Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Facebook Pics of the Day



 




Tweet of the Day


 

Obama uses the constitution the same way that the devil uses the Bible, quoting half-truths to deceive us."~ Marilyn Mitchel 


Video Pick of the Day




Obama's ICE Capades



Tony Perkins
Family Research Council


With 48 hours to go until the sequester kicks in, the President is doing his best to make his doomsday threats a self-fulfilling prophecy. For two weeks, the White House has predicted the $85 billion in cuts would lead to everything from spoiled meat to criminals wandering the streets--and yesterday, his administration worked overtime to make the foreboding a reality. In detention centers across America, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released "several hundred" detainees from local jails to give some teeth to the President's foreshadowing.

Janet Napolitano, who oversees Homeland Security, claimed she was doing her "best to minimize the impacts of sequester." But, she shrugged, "there's only so much I can do. I'm supposed to have 34,000 detention beds for immigration. How do I pay for those?" Republicans like Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) are shocked the Obama administration would use more fear tactics to score political points. It's "abhorrent," Goodlatte said--a sentiment echoed by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who knows that there are other ways these savings could be "more safely and rationally achieved."

For its part, ICE insists that the strategy is low-risk, even as the agency plans to set as many as 10,000 more free. In Arizona, Sheriff Paul Babeu said 500 were discharged in his county alone. According to government spokesmen, liberating offenders is "less costly than detention." Unfortunately for one home schooling family, the government's goodwill has its limits. While Napolitano is discharging thousands of illegal immigrants, the Obama Justice Department seems unusually preoccupied with deporting a single German family. Apparently the administration believes Christians like Uwe and Hannelore Romeike pose a threat to national security.

For six years, the Romeikes have lived in a quiet Tennessee town, grateful for the asylum granted by the U.S. government. In Germany, where home schooling has been illegal since Hitler's time, the Romeikes objected to their children attending classes that violated their family's religious beliefs. Uwe and Hannelore started teaching their children at home until police appeared on their doorstep and escorted the kids to public school. Fearing imprisonment, the Romeikes fled to the U.S., where an immigration judge agreed to give them asylum in 2010. Since then, the U.S. government has fought the ruling in court, appealing the case all the way to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Ironically, the same ICE that claims it doesn't have money for detention beds is spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to extradite a peaceful law-abiding family. Home schooling, ICE argues, is "not a fundamental right." But religious freedom is--and the Romeikes deserve that as much as anyone. "It's our right to decide how we want to teach our children," Uwe told reporters. Together with the Home School Legal Defense Fund, which is representing the family, he'll have a chance to prove that to the court. Let's hope it has a better grasp on religious persecution than this President's Justice Department.


Defend Religious Liberty

Gary L. Bauer
American Values

The sequester may be dominating the headlines, but other important public policy battles are also taking place right now. Recently I signed on to a coalition effort that is fighting to defend conscience protections. More than 50 national, state and local organizations are part of the Call2Conscience coalition.

You will recall that Hobby Lobby and other Christian-owned businesses are still fighting Obamacare's outrageous mandates. Now we need your help!

The House of Representatives will soon take up legislation to fund the government for the rest of the year. We want to make sure that critical conscience protections are included in this legislation so that businesses are not forced to pay for services and procedures that violate their religious beliefs.

Click here to learn more about this important effort and to take action in defense of religious liberty!


Rep. Robert Hurt Statement Following Chairman Bernanke Testimony Before House Committee


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered his semiannual report to the House Committee on Financial Services on the state of the economy:

"Today, Chairman Bernanke stated that, 'the challenge for the Congress and the Administration is to put the federal budget on a sustainable long-run path that promotes economic growth and stability without unnecessarily impeding the current recovery.'

"As a member of the Financial Services Committee and as a representative for the people of Virginia's 5th District, I agree with the Chairman's statement that our economy depends on setting our country's future on a sustainable path. For the last two years, the House of Representatives has led on making the tough choices necessary to reduce spending in Washington and reduce the burdens that have been 'unnecessarily impeding the current recovery.' We have put forth proposals to cut wasteful spending and reform unsustainable government programs that so many people depend upon. At the same time, we have led on reducing the job-crushing effects of over-regulation presented by the President in the form of Dodd-Frank and the President's health care law. Unfortunately, over the past two years, the President and the Senate have refused to debate these critical issues.
"Every day we delay is a day closer to the day that we will be unable to prevent a devastating debt crisis. Now is the time for leadership from the President and the Senate. I hope we will be able to find common ground to address these issues in the near future. The future for our children and grandchildren depend upon it."


Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Email of the Day





Video Pick of the Day




Byer's Remorse


Tony Perkins
Family Research Council


When it comes to abortions, Planned Parenthood won't take "no" for an answer. Just ask Ayanna Byer. If it weren't for the quick thinking of an emergency room doctor, she might not be here to hold them accountable for their ruthless approach to women. Byer's horror story started at the Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs, where, seconds away from her abortion, she had a change of heart. When the staff couldn't administer her anesthesia, Byer told them she wanted to stop the procedure. According to court documents, the abortionist refused, "turned on the vacuum machines, and told Byer it was too late... He proceeded while Byer, fully awake, was forced to feel the full pain of the procedure against her will..."


Amazingly, that was just the beginning of Ayanna's nightmare. The clinic sent Byer home with a few pain pills and never once tested to see if the procedure was complete. Turns out, it wasn't. Two days later, Byer was rushed to the emergency room with her life on the line. His patient bleeding profusely, Dr. Steven Foley ran tests and found that Planned Parenthood had left dismembered body parts Byer's uterus. He rushed Ayanna into "an immediate high-risk surgery" to save her from Planned Parenthood's botched abortion.

Dr. Foley was so outraged that he submitted testimony in the lawsuit filed on Byer's behalf by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). In it, he fumes that Planned Parenthood refused to perform even the simplest of tests to ensure their patient was safe. "No practicing physician can maintain privileges to practice and perform surgery," he fumed, "if they do not provide specific coverage for their patients in case of a complication. It is considered 'abandonment' of your patient. It is not acceptable to refer your patients to the Emergency Department and assume the on-call doctor will take care of any complications and assume all the risk associated with the complications. It is medically inappropriate for a physician to remove products of conception and not confirm the diagnosis with pathology. I know of no physician or hospital that would allow the removal of a specimen of this nature and assume what the diagnosis was by just 'looking' at it."

Coercion, incompetence, physical torture--is this the type of "women's health care" taxpayers can expect from their billion-dollar investment in Planned Parenthood? Rep. Diane Black (R-Tenn.), Rep. Peter Olson (R-Texas), and Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) think not. Like the majority of Americans, this trio is incensed at how taxpayers have been dragged into the dark world of the abortion industry. Together with 50 other members of Congress, they demand a specific accounting of how Planned Parenthood is spending taxpayers' money (since it's obviously not going to patient comfort, pathology reports, or follow-up care).

Although Cecile Richards's group can't, by law, use the millions of tax dollars it receives for abortion, one would think that it helps free up the organization's other bank accounts for basic surgical necessities--like anesthesia. "My hope," said former nurse and Congressman Diane Black, "is that through greater transparency and accountability we can successfully mobilize the support needed to defund abortion providers--once and for all."


Rep. Robert Hurt Statement On Financial Services Committee Budget Meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) today released the following statement after attending the Committee on Financial Services Budget Views and Estimates Markup for the 113th Congress. As required by the Congressional Budget Act, each House Committee must set forth its budgeting priorities no later than six weeks after the President submits his budget to Congress. House Republicans will once again submit a budget to the American people, and as such, each committee must put forth its views an estimates to be considered for the budget resolution offered by the House Committee on the Budget:


"The people of Virginia's 5th District are both concerned and dismayed with Washington's inability to live within its means. At a time when federal spending has gone unchecked and our economy is crippling under a $16 trillion debt, adopting a budget is a fundamental and necessary duty of those in Washington. Yet, for the fourth time in five years, President Obama has failed to offer his budget to Congress by the first Monday in February, as required by law. Despite the President's failure to submit a budget of his own, the House of Representatives remains steadfast in our commitment to reducing federal spending, conducting oversight of federal programs, and ensuring that the federal government lives within its means. And despite previous inaction from our colleagues in the White House and the Senate, we will take the lead and offer a responsible budget once again this year. Today's markup was an important step to ensuring that we address the concerns of those we represent and put the federal government on a sustainable budget. I look forward to working both at the committee and within the House to adopt a budget framework and put an end to Washington's tax and spend business as usual."




March 3rd: Meet and Greet




Obama's Sequester Cynicism


Gary L. Bauer

Campaign for Working Families

In yesterday's report I warned that in spite of the sequester's miniscule size compared to the overall federal budget, Barack Obama is determined to make the cuts as painful as possible. But don't take my word for it. Over the weekend, the Washington Post ran a story headlined, "The Big Sequester Gamble: How Badly Will The Cuts Hurt?"

The article argued that defenders of Big Government need the sequester to be painful in order to convince the American people that the solution is higher taxes, more spending and even bigger government. "The worst-case scenario for us is the sequester hits and nothing bad really happens," one liberal lobbyist confessed to the Post.

That is why Barack Obama is telling us just how awful these cuts will be. Kids will be kicked out of school. Flights will be delayed. Workers will be furloughed and their paychecks will be cut. Today the president went to Newport News, Virginia, to warn that the Navy might have to cancel repairs to 11 ships and lay off civilian workers.

It doesn't have to be this way. But that is exactly how Obama wants it to be! The cynicism of this White House and its allies is breathtaking. They are willing to punish hard-working, taxpaying citizens of this country in order to advance their far-left, big government agenda.


Will Obama's Cynicism Prevail?

This morning I got more real life evidence of why the Obama strategy on sequestration may ultimately work. I begin every morning by trying to personally respond to as many emails as I can from our loyal friends and supporters. I want to share two I received today.

Keep in mind these folks are receiving my daily report. They are most likely pro-life and pro-family, and they probably voted for Mitt Romney. The first one comes from a military family in Europe.

"Mr. Bauer,
I still receive your End of the Day reports... but now, I read them from [Europe].  My husband is a former Marine, Operation Iraqi Freedom Soldier, and now a civilian employee with the [Department of Defense].  …
"This morning, my husband … was informed that should the sequester take place, he will be forced to take one day a week off, and we will live without $400+ a paycheck... Then my daughters came home from the international school they attend, with the news that the teachers will also be furloughed. … "Can I ask a question?  Are ANY of the entitlement checks, received by millions... being cut a penny or two?  Are any congressmen going to lose even $400 out of THEIR paychecks?  Is the president, or even one member of his cabinet,  going to see a lower amount in THEIR paycheck if this happens?"
Here is the second message:

"Gary,
"As one of the 'bureaucrats at desk jobs,' who is facing a 20% cut in my pay, I would hope that you wouldn't discount the impact that would have on my life.  It won't just hit me on the odd day I happen to be at the airport.  I  have shown up for thirty years to a job that those in leadership deemed necessary to be done, worked hard all day long every day, producing excellent results, and continually educated myself … so I would be prepared to change with the times and do an ever better job.  I made a deal and kept my end of the bargain. I just wish my employers (Congress, the executive branch and the voters) had kept theirs."

There is no logical reason why they or anyone else should be suffering cuts in pay or why teachers should be furloughed -- EXCEPT for the fact that Obama is doing his best to portray any cut in government spending as draconian. But if I am receiving these kinds of emails from people who are probably loyal conservatives, just imagine what kind of messages Republican congressmen are receiving -- and in many cases from voters who supported them.

When the sequester was negotiated, Obama demanded that some areas of the budget -- such as major entitlement programs -- be off limits. As a result, even though the sequester only amounts to 2.5% of total spending, the parts of the budget that are getting hit are taking a bigger hit proportionally than just 2.5%. Some discretionary programs are taking a 5% cut while some Defense programs are taking a 7% cut.

But rather than cutting salaries, agency executives should be looking for fraud, waste, and other unnecessary spending. Any department head who can't find five or six percent in waste, fraud, duplication, etc., should be fired!

Last night on the CBS Evening News, the director of the National Institutes of Health told viewers, "Medical research in America will be slowed by [the sequester], advances that could have happened sooner will happen later or perhaps not at all."

That statement is absurd. The federal government is not the only entity doing medical research. Is there really nothing else in the NIH's budget to cut other than important research projects? Of course there is. But if you are the person getting cut, if you are the family in Europe, it doesn't sound absurd when your paycheck shows up 20% smaller. That is what Obama is counting on.

And because the left-wing media willingly parrots the administration's propaganda, many Americans who don't watch Fox News, listen to Rush Limbaugh or read these daily reports won't know the cynical game that is being played here.

Do I think Republicans in Congress could be doing a better job? Yes. I pointed out yesterday there should have been more oversight hearings. Perhaps they should be raising money to run ads to explain this.

But there is no way for Republicans to explain it without the cooperation of the media. Speaker Boehner and House leaders held a press conference yesterday and presented a lot of great information. It got about 30 seconds of coverage on the evening news.

This is a very frustrating time in Washington, my friends. But we cannot give up. The skirmish over sequestration is a major battle in the fight over the size and scope of government. If Obama can convince the American people that it is too draconian to cut just 2.5% of the budget, then America is doomed to follow the path of European-style socialism.

Forbes Introduces Bill to Avert Defense Sequester


February 25, 2013

Washington, D.C. - Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, announced today that he has introduced H.R.773, a bill to remove the Department of Defense from sequestration and reduce the total size of the sequester by that amount. 

"Sequestration cuts eclipse any other national security threat facing our nation," said Forbes. "Lawmakers in Washington have crossed a red line in our constitutional duty -- outlined in the first sentence of the U.S. Constitution -- to provide for the common defense.  I voted against sequestration and I've warned about these cuts for 18 months.  This bill represents an opportunity for lawmakers to blunt sequestration's debilitating impact on national defense."

With just days before the sequester takes place, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey has testified that the U.S. military "can't give another dollar" in defense cuts.  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said sequestration "guarantees that we hollow out the military." 

Since 2009, the Department of Defense has taken roughly $800 billion in spending reductions.  Sequestration would cut nearly $500 billion more in defense spending. National defense accounts for approximately 20% of federal spending, yet will constitute roughly 50% of the total spending cuts under sequestration.  These cuts would represent the most dramatic cuts facing the Department of Defense in three and a half decades – far surpassing the cuts of the 1990s which left our nation unprepared for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"While I believe that the whole of sequestration's arbitrary cuts can and should be avoided, America's lawmakers must take direct and immediate action to ensure that the U.S. military has the capabilities necessary to protect and defend the United States," Forbes said. "The security of our nation and our men and women in uniform must not continue to bear the brunt of the two-plus-year failure of Congress and the President to agree on the appropriate way to reduce the federal debt and deficit."

Forbes has been one of our nation's earliest and most forceful voices advocating for a stop to sequestration.  He voted against the bill that set up sequestration, launched a nationwide series of bipartisan listening sessions to raise awareness on sequestration, has coordinated a bipartisan Virginia delegation letter speaking out on the impacts of sequestration, and has voted twice to support legislation that would replace sequestration cuts with alternative spending reductions. He has launched a website with a full timeline of his efforts to stop sequestration and detailed information on the solutions he supports to avert the sequester.

The Commonwealth of Virginia will feel the strongest blow of sequestration's arbitrary cuts.  Ten percent of the nationwide job losses will come from the Commonwealth with over 200,000 individuals at risk of losing their jobs.  Civilian furloughs threaten to leave workers with up to 20% pay cuts over six months.

Even prior to sequestration, America's military forces are on the ragged edge. The U.S. Navy is the smallest it has been since 1916 with only 287 ships, and with sequestration we will have only 220-230 ships in 10 years. Today, the Navy cannot meet our operational combatant commanders' force requirements; in FY13, the Navy satisfied only 51% of COCOM demands, compared to 90% in 2007. Even without sequestration, in the next decade the Navy will face significant shortfalls in surface combatants, submarines, and amphibious ships.

The Air Force is the smallest it has been since its inception in 1947, with a rapidly aging fleet of tactical aircraft and bombers. 70% of all combat aircraft will be 'non combat capable' by July of this year. The average age of Air Force aircraft is 22 years, with some aircraft approaching 50 years of service life.

The Marine Corps will see a 20,000 person end-strength reduction even while the Corps is helping to resource the "pivot" to Asia. 60% of the Marine Corps equipment currently requires reconstitution after a decade of combat.

The Army will see significant impairments to readiness, with almost 80% of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) incurring months-long training delays and thousands of combat vehicles unable to undertake needed maintenance.

Congressman Forbes has been serving on the House Armed Service Committee since 2001.


Staff Members From Robert Hurt's Office To Hold Local Office Hours In Madison


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Staff members from Congressman Robert Hurt’s (R-Virginia) office will be holding Local Office Hours in Madison County on Friday, March 1, to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies. For more information, please visit our Local Office Hours Interactive Map.

Friday, March 1, 2013

 

9:00 – 11:00 AM

Local Office Hours in Madison

Madison County Administration Building

Conference Room

302 Thrift Road

Madison, VA

 

Honoring Staff Sergeant Berry and All 5th District Veterans


Congressman Robert Hurt

Weekly Column 2/25/13


As I traveled across the 5th District from Danville to Fauquier this past week, I was glad to visit with and hear from so many families, small business owners, local officials, farmers, students, hardworking individuals, volunteers, and veterans from all areas of our district. Hearing from you is a constant reminder of why the work we do in Washington is so important. This past week, I was especially proud to visit the Madison County American Legion Post where we presented life-long Madison resident, Staff Sergeant Cecil Berry, with his long-overdue Bronze Star.

 

Like so many of our nation’s veterans, SSG Berry answered when our nation called upon him during World War II.  Drafted in December of 1942, SSG Berry rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant in the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. As a young man, SSG Berry braved the battlefields of Europe, spending 151 days in combat.

 

To stand next to this brave hero was a reminder of the selflessness and bravery of all of those veterans and active duty men and women who sacrifice to protect our freedoms.  And it was a stark reminder of why it is so important that we in Washington work together to do our part to preserve the American way of life that so many before us have heroically defended.

 

Today, we have many pressing problems at our doorstep – not the least of which is the need to make responsible spending reductions in order to restore fiscal sustainability and get our economy growing again.  But when we think about the tough choices our veterans made – our veterans like SSG Berry – we are reminded that, as with all generations before us, it is our charge to make the difficult decisions that will leave this country a better place than we found it.

 

As we work to address our nation’s growing debt and get 5th District Virginians back to work, we must do so with the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform in mind.  Now is the time to make the tough but necessary choices that will restore our founding principles that SSG Berry and all of Virginia’s veterans fought so tirelessly to defend.

 

If you need any additional information, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.
   

Friday, February 22, 2013

March 2nd: Greene County GOP Breakfast Forum Series Begins


The Greene County Republicans
are sponsoring a
Breakfast Forum Series
featuring
candidates running for
Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General


The series kicks off
March 2, 2013
The feature candidates will be

Corey Stuart at 8:30 AM
Jeannemarie Davis at 9:30 AM
Scott Lingamfelter at 10:30AM

The next series will be on
March 23 2013

with
Pete Snyder at 8:30 AM
Susan Stimpson at 9:30 AM
E.W. Jackson at 10:30 AM

The final series will be on
April 6, 2013

with
Rob Bell at 8:30 AM
Steve Martin at 9:30 AM
Mark Obenshain at 10:30 AM

All will be held at Blue Ridge Cafe, 8315 Seminole Trail (Rt 29) Ruckersville, Va.

Doors will open at 8:00 AM for a breakfast buffet (optional $7.99+tax) that will last for the entire forum.

Plan to spend the morning and hear all candidates.

Go to www.gcrcgop.com or contact Gary Lowe at 434-985-8615 for more information.

 

It never stops


Dudley Brown
Executive Vice President

National Association for Gun Rights

With the introduction of anti-gun legislation last week, Governor Bob McDonnell's office is working hard to infringe on our Second Amendment rights.

SB 1377 turns you into a criminal for defending yourself at a college or university. Under this bill, any law-abiding adult who defends herself on campus would likely face a class 3 felony charge, EVEN in a clear-cut self-defense case.

SB 1378 increases the potential criminal penalties for buying and transferring guns; meaning that law-abiding Virginians could be slapped under a microscope, locked up for 10 years and fined up to $100,000, for virtually any non-government sanctioned firearms sale.

Thanks to your calls and emails, SB 1377 has been stopped in committee, for now. However, SB 1378 has passed the House of Delegates and is now headed for the Governor's desk.

Since some of his proposed legislation has been killed by activists like you, it looks like he's planning a new strategy to force his anti-gun agenda through.

Governor McDonnell thinks the best way to push his gun control is to add additional anti-gun language to Senate Bill 1378 and then ram it through the General Assembly.

In the Virginia system, the Governor has the power to propose nearly anything as an amendment to a bill before he signs it, and it's likely McDonnell will put SB 1377, or ANY OTHER pet gun control scheme, into SB 1378.

That's why it's vital that we demand Governor McDonnell put an end to his anti-gun spree RIGHT NOW. 

Contact the Governor's office at (804) 786-2211 and tell him that SB 1378 is bad enough already. Instead of trying to push even more anti-gun restrictions, he should VETO the whole thing.

The threat to our Second Amendment rights has never been higher. So please take action right away!


P.S. Governor McDonnell thinks the best way to push his gun control is to add additional anti-gun language to Senate Bill 1378 and then ram it through the General Assembly.

In the Virginia system, the Governor has the power to propose nearly anything as an amendment to a bill before he signs it, and it's likely McDonnell will put SB 1377, or ANY OTHER pet gun control scheme, into SB 1378.

That's why it's vital that we demand Governor McDonnell put an end to his anti-gun spree RIGHT NOW. 

Contact the Governor's office at (804) 786-2211 and tell him that SB 1378 is bad enough already.

Quote of the Day


"I believe a vote in favor of Sen. Hagel would send the wrong signal to our military, the American people and to the world about America's resolve regarding the most important national-security challenges of our era.

"I am unable to support Sen. Hagel to be the next Secretary of Defense because I do not believe his past positions, votes and statements match the challenges of our time, and his presentations at his hearing did nothing to ease my doubts."

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)










Key Facts on Sequestration


Congressman J. Randy Forbes

Virginia will feel the strongest blow of sequestration's arbitrary cuts.  10% of the nationwide job loss will come from the Commonwealth.  Over 200,000 individuals could lose their jobs. 

Civilian furloughs could leave workers with up to 20% pay cuts over 6 months.

National security spending has been cut by roughly $800 billion during President Obama's first term - not including sequestration.  Sequestration would cut another roughly $480 billion from defense.  The Department of Defense, which represents about 20% of the Federal budget, stands to absorb 50% of the cuts from the sequester, while 53% of federal government spending is exempt from sequestration cuts.  By exempting over half of the budget from sequestration, defense takes a disproportionate share of the cuts.   

There is no debate on sequestration's devastating impact on our national defense.  In the words of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, sequestration "guarantees that we hollow out the military."


Direct Action: Solutions to Stop Sequestration

Solution 1: Enact common-sense spending cuts to replace sequestration

Congressman Forbes has supported legislation to replace sequestration with thoughtful and serious spending cuts across the federal government.  Read more: H.R.5652 and H.R.6684

Solution 2: Protect defense from sequestration
Congressman Forbes has introduced a bill to remove the Department of Defense from sequestration.  Read more: H.R.773

Solution 3: Delay costly implementation of the healthcare law to avert sequestration
Congressman Forbes cosponsored a bill to delay all provisions of the health care law that are set to take effect in 2014 and 2015 until January 1, 2016, and then use those savings to replace imminent sequestration cuts. Read more: H.R.607


A History of Congressman Forbes' Work to Stop Sequestration

Beginning in 2008:  1 of 17 Members of Congress to Vote against Billions in "Stimulus" Spending 
Congressman Forbes was one 1 of 17 out of 535 Members of Congress to vote against every stimulus bill under Republican and Democrat administrations.  Over $1 trillion in stimulus spending has directly put us on the dangerous path we are now on.  The cost of just the 2009 stimulus alone, $833 billion plus the interest of over $300 billion is nearly the total amount of cuts under sequestration.


July 2011:
Launched Strong Defense, Strong America
Congressman Forbes launched an initiative called Strong Defense, Strong America to warn about the dangers of slashing defense to pay for stimulus spending.  Read some of the key fact sheets authored and circulated by Congressman Forbes in the summer and fall of 2011:

August 2011: Voted Against the Budget Control Act
Congressman Forbes voted against the Budget Control Act, which set up the process of sequestration.  The bill passed the House 269-161 passed the Senate 74-26, and was signed into law by the President on August 2, 2011.  Read Congressman Forbes' statement on his vote against the Budget Control Act here.

October 2011:­­ ­­­­Introduced Legislation to Highlight Dangers of Sequestration
Congressman Forbes introduced and championed the Strong Defense, Strong America Resolution, a bill arguing that further reductions to defense funding will cause significant harm to United States economy and national security.  Read the text of the bill here.

May 2012:  Supported Legislation to Replace Sequester with Alternative Spending Cuts
Congressman Forbes supported a plan to replace sequestration with $98 billion in spending cuts recommended by six committees – Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, and Ways and Means.  These bills passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May (H.R.5652) and December (H.R.6684) of 2012, both with Forbes' support.  They remain viable, thoughtful spending reductions that would allow us to stop sequestration without raising taxes and ultimately address the fundamental issue at hand: a serious overspending problem in Washington.

May - Sept 2012:
  Launched Nationwide Listening Sessions on Sequestration
Congressman Forbes launched 'Defending our Defenders,' a series of 7 listening sessions around the country to discuss the potential for these devastating cuts and to raise awareness for the need for bipartisan solutions to avert sequestration.  Defending our Defenders held listening sessions in Virginia, Florida, Illinois, California, Montana, Arkansas, and Missouri.

December 2012: Voted Again to Support Legislation to Replace Sequestration
Congressman Forbes again supported legislation to replace the shortsighted cuts of sequestration with broad-based, common sense spending reforms.  Among other proposals, this legislation would repeal the Dodd-Frank bailout fund that paves the way for future bailouts, saving $22 billion, and would reform the medical liability system saving an estimated $40 billion over the next ten years.

January 2013: Reconvened his Fort Lee Advisory Board
Congressman Forbes gathered key community leaders and elected officials to discuss plans to position Fort Lee as the installation faces significant cuts as a result of the Budget Control Act and sequestration.  Cuts at Fort Lee will cause significant regional job losses.

January 2013: Visited Six Hampton Roads Shipyards to Discuss Sequestration Impacts
Congressman Forbes visited six Hampton Roads shipyards on January 31st and February 1st to discuss the serious impacts of sequestration on jobs and Navy readiness: BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, VA; NASSCO-Earl Industries, Portsmouth, VA; Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News, VA; Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA; Colonna's Shipyard, Norfolk, VA; MHI Ship Repair & Services, Norfolk, VA. 

February 2013: Pushed to Grant Navy Flexibility in Meeting Key National Security Demands
Congressman Forbes, Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, and Congressman Rob Wittman, Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging the protection of military programs vital to national security.

February 2013:  Championed Bipartisan Letter on the Need to Avert Sequestration
Congressman Forbes lead a group of Virginia Senators and Congressmen - Democrats and Republicans – in sending a letter to the President, House Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Reid, urging them to act to avert sequestration.  The bipartisan letter reads, in part: "The consequences of a failure to avert sequestration will ripple to all parts of our state economy and lead to a hollow military force and a government unable to adequately respond to the needs of its citizens. We stand ready to work hand-in-hand to negotiate an agreement to avert these cuts that threaten grave consequences for the Commonwealth, our federal government, and our national security."

February 2013: Cosponsored Legislation to Delay Sequestration
Congressman Forbes cosponsored a bill (H.R.607) to delay all provisions of the health care law that are set to take effect in 2014 and 2015 until January 1, 2016, and then use those savings to replace sequestration for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013. Not only does this measure stop the destructive effects of these cuts, it gives the Administration time to prepare for the many new provisions of the health care law.

February 2013: Introduced Legislation to Protect Defense from Sequestration
Congressman Forbes has introduced a bill (H.R.773) to remove the Department of Defense from sequestration.   Under sequestration, defense spending will be again disproportionately cut, absorbing 50% of the cuts.   Spending cuts of this magnitude will not only cripple the economy, but lead to the degradation of vital U.S. military capabilities that will be difficult to replace and whose atrophy will perhaps irrevocably alter American capacity to protect our interests worldwide. This bill would reduce the amount of the sequester to $600 billion.

Ongoing: Congressman Forbes is actively engaging with members of both parties to find bipartisan solutions by working with members of the House and Senate. 

Ongoing: Congressman Forbes is actively meeting with those that will be impacted by these cuts - high ranking uniformed military commanders, Department of Defense senior civilians, defense industry leaders, federal employees, police officers, teachers, health care professionals, and others. 


Folllow Congressman Forbes' Media on Sequestration

USA Today (July 29, 2011) - Forbes Op-Ed: "Cut the debt, but don't undercut our military."

Washington Post (November 25, 2011) - Virginia's GOP targets government spending, a key driver of state's economy

Fox News Channel (May 10, 2012) - America's Newsroom

Fox News Channel (May 11, 2012) - Fox & Friends

CNN (May 11, 2012) - Newsroom

Fox Business (May 11, 2012) - Lou Dobbs Tonight

Mike Huckabee Radio (Jun 22, 2012) - Broadcast

Wall Street Journal (July 8, 2012) - Military Cuts Loom as Late Campaign Issue

C-SPAN (July 26, 2012) - Washington Journal

Fox News Channel (October 31, 2012) - Geraldo at Large

Fox News Channel (December 8, 2012) – Mike Huckabee Show

December 2012: Voted Again to Support Legislation to Replace Sequestration
Congressman Forbes again supported legislation to replace the shortsighted cuts of sequestration with broad-based, common sense spending reforms.  Among other proposals, this legislation would repeal the Dodd-Frank bailout fund that paves the way for future bailouts, saving $22 billion, and would reform the medical liability system saving an estimated $40 billion over the next ten years.

January 2013: Reconvened his Fort Lee Advisory Board
Congressman Forbes gathered key community leaders and elected officials to discuss plans to position Fort Lee as the installation faces significant cuts as a result of the Budget Control Act and sequestration.  Cuts at Fort Lee will cause significant regional job losses.

January 2013: Visited Six Hampton Roads Shipyards to Discuss Sequestration Impacts
Congressman Forbes visited six Hampton Roads shipyards on January 31st and February 1st to discuss the serious impacts of sequestration on jobs and Navy readiness: BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, VA; NASSCO-Earl Industries, Portsmouth, VA; Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News, VA; Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA; Colonna's Shipyard, Norfolk, VA; MHI Ship Repair & Services, Norfolk, VA. 

February 2013: Pushed to Grant Navy Flexibility in Meeting Key National Security Demands
Congressman Forbes, Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, and Congressman Rob Wittman, Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging the protection of military programs vital to national security.

February 2013:  Championed Bipartisan Letter on the Need to Avert Sequestration
Congressman Forbes lead a group of Virginia Senators and Congressmen - Democrats and Republicans – in sending a letter to the President, House Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Reid, urging them to act to avert sequestration.  The bipartisan letter reads, in part: "The consequences of a failure to avert sequestration will ripple to all parts of our state economy and lead to a hollow military force and a government unable to adequately respond to the needs of its citizens. We stand ready to work hand-in-hand to negotiate an agreement to avert these cuts that threaten grave consequences for the Commonwealth, our federal government, and our national security."

February 2013: Cosponsored Legislation to Delay Sequestration
Congressman Forbes cosponsored a bill (H.R.607) to delay all provisions of the health care law that are set to take effect in 2014 and 2015 until January 1, 2016, and then use those savings to replace sequestration for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013. Not only does this measure stop the destructive effects of these cuts, it gives the Administration time to prepare for the many new provisions of the health care law.

February 2013: Introduced Legislation to Protect Defense from Sequestration
Congressman Forbes has introduced a bill (H.R.773) to remove the Department of Defense from sequestration.   Under sequestration, defense spending will be again disproportionately cut, absorbing 50% of the cuts.   Spending cuts of this magnitude will not only cripple the economy, but lead to the degradation of vital U.S. military capabilities that will be difficult to replace and whose atrophy will perhaps irrevocably alter American capacity to protect our interests worldwide. This bill would reduce the amount of the sequester to $600 billion.

Ongoing: Congressman Forbes is actively engaging with members of both parties to find bipartisan solutions by working with members of the House and Senate. 

Ongoing: Congressman Forbes is actively meeting with those that will be impacted by these cuts - high ranking uniformed military commanders, Department of Defense senior civilians, defense industry leaders, federal employees, police officers, teachers, health care professionals, and others. 


Folllow Congressman Forbes' Media on Sequestration

USA Today (July 29, 2011) - Forbes Op-Ed: "Cut the debt, but don't undercut our military."

Washington Post (November 25, 2011) - Virginia's GOP targets government spending, a key driver of state's economy

Fox News Channel (May 10, 2012) - America's Newsroom

Fox News Channel (May 11, 2012) - Fox & Friends

CNN (May 11, 2012) - Newsroom

Fox Business (May 11, 2012) - Lou Dobbs Tonight

Mike Huckabee Radio (Jun 22, 2012) - Broadcast

Wall Street Journal (July 8, 2012) - Military Cuts Loom as Late Campaign Issue

C-SPAN (July 26, 2012) - Washington Journal

Fox News Channel (October 31, 2012) - Geraldo at Large

Fox News Channel (December 8, 2012) – Mike Huckabee Show

December 2012: Voted Again to Support Legislation to Replace Sequestration
Congressman Forbes again supported legislation to replace the shortsighted cuts of sequestration with broad-based, common sense spending reforms.  Among other proposals, this legislation would repeal the Dodd-Frank bailout fund that paves the way for future bailouts, saving $22 billion, and would reform the medical liability system saving an estimated $40 billion over the next ten years.

January 2013: Reconvened his Fort Lee Advisory Board
Congressman Forbes gathered key community leaders and elected officials to discuss plans to position Fort Lee as the installation faces significant cuts as a result of the Budget Control Act and sequestration.  Cuts at Fort Lee will cause significant regional job losses.

January 2013: Visited Six Hampton Roads Shipyards to Discuss Sequestration Impacts
Congressman Forbes visited six Hampton Roads shipyards on January 31st and February 1st to discuss the serious impacts of sequestration on jobs and Navy readiness: BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, VA; NASSCO-Earl Industries, Portsmouth, VA; Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News, VA; Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA; Colonna's Shipyard, Norfolk, VA; MHI Ship Repair & Services, Norfolk, VA. 

February 2013: Pushed to Grant Navy Flexibility in Meeting Key National Security Demands
Congressman Forbes, Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, and Congressman Rob Wittman, Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging the protection of military programs vital to national security.

February 2013:  Championed Bipartisan Letter on the Need to Avert Sequestration
Congressman Forbes lead a group of Virginia Senators and Congressmen - Democrats and Republicans – in sending a letter to the President, House Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Reid, urging them to act to avert sequestration.  The bipartisan letter reads, in part: "The consequences of a failure to avert sequestration will ripple to all parts of our state economy and lead to a hollow military force and a government unable to adequately respond to the needs of its citizens. We stand ready to work hand-in-hand to negotiate an agreement to avert these cuts that threaten grave consequences for the Commonwealth, our federal government, and our national security."

February 2013: Cosponsored Legislation to Delay Sequestration
Congressman Forbes cosponsored a bill (H.R.607) to delay all provisions of the health care law that are set to take effect in 2014 and 2015 until January 1, 2016, and then use those savings to replace sequestration for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2013. Not only does this measure stop the destructive effects of these cuts, it gives the Administration time to prepare for the many new provisions of the health care law.

February 2013: Introduced Legislation to Protect Defense from Sequestration
Congressman Forbes has introduced a bill (H.R.773) to remove the Department of Defense from sequestration.   Under sequestration, defense spending will be again disproportionately cut, absorbing 50% of the cuts.   Spending cuts of this magnitude will not only cripple the economy, but lead to the degradation of vital U.S. military capabilities that will be difficult to replace and whose atrophy will perhaps irrevocably alter American capacity to protect our interests worldwide. This bill would reduce the amount of the sequester to $600 billion.

Ongoing: Congressman Forbes is actively engaging with members of both parties to find bipartisan solutions by working with members of the House and Senate. 

Ongoing: Congressman Forbes is actively meeting with those that will be impacted by these cuts - high ranking uniformed military commanders, Department of Defense senior civilians, defense industry leaders, federal employees, police officers, teachers, health care professionals, and others. 


Folllow Congressman Forbes' Media on Sequestration

USA Today (July 29, 2011) - Forbes Op-Ed: "Cut the debt, but don't undercut our military."

Washington Post (November 25, 2011) - Virginia's GOP targets government spending, a key driver of state's economy

Fox News Channel (May 10, 2012) - America's Newsroom

Fox News Channel (May 11, 2012) - Fox & Friends

CNN (May 11, 2012) - Newsroom

Fox Business (May 11, 2012) - Lou Dobbs Tonight

Mike Huckabee Radio (Jun 22, 2012) - Broadcast

Wall Street Journal (July 8, 2012) - Military Cuts Loom as Late Campaign Issue

C-SPAN (July 26, 2012) - Washington Journal

Fox News Channel (October 31, 2012) - Geraldo at Large

Fox News Channel (December 8, 2012) – Mike Huckabee Show

Weigh In: Where Do You Stand on Sequestration?
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