E-Newsletters
Jobs, jobs, jobs. That's what Congressional Leadership and the Administration said would be their main focus for 2010. Not surprisingly, however, their policies of higher taxes, runaway spending, record debt, and increased regulation continue to have a chilling effect on the nation's job creators.
As the summer driving season heads toward full swing, we are likely to see high gas prices return. In addition, there is still an oil well in the Gulf that is uncapped. Officials there say that it may take another month before it's fixed. Clearly, we do not have a workable energy plan in this country.
We need to address energy in a comprehensive way that will bring down energy prices and make us less dependent on foreign sources of oil. Part of that solution is to grow our reliance on nuclear power.
New unemployment figures came out this morning. Once again, the unemployment rate has risen; it's now at 9.9%. While the economy did gain jobs, it was not nearly enough to pull us out of the current recession.
Congress should be focused on legislation that will help create jobs. The government does not create jobs, but we can set the table for economic growth with policies that mean less taxation, less regulation and less litigation. Unfortunately that is the opposite of what this administration has done.
This Week
Last week the President stopped in Macon to take a look at one of Missouri's renewable energy plants. Washington has finally taken notice that Missouri is leading the way when it comes to renewable energy.
Here in Missouri's Sixth District we are on the leading edge of renewable energy. Farmers, and the ethanol they produce, are playing a role in reducing our energy costs. We also are leading the way in wind production.
President Obama visited Macon, Missouri this week. Despite my hopes that President Obama would address the concerns of hard-working Missourians during his visit, I was disappointed that he failed to address the staggering jobs losses that were supposed to end with the $862 billion stimulus package passed more than a year ago.
It is important to remember that almost all of us are the children of immigrants. Our parents or grandparents or great- great-great grandparents came to America because it was and still is a land of opportunity. America as a nation is great because of immigration, not in spite of it.
Even today, America continues to welcome immigrants who come here legally. It is not legal immigration that upsets Americans, it is illegal immigration. Our country has become far too tolerant to those who have broken the law.
This week I co-authored a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) that raised concerns about the FEMA flood map modernization process. FEMA is currently updating the nation's Flood Insurance Rate Maps but this process is creating many challenges for many communities, homeowners, small businesses and levee districts in Missouri. I have heard from constituents that there is a lack of coordination between FEMA and USACE in answering questions about flood mapping, flood insurance and flood control infrastructure repairs.
Harry Truman said it's amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. Once again, I have signed onto legislation authored by Heath Shuler, a North Carolina Democrat. I'm not interested in who gets credit for helping stop illegal immigration, I just want it stopped.
The filing deadline for federal taxes passed on Thursday. Every year it reminds me of the need for fundamental tax reform. We need a tax code that is simple, fair and promotes economic growth. While I am a co-sponsor of the Fair Tax, I would support any tax reform plan that meets those goals. We need to make April 15th, just another day.
Legislation:
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It's a lesson that history teachers like to drill into their students. However, in Congress, bad ideas are rarely subjected to a historical review.