Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Budget, Infrastructure, Nominations



Statements from the Lawmakers



On the Continuing Resolution

Senator Rand Paul (R - KY)
February 9, 2018
"Tonight, you could feel the frustration and embarrassment growing in Congress as we exposed the hypocrisy of Republicans who are joining in an unholy alliance and spending free-for-all with Democrats at the expense of the American people and our party's supposed principles. Make no mistake, I will always stand up for fiscal responsibility, regardless of which party is in power, and I will continue to call the Republican Party home to the ideas that led to Americans trusting us with government in the first place."

Pete Olson (R-TX, 22nd)
February 9, 2018
“This funding for disasters like Hurricane Harvey, which happened last August, is long overdue and critically needed. In passing this funding, Congress took an important step in to helping Texans impacted by this devastating storm recover. I want to thank my Texas colleagues and our House and Senate leadership for getting this desperately needed funding across the finish line.”

Jimmy Panetta (D-CA, 20th)
February 9, 2018
"We cannot keep governing from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis. Right now, our constituents expect us to find common ground on a sensible solution that responsibly funds our government and protects Dreamers. Between this bill, which adds over $300 billion to the nation’s credit card, and the unpaid-for tax law, which will add billions more, Congress has now voted to add over $1 trillion to the federal deficit in just under two months. While focusing on these irresponsible plans, the Speaker of the House, unlike the Senate Majority Leader, has refused to take any action or even commit to have a fair and open debate on legislation for our Dreamers. This is not responsible governing. Republicans and Democrats must sit down and negotiate in order to pass legislation that advances the priorities of all Americans today and for future generations. This bill does not meet the values that we share on the central coast of California."

Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ, 9th)
February 9, 2018
“While disgusted with the incompetence and chaos with which the Republicans have governed, I voted in favor of this bipartisan, long-term budget agreement because of the hard-fought priorities within it that give our communities, servicemembers, and businesses the assurance they need that the federal resources they rely on will not run out,” said Rep. Pascrell. “This deal isn’t perfect, but it puts us on the path to responsible governing. This bill addressed critical needs for the next two years like improving our seniors’ healthcare, assisting at-risk mothers, supporting community health centers, investing in aging infrastructure, funding for the opioid and mental health epidemics, and helping the recovery and rebuilding in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

“I am mad as hell at Speaker Ryan for continually holding our Dreamers hostage to the extreme right wing of his party. This is not an issue of Right vs. Left but simply Right vs. Wrong. As time ticks towards the deadline President Trump cruelly imposed, I continue to demand Speaker Ryan put his money where his mouth is and bring the Dream Act or a bipartisan deal to the floor for a vote immediately. Dreamers are part of the fabric of our communities and embody what makes America great. Too many live in fear of being torn from their friends and families because President Trump pulled the rug out from under them and Republican leadership in Congress has failed to act. It is long past time for Congress to schedule a vote so we can act on the promise we made to them when the Dreamers came out of the shadows in good faith.”

Steve Pearce (R-NM, 2nd)
February 9, 2018
“Any piece of legislation that suspends the debt limit is simply an excuse for Congress and the government to spend at will, without regard for the consequences down the road. Just as businesses and families have a borrowing limit on their credit card, so does the federal government. By suspending the debt limit through the end of 2018, Congress is granting the government a blank check.

I did not support giving President George W. Bush a blank check. I did not support it under President Barack Obama. And I will not support it under President Donald Trump.

For this reason, I could not in good conscience vote for the fifth continuing resolution, which also sets a misguided budget for the next two years. Earlier this year, the House passed all 12 appropriations bills on time, the Senate has still refused to debate and vote on a single one. Instead of doing our job, Congress is acting without a thought-out plan. We must ensure our nation’s military has the tools and training it needs to succeed, and we have to help our fellow man in times of great need. But, we cannot be reckless.”

Chellie Pingree (D-ME, 1st)
February 9, 2018
"Republicans control the House, Senate, and Executive branch, but their inability to govern has put our country’s priorities—from military spending to the opioid crisis—in limbo for the past nine months and a fifth continuing resolution is just more of the same. I could not in good conscience vote for a bill that underfunds key programs after this Republican-controlled Congress just passed a trillion dollar tax cut for corporations.

"President Trump and Republicans in Congress tied the fate of 800,000 young Dreamers to this budget bill as a cruel bargaining chip. In less than a month, thousands of teenagers and young adults who know no other country than this will face deportation because of a crisis created by President Trump. We know the bipartisan DREAM Act has the votes to pass and for months I’ve called on Speaker Ryan to bring it to the House floor, but he’s refused and stirred a frightening uncertainty in communities nationwide. I refuse to engage in this kind of immoral negotiation which has caused so many Americans to lose faith in Washington."

Stacy Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands, At-Large)
February 9, 2018
“Early this morning, members of Congress approved a 2 year budget package that funds government and provides critical disaster relief to the hurricane affected areas including the U.S. Virgin Islands. This funding comes after long protracted discussion and substantial negotiation in both the Senate and the House. Our office is grateful for the work that Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) engaged in on our behalf with Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the support of Governor Mapp and his team to make this happen.

“While the funding does not include the full amount or all of requests of the Virgin Islands it will help us substantially in the rebuilding efforts. We worked very hard to see that the Virgin Islands be provided with additional Medicaid funding for the territory’s urgent health needs. The islands are provided with $142 million in additional funds through September 2019, with a 100% federal match for these new funds. The measure also provides the Virgin Islands with five years of significant additional funding through a higher rate of rum excise tax revenue paid to the Virgin Islands treasury – at $13.25 per proof gallon (from $10.50).

Congresswoman Plaskett cautions the Virgin Islands government and its people that this advancement in our rebuilding needs to be taken in context with last month’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Bill. “We must be aware that the new tax laws are likely to have the unintended consequence of providing a disincentive to companies operating in the Virgin Islands due to foreign tax treatment. Additionally, there will be lost revenue to the General Fund due to reduction in individual tax brackets, along with the lack of reimbursement to the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Tax experts predict that those losses can range from a hundred million to hundreds of millions of dollars each tax year.”

Bruce Poliquin (R-MN, 2nd)
February 9, 2018
“As an original cosponsor and strong supporter of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, I have long advocated for our government to get our spending under control and for the budget process in Congress to operate the way it should, instead of floating from one temporary funding bill to the next,” said Congressman Poliquin. “But the alternative right now—shutting down the government and continuing to deprive our men and women in uniform of critically needed support—would harm Maine and would harm America.

“We must fund the government, we must fully fund our military and support our shipbuilders at BIW, we must support the fight against the horrific opioid crisis in Maine, and we must make sure our rural communities continue to have access to health care providers. It’s important for Maine that this bill passes.

“I call on all my colleagues who are concerned about spending to join me in supporting a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution to ensure a financially sustainable future for our Nation. In my first week as a member of Congress in 2015, I became an original cosponsor of the Balanced Budget Amendment to our Constitution. It is more critical now than ever before to get our spending under control and I am appreciative that so many in Congress are now finally concerned about this serious problem.”

Bill Posey (R-FL, 8th)
February 9, 2018
“The budget process is clearly broken. The House of Representatives passed all of its appropriations bills in September. Yet, even with last month’s short-term extension, the Senate still won’t act to bring those bills to a vote. Each continuing resolution is an admission of failure to do the job right. Waiting for the eleventh hour to consider a short-term, must pass funding bill is no way to run the government. It’s unfair to American families, workers and our children and grandchildren who will inherit these important issues that Washington refuses to deal with today.”

David Price (D-NC, 4th)
February 9, 2018
“The bipartisan budget agreement reached by Senate leaders this week is a long-awaited step to address a number of outstanding funding priorities. It fulfills the fundamental obligation of Congress to keep the government open and paves the way for the delayed passage of our twelve appropriations bills. For too long, Congress has lurched from crisis to crisis, passing short-term spending patches but failing to address the sequestration-level spending caps that hobble economic investments, threaten our national security, and make realistic budgeting impossible.

In addition to making dollar for dollar increases in the defense and non-defense budgets above sequestration levels, this agreement contains much-needed relief for millions of families still recovering from natural disasters—including $125 million for ongoing Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts in North Carolina. It also reaffirms our commitment to fight the opioid crisis, secures billions to improve our nation’s infrastructure, and makes critical investments in our nation’s veterans, healthcare, and education programs.

Unfortunately, Republican leadership in the House has done nothing to advance bipartisan legislation to protect the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers facing uncertainty thanks to President Trump. His decision to rescind the DACA program, and then blow up the bipartisan proposal to fix the problem that he created, forced Dreamers squarely in the middle of the shutdown battle. What’s worse, the President has yet to learn his lesson, just this week calling for another government shutdown to advance his mass-deportation agenda.

My colleagues in the Senate have received assurances by Majority Leader McConnell of an imminent vote that includes DACA, but Speaker Ryan has continued to cater to the extreme wings of his caucus, lacking the political courage to put legislation on the floor. His promise to only put a bill on the floor that President Trump publicly supports is particularly disgraceful. No Speaker should yield our legislative prerogative to the President, particularly this President on this issue. Without assurances in the House similar to those given in the Senate, I cannot vote to support this budget package and let Republican leadership once again kowtow to a President who believes his power cannot be checked.”



On Trump's Budget Proposal

Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ, 1st)
February 12, 2018
“The budget proposed today by the Trump Administration would hurt rural communities, veterans, and seniors,” said Rep. O’Halleran. “Rural America needs more tools, not less, to be a part of the economic recovery and create new jobs. This budget slashes the few tools that rural communities depend on to develop, attract, and retain a strong workforce and good jobs. This budget breaks a promise to Rural America, by making jobs, affordable education, and health care harder to access for working families.”

The budget proposal eliminates or reduces the following programs:

  • The Rural Business and Cooperative Service
  • The Economic Development Administration
  • The Manufacturing Extension Partnership
  • Community Development Block Grants
  • Rural Water and Wastewater Grants
  • Indian Community Development Block Grant
  • Rural Economic Development Program
  • Essential Air Service, critical to businesses in rural communities
  • Reimbursement for rural health care providers
  • Native American Housing Block Grants
  • Medicare and Medicaid
  • Veterans programs and services

    “We must work together in a bipartisan way to ensure every American has the opportunity to compete for good jobs in the 21st century and that we keep our promises to our seniors and veterans."

  • Steve Pearce (R-NM, 2nd)
    February 13, 2018
    “It is imperative that we come together to establish a balanced and sustainable budget. The American people deserve certainty. Creating ten-year spending projects with the goal of reducing our crushing debt and deficit is critical to the future success of our nation.

    There is much to be encouraged by in this request. The White House remains committed to rebuilding our nation’s military and defenses, it continues to prioritize the reduction of burdensome and duplicative regulations, it supports New Mexico’s federal facilities, and it strives to make a real dent in our nation’s ever-growing debts.

    At the same time, this proposal is not perfect. There are several areas of the proposal that will need to be examined in greater depth to ensure that, as a nation, we are taking appropriate steps to solving our nation’s budget crisis, while also meeting our commitments to the American people. Keep in mind, however, the President’s budget proposal today is just that – a suggestion of priorities for Congress to consider while establishing the spending plan for the upcoming year. I look forward to building off the proposal put out by the President today, and working with my colleagues in Congress in setting a course that will protect and support our New Mexico communities.”

    Chellie Pingree (D-ME, 1st)
    February 12, 2018
    "President Trump’s budget proposal spells disaster for rural states like Maine and demonstrates how out of touch his Administration is with the needs of the country. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I’ll fight the Trump Administration’s proposal to eliminate so many programs critical to Maine, including low-income heating assistance, Community Development Block Grants, and rural air service. And I will work to ensure his proposals to decimate the ACA, Medicaid, and Medicare, while jeopardizing food assistance for families, do not move forward. With a nearly 30 percent cut to essential non-defense discretionary programs coming after a huge corporate tax cut, President Trump has sent a statement to working Americans that their needs aren’t even on his radar."

    Mark Pocan (D-WI, 2nd)
    February 12, 2018
    “The Trump Administration’s budget is an attack on the very Americans President Trump promised to serve and it undermines the values we share as a nation. Rather than support an economy that strengthens the middle class, the promise of a safe and secure retirement, and the idea that every American should have access to lifesaving care, the Trump budget attacks programs that everyday Americans rely upon. We should make critical investments in health, education, and workforce development for the American people, not gut resources that allow millions of hardworking Americans to get ahead.

    “From dangerous cuts to Medicare and Social Security, to slashing funding for education, housing, and workforce training and protection programs, the Trump budget will have serious consequences for American families. And while Republicans will hide behind the same old talking points of fiscal responsibility and hard choices, it is clear that President Trump and Republicans are engaging in a coordinated effort to further enrich the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. For months, President Trump advocated for massive tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations, and today’s budget further reflects that he is not working in the interests of the middle class, workers, students, seniors, and the poor.”

    Bruce Poliquin (R-MN, 2nd)
    February 12, 2018
    “I am very appreciative that members of both parties are now finally expressing concerns about our government’s spending,” said Congressman Poliquin. “I call on all my colleagues who are concerned about spending to join me in supporting a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution to ensure a financially sustainable future for our Nation. It is more critical now than ever before to get our spending under control and I am appreciative that so many in Congress are now finally concerned about this serious problem.

    “As I begin reviewing the details of the White House’s budget request, I’m pleased it demonstrates our Nation’s commitment to strengthening national security and making sure our Armed Forces have the support they need.

    “In addition, the White House has clearly signaled that infrastructure investment will be a primary focus in the coming year. Maine is third in the nation for needed infrastructure improvements, as many families, communities and small businesses in our State know too well. From needed roads and bridges repairs to critically important development in broadband access, there is a lot of work to be done for Maine on this front that I will be pushing for in the upcoming budget process.

    “As I have said before, we must make sure we maintain support for programs and agencies that that serve our families and communities and help protect our environment. Specifically, I remain strongly supportive of funding for programs such as LIHEAP, which provides critical support for our Maine families in winter; Community Development Block Grants, which support multiple local programs in our State such as ‘Meals-on-Wheels’; and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, delivering family programming and also serving an important role with its emergency alert system; among others. As Congress begins its work in the coming months on the federal budget, I will continue to push for continued support for these and other programs and agencies that do good for Maine families.

    “I remain concerned about drastic reductions in support for important environmental programs, policies and services, such as:

  • The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and their specific sea grants
  • Funding for Acadia National Park
  • Maintaining clean drinking water infrastructure and waste water infrastructure
  • Superfund
  • Maine Healthy Beaches Program
  • National Estuary Program, and
  • Continued lead remediation efforts in Maine

    “One of the most important things Congress must focus on in the coming months is completing the budget process the way it is supposed to be done: passing our appropriations bills in the House and the Senate and working together to reduce spending and make spending adjustments where they are needed. The House got this done last year and I am hopeful all of my colleagues in both chambers can get it done in the coming months.

    “As I continue to review the White House’s request, I remain focused on working across the aisle to protect Seniors’ earned Social Security benefits, growing Maine jobs, fighting illegal trade, standing up for our Veterans, combating the opioid epidemic, and working every day for our Maine families.”

  • David Price (D-NC, 4th)
    February 12, 2018
    “After blowing up our nation’s debt with a $1.5 trillion tax cut for the wealthy, the Trump administration is determined to further undermine our nation’s middle class and stifle upward mobility – this time by attempting to gut critical economic investments, Medicare and Medicaid, and other human capital programs to pay for a foolhardy $18 billion border wall that the American public continues to oppose. Our nation’s budget is a moral document, and the Trump budget is further evidence of a morally bankrupt Administration.”



    On Trump's Infrastructure Plan

    Senator David Perdue (R-GA)
    February 12, 2018
    “When he was elected, President Trump said job one was growing the economy. In 2017, he focused on reducing regulations, unleashing our energy potential, and cutting taxes. In 2018, President Trump wants to move to immigration, trade, and infrastructure. He is now beginning to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure. We need a smart approach to prioritize and leverage significant economic development projects like they do in the real world. We need to streamline federal, state, and local cooperation and remove regulatory roadblocks so we can get the greatest return on investment for taxpayers. In Georgia, we saw this approach in action when the I-85 bridge collapsed and was repaired a month ahead of schedule. We need to replicate that efficiency on a larger scale so we can increase productivity and ultimately update our nation’s infrastructure network to support additional growth.”

    Senator Rob Portman (R - OH)
    February 12, 2018
    “The president’s infrastructure proposal is a good starting point for discussion and I’m hopeful both parties will work together on this issue. By rebuilding our aging infrastructure and improving job training programs targeted toward in-demand infrastructure-related jobs, we have a great opportunity to further strengthen our economy. I am also glad to see the administration is making infrastructure permitting reform a priority. I’ve led efforts in the Senate to streamline our permitting process, working to enact FAST-41 so we can rebuild our infrastructure more quickly. With a permitting process that makes sense and operates efficiently, we can put more people back to work, improve our infrastructure, and better protect the environment. I look forward to working with the administration and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to develop legislation on these issues in the coming months.”

    Portman has led efforts in Washington to streamline the federal permitting process. Recently, the Trump administration has begun to use the tools authorized by Portman’s Federal Permitting Improvement Act, which helps streamline the federal infrastructure permitting process to boost our economy and create jobs. The bill was enacted into law last Congress as Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41). Two weeks ago, the Trump Administration and the state of Louisiana entered into the first memorandum of understanding between the federal government and a state to facilitate the infrastructure permitting process for a project covered by this new law. FAST-41 requires that one agency serve as the lead agency for covered projects; all agencies involved in covered projects develop a coordinated permitting timeline at the start of the process; and agencies post the permitting timeline and updates to it on an online Permitting Dashboard throughout the permitting process for each covered project. Last September, Portman chaired a Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) hearing on how permitting reform, like FAST-41, will create good-paying jobs across the country.

    Steve Pearce (R-NM, 2nd)
    February 13, 2018
    “As a state vastly comprised of rural communities, we understand just how important infrastructure projects are to improve the livelihoods of people, families, and businesses in our State. It is vital for the safety and productivity of New Mexico that Congress looks to reform how we currently fund and complete infrastructure projects. New Mexico will greatly benefit from any positive improvements to infrastructure. At the same time, our nation faces extreme budget pressures. Any plan must be one that can work to improve and modernize the nation’s infrastructure without driving the United States into further debt. I look forward to working with the Administration and my colleagues in Congress to making the essential reforms to the nation’s infrastructure projects that will benefit New Mexico.”

    Nancy Pelosi (D-CA, 12th)
    February 12, 2018
    “The budget is a statement of our values, but the President’s brutal collection of broken promises and staggering cuts shows he does not value the future of seniors, children and working families. After robbing from our children’s futures to enrich corporations and the wealthiest with the GOP tax scam, the White House budget is purpose-built to compound the cruelty. The President’s tired insistence on ripping away the promise of quality, affordable health care and his cruel focus on slashing vital investments in families’ economic security will dangerously hollow out our nation’s strength.

    “After a full year of empty boasts, the President has finally unveiled a puny infrastructure scam that fully fails to meet the need in America’s communities. The Trump plan is to raise tolls on commuters, increase the burden on cities and states, sell our essential infrastructure to the whims of Wall Street, and yank away the protections that keep consumers safe and our air and water clean. At the same time, the Trump budget actually slashes billions of dollars from infrastructure investments that prevent deadly floods, connect rural communities, and create good-paying jobs across the country.

    “Democrats are offering A Better Deal to Rebuild America: our bold, truly transformative $1 trillion plan to rebuild America’s broken infrastructure. Five times bigger than the Trump plan, Democrats’ agenda will create more than 16 million good-paying American jobs, unlock the economic potential of every community and bring money into the Treasury. While the White House and Republicans in Congress shamefully try to weaken the pillars of our national strength, Democrats will continue to fight for better futures for American families.”

    Mark Pocan (D-WI, 2nd)
    February 12, 2018
    “Reading scripted remarks and tweeting out vague promises to invest our country will not build roads and bridges – it takes public dollars to do that. Americans deserve a serious public commitment to rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, but under the Trump Administration’s plan, communities across Wisconsin won’t get the resources we need. With a comparatively paltry investment from the federal government over ten years – less than one-tenth of 1% of GDP – and no dedicated funding for rural broadband, the Administration’s plan falls far short in resources, leaving many communities behind.

    “The reality is that President Trump’s plan is nothing more than an attempt to sell off public resources to Wall Street, to members of Mar-a-Lago, and to foreign investors. We need a real, comprehensive public investment that goes beyond traditional infrastructure, and covers not just our roads and bridges, but our water systems, broadband, and clean, renewable energy, as the Progressive Caucus has put forward in our 21st Century New Deal for Jobs. We need a serious plan and funding commitment that prioritizes communities most in need and creates the millions of good-paying jobs, not more empty promises.”

    David Price (D-NC, 4th)
    February 12, 2018
    “Throughout his campaign and his first year in office, President Trump made countless promises to put forward a bold plan to put Americans to work repairing and modernizing our crumbling public infrastructure. In contrast to the many issues that divided Democrats and Republicans during the last election, infrastructure stood out as an area of common ground and potential bipartisan cooperation.

    Unfortunately, the President’s infrastructure plan neither makes good on his promise nor reflects any attempt at bipartisan compromise. The proposal calls for $1.5 trillion in new investment, but it shifts the overwhelming majority of the costs to states and municipalities, forcing them either to raise taxes or to sell off public assets to private investors. The President’s budget, which was released on the same day, seeks to slash existing infrastructure programs to pay for new federal investment and to gut longstanding environmental protections and labor laws that protect workers on federal projects. This is more than just a mixed message: it is an abdication of the federal government’s role as an equal partner in major public infrastructure investments, and another giveaway to private investors and corporate polluters.

    The President’s plan is fundamentally flawed, but I hope it jumpstarts a constructive, bipartisan debate about how best to meet our nation’s infrastructure needs. As the Ranking Member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I look forward to participating in this debate and advocating for sustained federal investments in our roads, bridges, railways, transit systems, housing stock, and broadband networks. Democrats have put forward a $1 trillion plan that would revitalize our crumbling infrastructure and create more than 16 million high-quality jobs. If President Trump is serious about delivering on his promise, I encourage him and our Republican colleagues to ensure that any infrastructure legislation includes these ideas.”



    On the Nominations of Eric Tostrud, Nancy Brasel to U.S. District Court of Minnesota

    Erik Paulsen (R-MN, 3rd)
    February 12, 2018
    “Minnesotans will be reassured that they will be represented by two sound, reasoned, and experienced legal minds on the federal bench.

    “Eric Tostrud’s temperament, intelligence, and firm grasp and expertise on a wide range of complex issues will make him an exceptional judge. Judge Nancy Brasel’s experience as a federal prosecutor and Hennepin County District Court judge will serve her well in her new role.”



    On Trump Administration Proposed USDA Budget

    Chellie Pingree (D-ME, 1st)
    February 12, 2018
    Rural America deserves a better budget. By cutting essential programs for rural businesses, housing, and more, this proposal severely weakens USDA Rural Development’s ability to support rural communities. I also have many questions about the Administration's alarming SNAP proposal, which would terminate SNAP nutrition education and make it harder for recipients to access a wide variety of healthy foods.

    I am concerned by how farmers would fare under the proposed budget due to the reductions in funding for important conservation programs and farm loans. And while I am glad to see a funding increase for the National Organic Program to improve enforcement of the organic label, I’m troubled by the way this budget simultaneously suggests cutting other programs that support two of the fastest-growing agricultural markets—organic and local food.

    In so many ways, this proposed budget for USDA—with its nearly 25 percent cut to discretionary programs—looks much like the damaging plan that the Administration put forth last year. Thankfully, the House Appropriations Committee worked in a bipartisan way to restore much of that funding in legislation it passed through the Committee last year, and I am optimistic we can do so again.



    News from the Lawmakers



    Trump Administration continues support of Pittenger national security efforts
    Robert Pittenger (R-NC, 9th)
    February 12, 2018
    The Trump Administration continued strong support for two of Congressman Robert Pittenger’s signature national security efforts: strengthening review of foreign investments that threaten national security, and targeting sources of terrorism financing.

    Read more...



    Pittenger: Samaritan's Purse VP "perfect choice" for U.N. role
    Robert Pittenger (R-NC, 9th)
    February 12, 2018
    Ken Isaacs has dedicated his life to serving the least, the forgotten, and the unwanted. He has served survivors of the Rwandan genocide, assisted Syrian refugees, and led relief efforts in dozens of countries including Liberia, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

    Read more...



    ICYMI: Reps. Price and Lowenthal Lead Effort to Promote Sustainability in Infrastructure
    David Price (D-NC, 4th)
    February 13, 2018
    Yesterday, the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) released its Sustainable Infrastructure Proposal, led by Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA). The document serves as a blueprint for smart, environmentally sustainable infrastructure investment. The proposal stands in stark contrast to the recently released Trump Administration infrastructure plan that eviscerates core environmental safeguards, fails to meaningfully incorporate forward-looking sustainability and resiliency initiatives, and falls far short of the robust direct federal investment necessary to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure. The vast majority of Americans know that we can build and modernize infrastructure while keeping environment and public health protections in place. They expect us to do both, and that is what SEEC’s proposal is all about.

    Read more...


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