|
Washington Wrap Up:
Rebooting The System, Restoring Checks and Balances: Last week, the House finished its legislative session for 2013. Before business wrapped up, the House passed a bipartisan budget agreement that I view as a small step in the right direction. It doesn't go far enough fast enough, but it does take the potential of a government shutdown off the table.
This agreement also returns the "power of the purse" back to Congress, which is extremely important because it provides a very important check against executive powers and returns the system of checks and balances to its rightful place.
The Senate passed the deal this week without modifications and it now heads to President Obama's desk for his signature. However, even with the budget agreement in place, America's long-term problems remain and must be addressed using long-term solutions. I stand ready to make the difficult decisions that lie ahead. We owe it to the next generation to achieve serious and substantial spending reforms that improve America's fiscal future.
Research - Battling Children's Cancer & Other Childhood Ailments: The House also took bipartisan action to pass the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act. This legislation ensures federal funding is put toward many pediatric diseases and disorders such as autism, Fragile X syndrome, juvenile diabetes, Down syndrome and countless other rare conditions. You can watch CNN's remarkable and touching back story on the legislation HERE.
House Action on Jobs - A Closer Look: This week a new "Jobs Tracker" was released explaining what legislative steps the House has taken to foster job creation and boost economic growth. The plan focuses on the following areas: energy independence, education & opportunity, eliminating red tape, and making government more efficient and more effective. There are dozens of House-passed jobs bills collecting dust in the Senate. You can learn more about the bills HERE.
In fact, you can see all of the legislation passed by the House that has not been acted on by the Senate, as well as the legislation sent to President Obama for his signature HERE.
In The Second District:
The last month has been busy around West Michigan.
On November 22nd I held a town hall in Muskegon Heights. About 50 people turned out for it and we covered everything from ObamaCare to the philosophical divide in Washington. Be sure to stay tuned for future town hall events in your area!
On November 26th, my family and I joined the team at 103.7 The Beat in Muskegon for a Thanksgiving Food Drive to make the holidays just a little brighter for those in need.
The next day, I had the opportunity to tour EBW Electronics in Holland Township. EBW is one of the nation's leading LED panel manufacturers. The Holland Sentinel has more on EBW's success story HERE.
On December 11th, I sent President Obama a letter to discuss the impact of ObamaCare on West Michigan and some of the alternatives to the law put forward by my colleagues and me. You can read the letter HERE.
Monday morning I addressed the West Coast Chamber of Commerce in Holland and discussed the Budget, ObamaCare, and steps the Republican-led House has taken to grow the economy and boost private sector job creation.
On Tuesday, I met with students at Covenant Christian High School and Zeeland West. It's great to see the next generation get engaged on the issues facing our leaders and communities today. The topics of discussion varied from the debt and deficit spending to Asian Carp and the role of Congress.
Last night, my son and I were in downtown Holland saying hi to folks who were finishing up their shopping outside Sandcastle Toy Shop and ringing the bell for the Salvation Army.
Michigan Minute:
Informative Reads:
- Politifact: "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it" rated "lie of the year"
- Gallup: Record high in U.S. say "Big Government" poses greatest threat
- Detroit Free Press: Editorial: Ruling sets stage for a long overdue review of NSA surveillance
As 2013 comes to a close, I want to thank you for signing up for my newsletter. I hope you have found it informative and insightful. And from my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
|
