Thursday, January 31, 2013

instaPoll: Do you support the Senate plan for immigration reform?

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 

On Monday, a bipartisan group of eight Senators proposed a framework for comprehensive immigration reform. The proposal would provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants currently in the United States contingent on increased border security and work site verification systems that allow employers to check the status of their employees online.  Proponents of the plan argue that providing an amnesty process for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants now living in the country is the only reasonable approach to handling the millions of individuals in our country, many of which are working and contributing to the community in which they live.  Opponents of the plan argue that legalizing those who are in the country illegally will costs taxpayers millions of dollars in increased government benefits, decrease jobs available for American workers, and encourage more illegal immigration. They further argue that the presence of millions of unauthorized residents is evidence of inadequacies in the legal immigration system, as well as failures to enforce immigration control policies and laws; factors that must be addressed in order to prevent future illegal immigration.  

President Obama, who has said he welcomes the Senators' proposal, released his own immigration reform plan, which is largely similar to the plan offered by the Senators. 

Read more about Congressman Forbes' views on immigration here.

Question of the week: Do you support the Senate plan for immigration reform?

( ) Yes
( ) No
( ) I don't know
( ) Other


Take the Poll here.

Find the results of last week's InstaPoll here


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Friday, January 25, 2013

instaPoll: As the 113th Congress begins, which three issues do you believe are most critical for Congress to address?

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 

On Monday, President Obama presented his vision for the next four years during his second inaugural address, in which he outlined an agenda that prioritized commitments to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, immigration reform, gun control, climate policy, and same-sex marriage. Congressional Republicans are focused on creating job growth, providing a strong national defense, balancing the federal budget, and making Medicare and Social Security sustainable. As the President and his Administration start their new term and as Congress begins anew, the legislative process is ensnared in philosophical gridlock and finding common ground on priorities will be paramount.

Question of the Week: As the 113th Congress begins, which three issues do you believe are most critical for Congress to address?

( ) Amnesty - Expanding paths to citizenship for illegal aliens

( ) Crime - Addressing crime in our schools and communities

( ) Economy - Strengthening small businesses and spurring economic growth by reducing federal regulations

( ) Education - Strengthening our educational system

( ) Energy - Reducing environmental regulations and increasing domestic energy to reduce dependence on foreign oil

( ) Environment - Taking actions to preserve the environment through regulation and investments in clean energy

( ) Health Care - Reducing health care costs and protecting the doctor-patient relationship

( ) Illegal Immigration - Enhancing border security and enforcing existing laws combating illegal immigration

( ) National Security - Preserving a strong national defense and averting sequestration cuts that threaten military jobs

( ) Same-Sex Marriage - Expanding the definition of marriage to include couples of the same gender

( ) Second Amendment - Protecting the constitutional right to keep and bear arms

( ) Seniors - Protecting critical programs for seniors such as Medicare and Social Security

( ) Social Services - Protecting the most vulnerable through access to social service programs

( ) Spending - Taking serious action to reduce government spending

( ) Taxes - Reducing taxes and simplifying the tax code

( ) Traditional Values - Preserving religious freedoms, traditional marriage, and sanctity of life

( ) Transportation - Rebuilding our nation's aging roads and infrastructure

( ) Veterans - Fulfilling promises to our nation's veterans

( ) I don't know.

( ) Other


Take the Poll here.

Find the results of last week's InstaPoll here.

 

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

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Friday, January 18, 2013

Which viewpoint best represents your views on the debt ceiling?

Congressman Randy Forbes

 
In January of 1995, a constitutional amendment that mandated a balanced budget was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.  Two months later, the balanced budget amendment was brought to the floor of the U.S. Senate where it failed by one vote. Since then, federal debt has more than tripled in size from $5.1 trillion to $16.4 trillion today.  Additionally, since 2007, the debt ceiling has been increased nine times - three of which were a result of the Budget Control Act - without Congressman Forbes' support.

Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution gives Congress the sole power "to borrow money on the credit of the United States."  The United States reached its $16.4 trillion debt ceiling or borrowing limit at the end of 2012.  As a result, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner began a "debt issuance period", in which the U.S. suspended investments in a pair of government retirement funds through February 28, 2013 to tap into approximately $200 billion of emergency borrowing authority.

The Heritage Foundation has argued that the government should use this opportunity to engage in "real-time budgeting" and prioritize federal spending to allocate incoming funds to the government's highest priorities – interest on the debt, national security, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – and then apply the rest to remaining mandatory and discretionary accounts. 

The Center for New American Progress made the case that Congress has an obligation to raise the debt ceiling, as voting to increase the debt limit is "not a vote on how much we will spend or whether we will raise the money to pay for it but rather a vote on whether we will pay our bills."

Congressman Forbes believes that we must make it a priority to put our nation back on a path of fiscal prosperity.  We need to address the deficit and federal spending, but we also need to reform the way in which Congress acts in addressing the fiscal state of our nation.

Question of the week: Which viewpoint best represents your views on the debt ceiling?

( ) I would support a proposal to raise the debt ceiling if it included significant spending cuts.

( ) Congress should oppose an increase in the debt ceiling and allocate incoming funds to the government's highest priorities allowing for default on lower priority obligations.

( ) The U.S. must pay their bills and the debt ceiling should be raised without any negotiations.

( ) I don't know.

( ) Other.

Take the poll here.

Find out the results of last week's instaPoll here.
 
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Friday, January 11, 2013

instaPoll Questions of the Week on Same-sex Marriage

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 

The Supreme Court announced this week that it will hear arguments in late March on two key cases involving same-sex marriage.

The justices have agreed to hear arguments in Hollingsworth v. Perry on the question of whether the U.S. Constitution bars California from limiting marriage to unions of one man and one woman.  Proposition 8, passed by California voters in 2008, re-instated the traditional definition of marriage between a man and a woman.

The Supreme Court will also consider arguments in U.S. v. Windsor on whether the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the U.S. Constitution.  DOMA was enacted in 1996 and defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman for purposes of federal law. Another question before the Court is whether the House of Representatives' Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group* can defend DOMA, even though the Obama Administration deemed the law unconstitutional in 2011.

This week, we're asking you to weigh-in on two questions.

1st Question of the week: Do you believe the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman is constitutional for purposes of federal law?

( ) Yes
( ) No
( ) I don't know.
( ) Other

2nd Question of the week: Who do you believe should define marriage in the United States?
( ) Federal Government
( ) State Governments
( ) I don't know.
( ) Other


Take the poll here.

Find out the results of last week's instaPoll here

*The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group is a five-member panel consisting of the Speaker of the House, Majority Leader, Majority Whip, Minority Leader, and Minority Whip.  Under House rules, the advisory group has the authority to instruct the non-partisan office of the House General Counsel to take legal action on behalf of the House of Representatives.

 

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