SCOTUS Upholds Partial Birth Abortion ban

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled last week that a ban on partial birth abortion is constitutional.  This ruling is a victory for the sanctity of human life. Congress was right to ban this horrific procedure that ends the life of an innocent and defenseless person.  This procedure has no place in a civilized society, and the Supreme Court was right to uphold that ban.

The ruling is also a victory for democracy. A majority of Americans believe partial-birth abortion should be banned.  Their will was expressed through the democratic process as representatives in Congress from both parties approved a ban and the president signed the bill into law. 

The Truth About “PAYGO” Comes Out

Earlier this year, the new majority in the House pushed through a rule called “PAYGO.”  I opposed this rule because it paves the way for new taxes.  In theory, the PAYGO rule states that any new spending must be offset with either a tax increase or reductions in other federal spending.  In reality, reductions in spending are rarely, if ever, used to pay for the new program.  This inconvenient truth about PAYGO was evident last week when, in order to pay for $25 million in new spending, the majority opted to avoid cutting costs elsewhere in the budget.  If Congress can’t find $25 million in fat to cut out of a $3 trillion budget, my earlier concerns have been validated, and it proves that PAYGO does nothing to limit government spending.  In the end, PAYGO really means taxpayers pay, as government goes on spending.

Bill Addressing Water Supply Issues Passes House

The House passed a bill last week that addresses some long-term water supply issues.  Drought is an ongoing problem in West Texas and we’ve seen reports that reservoirs in the region are low.  While the price tag was higher than I thought was necessary, I supported the bill because it is important that we solve water problems facing many areas of the country.

The House bill funds water projects across the United States.  It authorizes a study to determine the best water supply option for the City of Abilene and the West Central Texas Water District.  A preliminary study has identified a new reservoir as the most likely option, but this bill grants authority to the Army Corps of Engineers to help with the project as they make final decisions and begin planning for the reservoir.  A specific dollar amount for this study will be determined by Congress later this year.
   
--Randy