Post by queenbee on Mar 4, 2008 14:46:10 GMT -4
Dear Friends,
I want to share with you my February 2008 e-newsletter. It is because of your correspondence that I am sending this email in order to keep you updated. Should you have additional concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Respectfully,
Nathan
Economic Stimulus Plan is Signed into Law
As you may know, the economic growth package which was signed by the President earlier this month will attempt to inject over $152 billion into the U.S. economy in an effort to curb the impending threat of an economic downturn. Coined as being “timely, targeted, and temporary,” this immediate boost in available cash aims to stimulate consumer demand for goods and services, thus increasing the demand for domestic labor. Several provisions were contained in the final package in an attempt to achieve this effect, including rebate checks, business tax incentives to make capital investment more appealing this year, as well as an increase in the maximum amount for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. A provision which provides benefits for qualifying Social Security beneficiaries and Veterans was not included in the original House-passed measure, but was ultimately included in the final Senate Amendment. I was pleased to see this change.
I certainly agree that money should be put back into the hands of hardworking Americans, but I feel that other measures should be considered for a permanent fix. As evidenced by the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, decreasing the tax burden on the American people can have a profound affect on the U.S. economy. I was disappointed that these cuts were not made permanent by H.R. 5140, a move which would have a lasting positive impact on families and businesses across the nation. Additionally, I am concerned about the addition of $170 billion in deficit spending with no guarantee that this stimulus plan will achieve the anticipated result of curbing an economic downturn. If this strategy should fail, we may find ourselves in a more precarious situation than we are currently experiencing. For these reasons, I joined the Georgia Republican Delegation in opposing this measure as it was ultimately considered in the House. Despite my opposition, this legislation passed the House and was subsequently signed into law on February 13, 2008.
“Protect America Act” Allowed to Expire
The aim of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program is to detect, warn and prevent terrorist attacks. The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which addresses electronic foreign surveillance, requires review by federal judges before conducting warrantless searches. The “Protect America Act”, which passed with bipartisan support in August 2007, modernized FISA to give intelligence professionals tools they need to gather information about our enemies, while protecting American civil liberties. On February 12, 2008, the Senate passed with bipartisan support S.2248, the “FISA Amendments Act of 2007” which extends the “Protect America Act” before its expiration on Feb 16, 2008.
Despite overwhelming pressure from both Republicans and Democrats in the House to consider the Senate passed bill before the expiration of the “Protect America Act”, Democratic House leadership continually stalled and finally refused consideration of the bill. Consequently, on February 14, 2008, I joined my House Republican colleagues in exiting the House chamber in protest of this refusal. House Democrats mistakenly believe our national security is not undermined by allowing the “Protect America Act” to expire, despite respected intelligence officials and experts agreeing that they are dangerously wrong. The Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, told a Senate panel “that half of what we know comes from electronic surveillance, and the outdated Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act had degraded those intercepts by two-thirds.”
It is my view that if a terrorist calls someone in the United States, we want our intelligence community to have both the tools and the authority they need to listen. I will continue to follow this issue closely and work to urge House Democratic leaders to allow us to vote on the Bipartisan Senate Foreign Surveillance Bill.
Corps of Engineers Instructed to Update Water Control Manuals
As you may know, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren took a positive step forward in early February in resolving our current drought situation, by announcing that work will soon begin on the update to both Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) water control manuals. I am encouraged to see that this process, which could take as long as three years to successfully complete, is now being actively pursued. This long overdue update represents a fundamental component of getting our current water situation under control and establishing a long-term plan for water resources throughout our area.
Additionally, as you know, I have introduced legislation that would alleviate the current water crisis by allowing states suffering from droughts to be exempt temporarily from the Endangered Species Act, which in Georgia is threatening our low water supply by taking away large amounts of water from north Georgia and sending it downstream to protect mussels and sturgeon in Florida. Specifically, the bill, H.R. 3847 would amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to allow a state to be exempt from the Act when the Secretary of the Army or a Governor declares that drought conditions are threatening the health, safety and welfare of residents in a region served by a river basin managed by the federal government. I am proud to have the support of the entire Georgia Delegation as cosponsors of H.R. 3847.
The FY2009 Appropriations Process and the President’s Budget Proposal
The President submitted his 2009 budget proposal to Congress this month which included both policy proposals and appropriation suggestions for consideration. If you are familiar with the Federal budget process, then you know that each year, Congress has the opportunity to consider the budget suggested by the President and then set its discretionary budget for the year. A large portion of Federal expenditures is mandatory, set in current law, and does not change without the changing of law. The remainder of the federal budget is open to yearly changes by legislators. In deciding which projects to pursue and fund with taxpayer dollars, we must carefully define our priorities, and attempt to find places where waste, fraud, and abuse are occurring. Congress is always faced with many difficult decisions during the appropriations process. It is imperative that we keep government spending in check by ensuring that we do not spend more than we take in each year.
As you may know, House Republicans reached a conference-wide agreement during the GOP Retreat earlier this year to lead new efforts in the area of earmark reform. Republicans responded to the call of concerned taxpayers and adopted strict, self-imposed guidelines to serve as a voluntary first step towards meaningful earmark reform. After a year tainted by numerous questionable earmark requests in 2007, House Republicans have pledged to increase transparency of all earmark proposals which they may submit, requiring entities who request federal funding to incorporate a detailed finance plan which will be published in the Congressional Record for public scrutiny. Furthermore, House GOP Members have established a moratorium on projects named after a sitting Member of Congress. You may be familiar with one project request in particular, the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service in New York City, which was introduced by Congressman Rangel, which highlighted the need for this moratorium. In addition, Republicans will prohibit ‘airdrops’, which are requests not included in a House or Senate Bill prior to being added to Conference Report language, as well as ‘fronts’ and ‘pass-through’ entities which largely funnel taxpayer dollars to other undisclosed entities. Recognizing the need for all-encompassing reform, House Republicans have also pledged to hold the Bush Administration to these guidelines.
My Colleagues and I are hopeful that this practice will serve as a call to action for every Member of Congress to take it upon themselves to help revise the earmarking practice which has become the symbol of a broken Washington. In addition to the reforms highlighted above, I will also be including copies of all project requests on my website for your review. I will include the letters which I receive from those requesting consideration, as well as my letter to the Committee on Appropriations endorsing a particular proposal. I will only be making requests for state, county, or local government projects. As the Appropriations request deadline of March 19th approaches, please visit my website for a detailed list of projects located in the Ninth District.
Private Johnathon Millican Lula Post Office
On February 12th, I was proud to join my constituents of Lula in passing legislation which I introduced, H.R. 3532, designating the Post Office facility in Lula, Georgia as the “Private Johnathon Millican Lula Post Office.” Twenty year-old Pvt. First Class Millican was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division of Fort Richardson, Alaska who lost his life in service to our country in Karbala, Iraq on January 20, 2007. Pvt. First Class Millican was off duty in a communications room talking with his wife when the attackers fired several rounds into the room and one of them tossed in a concussion grenade. Courageously, he covered the grenade with his body, attempting to protect his comrades from the enemy intrusion. Private First Class Johnathon Millican was later awarded the Silver Star Medal of Honor for his courage, valor, and dedication for his fellow soldiers. Pvt. First Class Millican attended Lula Elementary, East Hall Middle and East Hall High School prior to moving to Locust Grove, Alabama and enlisting in the Army. This honor will serve as a lasting reminder of the true recognition that is deserving of a fallen hometown hero who sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. I will be working with my Colleagues in the Senate to proceed with passage through the other Chamber, which is our next step through the legislative process.
Sergeant Jason Harkins Cleveland Post Office
I was also proud to introduce and pass legislation, H.R. 3936, which designates the Post Office facility in Cleveland, Georgia as the “Sergeant Jason Harkins Post Office Building.” While serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, twenty-five year old Sergeant Harkins was killed by a roadside bomb, along with five other members of his platoon, during combat operations in Baqubah, Iraq. For his valiant service to our country, Sergeant Harkins’ family was later presented the Bronze Star Award and the Purple Heart.
Born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Sergeant Harkins was a 1999 graduate of Habersham Central High School, served three years in the U.S. Army Reserves and was currently serving with the Striker Brigade based at Fort Lewis when the attack occurred. On February 28th, the House voted unanimously by a vote of
400 – 0 in favor of this designation. I will continue to work with Members of the Senate to ensure its quick passage and ultimate signing into law.
I want to share with you my February 2008 e-newsletter. It is because of your correspondence that I am sending this email in order to keep you updated. Should you have additional concerns, please feel free to contact me.
Respectfully,
Nathan
Economic Stimulus Plan is Signed into Law
As you may know, the economic growth package which was signed by the President earlier this month will attempt to inject over $152 billion into the U.S. economy in an effort to curb the impending threat of an economic downturn. Coined as being “timely, targeted, and temporary,” this immediate boost in available cash aims to stimulate consumer demand for goods and services, thus increasing the demand for domestic labor. Several provisions were contained in the final package in an attempt to achieve this effect, including rebate checks, business tax incentives to make capital investment more appealing this year, as well as an increase in the maximum amount for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. A provision which provides benefits for qualifying Social Security beneficiaries and Veterans was not included in the original House-passed measure, but was ultimately included in the final Senate Amendment. I was pleased to see this change.
I certainly agree that money should be put back into the hands of hardworking Americans, but I feel that other measures should be considered for a permanent fix. As evidenced by the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, decreasing the tax burden on the American people can have a profound affect on the U.S. economy. I was disappointed that these cuts were not made permanent by H.R. 5140, a move which would have a lasting positive impact on families and businesses across the nation. Additionally, I am concerned about the addition of $170 billion in deficit spending with no guarantee that this stimulus plan will achieve the anticipated result of curbing an economic downturn. If this strategy should fail, we may find ourselves in a more precarious situation than we are currently experiencing. For these reasons, I joined the Georgia Republican Delegation in opposing this measure as it was ultimately considered in the House. Despite my opposition, this legislation passed the House and was subsequently signed into law on February 13, 2008.
“Protect America Act” Allowed to Expire
The aim of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program is to detect, warn and prevent terrorist attacks. The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which addresses electronic foreign surveillance, requires review by federal judges before conducting warrantless searches. The “Protect America Act”, which passed with bipartisan support in August 2007, modernized FISA to give intelligence professionals tools they need to gather information about our enemies, while protecting American civil liberties. On February 12, 2008, the Senate passed with bipartisan support S.2248, the “FISA Amendments Act of 2007” which extends the “Protect America Act” before its expiration on Feb 16, 2008.
Despite overwhelming pressure from both Republicans and Democrats in the House to consider the Senate passed bill before the expiration of the “Protect America Act”, Democratic House leadership continually stalled and finally refused consideration of the bill. Consequently, on February 14, 2008, I joined my House Republican colleagues in exiting the House chamber in protest of this refusal. House Democrats mistakenly believe our national security is not undermined by allowing the “Protect America Act” to expire, despite respected intelligence officials and experts agreeing that they are dangerously wrong. The Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, told a Senate panel “that half of what we know comes from electronic surveillance, and the outdated Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act had degraded those intercepts by two-thirds.”
It is my view that if a terrorist calls someone in the United States, we want our intelligence community to have both the tools and the authority they need to listen. I will continue to follow this issue closely and work to urge House Democratic leaders to allow us to vote on the Bipartisan Senate Foreign Surveillance Bill.
Corps of Engineers Instructed to Update Water Control Manuals
As you may know, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren took a positive step forward in early February in resolving our current drought situation, by announcing that work will soon begin on the update to both Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) water control manuals. I am encouraged to see that this process, which could take as long as three years to successfully complete, is now being actively pursued. This long overdue update represents a fundamental component of getting our current water situation under control and establishing a long-term plan for water resources throughout our area.
Additionally, as you know, I have introduced legislation that would alleviate the current water crisis by allowing states suffering from droughts to be exempt temporarily from the Endangered Species Act, which in Georgia is threatening our low water supply by taking away large amounts of water from north Georgia and sending it downstream to protect mussels and sturgeon in Florida. Specifically, the bill, H.R. 3847 would amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to allow a state to be exempt from the Act when the Secretary of the Army or a Governor declares that drought conditions are threatening the health, safety and welfare of residents in a region served by a river basin managed by the federal government. I am proud to have the support of the entire Georgia Delegation as cosponsors of H.R. 3847.
The FY2009 Appropriations Process and the President’s Budget Proposal
The President submitted his 2009 budget proposal to Congress this month which included both policy proposals and appropriation suggestions for consideration. If you are familiar with the Federal budget process, then you know that each year, Congress has the opportunity to consider the budget suggested by the President and then set its discretionary budget for the year. A large portion of Federal expenditures is mandatory, set in current law, and does not change without the changing of law. The remainder of the federal budget is open to yearly changes by legislators. In deciding which projects to pursue and fund with taxpayer dollars, we must carefully define our priorities, and attempt to find places where waste, fraud, and abuse are occurring. Congress is always faced with many difficult decisions during the appropriations process. It is imperative that we keep government spending in check by ensuring that we do not spend more than we take in each year.
As you may know, House Republicans reached a conference-wide agreement during the GOP Retreat earlier this year to lead new efforts in the area of earmark reform. Republicans responded to the call of concerned taxpayers and adopted strict, self-imposed guidelines to serve as a voluntary first step towards meaningful earmark reform. After a year tainted by numerous questionable earmark requests in 2007, House Republicans have pledged to increase transparency of all earmark proposals which they may submit, requiring entities who request federal funding to incorporate a detailed finance plan which will be published in the Congressional Record for public scrutiny. Furthermore, House GOP Members have established a moratorium on projects named after a sitting Member of Congress. You may be familiar with one project request in particular, the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service in New York City, which was introduced by Congressman Rangel, which highlighted the need for this moratorium. In addition, Republicans will prohibit ‘airdrops’, which are requests not included in a House or Senate Bill prior to being added to Conference Report language, as well as ‘fronts’ and ‘pass-through’ entities which largely funnel taxpayer dollars to other undisclosed entities. Recognizing the need for all-encompassing reform, House Republicans have also pledged to hold the Bush Administration to these guidelines.
My Colleagues and I are hopeful that this practice will serve as a call to action for every Member of Congress to take it upon themselves to help revise the earmarking practice which has become the symbol of a broken Washington. In addition to the reforms highlighted above, I will also be including copies of all project requests on my website for your review. I will include the letters which I receive from those requesting consideration, as well as my letter to the Committee on Appropriations endorsing a particular proposal. I will only be making requests for state, county, or local government projects. As the Appropriations request deadline of March 19th approaches, please visit my website for a detailed list of projects located in the Ninth District.
Private Johnathon Millican Lula Post Office
On February 12th, I was proud to join my constituents of Lula in passing legislation which I introduced, H.R. 3532, designating the Post Office facility in Lula, Georgia as the “Private Johnathon Millican Lula Post Office.” Twenty year-old Pvt. First Class Millican was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division of Fort Richardson, Alaska who lost his life in service to our country in Karbala, Iraq on January 20, 2007. Pvt. First Class Millican was off duty in a communications room talking with his wife when the attackers fired several rounds into the room and one of them tossed in a concussion grenade. Courageously, he covered the grenade with his body, attempting to protect his comrades from the enemy intrusion. Private First Class Johnathon Millican was later awarded the Silver Star Medal of Honor for his courage, valor, and dedication for his fellow soldiers. Pvt. First Class Millican attended Lula Elementary, East Hall Middle and East Hall High School prior to moving to Locust Grove, Alabama and enlisting in the Army. This honor will serve as a lasting reminder of the true recognition that is deserving of a fallen hometown hero who sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. I will be working with my Colleagues in the Senate to proceed with passage through the other Chamber, which is our next step through the legislative process.
Sergeant Jason Harkins Cleveland Post Office
I was also proud to introduce and pass legislation, H.R. 3936, which designates the Post Office facility in Cleveland, Georgia as the “Sergeant Jason Harkins Post Office Building.” While serving his second tour of duty in Iraq, twenty-five year old Sergeant Harkins was killed by a roadside bomb, along with five other members of his platoon, during combat operations in Baqubah, Iraq. For his valiant service to our country, Sergeant Harkins’ family was later presented the Bronze Star Award and the Purple Heart.
Born in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Sergeant Harkins was a 1999 graduate of Habersham Central High School, served three years in the U.S. Army Reserves and was currently serving with the Striker Brigade based at Fort Lewis when the attack occurred. On February 28th, the House voted unanimously by a vote of
400 – 0 in favor of this designation. I will continue to work with Members of the Senate to ensure its quick passage and ultimate signing into law.