This past week in Congress we continued to focus on taking the necessary steps to help foster a better environment for job creation for the people of the Fifth District by shrinking the size and scope of the federal government, reducing unnecessary regulations, working to lower energy costs, and cutting spending.
I was proud to co-sponsor and support H.R. 910, the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011, which passed the House last week. H.R. 910 permanently prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing a cap-and-trade regulatory agenda under the Clean Air Act. Preventing the EPA from implementing a backdoor national energy tax that will raise gas prices for families and small businesses and destroy jobs is just one more action taken by House Republicans to remove the barriers to job growth and get our economy back on track.
In addition to H.R. 910, I signed on as an original co-sponsor of Congressman Goodlatte’s “Virginia Access to Energy Act,” to allow for energy exploration off of the coast of Virginia. I believe that if we want to see sustainable job growth and a long term economic recovery for Central and Southside Virginia and our nation, we must continue to support a comprehensive energy approach that seeks to keep costs low while increasing our domestic supply so that we can achieve true energy independence.
The budgets for both this fiscal year and the next were another focus of Congress this past week. While the last Congress failed to pass a budget, and the current Democrat-controlled Senate and White House remain steadfast in their commitment to maintaining the spending status quo, House Republicans have and will continue to consistently and diligently work to return fiscal discipline and restraint to Washington to help restore certainty to the market place so that our employers will have the confidence necessary to hire and expand.
With our nation facing a $14 trillion debt, $1.6 trillion in deficit spending, and borrowing over 40 cents on every dollar it spends, it is critical that we put an end to the reckless, unchecked spending that threatens to bankrupt our country and stall our economic growth. I look forward to reviewing the details of the budget proposals as we work to get our fiscal house in order to reduce the debt, grow the economy, and create jobs for all Fifth District Virginians.
If you need any additional information on these or any other issues, please visit my website at http://hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434)-395-0120.
Robert Hurt represents the Fifth District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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