From Congressman Sam Graves (R):
In the fall of 1777, Thomas Paine wrote of the then two and a half year long War for American Independence, “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.”
Since the Minutemen of Lexington and Concord first took up arms against their British colonial masters, millions of Americans have risen to that challenge. From the Siege of Yorktown to the fields of Antietam, from the muddy trenches of the Meuse-Argonne to the frozen forests of Bastogne, from Pork Chop Hill to Khe Sanh, and from the streets of Fallujah to the caves of Tora Bora, Americans have fought to ensure the survival of our great nation and the ideals we represent.
Right now American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines – like those who came before them – stand ready to defend the United States from those who would do us harm. They are living proof that America is, and remains, the home of the free because of the brave.
This Memorial Day I hope you will take a moment to reflect on those who have sacrificed so much for this country. You will find these heroes not only in Arlington, but in every cemetery in every town in America.
Throughout our proud history, men and women from every walk of life have rallied to the call of freedom. Many gave their lives so that we might continue on in peace. We are forever in their debt.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Graves: It is Important to Remember Who We Memorialize this Day
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Ed Martin on Memorial Day: 'God bless veterans'
From Congressional candidate Ed Martin (R):
In the early days of this campaign, I was invited to meet with members of the Jefferson Barracks Heritage Foundation. These good people are working to preserve the installation and document its history. In the modest office within the Red Cross Building, these men enthusiastically detailed the history of Jefferson Barracks and the roles it served during American military mobilizations.
They pointed to maps, then pointed out the window then back to the map, or a photo. I followed the narrative that began in 1826 when it was established as an infantry school to compliment training at West Point. As America expanded westward the Army provided law to the new territories, “…not only to protect the settlers from the Indians, but also to protect the Indians from the settlers and from each other.” In time Jefferson Barracks became the staging area from which the Army would project troops to the west. In a few years, it was the largest post in America.
Joe Frank, a wounded Vietnam veteran shared with me stories of the “citizen soldiers” who passed through Jefferson Barracks. Great Generals – Grant, Lee, Eisenhower and others have served and trained in Missouri. Tens of thousands more flowed through Jefferson Barracks, officers and enlisted noted less by history but known to their families as brothers, sisters, sons and daughters to serve as champions of our nation.
The American military is unique in its composition. There is no more refined meritocracy than among America’s armed forces. The British raised regiments and fleets as nobles invested in the men, material and training, receiving payment from the crown or by confiscating property from conquered lands or ships. Other societies populated the ranks of their commissioned officers – such as they are – based on loyalty to party or by selecting closely related kin. In these militaries enlisted members are typically poorly trained, poorly outfitted and poorly cared-for conscripts upon whom the burden of being a soldier falls like a boot on the neck. Pressed into service, these men will oppress as they are oppressed.
In contrast, American officers and enlisted come from all walks of life, all economic strata. Dirt farmers and accountants flooded the beaches of Anzio and Okinawa. Bankers and ranch hands stood in ranks at Appomattox. Physicists and roofers work together on the tarmacs of Diego Garcia and the decks of frigates, destroyers and carriers all over the globe. Their motives vary – being a serviceman is a better gig now than it was in Valley Forge, but every uniformed man and woman knows that it may come upon them to fight. American servicemen are well regarded by their fellow citizens. We see them as our friends and families. We idealize them as protectors of liberty.
My brother is a Marine, and I am very proud of him. I have a Kevlar “pot” of his, and it reeks of the sweat from those hot theaters where he and his comrades close with the enemy. He is smart and driven. He would be a success in anything he chose to do, but he chose the life of low pay and grinding sacrifice in his beloved Corps for his beloved Country. To him and the vets I have had the privilege to meet, service is a privilege and an honor.
Jefferson Barracks is home to a unit of the Missouri National Guard. It is also the final resting place of Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen and Merchant Mariners. Many of them came home after America’s wars and the flag that draped their casket honored an old man or elderly woman whose end came long after their particular conflict ended. Other flags envelop a hero lost in battle, a life cut short when they were the protective wall made flesh when harm threatened their people.
Others still are like Joe, and left part of their life in a distant mud hole. Where his place in Jefferson Barracks will be is not yet known – and may it be unknown for many years - but still he has already given much for his home, and he continues to give.
The gravestones of Jefferson Barracks are so white that on a day with any sun the sheen will hurt your eyes. This is fitting in a sense, that this orderly stone garden where our protectors are laid would by its nature induce an American look for a moment, then look away in honor and reverence.
The Savior taught us that greater love has no man than that he lay down his life for his friends. Memorial day is the day where we ought to commemorate not just the sacrifice, but the greater love of these men and women who carried arms and tended wounds in our service . I find inspiration in the love they had for their comrades and their liberty. My brother loves his men, Joe loved his fellow soldiers and continues to look out for their well-being to this day. Both love their country in a way not many of us experience. I am grateful for them because they have studied war so that my children can live in peace and freedom. My Memorial Day prayer is that I can match their devotion to our country.
God bless you, Veterans. God rest the fallen.
Ed
Cleaver: Memorial Day a 'time to remember'
From Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D):
Each year on Memorial Day, Americans come together to remember those who have sacrificed their lives on behalf of our country in the name of freedom and democracy. The debt owed to them is immeasurable. Their sacrifices and those of their military families are freedom’s foundation. Without the brave efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, airmen and women, Marines and Coast Guardsmen and women and their families, our country would not live so freely.
In Missouri's Fifth District, we gather at the Liberty Memorial, a monument built as a reminder of those who were loved and lost in what was supposed to be the "war to end all wars". Hundreds of thousands gathered at its dedication, some with wounds still fresh from the fields of Europe. They prayed that war would never again envelop the globe. Sadly, in less than a generation, their children would be called to once again defend freedom against tyranny.
Monday, we will honor all those who have answered the call to service, and all who have died in the cause of liberty. Last summer, I held a special event to honor those who served in the jungles and waters of Vietnam, marking the 50th Anniversary of that conflict. This summer, General David Petraeus will join us to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War. Compared to the sacrifices of our veterans, these tributes seem small, but I know they mean a great deal to the men and women who served. Our forefathers built the Liberty Memorial so that the nation would never forget the cost of war. I know, here in our community, we know and remember that lesson well.
America continues to be engaged in hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, and young men and women we knew and who grew up here in our cities and towns have paid the ultimate price while wearing the uniform of our nation. This Monday, let us honor the memory of the 4,400 Americans who have died in Iraq and more than 1,000 who have died in Afghanistan. We also honor the sacrifices of our wounded: nearly 32,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and 5,700 in Afghanistan.
As we remember their patriotic sacrifices, we renew our commitment to keep our promises to the nation’s 3 million troops and reservists, their families, and 23 million veterans.
Our nation has a duty to do far more than remember our veterans with parades and salutes. Our commitment to care for them is a sacred covenant. To honor those promises, Congress has enacted critical measures to expand educational opportunity and economic relief for our veterans. The new Post 9-11 GI Bill, which took effect last August, restores the promise of a full, four-year college education, allowing up to 2 million warriors of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts to be part of a new American economic recovery, just like after World War II. We have also extended those crucial college benefits to all children of fallen service members since 9-11-01.
Recognizing that veterans coming home are facing double digit unemployment, we have enacted incentives for businesses to hire unemployed veterans. As part of the Recovery Act, Congress provided nearly 2 million disabled veterans a $250 payment to help make ends meet.
Many of our troops have served multiple tours of duty, with great strain on their families and substantial cost to their financial futures. In response, Congress provided special $500 payments for every month the 185,000 service members and veterans were forced to serve under stop-loss orders since 2001. We have also taken steps to reduce the backlog and wait for veterans trying to access their earned benefits.
This year, we increased military pay 3.4 percent and expanded TRICARE health benefits. We are building more military child care centers and better barracks and military family housing. With over one hundred thousand service members deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan today, the recognition of the sacrifice that military families make every day has never been more important.
For wounded veterans, Congress just enacted landmark legislation to provide help to family members and other caregivers of disabled, ill or injured veterans, such as training, counseling, and respite care, and to eliminate copayments for catastrophically disabled veterans. Congress also provided family leave benefits for families of our wounded warriors. Further, we in the House have just passed this week legislation taking a significant step toward ending the Disabled Veterans Tax for all medically retired service members. This tax unjustly forces disabled military retirees to give up one dollar of their pension for every dollar of disability pay. These veterans were so severely injured during their service that they had to retire and deserve full retirement and disability benefits.
With the strong support of veterans organizations, we have made an unprecedented commitment to veterans’ health care. The veterans budget, hailed as a “cause for celebration,” provides the largest funding increase for health care and other services ever requested by a President – even more than veterans organizations requested.
Through FY 2010, we have increased the investment in veterans’ health care and services by 60 percent since January 2007 -- including the largest single increase in the 78-year history of the VA. This funding has strengthened health care for more than 5 million veterans, resulting in 17,000 new doctors and nurses, and greater access for veterans in rural areas. It has been critical for the 382,000 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in need of care this year -- with expanded mental health screening and treatment -- to treat the signature injuries of the war, PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury. Working with the President, Congress ended the ban on enrolling modest-income veterans for VA health care.
For the 1.8 million women who have bravely served, we have just enacted legislation expanding and improving VA health care services for women veterans, providing care of newborn children of women veterans for the first time in history, and enhancing treatment for PTSD and sexual trauma.
On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind. This Memorial Day and every day, let us continue to honor their service with actions that fulfill our commitment to our troops, their families, and our veterans – and that are worthy of our grateful nation.
I invite you to take a moment to stop and remember the members of our community who have been lost while wearing the uniform of our nation. For those who are able, please join me Monday at the Liberty Memorial for the Memorial Day observance. The event begins at 9:30am with a color guard parade and includes performances by the American Legion Band. After the event is over, I always join our Vietnam Veterans at their memorial wall, just north of the Plaza on Broadway at 43rd Street. Please take a moment to join me to thank those veterans for their service and remember friends and family lost in Vietnam.
Have a very safe holiday weekend, and I hope to see you Monday.
Memorial Day message from Todd Akin
From Congressman Todd Akin (R):
The men and women of our Nation’s Armed Forces serve with distinction every day. Some have paid the ultimate price. Their families have lost loved ones, parents, children and siblings. We have all gained - and lost - true heroes.
As the father of three sons in the military, my respect for the members of our nation's armed forces has only grown. Ordinary men and women perform extraordinarily in times of crisis. They go where they are sent. They use the equipment they are given and they do what they are told. They use their skills and judgment to perfom some of the most difficult tasks ever set before human beings - and they usually succeed.
The first priority of our government must be the defense of its people. That means defending those who defend us is among our highest responsibilities. Last week, my committee worked hard on the annual defense authorization bill, expecting that it would be brought to the floor before Memorial Day. This week, it came to the floor, but with an amendment that forced me to vote against a bill I had supported in committee, just days before. Sadly, some Congressional leaders demonstrated that they would rather use our service members in a social experiment. When they added language forcing a repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy - against the wishes of the generals and admirals who lead our military - I could not support the final legislation.
However, I am pleased to report that the legislation that passed contained many of the provisions I had fought for, including additional funding for F/A-18s.
As we remember the men and women of our armed forces this weekend, and especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, may we be humbled and grateful. And may we renew our determination to preserve liberty for future generations.
Sincerely,
W. Todd Akin
Missouri Republican Party: 'thank the veterans who bravely served our nation'
From David Cole, Chairman of the Missouri Republican Party:
Our great nation has been blessed so richly—but much is required in return.
Often, this means that our citizens are called to take up arms in defense of freedom around the globe—bec ause, as President Dwight Eisenhower noted in his first inaugural address, “history does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.”
Instead, history has entrusted the care of American freedom to the strong and brave men and women of our armed forces.
So many Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice for their beloved country—and this is what we honor on the final Monday in May each year. The parades and barbeques we enjoy this weekend are made possible by the men and women who risked, and sometimes lost, their lives to preserve the ideals of freedom and democracy.
We commemorate this day by visiting cemeteries and placing thousands of flags at the final resting places of the fallen—a small tribute to the enormous sacrifices made by so many.
And each year, more flags are required. Every day, an estimated 1,000 World War II veterans die—taking the collective memory of the Greatest Generation with them. That’s why the work of the Honor Flight Network is so important.
Sixty-eight veterans recently returned to Missouri after traveling to Washington, DC, to visit our nation’s war memorials. These trips serve as a token of appreciation to veterans from a grateful nation. For more information about how you can get involved with this worthwhile organization, visit www.honorflight.org.
This Memorial Day, we remember the sacrifices so many Americans have made—and continue to make—to protect freedom at home and abroad.
I urge you to participate in one of the many Memorial Day activities that are being held by community groups and veterans organizations across the state. Thank the veterans who bravely served our nation—and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
David Cole
Chairman
Missouri Republican Party
Skelton Weekly Column: Skelton Supports Troops, Their Families, and America’s Safety but Opposes “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Repeal
From Congressman Ike Skelton (D):
I consider myself blessed to serve as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, the most bipartisan committee in Congress. Missouri’s Fourth District has played a vital role in defending our nation for generations, and those who live here should be proud of the national influence we have when it comes to matters of national security. The committee’s 62 members come from every corner of the country and reflect diverse political philosophies, but together we find common purpose in our efforts to do our very best to provide the necessary resources to keep Americans safe and protect U.S. national security interests.
Each year, the House Armed Services Committee fulfills its Constitutional role by preparing a defense authorization bill. For Missouri, this year’s bill authorizes substantial military construction at Whiteman Air Force Base and Fort Leonard Wood and additional support for the National Guard. In order to improve the quality of life for our forces and their families, the bill would provide a 1.9 percent pay raise for all service members, increase the hostile fire and imminent danger pay – for the first time since 2004 – for those serving in harm’s way, and boost the family separation allowance for personnel deployed away from their loved ones.
Recognizing the evolving nature of 21st Century threats, the 2011 defense bill would greatly expand the military’s counterinsurgency and counterterrorism capabilities. For example, substantial funds for Special Forces training and operations, cybersecurity efforts, and counter-ideology initiatives have all been allocated in this legislation. Since the threats to our troops overseas and our nation are constantly changing, the bill also would establish a Rapid Innovation Program to get the cutting edge technologies our troops need to the front lines as fast as possible.
Unfortunately, hundreds of the great provisions in this bill have been overshadowed by a secondary issue: the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” While I opposed the so-called Murphy Amendment that would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” I did support final passage of the defense bill. Thus I stood by our military – our troops and their families – during this time of war. I helped craft the original “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law in 1993 and continue to support it, but my most solemn duty under the Constitution, as a Member of the Congress of the United States, is to provide for the common defense. Our Armed Forces and the American people are counting on us to work together to provide the critical funding needed to strengthen counterterrorism efforts, strengthen military readiness, and strengthen our service members and their families.
As Congress continues its effort to produce the best possible defense bill for our military and our nation, I will continue working with Republicans and Democrats to demonstrate our nation’s gratitude for the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform and their families to keep our country free.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Google contributes $643 million to Missouri economy annually
The largest search engine in the United States is estimated to contribute $643 million to Missouri's economy annually, a new study from Google says.
The study released by Google Wednesday pegs the company's total economic impact nationally at $54 billion.
"Many people also know Google as a set of tools they use to make a living," Google's Vice President for Online Sales Claire Hughes Johnson said. "Through our search and advertising programs, businesses find customers, publishers earn money from their content, and non-profits solicit donations and volunteers. These tools are how Google makes money, and they’re how hundreds of thousands of other businesses do, too."
While Missouri accounts for just a fraction of the search giant's national impact, Google estimates an impact for some 22,200 businesses and advertisers in Missouri.
Google also claims to have contributed almost $800,000 to 50 non-profits in Missouri in 2009.
The full economic impact analysis is here.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Skelton Weekly Column: Memorial Day honors those who paid for our freedom
From Congressman Ike Skelton (D):
On Memorial Day, millions of people across the nation will take time to remember and pay their respects to loved ones and fellow Americans who have lost their lives while serving our country. This year, as America fights wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, more names have been added to our nation=s roll of honor. Each name represents the loss of a life full of promise, but behind every name can be found a family, a circle of friends, and a community that will never be the same.
After World War I, a poet taking inspiration from an ancient epitaph wrote the following verse: "When you go home; Tell them of us, and say; For their tomorrow; We gave our today." The sentiment of this poem aptly reminds us of the debt we owe to our service members for their sacrifices, but also implores us to remember and share their stories so that this nation never forgets the prices paid by those who protect our freedoms.
All of us can take tremendous pride in the performance of our service men and women, past and present. But military operations carry a heavy cost, and every time someone is hurt or gives his or her life in the service of our country, I am reminded that freedom is not free. That is why our country has an obligation to express our gratitude to the troops in meaningful ways.
So, to publicly recognize and honor those fighting for our freedoms, Congress designated the month of May as “National Military Appreciation Month.” Culminating with Memorial Day on May 31 of this year, Military Appreciation Month provides the American people with a time to remember our warriors and their families – both past and present - and show our support for these faithful public servants.
Over the past weeks, I have met with several veterans groups to thank them for their years of service and to ask how the government can better care for our returning warriors. I found the conversations enlightening and productive. In Jefferson City, for example, members of the local Disabled American Veterans (DAV) chapter spoke with me for the better part of an hour about the challenges of providing mental healthcare to young veterans returning from service in the Middle East.
Also in honor of Military Appreciation Month, I introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives recognizing the sacrifices of all military personnel who have served since WWI and thanking our warfighters and veterans for all that they do. My friend and Republican colleague from the House Armed Services Committee, Buck McKeon, joined me in sponsoring this resolution.
I hope you join me this Memorial Day in thanking our troops and veterans for all they have given and sacrificed for our country. You can send a package, write a letter of encouragement, or offer a simple “thank you” to a service member, National Guardsman, or veteran in your community. Or, for a list of national organizations that accept donations, letters, or volunteers, go to http://www.ourmilitary.mil/help.shtml. No gesture is too small, as I have seen first-hand how much a few words of appreciation can mean. Missouri has always been a welcome home for the U.S. military; let’s keep that tradition strong this Memorial Day.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Schweich campaign highlights Icet's $10,000 payment for endorsement
When House Budget Chairman Allen Icet (R) announced last month that Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher had endorsed his state auditor candidacy, one minor fact was omitted -- Icet paid Wurzelbacher for the support.
According to the campaign staff of his opponent in the Republican primary, former ambassador Tom Schweich, Icet paid more than $10,000 for Wurzelbacher's endorsement. That estimate was supposedly confirmed by individuals with knowledge of the financial arrangement.
To date though, there's no documentation to support the assertion. That documentation will not be available until the next round of campaign finance reports are released by the Missouri Ethics Commission on July 15th.
"I would call on Representative Icet to provide a copy of their signed contract with Joe the Plumber, which will confirm what he paid for the endorsement," Matt Beckman from Schweich's campaign said in a statement to MPN.
Wurzelbacher is currently in Missouri stumping for Icet in a six city tour, but he says the money has nothing to do with his endorsement.
Wurzelbacher says he endorsed Icet, because of his character.
“You know I’d much whether take somebody who knows nothing about politics, but has honor and integrity and character. I know they will go up there and do the right thing because they’ll work," Wurzelbacher said Thurs. "It’s called work ethic. It’s something America has always had and there are a lot of us that still out there that have it.”
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Republicans tout successes of 2010 legislative session
From Lt. Governor Peter Kinder
Early this year, Republican legislators made a promise to Missouri taxpayers: we WOULD NOT raise taxes on Missouri families. And even after slumping revenues, and the governor's failure to lead on the state budget, we made good on our promise and still made lasting accomplishments for Missouri.
This year, we have expanded health care coverage for many Missouri families while ensuring that the choice of a medical provider is left up to private citizens. We have ensured that in August, Missouri voters will decide if they really want the stipulations of Obamacare to dictate the future of their health care. I believe that question will be met with a resounding "NO!"
We worked this year to ensure that Missouri business can continue to succeed in our state. That means not raising taxes on businesses and helping to make sure employers have the tools they need to put people back to work.
I am proud of the work that the General Assembly did to pass a responsible budget, and I believe that Missouri families and businesses will be better off because of the legislation we passed.
From House Speaker Ron Richard:
This month, the 2010 Legislative Session of the 95th General Assembly came to a close. I am extremely proud of my colleagues in the Republican Majority for working diligently to secure passage of several key bills, including difficult budget cuts, provisions that seek to protect the sanctity of life and blocking efforts to increase taxes on Missouri citizens.
In an impossible economy, while states around us are quickly sinking, we balanced our state’s budget without raising taxes. We made the tough decision necessary to ensure a bright future for our children and grandchildren, and not one that burdens them with our debt.
This session, Missourians sent us a clear message that they were tired of big government mandates sent to us from President Obama and Congress. We heard their cry and stood with them. This session, the House passed several strong resolutions aimed at sending a clear message from the Missouri House to Washington DC politicians as we opposed Cap and Trade legislation, Obamacare and the attempt of Washington DC to overreach state sovereignty freedoms as stated in the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution. Both the House and Senate passed the Health Care Freedom Act, giving individuals and businesses the opportunity to opt out of federal health care mandates. This goes to a vote of the people and your voice can be heard on the August 2010 ballot.
Both Chambers passed SB793, seeking to protect the lives of the unborn. This act modifies the informed consent requirements for an abortion by adding new requirements to be obtained at least twenty-four hours prior to an abortion including the following: pregnant women seeking an abortion must be informed 24 hours in advance of informative materials regarding the procedure, the doctor or professional performing the operation must allow the pregnant woman to hear the heartbeat of the unborn child and see an ultrasound 24 hours prior to the procedure, and the abortion cannot be performed until the woman certifies in writing on a checklist form that she has been presented all the required information. Up to this point, Governor Nixon has been silent on this issue. The bill is headed to his office and we are strongly urging him to sign it in to law.
When Missouri citizens elect us to office, they trust us to work with integrity and moral behavior. I announced my support for an ethics reform bill on the first day of session this year and this week both Chambers truly agreed to and finally passed a compromised version of the House bill. Although the Senate version of the bill wasn’t nearly as strong as ours, a handful of our provisions were kept in the final version.
For a complete list of House and Senate accomplishments, please visit our website at www.house.mo.gov.
During this time, Missouri families have counted on our leadership to carry them through one of the most devastating economies in decades. I am 100% confident that Republican Representatives in the Missouri House have made significantly positive differences in our state’s history during this very difficult time.
From Senate Majority Leader Kevin Engler (R):
The legislative session ended at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 14th. It was a tough year, with budget concerns and declining revenue guiding a lot of our work. We worked to decrease the size of state government while also passing legislation to improve the lives of Missourians. The 2010 legislative session included both wins and losses, but ultimately, I am pleased with the work we were able to complete.
Autism Insurance Reform
The General Assembly passed House Bill 1311, guaranteeing health carriers will provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Out of the top 10 childhood neurobiological disorders, autism is the only one that is not covered by health insurance in our state. This means that families are paying for health insurance while still having to pay out-of-pocket for autism therapies.
The bill requires most health carriers that issue or renew health benefit plans to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with autism. It would restrict health carriers from refusing to issue or renew coverage based solely on the fact of an autism diagnosis. The insurance coverage includes a physician or psychiatrist’s referral of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy — up to $40,000 per year for individuals younger than 19. A cost-of-living adjustment has been included to adjust the cap for therapy services in coming years.
Ethics Reform
The Legislature also approved Senate Bill 844, a bill focused on setting higher ethics standards in Missouri politics. The bill gives flexibility and teeth to the Missouri Ethics Commission by allowing it to investigate ethics violations without an outside complaint first being filed, and makes it a crime to obstruct an ethics investigation. In order to end even the appearance of “pay-to-play” politics, the bill requires contributions of more than $500 to incumbent officials and their challengers during the legislative session to be electronically reported within 48 hours. The bill also makes clear that no statewide elected official or lawmaker can offer someone a job in exchange for his or her official vote and limits the transferring of contributions among most campaign committees. The legislation brings a new level of accountability and transparency to the political process so that Missourians will have confidence in the motives of their elected officials.
Rebooting Government
This year, the Senate leader launched an initiative to reduce the size of state government. Ideas were collected from the public, and my fellow senators and I met in working groups to talk about ways to cut costs and streamline government. Several of these ideas resulted in legislation that passed this session, including:
• Senate Bill 1007, reins in $20 million in Medicaid costs.
• House Bill 1965, eliminates the printing of state manuals (Blue Books) and State Statute books for a cost-savings of $1.7 million dollars in printing and postage.
• House Bill 1868, merges the highway patrol and water patrol for nearly $1 million in savings.
Even in the final hours of session, we pushed to approve additional priority legislation, but the final gavel fell without the passage of some of these bills. We had hoped to pass a jobs bill this session to encourage economic growth while also reducing the cost of state incentives. We also worked on ways to make the state’s pension system more efficient and cost-effective. These bills did not succeed, and I am concerned that, without these cost-cutting measures, the state will need to make even more serious spending cuts in the coming year.
Most of the bills passed during this legislative session will go into effect on August 28th. The governor has until July 14 to veto legislation or else it goes into effect.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Survey offers support for Graves' assertion on drilling
In the last couple days MPNblog.com received a surprising amount of traffic on a column we posted from Congressman Sam Graves (R).
In that column, Graves asserts that the Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, and the ensuing spill, suggest a new direction for U.S. energy policy: more on-shore drilling.
The "special take" on the "root cause" of the oil spill led ClimateProgress.org to simply say Graves "jumped to an alternate reality".
But before everyone completely dismisses Graves' assertion, take a look at the results of a recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling.
In a perfectly reasonable and balanced question, a surprising 21 percent of respondents indicated they thought the BP oil spill in the Gulf made offshore drilling more likely.
As Nate Silver at Five Thirty Eight points out, there are problems with the question and polling methodology that may result in a higher than expected result for "more likely", but let's assume for a moment that it is accurate. Those who responded "more likely" would also likely have a greater propensity to support drilling regardless of what happened and may have also concluded that environmentalists caused the accident, as 9% of the respondents indicated.
The interesting bit comes from the crosstabs on this question which indicate of those saying more likely, there were 16% Democrats, 28% Republican and 20% other. The even more interesting point, which supports points Silver made in his analysis, is that included in those who indicated drilling was more likely, was 28% of the respondents over the age of 65. What did you say?
Is is Graves' assertion all that absurd? Perhaps there's a point in his column, although as a general point major catastrophe may not be the best forum to drive this one home.
In the end PPP found that 55% of Americans still support drilling for oil, a realization that drilling isn't going away any time soon.
PPP surveyed 707 registered American voters between May 7 and 9. The poll has a MOE of +/- 3.7%.
Skelton Weekly Column: Missouri’s Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Urges Census Participation
From Congressman Ike Skelton (D):
Every ten years, the U.S. Constitution requires the federal government to perform a census, a nation-wide count of the population. Starting a few months ago, every household in America received a short form of ten questions, some of which have been asked since 1790. So far, about 73 percent of Missouri homes have returned their completed forms to the Census Bureau. While this is a good start, it is especially important for our state to achieve complete participation this year.
Census data is used for a variety of purposes by the federal government. In fact, over $400 billion in federal assistance funds for our state and local governments – used to support our roads, schools, and hospitals - are allocated according to census data. And, the size of each state’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives is determined by these population counts.
While there are currently nine representatives from the Show-Me State in the U.S. House, Missouri could lose a seat if census participation continues to lag. According to some reports, Missouri is projected to retain all nine of its current seats by the slimmest of margins – roughly 9,000 of the state’s 6 million people, or less than 1 percent of the total population. With only an estimated 73 percent of the state’s population accounted for today, losing a Congressional seat to another state is certainly possible.
The effects of losing a seat in Congress would be numerous. Primarily, it would mean that other states, such as Texas or Utah, could gain influence and more forcefully push their state’s agenda in Washington. In addition, it would weaken Missouri’s clout in presidential elections, as the number of our state’s electors in the Electoral College would be reduced from 11 to 10. In essence, Missouri would have a weaker voice at the federal level. That is why Missouri Republicans and Democrats alike are working together to urge full and active participation by our citizens in the 2010 Census. It is critical that every Missourian be counted.
Moving forward, census workers will be placing phone calls and going to the residences of citizens who have not yet returned their forms; please do your best to provide them with any pertinent information. Under Title 13 of the United States Code, all of the information you provide is strictly confidential and the Census Bureau may not sell or give away your address to people who may want to send you mail. However, if you are concerned about the credentials of anyone claiming to be a census worker, you may call 1-800-923-8282 or your local census office in Kansas City (816-977-2100), Odessa (816-565-4031), Columbia (573-818-3310), or Springfield (417-520-2510).
Losing a seat at the federal table would be bad for all Missourians. Please join me in urging your neighbors and friends to help make sure this does not come to pass.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Missouri delegation fights to bring home defense pork
As Senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D) stumps against earkmarks, a bipartisan group of Missouri's Congressional delegation is fighting to bring defense pork back to Missouri through multi-year contracts given to St-Louis based Boeing.
The contingent of Congressmen -- including Sen. Kit Bond (R), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D), Rep. Todd Akin (R), and Rep. Russ Carnahan (D) -- held a press conference to support a U.S. Navy decision to grant a multi-year contract for FA-18 Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growlers that will be produced in St. Louis.
The Navy's $5.3 billion contract will result in production of approximately 100 aircraft to fill a gap in the Navy's current fighter force.
McCaskill and Bond are working on amending the 2011 defense authorization bill to force the Air Force to replace 50 legacy C-5A Galaxies with new C-17 Globemaster cargo planes, which would also be produced by Boeing.
Senate District 24: Corcoran bows out of Democratic primary
The Democratic primary contest in Missouri Senate District 24 will now be between just three candidates as State Rep. Michael Corcoran (D) officially bowed out.
According to filings with the Missouri Secretary of State's Office, Corocran withdrew his name from the candidates' list for the Aug. 2010 primary election.
“My youngest son, Patrick Kelly Corcoran, is an honor student entering high school next year,” Corcoran said in a statement to supporters. “I feel at this time, it is vital that I become a full time father and support Patrick in his future goals.”
Corcoran was embroiled in a four-way primary that included former Lt. Gov. candidate Sam Page, St. Louis County councilman Barbara Fraser, and Helen Burton.
The winner of the Democratic primary will face John Lamping in the Nov. General Election whose primary opponent withdrew in early March.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Graves: Responsible Drilling is the Way to Go
From Congressman Sam Graves (R):
Like many of you, I’ve been following the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This tragic environmental disaster is partly the result of America’s unworkable energy plan. We wouldn’t need to drill hundreds of miles off the coast, in thousands of feet of water if we had access to fossil fuel deposits located onshore in the United States.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska is a perfect example of how we can drill safely and in an environmentally responsibly way on land we already control. ANWR is the size of South Carolina and it holds millions of barrels of oil. Contrary to what some might have you believe, we would only need to make a footprint the size of Kansas City International Airport within ANWR in order to access those reserves.
Because of self-imposed onshore drilling limitations, America is more dependent than ever on foreign sources of energy. The only way we can become less dependent on overseas oil is to develop American sources of energy, like ANWR and our massive reserves of oil shale in other western states.
As world demand for oil increases, the price of gas will only continue to increase. We need to take advantage of our own resources and stop shipping billions of dollars a year to distant countries that don’t like us and don’t support us.
It’s dangerous and expensive to depend on foreign sources of oil, especially when we have plenty of it right here in America.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Legislative session wraps up; Republicans see successes, Democrats disappointed
Republicans, who control both chambers of the Missouri statehouse, painted a rosy picture during a press conference after the close of the session.
"We [balanced the budget] without raising taxes,"House Speaker Ron Richard (R) said during a press conference. "I think we can be proud of that when you see all these other states that are just refusing to take the tough decisions and raise taxes."
Richard also cited an ethics reform bill and autism legislation as major accomplishments of the session.
In contrast to the success stories offered by Republicans, Democrats say the session was disappointing.
"This session saw a lot of non-binding resolutions, a lot of time dealing with issues the state government shouldn't be dealing with," House Minority Floor Leader Paul LeVota (D) said during a press conference. "So we're calling this the non-binding session because if you look at the things that were accomplished there were very few and far between and have little to do with the future of the state of Missouri.
LeVota charged that the inaction from Republican leadership would result in a worsened budget situation next year and said the ethics reform legislation was watered down. LeVota did indicate Democrats' support of autism legislation as well as one of the few good things to come out of the session.
The press conferences can be viewed below.
Republicans:
Democrats:
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Missouri revenues continue to slump; projections for FY2010 net revenues
In Apr. 2010, revenues year-to-date amounted to just under $5,668 million, or $752 million below the same point in the 2009 fiscal year.
OA estimates that revenues by the end of the year will be some $900 million below the last fiscal year, from $7.5 billion in FY2009 to roughly $6.6 billion in FY2010.
The question at this point in the year, as the legislative session comes to a close, is how accurate is OA's estimate?
We won't know for sure for at least two more months. But here are a couple simplistic ways to look at this number.
Over the last five fiscal years, the net revenue from the final two months of the fiscal year has ranged from 13.8% to 19.4% of total annual revenues. The peak occurred in FY2008, just before the recession, and the trough in FY2009, during the recession.
The most conservative estimate we can offer is to use the same estimate from last year to derive total end of the year revenue projections. In other words, assuming that 13.8% of the state's annual net revenues are received in the final two months of the fiscal year, state revenues for FY2009 will reach only about $6.6 billion, or $871 million below FY2008 revenues.
The assumption that the revenues for the last two months of the year being identical as the same time period one year ago relies on a general belief that economic conditions will not change in coming months.
Some signs currently point in that direction. In fact, just examining year-over-year changes in monthly receipts suggests the trend is likely to result in at least a few more months of revenue declines. However, revenues are closely correlated to employment rates, which have been showing positive signs in nationally and even in Missouri.
Based on this logic, assuming 13.8% revenue rates may be underestimating the final revenue projection for the end of the current fiscal year, we can look at historic data to derive expected revenues in an alternate method. Again, historic receipts for the final months of the fiscal year ranged from 13.8% to 19.4%, but when we calculate a time-adjusted average -- weighting the more recent time periods more heavily and build in a decay function to weigh older periods less heavily -- it's plausible these revenue rates could be on the order of 17%. If that's the case, total end of the year net revenues could be as high as $6.8 billion, or just $617 million below the last fiscal year.
Realistically, revenues will probably fall somewhere in the range of the two estimates we provided: $617-$871 million below FY2009.
No matter what aggregate projection method we use, the main point is the same: revenues are clearly in a slump. We can only hope that state revenues take the hint on economic recovery in the near future, just like employment seems to be doing.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Akin misses mark on borrowing, job impacts of proposed federal budget
ANALYTICAL OPINION
In his weekly message to supporters, U.S. Congressman Todd Akin (R) decries borrowing needed to finance President Obama's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011 and the fact that the budget would increase the number of federal employees. The information from Akin probably sounds like a better talking point than it really is though.
First, here's what Akin had to say:"It's that time of year again and Washington is crawling with people intent on making sure they get more of your tax dollars. I have two numbers for you: 34 cents, 3 jobs.
I'll take these two statements in turn. First, Akin fails to distinguish between two fundamental budgeting concepts -- budget authority and outlays. The President's Budget, and Congressional appropriations in fact, are largely in terms of budget authority. This is what by law gives government agencies the authority to incur financial obligations.
"First, 34 cents of every dollar in President Obama's proposed 2011 budget are borrowed. Now, out on main street, if you can't afford to pay your electric bill, you don't go buy a new iPhone. But in Washington, it seems that most Members of Congress lack the political will to stop funding for any program - no matter how wasteful or duplicative.
"Which brings me to our second number: up to 3 private sector jobs are destroyed for every 2 jobs created through government spending. Although some government spending and taxation is necessary and useful, little thought is given as to how destructive too much can be. Not only does excessive spending hamper job creation with bureaucracy, regulation, red tape, and unfunded mandates, it also sucks job creating capital from the private sector. Wasteful government spending consistently hurts more people than it helps."
Technically speaking though, funds are only borrowed by the federal government to offset outlays. Outlays come only after Congressional appropriations of budget authority and agency financial obligations. Outlays are literally when the money goes out the door of the Dept. of Treasury. Often with federal programs outlays are incurred well after the budget authority is provided. For some programs outlays may occur the next fiscal year, or even 10 fiscal years down the road from when the initial authority was provided by Congress.
Readers may be more familiar with the concept of the deficit. According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), deficit is by definition government receipts minus government outlays. The result is the deficit (or surplus if >0).
So what Akin references is how much the President's proposed FY 2011 budget provides in budget authority when he should be using the projected receipt and outlay estimates to talk about government borrowing.
According to documentation from OMB, this more appropriate presentation of information could even strengthen Akin's talking point since the projected deficit f0r FY 2011 would be $1.3 billion under the President's proposal, or 49 cents for every dollar received by the federal government.
Of course, what Akin neglects to mention is that the President's Budget is only a proposal, much like the Governor's Budget in Missouri. Appropriations must be made by the legislative branch which has the power of the purse. Akin and his colleagues in Congress could always choose to set government spending at much lower levels. Congress could even approve rescissions of budget authority provided in previous budgets.
What Akin also neglects to point out is how the deficit projection relates to the broader measure of economic productivity, which is the general comparison point for economists considering the severity of debt. To the right is a chart that depicts the federal government's deficit or surplus as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP), also from OMB data. Note that in 1943 as the country struggled to emerge from the Great Depression and fight World War II, the deficit reached the historic peak of 30 percent of GDP. Due in large part to economic boom and relative government constraint in the following two decades, deficits stagnated and surpluses even came in five separate years.
During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, the country had deficits. The peak during this period was under President Reagan when the deficit reached 4 percent of GDP. In the late 1990s, as many Democrats will point out if your corner them on this subject, the country had surpluses peaking at 2.4 percent of GDP in 2000. To be fair, those surpluses were due to the efforts of both President Clinton's administration and Congressional Republicans.
The next point here could also bolster Akin's talking points, if he took time to point this out. Under the current administration, deficits are again reaching the highest percent of GDP since WWII. For FY 2011, the deficit is projected under the President's proposed budget, to reach 8.3 percent of GDP.
Again, to be completely fair, that is not all due to the current administration's decisions. Since deficits are by definition a function of outlays incurred as a result of budget authority provided years earlier, there are compounding effects from past policy decisions. Then of course the TARP bailout didn't help the deficit much either, the effects of which are largely shown for 2009 and 2010.
Finally on government spending, what Akin doesn't acknowledge is that the President's Budget proposal includes a three year freeze for discretionary, non-homeland security spending. Because the top-line estimate for some programs is frozen, the Administration estimates the deficit will return to just under 4 percent of GDP by 2014, slightly below the peak during the Reagan Administration.
Assuming the Executive and the Legislative Branch work together for that kind of budget policy plan, that's a considerably good recovery from the worst economic recession since...well, the Great Depression.
And look on the bright side, it's not like the deficit reached a full 30 percent of GDP like in 1943 (by the way, Democrats shouldn't take this as the sole rationale to spend more, that's not my point).
So to sum up, yes the federal government is spending a lot of money and yes some of it is borrowed. Federal government has always borrowed, and that policy is unlikely to change in the near-term without major political will from both political parties in Washington. Times have been worse though, despite what talking points may say.
On to the second number in Akin's message: 3 jobs. Yes, employment doesn't look pretty right now. But citing that 3 government jobs kills 2 private sector jobs is pretty bold, especially without any explicit documentation to back up the estimate.
I've heard similar libertarian talking points in the past but have yet to see a rigorous analysis to substantiate the claims.
At the very least, analytics aside, there's a case to be made that many government employees provide a public good thus the citizenry at large should support certain functions. This is a decision that the President recommends, but again, Congress has the power of the purse. Akin and his colleagues in the legislative branch can similarly propose to reduce direct compensation of federal employees, prevent cost of living adjustments or even outright reduce the annual inflationary adjustment to pay.
Simply stating however, that government jobs by definition kill private sector jobs is not only a weak talking point, it doesn't appear to be based in any analytics.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Icet picks up second contribution over $5,000 for year
State Auditor candidate Allen Icet (R) picked up his second contribution greater than $5,000 in 2010, according to a report filed Saturday with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Icet received $6,000 from Joan Langenberg who is president of the Missouri Eagle Forum, a group that claims to be dedicated to the "preservation of the freedom and faith fought for by our founding fathers." Notably, Langenberg and the Forum opposed Missouri's human cloning amendment in the last election and often tout support for issues including judicial activism, national sovereignty, and the NAFTA super highway.
Interestingly, Langenberg was a strong supporter of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in 2008. However, Romney officially endorsed Icet's primary opponent, former ambassador Tom Schweich (R) last month.
Icet has received only one other contribution over $5,000 since the beginning of the year, a $10,000 contribution from Anheuser-Busch in early April. Schweich, in contrast, has reported 25 contributions amounting to $250,000 over the same time period.
At the end of the last fundraising quarter, Schweich maintained a large fundraising lead over Icet. That lead was built in part by these large contributions.
Jetton pleads guilty of violating law he supported
Former Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton (R) just can't seem to avoid the long arm of the law these days.
Jetton is scheduled to appear this week for assault charges. In late April though, Jetton pled guilty to violating a law he voted for in 2004.
Jetton's guilty plea in Laclede County resulted in a $10 fine for operating a motor vehicle without headlights while the windshield wipers were on. The charge is an infraction under RSMo 307.040, a law amended by SB 1233 [2004], which Jetton voted in favor of.
Jetton's assault case is still pending, after a change of venue to New Madrid County was processed officially last week.
Will Bennett's defeat in Utah spell trouble for Blunt in Missouri?
OPINION
The state of Utah is headed into a rigid election cycle for a now open-U.S. Senate seat, after Republicans opted to toss out incumbent Sen. Robert Bennett (R) Saturday.
The surprising defeat comes after tea-party activist recruited a number of candidates to challenge Bennett for the party's nomination. Ultimately, Bennett, who has served in the Senate for nearly two decades, came in third place at the party convention.
Bennett had been expected to have a serious challenge from one other candidate, but the third place finish was the surprise.
"This campaign has been an uphill battle," Bennett said in a statement after the defeat. "I have always tried to serve Utah and our country the best way I can. It has been the honor of my life to represent the great people of Utah for these past 18 years."
What does this mean? The media has been clear to spell out trouble for Democrats and incumbents in 2010, but what Bennett's astounding defeat really spells out is that folks who should be worried are really the institutionalized candidates.
Take, for instance, Rep. Roy Blunt (R) who is campaigning against Robin Carnahan (D) for Missouri's open Senate seat this year. While the tea party seems less engaged in opposing Blunt's candidacy in Missouri, there are clear parallels between issues supported by both Blunt and Bennett.
Both supported some of the recession mitigation proposals, but not all.
While Bennett voted for TARP funding, Blunt voted against the bailouts. Blunt voted for a $192 billion anti-recession economic package in Jul. 2009 that Bennett had voted against. Blunt supported the popular Cash for Clunkers program, Bennett opposed it.
Then of course, there are broader philosophical similarities. Both are adamantly anti-abortion and receive the lowest of environmental scores possible from the League of Conservation Voters.
While the TARP votes were ultimately Bennett's downfall, Blunt also has a long record of supporting government expansion when Republicans controlled Washington and heralding the exact opposite when Republicans became the minority.
Despite certain parallels between Blunt and Bennett, I won't go as far as to say Blunt is doomed to be defeated in the Republican's Aug. primary (especially when he's currently leading the likely Democratic nominee in hypothetical match-ups). But remember, there are still nine other Republican candidates on the ballot, many of which have long records of being strict fiscal conservatives. That's not exactly a message Blunt has on his side.
With an election three months away, the tides can still change. Just three months ago, Bennett still had the coveted endorsement of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R). Gingrich's support shifted only last month so there's always that possibility.
After all, Blunt is currently rated as the weakest Republican candidate in the 2010 open contests.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Is Missouri's ethics reform bill just a 'gimmick'?
Remember when Republicans and Democrats hoped to work together in Jefferson City this year, passing bipartisan ethics reform, among other proposals? Well, it looks like that will have to be just a memory after all with the two parties at odds over what ethics reform should include.
The Kansas City Star's Steve Krasky has a great piece this weekend highlighting what's in and what's out in the current ethics bill:
But here’s the reality of the bill the House passed that day: It’s a well-conceived bait-and-switch gimmick perpetuated by a political party eager to escape unscathed from public demands for more open government.
Democrats called the bill a “scam.”
That fits, too.
There are parts of the bill that make sense. ...
But here’s the gimmick: The bill also contains numerous provisions that Democrats can’t support and that practically force them to vote no. That was on purpose. Republicans designed the bill to get Democrats on record as opposing ethics reform so they can use those votes to embarrass them in upcoming elections.
Read Kraske's full column here.
Women's policy PAC backs Icet for state auditor
State Auditor candidate Allen Icet (R) received the endorsement of the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee of Missouri last week.
The PAC nationally represents women in public policy. Icet's press release indicated the group supports 500,000 members in the U.S. No information, however, was provided on the size of the group in Missouri.
Icet used the endorsement as an opportunity to tout in a press release the 82 state representatives and seven state senators who have also announced their support for Icet. He is currently campaigning against former ambassador Tom Schweich (R) for the Republican nomination this August. Schweich recently announced a number of key endorsements of his own from the national stage, including former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R) and former Attorney General John Ashcroft (R).
Overall business conditions continue to improve in Missouri, economist says
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says business conditions are improving in Missouri and are anticipated to continue on the same path for at least the next several months.
Goss compiles the monthly Business Conditions Index which in April decreased marginally, but still remained above growth neutral.
“In the first quarter of 2010, the state’s unemployment rate climbed slightly as the state lost more than 6,000 jobs," Goss said in a statement. "For the second quarter, based on surveys over the past several months, I expect the state’s unemployment rate to remain flat with job gains of more than 10,000. The state’s large durable-goods manufacturing firms will cease job losses while non-durable manufacturing firms will add jobs for the quarter."
Goss's survey polls supply managers monthly to determine what the conditions will be like in coming months. All of the components are above growth neutral for Missouri, including new orders, sales, inventories, and employment.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Skelton Weekly Column: Secure Borders a Must for America
From Congressman Ike Skelton (D):
Over the past several weeks, the issue of illegal immigration has splashed across television talk shows and national headlines. During a recent conference call I conducted with thousands of Fourth District residents, many of the questions and comments revolved around this issue as well. Like many of those from whom I have heard, I believe this is a serious issue. Therefore, I have worked hard to provide our law enforcement and border security officials with the tools necessary to prevent illegal aliens from coming across our border and to enforce America’s immigration laws that are already on the books. Without first securing our border, taking other immigration reform steps will be useless.
The United States has more than 7,000 miles of border and 12,000 miles of coastline; keeping these boundaries safe and secure is no small task. But securing these vast stretches is a vital part of any immigration policy – not to mention an issue of national security. That is why Congress, particularly in the past three years, has taken unprecedented steps to build a robust border security force, completed portions of the Southwest border fence that had been previously authorized, and brought into action advanced border-control technologies that increase the effectiveness and efficiency of American patrol operations.
Over the past three years, Congress has dedicated more resources to securing our borders than ever before. Since 2006, over 6,000 border patrol agents have been added to the forces monitoring the Mexican and Canadian borders. $1.2 billion have been spent to complete the portions of the previously authorized Southwest border fence segments, bringing over 700 miles of border under effective control. And, new control technologies like sensors, radars, camera systems, and unmanned aerial vehicles – similar to those being used to hunt terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan – are now being used to increase the effectiveness of each border security agent.
But Congress hasn’t stopped there. Despite the ongoing efforts to close American border security gaps, lawbreakers do continue to slip through. Thus, Congress has also strengthened the capabilities needed to find and remove illegal aliens once in the United States. For example, Congress recently passed a three year extension of E-Verify, an Internet-based system that allows U.S. employers to ensure their employees are working in our country legally. And, among other improvements, Congress has raised the funding for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency by over 25 percent since 2006. I have supported these actions but feel Congress must continue pushing for stronger enforcement of immigration laws.
Throughout our history, newcomers to America have been a source of national strength. Immigrants have helped make our culture, economy, and democracy strong. But those who choose to enter the United States illegally weaken our nation and sometimes bring crime along with them. Before we attempt to overhaul our immigration laws, we must improve our ability to secure our borders.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Graves Update: Missouri Leads the Way on Renewable Fuels
From Congressman Sam Graves (R):
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.
We need to build on the work that has already been done and increase our reliance on American energy. Increased investment in ethanol and biodiesel not only increases farm incomes and rejuvenates rural economies, but also helps to wean ourselves off foreign oil. In my mind it is a triple hit. It’s good for consumers.
It’s good for our environment. And it’s good for farmers and rural communities.
Congress needs to finally extend the $1 per gallon tax credit for biodiesel that expired at the end of last year. This expiration has effectively shut down the industry and has had a negative impact on jobs throughout the country. In addition, I believe we need to permanently extend the tax credits for the production of renewable electricity like wind, solar, and biomass.
Best of all, these renewable fuels will help create good paying jobs in Missouri. Congress needs to pass legislation to invest in American energy and American jobs. Missouri is helping lead the way in the use of renewable fuels and Washington is starting to take notice.
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