Friday, May 29, 2015

InstaPoll: Defense funding vs. EPA, IRS

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 
This month, the House passed the annual defense policy bill (H.R. 1735), which seeks to maintain current capabilities, prepare for future threats, sustain America's technological advantage in the years ahead, and maintain a stable military balance to deter conflict and secure the interests of the United States and its allies. This bill was overwhelmingly passed by the House Armed Services Committee and later passed by a bipartisan vote on the House floor.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter, however, openly rejected the proposal, calling it a "road to nowhere" at a Senate hearing. Despite the fact that Secretary Carter acknowledged sequestration would be "devastating" for the military and cause a crisis in national defense, he stated his support of the Administration's determination to veto any bill that lifts sequestration from defense, if it does not also lift it from the IRS, EPA, and other federal agencies that are not related to national security. Watch Congressman Forbes questioning Secretary Carter about the impacts of sequestration on national security, here.

Congressman Forbes has warned Secretary Carter that his primary objective, as Secretary of Defense, must be providing our men and women in uniform the resources they need to execute their missions and return home safely – not funding domestic agencies.


Question of the Week: Do you believe it is appropriate for the Secretary of Defense to tie national security funding to funding for agencies like the EPA and IRS?


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


Take the Poll here

Find the results of last week's InstaPoll here.
 
 

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Join Dinesh at FreedomFest 2015





Friday, May 22, 2015

InstaPoll: Duplicative Government Programs

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 

Every year, the government spends billions in duplicative programs. In the first four annual reports issued by The Government Accountability Office (GAO) from 2011 through 2014, 188 areas were identified where opportunities existed for executive branch agencies or Congress to reduce, eliminate, or better manage fragmentation, overlap, or duplication; achieve cost savings; or enhance revenue. Most recently, the GAO's 2015 Annual Report identified 12 new areas of fragmentation, overlap, or duplication in federal programs and activities.

This year, a resolution has been introduced in the House of Representatives aimed at cutting down on duplicative, underutilized, and unnecessary government programs. H.RES.45 requires that, when Congress proposes the creation of a new program or initiative, lawmakers must justify to the American people why the program is necessary and how it adds value, ensuring that it's not duplicative to programs already in place.

Congressman Randy Forbes is a cosponsor of this bill.


Question of the Week
: Do you support H.RES. 45 as a means of cutting down on duplicative government programs?


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


Take the Poll here

Find the results of last week's InstaPoll here.

 
 

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Tuesday, May 19, 2015

VIDEO: Who Should The First Woman President Be?





Friday, May 15, 2015

Being A Political Prisoner In America





InstaPoll: Actions on Immigration

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 

This week, a total of 113 Members of Congress filed an amicus brief with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in support of a continued injunction against the Administration's executive actions on immigration in the case of Texas v. United States. The amicus brief states that the President's deferred action programs for unlawful immigrants are unconstitutional and contrary to Congressional intent. Signers of the brief include Congressman Randy Forbes, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, and Senator Ted Cruz, among others.

In December, numerous states, led by Texas, filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Administration's executive actions on immigration. On February 17, 2015 a federal judge temporarily blocked the unilateral immigration actions. Since then, political appointees at the Justice Department have filed an appeal to lift the injunction. Oral arguments were heard by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on April 17, 2015.


Question of the Week
: Do you support continued actions to halt the Administration's executive actions on immigration?


(  ) 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, May 8, 2015

Jihad Comes To Texas





Thursday, May 7, 2015

InstaPoll: Audit the Fed and DOD

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 

In its 102 year history, the Federal Reserve has never had a complete, independent audit. This is due to the fact that some of its operations are exempt from regular audits.

Congress established the Federal Reserve System in 1913 to add consistency to the economy after a series of financial panics brought instability to the banking industry. Since that point, the Federal Reserve has evolved in its governance and mission. Twice a year, the Federal Reserve Board must report to Congress on the economy and monetary policy in the United States. However, while the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is tasked with regularly reviewing the actions of the Federal Reserve, it is also prohibited under current law from including some information in its review.

Additionally, the Federal Reserve's budget is not subject to review by Congress.  According to the Congressional Research Service, unlike most other government agencies, the Federal Reserve is self-financing so there is no congressional oversight over its budget. Since its budget is not subject to the usual appropriations or authorization process, there is no regular avenue for Congress to ensure the Fed is allocating resources according to congressional priorities.

The Federal Reserve is led by a Board of Governors and these seven unelected, presidential appointed members guide the Fed's policy actions, serving 14-year terms. Since many of their actions are excluded from annual, comprehensive audits, they are privy to vast decision-making authority with little scrutiny.
                  
This year, Congressman Randy Forbes has cosponsored the Federal Reserve Transparency Act (H.R.24) to audit the Federal Reserve, and recently sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Carter, requesting that the Secretary publicly outline his plan to make the Department of Defense auditable by 2017, and submit audit results to Congress by 2019, as required by the Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness Plan.


Question of the Week
: Do you support comprehensive audits of the Federal Reserve and Department of Defense?


(  ) 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, May 1, 2015

The hero next door

Congressman Randy Forbes

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Tidewater News
The hero next door
By Congressman Randy Forbes
April 29, 2015

Heroes are around us every day. Take Buzz, for example.

Serving as an Army Chaplain during the Vietnam War, Basil "Buzz" Ballard drove his jeep roughly 25,000 miles in one year to hold 11 worship services a week for service members in combat zones. It was the height of the war, and once Buzz found himself targeted and ambushed by the Viet Cong. He got away unhurt, however, and continued serving and supporting the soldiers far away from home in Vietnam.

That was his first deployment. Buzz' entire career in the U.S. Army spanned 25 years, carrying him across the country and around the world — including Ft. Hood, Texas; Ft. Lewis, Washington; Germany; and Hawaii, to name a few. During those years, Buzz served in multiple roles, from jail chaplain to hospital chaplain, providing support, counsel, and prayers for our men and women in uniform and their families. Buzz was awarded the Bronze Star "for going above and beyond the call of duty."

Do you want to know something else about this American hero? He lives right around the corner. After retiring from the Army, Buzz served as the pastor of Windsor Christian Church for 12 years. Today, Buzz continues to call Windsor, Virginia "home."

Buzz Ballard's name may never be printed in the history books, but it is forever stamped in the hearts and minds of the men and women he served for 25 years. I'm proud of quiet American heroes like Buzz, who demonstrate for the rest of us what conviction and courageous dedication to duty look like. And I'm proud of what he represents: the countless other men and women in the line at the grocery store, pumping gas at the gas station, sitting next to us at church — the quiet heroes who sacrificed so much for so many years, that we might live in freedom.

We are grateful. But gratitude is not merely an emotion. Gratitude is an action word. It means working to provide veterans with the care they deserve. They did not wait to answer the call of duty; they should not have to wait to receive quality, timely medical care. Gratitude means supporting their families. It means helping our heroes find jobs. It means recognizing that while we can pay the men and women who wear this country's uniform, we can never repay them. And gratitude means honoring the memories, telling the stories, saying thank you, reflecting on the heroes — right here at home — who served and fought for our freedom.

There is no question that, while we are a nation that is overwhelmingly grateful for our veterans' service, our government has fallen short in its duty to support and serve those who served this country. Instead of providing the best our nation can offer, we see bureaucracy, backlogs, and blunders. But I believe Americans have a right to expect better from their government. That includes action steps like:

• Addressing the claims backlog at the VA. Until that happens and the backlog is cleared, VA employees should not be allowed to accept bonuses.

• Continuing to work to make quality care more accessible to our Veterans — building off the Veterans Choice Program.

• Refusing to place the burden of our fiscal challenges on the backs of our servicemembers; defense spending in support of our men and women in uniform is not the cause of our fiscal woes, and cutting the benefits earned by our brave service members is not the solution.

• Offering in-state tuition to our veterans regardless of where they live. The men and women who serve this nation did not just defend citizens of their own home states, but the citizens of all 50 states.

•Continuing to address post traumatic stress injuries. The number of veterans who have committed suicide or are homeless is a troubling factor that haunts far too many.

• Providing retirement pay and benefits as promised.

And perhaps, most importantly, we must make a commitment to asking ourselves — how can we better strengthen and empower our warriors after they return home? It's a question that is constantly on my mind as I serve in Congress, work on legislation, and one that keeps me up at night. Defending our defenders has been, and will remain, one of my top priorities in the House of Representatives. Because how we treat our service members defines who we are as a nation.

At the end of the day, gratitude is about saying thank you — not just in words, but in actions. Whether it is a bill in Congress, a project by a community, or an act of recognition for the hero next door — it's the least we can do for those who selflessly serve.

You can read the article here.

 
 

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