Congressman Robert Hurt Monthly Video Address

Friday, February 6, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) today released his Monthly Video Address.  Text of the address is available below, as well as video.  You may view the video by clicking the image below, or by clicking here.

 

 

"Hi, I'm Robert Hurt.  Thank you once again for tuning into our Monthly Video Address.

 

"This month, the 114th Congress commenced, and the House of Representatives wasted no time in advancing bipartisan policies to confront the serious problems our great nation faces. One of the first bills we have passed this Congress was the Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act, which combines 11 bills to remove unnecessary federal regulations that hinder job growth. I was pleased that the Small Company Disclosure Simplification Act, which I previously introduced with my Democratic colleague Congresswoman Terri Sewell, was incorporated into this bipartisan legislation.  This bill streamlines the unnecessary and duplicative filing requirements that small public companies have with the Securities and Exchange Commission to ensure that these companies can use their resources to innovate, expand, and create jobs.

 

"We also voted on legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline after years of needless delay. This is a crucial piece of our energy strategy aimed at increasing North American energy production and giving Americans more affordable energy choices.  I was pleased that the Senate followed our lead and approved the Keystone XL Pipeline bill.  The House is expected to pass the Senate version very soon, advancing the bill to the President's desk.  It is my hope that he will sign this bipartisan legislation into law so the country can reap the benefits of this significant initiative. 

 

"The House also passed three bills to reduce the harmful effects of the President's healthcare law.  As we have seen time and time again, the mandates in the President's healthcare law are directly and negatively impacting the American people – including increased premiums, canceled plans, and lost work hours.  I share in the frustration and concerns of Fifth District Virginians with this policy. The three bills we passed would the restore the traditional 40-hour definition of "full-time employment," ensure that emergency service volunteers are not included when determining full-time employees, and incentivize businesses to hire veterans by not counting them toward the employer mandate threshold. 

 

"These are exactly the kind of bills we will continue to advance in this Congress to make it easier for our working families to succeed.  And we passed them in a bipartisan fashion with the expectation that the new Senate will actually consider and debate these measures rather than ignoring them as they have in the past.

 

"This month, we also took action to address the President's executive action on illegal immigration by passing the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.  This critical legislation explicitly prevents the funding of the President's recent executive actions and requires priority removal and deportation of illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes.  The bill also reaffirms the constitutional principles that Congress writes our immigration laws and the President is bound to faithfully execute and enforce those laws. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House to strengthen the security of our borders and to implement an immigration policy that is rooted in the rule of law.

 

"We in the House of Representatives will continue to advance bipartisan solutions, but we cannot implement real solutions alone. It is my hope that the President will work with us, rather than around us, and I look forward to finding common ground on these important issues to build a stronger America for our children and grandchildren.

 

"Finally, Danville's own Wendell Scott was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame this month. His courage in breaking through racial barriers and persevering through a time of prejudice and discrimination is inspiring for all.  Despite this adversity, he triumphed - finishing in the top five 20 times and a historic victory in a NASCAR Grand National Race. Wendell is a legend and a Southside hero, and it is fitting that he has been inducted into the Hall of Fame.  His induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame is a well-deserved honor, and it has been a long time coming.

 

"I hope that you will contact us at one of our district offices or our Washington office if we may ever be of service to you.  We can always be reached at our website at hurt.house.gov -- where you can also sign up for regular legislative updates.  You can also join the conversation on our social media pages.

 

"Thank you for tuning in to our monthly video address."