-- Randy’s Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

April 26, 2010

H.R. 5111: The Protect Life Act

Last week, a bipartisan group in the House introduced the Protect Life Act, and I was pleased to be part of this initiative.  This bill would amend the recent health care law to completely prevent federal funding for abortion coverage through government exchanges, community health centers, or any other program funded or created by the government takeover of healthcare forced through Congress.  Additionally, the bill would protect the right of conscience for health care professionals and ensure that private insurance companies are not forced to cover abortion.

The recent health care law is the most massively pro-abortion piece of legislation ever approved by Congress. Every poll on the issue shows that a clear majority of Americans oppose federal funding for abortion. Unfortunately, this new health care law lacks critical safeguards to prevent this from happening. The Protect Life Act would afford the same pro-life protections that were approved with bipartisan support in the House last year, but failed to make it into the final health care bill.

It is very encouraging to have strong support from 50 bipartisan cosponsors on such an important issue. Protecting the lives of the unborn should never be a partisan issue. It is my hope that this bill will receive the support necessary to prevent any federally funded abortions and to preserve the precious sanctity of life.

In the Senate and in the News: Financial Regulatory Reform

You’ve probably seen a lot more in the news about proposed changes in how financial companies and financial products are regulated.   As a Member of the House Financial Services Committee, I worked on this complex issue in the House last year, and the Senate is currently working on its version of the bill.  Financial regulatory reform is certainly needed, but neither the legislation passed in the House last year nor the bill currently being debated in the Senate include the financial reform the taxpayers deserve and expect.

We need reform that stops bailouts and stops the government from picking winners and losers, but the Democrats’ plan makes bailouts of failing firms permanent and lets the government decide which companies are “too big to fail.”  In contrast, the House Republican plan I helped put together ends bailouts once and for all and would allow companies that make poor decisions to fail through a streamlined bankruptcy process that ensures those who made the decisions are held responsible.

We also need regulatory reform that holds government regulators accountable for doing their job.  The Democrats’ plan rewards regulators for falling short by giving them new powers to designate some financial firms with special status.  Under their plan, the safest investments will be in these ‘too big to fail’ companies because the market will assume the government will ultimately step in if needed, just like what happened with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

While Republicans are working to reduce the size of government, Democrats are looking for ways to grow it. They believe government knows better than you, so they want to create a new federal agency to dictate the kind of financial products you can buy, resulting in fewer credit and investment options for families and small businesses. That means more jobs will be lost in addition to the 7 million already lost in this recession.

The American people want accountability and responsibility on Wall Street - not more federal bureaucracy and government control.  I am committed to working for a better alternative that will protect taxpayers and preserve freedom in the marketplace.

Join the Conversation

In an effort to continuously update the constituents of the 19th Congressional District, I have several social media applications available to you. Follow me on Twitter or Facebook to learn more about what I am doing in Washington on your behalf.  Visit my YouTube page for videos of floor speeches and reflections on issues. Check out Randy’s Blog for a more personal account of what is going on in my office and to keep up to date on my travels around the District.

My hope is that these new media tools will be a useful source of information to provide the people West Texas and the Big Country greater insight into what is going on in Washington, DC. I look forward to having an open, two-way conversation with you as we continue to debate important issues that will impact every America.

Coming Up: Immigration
 
Finally, as we continue to follow the actions taken by nearby Arizona to address the issue of immigration, I look forward to hearing from you on your thoughts on repairing this broken system and how you believe we should address this complex issue.  Do we need to make changes in existing law?  Or should we finally enforce those laws we already have?  There are many aspects of border security and immigration issues, and I will continue to keep your informed about the options that may be debated in Congress and continue to monitor for proposals that could reward those who have broken our laws.

Question of the Week

Should local law enforcement officials have the legal authority to question an individual in order to determine if they are in the United States legally or illegally?

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

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.