Columns
For more than a year I have worked with agriculture groups, producers across Nebraska and my colleagues in Congress to pass a responsible long-term Farm Bill. Like many others, I am frustrated and disappointed by the failure to come to an agreement, and I believe both parties bear some responsibility for not getting a bill passed.
The successful 1996 welfare reform law passed by a Republican Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton is a model of bipartisan cooperation and a rare example of divided government achieving a major accomplishment. The law created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program, providing states funds for welfare checks, but also contains strong work requirements to help recipients find and keep jobs rather than become dependent on government aid.
The House of Representatives returns from the August District Work Period this week with several items left to accomplish during the short amount of time before the November elections.
Every August, Congress adjourns for five weeks to give lawmakers a chance to spend an extended period of time in their districts. This time is especially valuable in a district as geographically diverse as the Third District as it provides an opportunity to travel throughout the district, meet with Nebraskans, answer questions, and, most importantly, listen to your thoughts and concerns on the issues facing our country.
Congress has debated a new five-year Farm Bill for much of the last year, but despite some progress, we have yet to reach a final agreement. When Congress returns to Washington next month, I will continue working with my House colleagues from both parties to pass a responsible, long-term bill.
As I have been traveling through Nebraska’s Third District during the August work period, I am reminded about the fiscal situation facing our country. I hear from Nebraskans concerned about the future of Medicare and whether it will continue to be effective in the future.
The controversial Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate requiring employers to cover the full cost of contraceptives, sterilizations, and abortion-inducing drugs took effect on August 1, 2012. The requirement, a result of the President’s health care law, has caused strong opposition because it forces some religious organizations to violate their beliefs, infringing on their constitutional right to religious freedom. Furthermore, it limits consumer choice by mandating what services must be covered by insurance plans.
Current tax rates are set to expire at the end of the year, resulting in the largest tax increase in American history. This economic calamity, known as “Taxmegeddon” or the “Fiscal Cliff,” could not come at a worse time for taxpayers.
The latest economic data confirms unacceptably low levels of growth, and the national unemployment rate has remained above 8 percent for 42 months in a row. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found failing to prevent this fiscal cliff would result in a recession in early 2013.
America’s relationship with Russia is complex. Russia is currently the world’s ninth largest economy and growing. In 2011 alone, Nebraska exported $154 million worth of goods to Russia, which directly supported an estimated 560 jobs here at home. However, I and many others remain concerned regarding Russia’s recent behavior and trading policies.
America’s economy is stagnant and showing few signs of growth. The private sector is being strangled by government regulation, an overly-complex and uncompetitive tax code, and uncertainty generated by the threat of tax increases, an onerous health care law, and the ever expanding national debt.