E-Newsletters
As many people know, the Boston Marathon is an opportunity for that city – and the entire nation – to welcome the world's elite athletes to our shores. It's a time-honored tradition that represents the best of America. Indeed, this year's Boston Marathon – which occurred on a local holiday known as Patriots' Day, commemorating the anniversary of the American Revolution's first battles – witnessed nearly 27,000 runners from 96 countries.
Welcome to my weekly newsletter. I'd like to note a small change this week. In addition to my weekly column, I am including a list of this month's Mobile Office Hours, where you can meet with a member of my staff in your community. I have always believed you learn more by listening than talking. My priority in Congress is constituent service and the Mobile Office is an additional opportunity for me to stay in contact with the people of the Sixth District.
A budget is a statement of one's priorities. Families have to live within their own budgets; Washington should have to do the same. This week, the president will finally unveil his budget proposal two months late. In President Obama's five years in office, this will be the fourth budget that he has submitted to Congress after the deadline, which is the first Monday in February.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from small businesses is about the regulations coming from Washington. Many of those regulations are implemented without getting input from the small businesses that are affected. A small business owner trying to beat the competition, make payroll and keep the business open may not have time to read proposed rules in Washington.
On Saturday, President Obama's massive health reform law turned three years old. This law isn't about reforming our health care system, it's about a government takeover of the health care industry. So it shouldn't be a surprise that three years later, the law's disastrous consequences continue to be uncovered. Just last week, we learned that ‘some Americans could see their insurance bills double next year,' according to the Associated Press.
America is a nation of immigrants, and we are enriched and strengthened as a nation by our diversity. We are also a nation of laws, and illegal immigration cannot be rewarded with either amnesty or our tax dollars. As your voice in Washington, I support legislative initiatives protecting against unlawful entry into our country, preserving American jobs, and strengthening our national security.
If you have friends or neighbors who are accountants, you may have noticed they are burning the midnight oil right now. It's tax season and many Americans are gathering paperwork and looking for receipts. The tax code has ballooned into a monster that is four times longer than the complete works of William Shakespeare.
Lately, I've noticed store shelves carry an ever increasing variety of energy drinks. They are stocked with every flavor, color, shape and size you might want. I don't know if these drinks actually provide more energy or not. I do know that the United States needs an energy boost, but there is no magic bottle to do it. The only solution is to increase our domestic production.
In the President's Inaugural address, he once again mentioned Cap and Trade. I don't believe you can tax your way to energy independence or to a cleaner environment. This cap and tax system would also be devastating for our economy. I believe the best thing to do is increase our supply of American energy.
Here in Missouri's Sixth District we are helping create American energy. Farmers, and the renewable energy they produce, can play a role in reducing our high energy costs. We also are leading the way in wind production.
We all rely on agriculture at least three times a day. From the milk you enjoy in the morning to the dinner you eat at night, agriculture provides our nourishment each and every day. No matter where you live, your grocery store is filled with produce, fruit, meat and dairy products.