Email from Senator John Cornyn 4-16-09
April 16, 2009 by OpinionHead
Filed under News
Update from U.S. Senator John Cornyn
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
With so many complex issues facing our nation, I was grateful for the opportunity to return to Texas to meet with people across the state and listen to their concerns about what is happening in Washington, how these issues affect them and what common-sense ideas they have for how best to address them.
Just before recess, the Senate passed President Obama’s budget without any bipartisan support. Along with all of my Republican colleagues, I voted against the budget that spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much. The budget represents a missed opportunity for Congress to put policies in place that will encourage economic recovery, foster opportunities for Texans and all Americans, and prevent future generations from inheriting insurmountable debt.
One of the most disturbing aspects of the President’s budget is his proposal to limit the deduction for charitable contributions, which could cost charities and non-profit organizations nationwide anywhere from $4 billion to $9 billion annually. Last week I hosted a roundtable in Austin, where I met with representatives from local non-profit organizations at Meals on Wheels and More to hear their concerns about the President’s proposal. While I worked with both Senate Democrats and Republicans to reject the President’s proposal during the budget debate earlier this month, this does not mean Congress will not consider the President’s proposal in the future. Given today’s economic climate and with so many Americans hurting and in need of assistance, we should instead encourage charitable giving.
The economic downturn has led to greater demand for charitable services and placed a strain of many of these organizations already operating on limited resources. Homeless shelters across the state have seen a marked increase in the number of people seeking help. This week in Fort Worth, I am meeting with Mayor Mike Moncrief and other local officials who have been successful in reducing homelessness in their community. I hope to learn the keys to their success and share that with other cities and communities throughout Texas.
While Americans participate in the annual practice of filling out their federal taxes, I’m looking forward to meeting with the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission Chair and Vice-Chair at the State Capitol in Austin to discuss our shared goal of stamping out government waste. I will be announcing introduction of my legislation to help save more of taxpayers’ hard-earned money. In Congress, I’ve been working to create a Federal Sunset Commission, based on the successful Texas model, that would improve government accountability and help ensure our tax dollars are spent efficiently. Congress moved a step closer to establishing this important body when the Senate recently passed an amendment I sponsored that lays the groundwork for a Federal Sunset Commission to eliminate government waste and increase oversight of ineffective programs.
On Friday I am joining Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at Fort Sam Houston to visit our nation’s wounded warriors receiving medical care at the Warrior and Family Support Center. These brave soldiers and their families have sacrificed so much for our nation, and I look forward to thanking them for their exemplary service. The Warrior and Family Support Center plays a vital role in treating both the visible and invisible injuries that our soldiers face as a result of their service, and we must continue to ensure the needs of our servicemen and women are adequately met as they recover from their injuries and return home. I recently reintroduced legislation that would authorize construction of a VA hospital for veterans in the Rio Grande Valley, who currently have to drive hours out of their way to receive medical treatment. Service members and veterans in Texas and across our nation have earned access to the high-quality medical treatment through their enormous sacrifices for our nation.
For more information on these and other topics, go directly to my Web site. To view floor speeches, interviews and other video messages from me, please visit my YouTube Channel. To receive additional updates, please select the issues that interest you listed on the right. It’s an honor to serve you in the United States Senate.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator John Cornyn
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An email from Michael McCaul 4/3
April 4, 2009 by OpinionHead
Filed under News
April 3, 2009
Dear Friends,
This week I continued to stand up for the taxpayers in my district by voting against President Obama’s and Speaker Pelosi’s $3 trillion a year budget. Unfortunately, it passed. Over the next five years it will double the national debt. Over ten years it will triple our debt and raise taxes by $1.4 trillion. I encourage you to visit my new website, where you can see how quickly our debt is adding up, and view my speech on the House floor before yesterday’s vote.
I voted for an alternative to this massive spending bill called The Path to American Prosperity. It’s a blueprint for economic recovery that keeps spending and debt under control, keeps taxes low, and still addresses the country’s core needs. The Republican plan:
- Spends $4.8 trillion less than the Democrats’ budget over 10 years
- Brings spending back down to 20.7% of GDP, in line with the historical average, instead of climbing to 24.5% of GDP as proposed in the Obama budget
- Freezes non-defense/non-veterans spending, instead of increasing non-defense spending by more than 9% as proposed in the Obama budget
- Borrows $3.6 trillion less than the Obama budget over 10 years
- Increases the Defense budget by $5 billion over the cuts in the Obama budget
- Increases Veterans funding by $540 million over the President’s budget
- Institutes pro-growth tax cuts instead of $1.5 trillion in tax increases on small businesses and families as proposed in the Obama budget
- Creates 2.1 million more Jobs than the Democrats’ Budget
- Suspends capital gains taxes through 2010 instead of increasing taxes on investment
- Institutes needed entitlement reforms to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare
Today I am heading back home for the April District Work Period. Over the next two weeks I hope to see many of you as I travel the 10th District to discuss our economic situation, and continue to offer solutions.
Free Taxpayer Seminars!
Congressman McCaul will be hosting Taxpayer Seminars on Tuesday, April 7, 2009. Representatives from the IRS will be available to answer your tax questions in Tomball and Pflugerville. There will be presentations on the IRS resources available to you and an opportunity for you to get your general tax questions answered. Please contact our Austin district office at (512) 473-2357 for more information.
Tomball 6:30-7:30pm
Community Library at Lone Star College, Building 9
30555 Tomball Parkway
Click here for a campus map.
Pflugerville 7:30-8:30pm
Pflugerville Public Library
102 S 10th St
VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE!
The address is the same: www.house.gov/mccaul.
We are proud of our new communication tool The objective is to give you more ways to be in contact with me, and more ways for me to hear what’s important to you. Government is all about serving the people, and this new technological tool we have will help us do a better job. Our new features include:
- News stories featuring my work on big issues are more accessible
- Floor speeches and hearing video are readily available
- A Survey and Blog will give you a new opportunity to voice your opinion and generate discussions
- National Debt Clock
I wish you and your family a great weekend, and a Happy Easter and Passover.
With best regards,
Michael T. McCaul
Member of Congress
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Email from Senator John Cornyn 4/2
April 2, 2009 by OpinionHead
Filed under News
Why I’m Voting Against The Budget
The following op-ed ran in today’s edition of the Austin American-Statesman, which can be accessed here.
This week, I will vote against the massive $3.6 trillion budget proposed by President Barrack Obama and Democrats in Congress, and Texans deserve to understand why. I believe this budget taxes too much, spends too much and borrows too much. This budget will delay economic recovery in Texas and across the nation, and it will reduce opportunities for all of us.
This budget will reduce opportunities for people looking for jobs. Nearly three-quarters of all new private sector jobs are created by small businesses. In Texas, we understand that small businesses are the employment engines of our economy, and so we have put in place policies that encourage entrepreneurs to invest in our state and create more opportunities. As ABC News reported last week, only three of the top 39 job markets in the nation gained jobs last year. All three are in Texas, and one of them is Austin.
I have worked to bring successful Texas policies to Washington, especially our policy of keeping taxes low. Once again this year I offered an amendment to make it harder for Congress to increase taxes in future budgets. Had this amendment been adopted last year, 60 votes in the Senate would be required today to increase taxes on America’s families and small businesses.
Congress chose not to make it harder to raise taxes, and so this year Obama proposed raising net taxes by $1.4 trillion over the next decade. Much of this burden will fall on our state’s most successful small businesses. He has proposed raising the top two tax brackets to a nominal rate of 36 and 39.6 percent, and by limiting deductions for state and local taxes and other expenses, the effective marginal tax rates on thousands of our small businesses will be over 40 percent.
Small businesses make a big contribution to our economy, and charitable organizations do the same for our society as a whole. More than 150 years ago, Alexis de Tocqueville marveled at the spirit of volunteerism in our country, and how quick we were to form “public associations” for the common good. Today, faith-based and community-based organizations heal the sick, feed the hungry and serve the most vulnerable among us.
Charitable organizations depend on the generosity of donors to serve our communities, and for decades we have encouraged this generosity by making charitable donations deductible. But Obama wants to limit this deduction for charitable contributions, which could cost charities nationwide anywhere from $4 billion to $9 billion.
You can see the potential impact right here in Austin. The Austin Pregnancy Resource Center is a 501c(3) organization that provides counseling and services to women who are pregnant or who may think they are pregnant. Some of their clients are students. Some are homeless. Some are victims of domestic violence and other abuse.
The center provides these confidential services at no cost to women in need. It relies completely on donations from individuals and businesses to fund its programs. Thanks to the generosity of the Austin community, the center now has two full-time employees, one part-time employee and about 60 volunteers.
The recession has made it harder for the center to raise money — even as the demand for its services increases. In just one day this month, the center received nearly 20 calls from women who could not afford to buy diapers. In the words of Executive Director Lori DeVillez, “There are many times where a bag of diapers or a can of formula truly means the difference between ‘Do I eat today, or provide for my baby?’ ”
The center works to ensure that its clients don’t have to face such a terrible choice. DeVillez estimates that up to 10 of the center’s largest donors would see their taxes go up under the president’s plan. She would like to see policies that would expand her pool of potential donors — rather than dry it up.
I believe that charitable organizations like the Austin Pregnancy Resource Center, as well as thousands of successful small businesses across our state, help make Texas a better place. They deserve our support. They do not deserve to suffer the impact of higher taxes. I will continue to bring the experience of successful Texas policies to our nation’s capital, and help more people contribute to the common good.
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An Email from Senator John Cornyn 3/30
March 30, 2009 by OpinionHead
Filed under News
Update from U.S. Senator John Cornyn
Monday, March 30, 2009
In Washington, Congress continues to focus on President Obama’s proposed budget. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released an alarming report indicating that the President’s budget will create deficits averaging nearly $1 trillion a year for the next decade, and it would double the national debt in five years and nearly triple it in 10 years.
Not only does this budget spend too much and tax our nation’s hard-working families and small businesses, it borrows far too much from future generations of Texans. I spoke on the Senate floor about the implications of this budget for students. Under the President’s budget, students who start college this year will see their share of the national debt grow from $19,000 per student to more than $36,000 per student after graduation from a four-year program. That is a tremendous burden to place on college graduates as they enter the workforce and begin their careers.
Despite my concerns with the Democrats’ budget and its reckless spending and misguided priorities, I was encouraged that my amendment to bring a little Texas sunshine to Washington unanimously passed the Budget Committee. My measure, based on the successful Texas model, which has led to the elimination of more than 50 agencies and saved Texans more than $700 million, lays the groundwork for the establishment of a Federal Sunset Commission to review federal programs. It will determine their efficiency, and make recommendations on whether they need reform or should be eliminated all together. This bipartisan commission is critical because it will shed light on unnecessary government spending and eliminate ineffective and unnecessary programs.
I was happy to get out of Washington and head back home to Texas this last weekend. Many of the best ideas and solutions I hear stem from the local level – from Texas men and women who are on the front lines dealing with our nation’s challenges every day. I am always encouraged after meeting with Texans, and renewed by what I’ve learned from them as I return to Washington.
Lastly, I wanted to remind you that this month is Red Cross Month. We Texans know firsthand the vital role the Red Cross plays in rebuilding lives and communities disrupted by natural disasters. Whether it’s donating blood or volunteering your time, I encourage everyone to give something back to this crucial organization. More information on what you can do to help is available on the Red Cross website.
For more information on these and other topics, go directly to my Web site. To view floor speeches, interviews and other video messages from me, please visit my YouTube Channel. To receive additional updates, please select the issues that interest you listed on the right. It’s an honor to serve you in the United States Senate.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator John Cornyn
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An email from my Congressman: Michael McCaul
March 27, 2009 by OpinionHead
Filed under News
March 27, 2009
Dear Friends,
The President has said that digging our way out of this economic crisis won’t be easy and will take time. While we can agree on the scope of this challenge and the effort it will take to recover, the Republican budget plan will move Americans toward prosperity without spending record amounts of taxpayer dollars and without increasing the tax burden on families and businesses.
Today, our $11 trillion deficit places a burden of $36,000 on every American. Under the President’s budget, in ten years, our per-person debt will climb above $50,000. We cannot spend, borrow and tax our way to prosperity. We cannot pass a budget that will dig a deeper financial hole and impede our country’s long-term progress. Our plan will balance re-instituting the basic principles of limited government and personal responsibility, with meeting our most critical needs.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Enterprise Award
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce presented me with the prestigious Spirit of Enterprise Award for my continued support of pro-growth legislation during the last session of Congress. I am proud to have received this award for the fourth consecutive year because businesses are the economic engine of this great nation and I am committed to creating a positive pro-growth environment. Especially during a recession our priority should be to help businesses succeed by ensuring reasonable tax burdens and responsible regulations that won’t stifle job creation. I am proud to represent small business across District 10.
Omnibus Lands Bill
On Wednesday, the House passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. This bill contains more than 170 separate natural resources bills—more than 100 of which had not been considered in the House—that create new, federally sheltered wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and heritage areas. The bill also included land exchanges, ocean exploration, local water projects, landscape restoration, and underwater research, among a variety of other programs. The 1,248-page bill was estimated to cost over $10 billion and prohibited natural resource exploration development on millions of acres of land acres. The legislation passed the Senate on March 19, 2009, and will now be sent to the President for his signature
I wish you and your family a happy and safe weekend.
FLAME Act
On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 1404, the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act. The bill establishes a Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement (FLAME) Fund within the U.S. Treasury. The FLAME Fund would be used to pay for emergency catastrophic wildfire suppression. This would be separate from amounts annually appropriated to the Departments of Agriculture and Interior for wildfire suppression. The bill also directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to develop a cohesive wildland fire management strategy within one year. H.R. 1404 establishes a grant program within the Departments of Agriculture and Interior to help communities carry out wildfire education programs, firefighter training, and equipment acquisition. I joined 412 of my colleagues to vote yes and pass this important legislation.
In the News
FOX News- Congressman McCaul Discusses Border Security
http://www.house.gov/list/press/tx10_mccaul/morenews/3_27_09.html
Passport Day in the USA!
Are you planning a trip this summer? Due to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, all international travel will require a valid passport starting June 1, 2009. To help citizens be prepared for this change, Passport Acceptance Facilities will be open across the United States on Saturday, March 28, 2009 for Passport Day in the USA. Please locate your most convenient acceptance facility and review the procedures and rules for applying for a passport.
Free Taxpayer Seminar!
Congressman McCaul will be hosting Taxpayer Seminars on April 7, 2009. Representatives from the IRS will be available to answer your tax questions in Tomball at Lone Star College–Tomball and Community Library from 6:30-7:30 and Pflugerville at the Pflugerville Public Library from 7:30-8:30. There will be presentations on the IRS resources available to you and an opportunity for you to get your general tax questions answered. Please contact my Austin district office at (512) 473-2357 for more information and to suggest topics for the Taxpayer Seminars.
NEW WEBSITE!
Please look for our new and improved congressional website which will launch in the first few days of April. The address will remain the same: www.house.gov/mccaul. We hope this will serve as a more effective communications tool, allowing you greater options to learn what’s happening in Washington and voice your opinion.
With best regards,
Michael T. McCaul
Member of Congress
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California is Broke! Is this new or has it been a long time coming?
February 17, 2009 by OpinionHead
Filed under Political Rants
I find it almost amusing, state after state, business after business, all of them broke! Why is it amusing? Hey, when you spend more than you make, what happens? When you have ultra liberal spending policies, for decades, what happens? When you get a new, spendaholic liberal president, and the handout line is forming, what do ya do? Get in line thats what!
Read the articlle on CNN.com California to lay off 20,000 if budget deal isn’t reached, all of this and more, has been building for a long, long time, but now that Uncle Obama is handing out the cash, everybody wantys some!
Go ahead, try and blame Bush and the Republicans, but look into it, you will see that this is just a snowball reaching its potential at the bottom of the hill! What needs to happen, is these liberal governments need to layoff about 75% of the employees that are just there to suck on the government tit anyway, good riddence I say! In the real world, government type benefits would be wasteful spending, if the government cant function as it is, how the heck are they supposed to run everything? By doubling, or tripling in size, Fedzilla will only get worse! I say lay them off, lay off 95% of Washington too! Let the natural order of things take care of it!
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