Warner proposals on transit safety, development incorporated into Senate bill
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle in passing legislation out of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs to make improvements to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s public transportation programs.
The legislation included new safety standards championed by Sen. Warner in the wake of a fatal 2009 Metro accident, and incorporates Senator Warner’s legislation authorizing grants for localities to promote transit-oriented development.
The bill passed on Thursday includes critical provisions aimed at establishing minimum performance standards for public transportation systems, strengthening enforcement powers and providing states with resources for training and oversight. It draws on legislation that Senator Warner introduced earlier this Congress with Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Read more
Andy Schmookler: People Power
One of my campaign slogans is “Let’s show how People Power can defeat the Money Power.” The issue of money in politics was the topic of the first piece I wrote that appeared in national media. This was back in the 1970s.
There is hardly a policy issue more central to defining what America will be.
Will we be true to the democratic vision, in which every citizen is entitled to an equal say in determining our destiny as a nation? Or will the inequalities of wealth our economy produces be allowed to corrode that democratic sense of justice, and effectively put our government up for auction? Read more
Bill Clifford: Your vote vs. their money
Career politicians in the U.S. Congress are quick to reach out to voters around election time. This is natural since it is the voters who will determine who gets elected. However, these politicians are continuously reaching out to special interests who supply the large amounts of money needed to run a successful campaign. So, the voters supply the votes and the special interests supply the money.
The problem here is that the voters and the special interests are different groups with different expectations. Voters expect politicians to represent the country and their local district. Special interests expect favors for themselves and their companies. Voters never have enough money to get the attention of members of Congress after the election. Read more
Robert Hurt: American solutions for job creation
The recent December unemployment report provides welcome news that more jobs were created last month at a time when so many are struggling. And while signifying a step in the right direction nationally, the simple fact remains that there are still too many in Central and Southside Virginia out of work, and there is still much that is yet to be done as we begin the second session of the 112th Congress.
The House has shown that there are bipartisan solutions to our jobs crisis, and now we need the Senate to act. Over the past year, we have been fully focused on promoting pro-growth measures that would stimulate the economy and provide an environment for job creators to hire and expand. And in the new year, I remain committed to promoting policies that facilitate job growth so that we can get our economy back on track and create jobs in Central and Southside Virginia. Read more
Frank Knapp Jr.: The Corporate Attorneys Full Employment Act
Congress is considering a proposal that portends to offer commonsense rules to affect how federal agencies analyze costs and benefits. Instead it will be disastrous to taxpayers, small and mid-sized businesses and the country as a whole.
The Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011 (RAA), which passed in the U.S. House, provides extensively detailed procedures for agencies in promulgating regulations that are projected to have a minimum effect of at least $100 million on the U.S. economy.
However, a thorough reading of the proposal leads to three conclusions. First, it will likely drive up the cost of almost every rule-making process and budget of a federal agency. Second, federally elected officials will be stripped of their ability to responsibly lead our country. And third, it’s a highway to never-ending lawsuits by special interests against the federal government. Read more
Andy Schmookler: American Values and the Christmas Season
Holidays offer us a chance to put our usual pursuits aside. But often, also, holidays provide a light to illuminate the meaning of our usual pursuits. So it is with this Christmas season and with our efforts to meet the challenge of the present crisis in America.
Over the generations, the holiday of Christmas has become deeply woven into American culture, expressing both the nature of our country and its ideals. Aside from the commercialization of the holiday, which of course reflects an important part of what America is about, there are also the deep moral values that gain expression in America during the Christmas season. Read more
GOP leaders call out Kaine on health-care reform
Fifth District Congressman Robert Hurt joined a pair of Virginia state legislators Thursday in an effort to paint Democratic Senate candidate Tim Kaine as a loyal Barack Obama ally.
“The president’s health-care law has produced devastating effects for Fifth District Virginians and all Americans since passage. It has expanded the size of the federal government, imposed billions of dollars of new taxes on small businesses and individuals, and perpetuated an economy of stalled job creation at a time when far too many Fifth District Virginians are out of work,” said Hurt, who narrowly won election in a tough 2010 race with then-incumbent Tom Perriello and will face his first re-election battle in November 2012.
Hurt joined State Del. John Cox and State Sen. Steve Martin on a conference call arranged by the George Allen Senate campaign that was big on the use of the word “Obamacare.”
“Obamacare has placed a significant burden on America’s already struggling economy, hampering our small businesses freedom to invest and grow their companies,” said Cox, R-Hanover.
“I am convinced that Obamacare represents not only a threat to the health care community, but a threat to our economy as well. With unemployment stuck at above 8 percent for months on end, Obamacare is yet another impediment to job growth in a weak economy,” Martin said.
Hurt backs effort to tighten sanctions on Iran
Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Va.) today released the following statement after the Iran Threat Reduction Act passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support by a vote of 410-11. Congressman Hurt is a cosponsor of this measure.
“It is clear that Iran poses a great national security threat to our nation, our allies, and our interests. And as Iran inches dangerously close to nuclear capability, we must take proactive measures to enforce policies that will not only deter, but completely disengage the Iranian regime from its hostile nuclear proliferation program. This legislation does just that by taking aim at its primary source of funding, its energy sector – adding more rigorous financial and energy sanctions, including a provision that would allow sanctions on those that conduct business in Iran’s petroleum industry. As the Iranian nuclear threats continue to evolve, so should the United States’ ability to address those threats. And this legislation will allow us to proactively preserve our security both at home in the Fifth District and across this country.”
H.R. 1905 was introduced by the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and allows the United States to take further steps to impose more comprehensive financial and energy sanctions, as well as close loopholes in current sanction law so that we may deter Iranian nuclear proliferation efforts.
Former congressional candidate announces run for mayor in Roanoke
After several years of focusing on his family, small-business owner and CFO of Kissito Healthcare, Sam Rasoul, has decided to run for mayor of Roanoke. Raised in the Roanoke Valley, Rasoul would like to contribute more to an area that has blessed him with so much.
“We are putting the campaign together now, and we will be making a formal announcement at the beginning of the year,” said Rasoul, who fell short in a campaign for the Sixth District congressional seat in 2008
Rasoul’s campaign will center on several priorities including job creation through economic development, limiting wasteful spending, and education. A small-business owner, Rasoul believes more can be done to make Roanoke a formidable regional player to attract more jobs. With cuts looming in Richmond and Washington, Rasoul believe his financial background will help him work with other members of city council, and other local entities to maximize our resources to stimulate the region. Read more
Joseph Meyer: Small-business owners and Main Street–don’t forget about us
With voting in the Republican primaries around the corner and with unemployment still high, it has become evident that 2012 will be a big year for small-business owners. Both as a voting block and as the economic engine of America, small businesses will have a lot to say and a lot of power in the ballot box.
Today small-business owners and entrepreneurs are the job-creation engine of America, employing more than half of America’s workers and creating more than 60% of all new jobs over the past 15 years. If small businesses are so important to our local and national economies, then why do so many small businesses and Main Street owners face uncertainty in today’s economic climate? The reality is that most small businesses lackease of access to capital and as a result are unable to grow their businesses and hire new workers. Small businesses are facing uncertainty that will linger into 2012. Read more
Hurt comments on House passage of farm-dust legislation
Congressman Robert Hurt (R-VA) released the following statement after the House voted Thursday to approve the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633), a bipartisan bill that he co-authored with Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD). H.R. 1633 was passed the House by a vote of 268-150 and will now be reported to the Senate:
“I am pleased to see the Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act (H.R. 1633) was approved by the full House today with bipartisan support, and it is my hope that our colleagues in the Senate will recognize the importance of providing regulatory relief to our job creators and take action on this legislation to do so.
“Over the past three years, the American entrepreneurial spirit has been crippled by federal government regulations, resulting in millions of Americans out of work, and many businesses closing their doors. At a time when too many Central and Southside Virginians are struggling to find jobs, we must continue to promote policies that will remove the federal government as a barrier to job creation in order to foster an economic environment that both provides an opportunity for job creators to hire and incentivizes them to expand.
“The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act gets to the root of this problem by removing the federal government from the business of over-regulating. This legislation provides us with a step forward to getting our economy back on track by providing immediate relief to farmers and rural areas through preventing more stringent, job-crushing dust standards from being implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). By passing this legislation, the House has taken one more step toward our goal of creating certainty for our job creators, removing the roadblocks posed by excessive regulations, and getting our economy back on track so that our small business owners can get back to creating the jobs that Central and Southside Virginians and all Americans need and deserve.”
Robert Hurt: Fixing a broken budget system
Posted by afp on February 6, 2012 · Leave a Comment
Though Congress is legally required to pass a budget each fiscal year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the Senate would not allow a vote on a fiscal year 2013 budget resolution – marking the third straight year that the Senate has abdicated its legislative duties and not passed a budget. Read more
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with budget, congress, federal budget, robert hurt