget down to size stretches for many miles. Freezing federal pay is on that list, but it is only one item of many. House Republicans understand this idea and have been promoting similar proposals through the YouCut initiative, many of which the Democrats have firmly rejected. I hope that today’s announcement marks the beginning of the Democrats’ commitment to listening to the American people and making necessary spending reductions within the federal government.

Staff Mobile Office Hours THIS WEEK

Throughout the week members of my staff will be hosting the final mobile office hours of the year to visit with constituents in West Texas and the Big Country. During mobile office hours the 19th District staff will gladly offer assistance with problems regarding federal issues or agencies.  If you are experiencing problems with a federal government agency or want to share your opinion on issues in Congress, I invite you to come and visit with a member of my staff while they are visiting a location near you. For more information on the exact times and locations of the mobile office hours, please click here.

In the event you are unable to attend one of these upcoming mobile office hours, I encourage you to contact my office any time, toll free, at (888) 763-1611 or visit my website to contact me via email.

“Question of the Week”

If conditions on the North and South Korean border continue to escalate, would you support sending additional American troops to the region?

Please visit my website to submit your answer to this week’s question.