Yesterday, President Obama appeared before a Joint Session of Congress to deliver his State of the Union Address. Read Congressman Forbes’ statement in response to the President’s speech here.

View additional photos from the day here.

Constituents are invited to weigh in with their thoughts on the State of the Union Address on Congressman Forbes’ blog or on his Facebook page.


Press Coverage of Last Night’s Speech

Hampton Roads lawmakers concerned about sequestration after State of the Union - Daily Press

Virginians react to the speech - Richmond Times Dispatch

Local lawmakers react to Obama's speech - WAVY-TV

Forbes, Kaine to sit together at State of the Union - WTVR, CBS-6

What To Expect From President Obama's State Of The Union - Starting Point, CNN

In 2011, the Budget Control Act (BCA) was introduced, calling for arbitrary and sharp spending reductions as a means of reducing the deficit. The BCA, which Congressman Forbes voted against but was passed and signed into law, calls for $984 billion in automatic, largely across-the-board spending reductions composed of $492 billion from national security and $492 billion from programs such as education, law enforcement, Medicare, housing, and medical research. These cuts, through the process of sequestration, are scheduled to take place on March 1, 2013, unless Congress and the President act.

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted twice to replace the sequestration; however, the Senate has failed to act.  It has now been eighteen months since the Budget Control Act was signed into law and our nation has just weeks until sequestration takes effect. This week, the President delivered a speech, calling on Congress to avert sequestration.  According to The Washington Post, “Obama did not outline a specific proposal,” but indicated his support for tax increases and some spending cuts as a means of postponing or replacing sequestration.

Today, our national debt stands at over $16 trillion, and we have annually run a deficit of $1 trillion for the past four years.  Congressman Forbes has taken steps to champion real, effective solutions to address overspending, such as consistently supporting a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, voting against $800 billion instimulus spending, and introducing the Congressional Accountability Pay (CAP) Act to tie the salaries of Members of Congress directly to federal spending. 

Further, since 2011, Congressman Forbes has continuously warned against dangerous cuts under sequestration, and has taken steps to prevent it:

July 2011 --- Launched an initiative called Strong Defense, Strong America to warn about the dangers of slashing defense to pay for stimulus spending
August 2011 ---- Voted against the Budget Control Act, which set up the process of sequestration
October 2011­­ ­­­­­­---- Introduced Strong Defense, Strong America Resolution
May 2012 ---- Supported legislation to replace sequestration
May 2012 ---- Launched ‘Defending our Defenders,’ a series of 7 listening sessions around the country
December 2012 -----Again supported legislation to replace sequestration

Question of the week: Do you support sequestration or an alternative spending reduction plan?

( ) I support sequestration called for under the Budget Control Act.
( ) I support an alternative plan to reduce the deficit and control spending. 
( ) I don’t know.
( ) Other.

Take the Poll here.

Find the results of last week’s InstaPoll here. 

One month after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the President announced a wide array of proposals ranging from gun laws to mental health to school safety, which he is implementing through a series of twenty-three executive actions or calling on Congress to enact legislatively.

While no one condones the purchase and use of guns by felons or other high-risk individuals to perpetrate any crime, we must not bypass Congress or infringe upon rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution.   The Judiciary Committee, of which I am a member, is the appropriate forum for holding hearings on the President’s proposal.  Members of Congress need the opportunity to hear from those working in the law enforcement, health and education fields, not only to solicit their feedback on these new proposals, but to get their expert opinion on what has and has not worked in the past.  We must be afforded the opportunity to examine existing law before rushing to enact new ones.

The New York Times published a copy of the President’s proposal, including the issues he will address through twenty-three executive actions.  The plan includes background checks, an assault weapons ban, providing schools with resource officers, and ensuring that health plans cover mental health.   I invite you to read the proposal and weigh in with your thoughts. 

I want to share with you a recent CNBC article  showing that GDP in the United States fell for the first time since 2009.  Both the article and the chart below, indicate that the 0.1 percent decline is due in large part to the largest cuts to defense spending our nation has seen in 40 years. 

Since 2011, when sequestration was introduced as a means to reduce spending, I have been warming against drastic and dangerous cuts to our military.  I opposed the Budget Control Act, which will implement sequestration and slash defense spending on March 1, 2013, and have consistently supported alternative plans to address the debt and reign in spending in Washington.  Given this latest economic report, do you agree that a strong defense is necessary to maintain a strong America?

 
GDP Shows Surprise Drop for US in Fourth Quarter
Published: Wednesday, 30 Jan 2013 | 8:11 AM ET

The U.S. economy posted a stunning drop of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter, defying expectations for slow growth and possibly providing incentive for more Federal Reserve stimulus.

The economy shrank from October through December for the first time since the recession ended, hurt by the biggest cut in defense spending in 40 years, fewer exports and sluggish growth in company stockpiles.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that the economy contracted at an annual rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter. That's a sharp slowdown from the 3.1 percent growth rate in the July-September quarter.

The surprise contraction could raise fears about the economy's ability to handle tax increases that took effect in January and looming spending cuts.

Still, the weakness may be because of one-time factors. Government spending cuts and slower inventory growth subtracted a total of 2.6 percentage points from growth.

And those volatile categories offset faster growth in consumer spending, business investment and housing -- the economy's core drivers of growth.

Another positive aspect of the report: For all of 2012, the economy expanded 2.2 percent, better than 2011's growth of 1.8 percent.

The economy may stay weak at the start of the year because Americans are coming to grips with an increase in Social Security taxes that has left them with less take-home pay.

Subpar growth has held back hiring. The economy has created about 150,000 jobs a month, on average, for the past two years. That's barely enough to reduce the unemployment rate, which has been 7.8 percent for the past two months.

Economists forecast that unemployment stayed at the still-high rate again this month. The government releases the January jobs report Friday.

The slower growth in stockpiles comes after a big jump in the third quarter. Companies frequently cut back on inventories if they anticipate a slowdown in sales. Slower inventory growth means factories likely produced less.

Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar, Inc. said this week that it reduced its inventories by $2 billion in the fourth quarter as global sales declined from a year earlier.

The biggest question going forward is how consumers react to the expiration of a Social Security tax cut. Congress and the White House allowed the temporary tax cut to expire in January, but reached a deal to keep income taxes from rising on most Americans.

The tax increase will lower take home pay this year by about 2 percent. That means a household earning $50,000 a year will have about $1,000 less to spend. A household with two high-paid workers will have up to $4,500 less.

Already, a key measure of consumer confidence plummeted this month after Americans noticed the reduction in their paychecks, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.

Economists expected the first reading on gross domestic product to show growth of 1 percent, down from the third quarter's reading of 3.1 percent.

In my recent online survey, I asked people which issues they believe are most critical for Congress to address.  Most (2660 out of 5174) said “taking serious action to reduce government spending.” I agree.

Today, the national debt is over $16.4 trillion.  That is more than $52,000 for every American, more than $135,000 for every U.S. household, and is greater than the size of our economy. We need to address the deficit and federal spending, but we also need to reform the way in which Congress acts in addressing the fiscal state of our nation. One way to do this is by introducing accountability of Members of Congress into the budget and spending process. Consistent with these goals, I introduced a bill that addresses the root of the problem – unprecedented spending in Washington.

Earlier this month, I reintroduced the Congressional Accountability Pay Act (H.R.284) to tie Members' salaries to the growth in federal spending - the more we spend, the less we make. For instance, if federal spending increases by 7%, congressional salaries are cut by 7%. This legislation ensures that Members of Congress are held personally accountable via their own paychecks. Just like families and businesses across America, Members of Congress need to be accountable for their fiscal decisions. Giving Members a personal stake in spending the tax dollars of the American people will reduce federal spending and rein in the growth of the national debt.

We must make it a priority to put our nation back on a path of fiscal prosperity. Members of Congress should not be afforded special treatment and be made immune from the economic challenges facing our nation. As public servants, we have much work to do to bring down our national debt and reduce deficit spending.  I believe that this bill is an important first step to show that Members of Congress are committed to returning America to a firm fiscal footing.

On Monday, President Obama presented his vision for the next four years during his second inaugural address, in which he outlined an agenda that prioritized commitments to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, immigration reform, gun control, climate policy, and same-sex marriage. Congressional Republicans are focused on creating job growth, providing a strong national defense, balancing the federal budget, and making Medicare and Social Security sustainable. As the President and his Administration start their new term and as Congress begins anew, the legislative process is ensnared in philosophical gridlock and finding common ground on priorities will be paramount.

Question of the Week: As the 113th Congress begins, which three issues do you believe are most critical for Congress to address?

( ) Amnesty - Expanding paths to citizenship for illegal aliens

( ) Crime - Addressing crime in our schools and communities

( ) Economy - Strengthening small businesses and spurring economic growth by reducing federal regulations

( ) Education - Strengthening our educational system

( ) Energy - Reducing environmental regulations and increasing domestic energy to reduce dependence on foreign oil

( ) Environment - Taking actions to preserve the environment through regulation and investments in clean energy

( ) Health Care - Reducing health care costs and protecting the doctor-patient relationship

( ) Illegal Immigration - Enhancing border security and enforcing existing laws combating illegal immigration

( ) National Security - Preserving a strong national defense and averting sequestration cuts that threaten military jobs

( ) Same-Sex Marriage - Expanding the definition of marriage to include couples of the same gender

( ) Second Amendment - Protecting the constitutional right to keep and bear arms

( ) Seniors - Protecting critical programs for seniors such as Medicare and Social Security

( ) Social Services - Protecting the most vulnerable through access to social service programs

( ) Spending - Taking serious action to reduce government spending

( ) Taxes - Reducing taxes and simplifying the tax code

( ) Traditional Values - Preserving religious freedoms, traditional marriage, and sanctity of life

( ) Transportation - Rebuilding our nation’s aging roads and infrastructure

( ) Veterans - Fulfilling promises to our nation's veterans

( ) I don’t know.

( ) Other (leave your comments below)

Take the Poll here.

Find the results of last week’s InstaPoll here.