Search

• Translating Washington-Speak

  Most of the time, it seems like people in Washington speak a different language from those of us from Texas.  There’s the budget resolution, continuing resolution, appropriations process, sequester and debt limit.   None of that is in plain English.  But these topics are really important to the future of our country, and we’ll be dealing with them a lot in the next few months and beyond.  So this week’s Roundup will be dedicated to explaining each issue, and how they all fit into the larger picture of government spending.  As always, if you need clarification on these issues or any others, you can always contact my offices with your questions.

  BUDGET:  Just like you might sit down at the beginning of the year and determine how much you can afford to spend on household expenses, Congress is required to pass a budget resolution, or a blueprint, every year by April 15th that determines how much we can spend on Federal government expenses like transportation, defense, and agriculture.  While the House of Representatives has been meeting this deadline, the Senate hasn’t passed a budget in four years.  Is it any wonder our spending is out of control?

  As your Congressman, I have supported the House Budget offered by Congressman Paul Ryan which would reduce the national debt by $5.3 trillion and balance the federal budget over 10 years.

  APPROPRIATIONS BILLS AND CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS:   While the annual budget resolution establishes the overall blueprint for federal spending, the appropriation process is how the checks actually get written.  There are 12 annual appropriations bills that Congress must pass each year.  Each of these appropriations bills provide the funds for a specific portion of government programs including:  military weapons systems, farm programs, housing, education funding and more.  Each year, these bills must be completed by September 30th for the start of the new fiscal year on October 1st.   These individual bills are signed into law one by one before the end of the fiscal year, with the expectation that all of them will be completed before the new year begins.  However, as we all know, Congress does not always finish its business on time these days.  When that happens, the appropriations bills that have not been completed in the regular process get packaged together into what is known as a “Continuing Resolution” or a “CR”.  Most of the time, when the government, or part of the government, is funded through a CR, we are taking the easy way out.  Generally, a CR funds the government programs included in it at exactly the same level as the year before.  In years when our budget was balanced, this wasn’t a problem.  However, with deficits of $1 trillion or more annually, we need to be making tough choices and cutting back spending.  In this case, when Congress uses a CR to fund government programs, it is supporting more of the same out-of-control spending as before.

  As your Congressman, I have been consistently voting against Continuing Resolutions to fund the government.  Like you, I believe we need to start making the tough choices and stop kicking the can further down the road.  We need to use the annual appropriations process to cut spending where it needs to be cut and make the tough choices that will bring our federal budget into balance.

  THE DEBT LIMIT:  The debt limit is the amount of money that Congress authorizes the government to borrow.  It is similar to the credit limit on your personal credit card.  When you reach your credit limit, if you want to borrow more, you have to call the credit card company and ask for a higher limit.  When the government reaches its spending limit, it has to call Congress and ask for an increase.  Instead of continually raising our national debt limit, I firmly believe that we must cut our spending.  Most recently, we reached the national debt limit of $16.4 trillion at the end of December 2012.   Last month, Congress agreed to temporarily suspend the debt limit until May 19, 2013.  I voted against this legislation.

  As your Congressman, I have voted against several debt limit increases and will continue to do so.  Additionally, in the 112th Congress, I introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring a 2/3rds vote in the House and Senate to raise the national debt limit.

  SEQUESTRATION:   The final issue on our plate is sequestration.  When Congress agreed to raise the debt limit in the summer of 2011, President Obama came up with the idea of sequestration (or across the board spending cuts) to use as a backstop if Congress and the President failed to agree on how to cut spending.  This legislation also included the creation of a “Super Committee” to find cuts to put in place instead of allowing for sequestration to occur.  As you may recall, the Super Committee failed to come up with cuts which could be agreed upon.   If Congress and the President do not agree to replace these cuts with others or to halt sequestration from taking effect, a set of automatic spending cuts will go into place.  About half of the cuts will come from defense, and the rest from other government programs.  I’m frustrated, because the President is now saying that to deal with sequestration, we should raise taxes.  Taxes were increased in January.  We are more than $16.4 trillion in debt and the President is refusing to take a hard look at our spending problem and make serious cuts.  Our defense budget could be slashed, harming our national security and making it harder for our troops to do their duty.  It’s time for the President to take responsibility for stopping his sequester, and to work with Congress to identify real solutions to our spending problem.

  As your Congressman, I have voted to replace the sequestration cuts with common-sense spending reform that will not harm our national defense.

• President Obama's Unconstitutional Appointments to the NLRB

  On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that President Obama’s appointments during a Senate “recess” to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) were unconstitutional because the Senate was not in recess.  This is a victory for stronger government accountability, and I applaud this ruling.  The NLRB can hurt our economy through excessive regulation and unequal treatment of employers.  In December, the House Oversight Committee released a report where they explained how the NLRB has become a tool of unions:  “Congress intended the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to be a neutral arbiter of labor disputes, and fairness of the agency to workers, unions, and job creators is imperative to its successful operation. Unfortunately, under the Obama Administration, the NLRB appears to be sacrificing fairness to job creators in order to promote pro-union policies.”

  An agency with the ability to regulate business and have a direct impact on our economy should be subject to the highest standards of transparency and accountability.  Unfortunately, President Obama sought to avoid constitutional checks and balances by appointing three people to the NLRB without Congressional approval.  The Constitution gives the President power to make appointments during times when the Senate is out of session—or in recess, as we say.  But when President Obama made these appointments, the Senate was not in recess.  Despite the fact that the Senate was holding periodic sessions, the President decided that he had the authority to make recess appointments.  That’s unconstitutional, and unfair to the American people, who deserve a real debate about who should hold powerful government positions.

  So I’m very pleased with the court’s decision.  It ensures that the President cannot put himself above the law, and must remain accountable to the American people.

  The ruling that these NLRB appointments were unconstitutional could also have consequences for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which also has broad power over our economy.  The head of the CFPB, Richard Corday, was also installed in a controversial recess appointment.  I’ve been actively working to ensure the CFPB remains accountable to the American people, and you can read more about my efforts here.

• Denver City Schools Teach Students Valuable Skills

  On September 28th, I toured the career and technology centers at Denver City High School in Denver City, TX.  These state-of-the-art facilities focus on industrial arts and agriculture, and provide high school students with opportunities to learn real-world skills that could qualify them for jobs immediately out of high school. I was impressed to see the work that these students have done. Attending a vocational school, or participating in trade classes in high school, is an excellent way to further education.

  Higher education in all its forms has become the cornerstone of the American dream, and should be supported and pursued.  I fully support vocational schools, community colleges, trade schools and career colleges. They equip students with the tools they need to be successful in their line of work and, in many cases, go on to start their own companies. These small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and the federal government should focus on promoting their growth.  I will continue to support legislation that makes it easier for students with trade skills to be successful in the future, whatever their endeavors may be.

   

  

   

  

   

  

  
  

• National POW/MIA Recognition Day

  Today the United States honors and remembers former and active members of the military who have been prisoners of war or are missing in action. No words can express our heartfelt appreciation to these men and women who have suffered tremendously for the sake of our country. The sacrifices made by prisoners of war and those missing in action will never be forgotten.

  I am honored to serve in Congress with Representative Sam Johnson (R-TX), who was a POW in the Vietnam War for seven years, 42 months of which he spent in solitary confinement, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ), a POW for five and a half years during the Vietnam War. He suffered many injuries from his time in a Vietnamese prison camp.

  Every soldier that is captured or missing is another reminder that freedom is never free, and the price is often dearly paid by young men and women who endure for their fellow Americans. May God bless them and their families, and may we never forget them as we enjoy life and liberty in the greatest country on earth.

  

• Deadline Approaching to Apply for Military Academy Nominations!

  As a Member of Congress, I am proud to nominate outstanding young candidates from the 19th District of Texas for four U.S. service academies: the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. These institutions prepare college-age Americans to be officers of the United States uniformed services.

  An excellent education at one of our service academies will broaden the horizons of any young American, and open the doors to many rewarding opportunities.

  For high school seniors, the deadline to apply is November 15th. If you or someone you know may be interested in attending one of these services academies, I encourage you to contact Mary Whistler in my Lubbock office at (806) 763-1611 to learn about the options available to you.

  Click here to learn more about each academy and read the application.

• U.S. National Debt Reaches $16 Trillion

  Today, the U.S. Treasury announced that our national debt has reached $16 trillion. The U.S. debt has risen by more than 50% since Obama’s inauguration, from $10.6 trillion to $16 trillion. This debt is unsustainable; it’s that simple.
  
  Big government isn’t solving our problems.  Despite adding $5.4 trillion to our debt, we’re still struggling with high unemployment and stagnant economic growth.  But the real tragedy of accumulating $16 trillion in debt is that we’re saddling our children and grandchildren with a bill they may never be able to repay.   We’re mortgaging their future.
  
  That’s why I voted for Congressman Ryan’s budget, which dramatically cuts government spending and focuses on empowering Americans who work hard and play by the rules. Unfortunately, while the House has taken action, the Senate continues to sit on its hands, and the burden for future generations of Americans continues to climb.
  
  We have to stop spending money we do not have, and the Senate must help us begin that process.  It’s time for Senate Democrats to pass a budget that shrinks the size of government and doesn’t put the future of the American dream in jeopardy. I will continue to vote to rein in government spending, and I hope you’ll join me in my effort to reduce our debt and take back our future.

  

• House Passes Two Bills to Help Veterans and Support Their Families

  Last night on the House Floor, I was proud to support two bills that help Veterans and support their families: H.R. 4155, the Veterans Skills to Jobs Act, and H.R. 4114, the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act.

  The Veterans Skills to Jobs Act would cut through red tape, streamlining the federal certification process for qualified veterans to help them find civilian jobs. Not one member voted against this bill, and it passed on the House Floor by a vote of 369-0.

  H.R. 4114, the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, would increase disability compensation to veterans, which will provide some much-needed relief for veterans struggling to make ends meet as a direct result of their disabilities from military service. This would take effect on December 1, 2012. This bill passed on the House Floor by a voice vote.

  Meeting the needs of our nation’s veterans will continue to be a major focus and priority of mine in Congress. I strongly believe that we must keep the promises we have made to our nation’s veterans. May we never forget or take for granted what each and every veteran has sacrificed.

  

• Eliminating an Unnecessary Regulation for Small Banks and ATM Operators

  Today, the House Committee on Financial Services is expected to consider H.R. 4367, a bill to limit the fee disclosure requirement for automatic teller machines (ATMs).

  Current law requires bank ATMs to display an electronic notice on its screen and a physical sticker notice on the ATM machine telling the customer how much he or she will be charged to use it. Unfortunately, many individuals are removing or defacing the ATM’s physical fee notice placard and then suing the ATM operator for improper notification.

  This bill eliminates the requirement for the physical sticker, and therefore the liability for small banks and other smaller ATM operators. The electronic notices will still provide very clear information about ATM fees for customers. As the electronic notices on ATMs have become more robust and noticeable, this one and a half page bill is simply common sense, and offers to eliminate one more unnecessary regulation from the federal government.

  I am a cosponsor of this bill, and I look forward to supporting it in the Financial Services Committee this afternoon.

  Click here to learn more about this legislation.

• Flag Day

  “A thoughtful mind, when it sees a nation’s flag, sees not the flag only, but the nation itself; and whatever may be its symbols, its insignia, he reads chiefly in the flag the government, the principles, the truths, the history which belongs to the nation that sets it forth.”  
  --Henry Ward Beecher

  Today is Flag Day, a day to honor and commemorate the adaptation of the United States flag. The American flag is the universal symbol of freedom, democracy and hope. I encourage you to take time today to reflect on this powerful symbol and the freedom it represents. Now more than ever, we must remember America’s great and complex history, and reflect on what our country means to all who live here, and to people across the world.

  Many of us fly our flag in support of our nation and the troops that fight to protect us all. Today and every day, I am praying for all the brave men and women who are fighting, and those who have paid the ultimate price, to protect America’s freedom.

  As a Member of Congress, I am able to arrange for an American flag to be flown over the United States Capitol for those who live in the 19th District of Texas. Flags may be flown on any day of the year and for special occasions such as a birthday, a retirement, an Eagle Scout award and many others. Please visit my website to learn how to order a U.S. Flag from my office.

  And to learn more on flag protocol, such as properly flying the flag or disposing of a worn flag, please click here.
   

• Science Hearing on EPA's Impact on Jobs and Energy Affordability

  Today, the House Science Committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee held a hearing to examine the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) impact on jobs and energy affordability. We evaluated the costs and benefits of federal environmental regulations, as well as the science behind EPA’s justifications. The Obama Administration continues to place greater burdens on individuals and small businesses, resulting in higher energy costs for consumers while offering questionable environmental benefits. Read more from the hearing memo by clicking here.

  EPA’s regulatory onslaught is stifling energy production throughout the United States and making it more difficult for hard-working Americans to find jobs.

  House Republicans have a solution to this problem: reduce the number of regulations coming out of government agencies like the EPA. As a former small business owner in Lubbock, I know the impact of unnecessary red tape from the federal government and how it hinders effective work. Small businesses, communities and individuals must have the freedom and ability to contribute to a growing economy. I am opposed to any legislation that places greater regulatory burdens on the backs of West Texans, and I look forward to continuing to shed more light on the harmful effects that the EPA’s actions have had on jobs, energy and families in our country.

• Older Entries

• Home
• About Randy
• Our District
• Constituent Services
• Issues
• Newsroom
• Contact Randy

© 2013 All rights reserved.