I cosponsored legislation to ensure that Title X family planning grants are used for their intended purpose and are prohibited from being used by organizations that provide abortions. Read more on my website.
Representing the First District of Tennessee in the House of Representatives the last four years has been a great honor and I look forward to serving in the 113th Congress. There are many challenges facing our nation, and I will continue to be a strong voice for the values of East Tennesseans. What issues are most important to you and your family?
Washington cannot continue to tax, borrow and spend. When these negotiations began, the president promised a balanced approach, and that’s not what this legislation is. We must get our deficit under control, and the only way to do that is t...o cut spending. While I am glad to see hardworking Americans will get much-needed permanent tax relief, I could not, in good faith, support legislation that does not address our spending problem. You can find my full statement on my website.See More
Sunday morning I will return to Washington to work on an agreement to avert the fiscal cliff. Hard-working Tennessee families do not deserve to see their taxes increase in the new year. With that said, we must get wasteful Washington spending under control. Please rest assured I will continue to push for a deal that cuts spending and gives East Tennesseans the certainty they need to plan their budgets. It's time for Washington to work under a budget just like we have to at home. What do you think?
Last week Alex Large (a fellow Tennessean that works in my Washington office) and I went on POTUS Sirius XM Radio to play bluegrass and Christmas carols. In case you missed it live, I've uploaded the clip to my YouTube page.
Pam and I want to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! Today, like each holiday, I'm thinking of those serving our country that can't be with their families. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I thank you for your service. Merry Christmas!
As your Congressman, it's important I hear your opinions. What fiscal cliff proposals do you support? Which do you oppose? Please leave your comments here, find me on Twitter, or email or call my offices to let me know where you stand.
Tomorrow, the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions subcommittee that I chair will hold a hearing entitled: Challenges Facing Multiemployer Pension Plans: Evaluating PBGC’s Insurance Program and Financial Outlook. C-SPAN will be covering the hearing.
Starting Monday, my Washington D.C. office will be located at 407 Cannon House Office Building, so please update your records. Moving to this space will allow me and my staff to better serve the First District. Our phone and fax numbers will remain the same, but our mailing address will be: 407 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. If you have any questions, please feel free to call 202-225-6356.
Speaker Boehner has ordered flags over the United States Capitol to be lowered to half-staff in honor of the victims of this tragedy. Pam and I continue to send our thoughts and prayers to CT. Photo credit: Office of Speaker Boehner
Be sure to watch my interview with Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC from lastnight. While Lawrence and I rarely see eye to eye, It's always nice to have a friendly debate and I appreciate him having me on.
Thank you all for your participation this evening! Our fiscal cliff poll results: 41% of you said we should cut spending before raising taxes. 12% of you said we should increase taxes on the top 2%. 16% said we should go over the fiscal cliff and 31% of you were unsure.
REMINDER: I will be holding a telephone town hall from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. this afternoon. To participate, please call the following number at 5:30: 877-229-8493, ID Code: 19641. Feel free to leave your questions here as well.
Great sitting down with Brett from The Final Say Radio Show to talk about some of the most important issues facing our country. Thanks for coming in, Brett and for ignoring the boxes as we pack to move offices so we can better serve the First District.