Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement on April Jobs Report

 

Friday, May 2, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement in response to the April 2014 national unemployment report, which stated that the jobless rate dropped to 6.3%:

 

“While I am encouraged that today’s jobs report finds that our economy added jobs last month, we also saw a number of discouraging economic indicators this week.  The jobs report shows that over 800,000 people dropped out of our labor force in April, reducing the labor force participation rate to a 35-year low of 62.8%.  We learned that our GDP grew by a sluggish 0.1% in the first quarter of 2014, and a new study came out finding that China is poised to overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy, a position the U.S. has held since 1872.  Many communities in the Fifth District continue to experience unemployment rates well above the national average, which also remains unacceptably high. 

 

“Our rate of recovery from the economic downturn is not sufficiently robust, and we are falling behind.  The House of Representatives continues to pass pro-growth proposals that would jumpstart our economy and get us back on track, but the President and the Senate must join in our effort.  It is my hope that we are able to come together in a bipartisan way to bring solutions and good-paying jobs to Virginians and Americans, and I remain committed to continuing to work toward this crucial goal.”

 

Benghazi's Back!

Gary L. Bauer
VISIT AMERICAN VALUES

Revelations about White House emails connected to Susan Rice's infamous Benghazi talking points have put the issue back on the front pages. And there are major developments breaking today.

The White House and its Capitol Hill allies on are in full damage control mode. Even the liberal media are starting to turn on them.

CNN's Jake Tapper described the White House spin on the emails as "dissembling, obfuscating and insulting." National Journal's Ron Fournier said, "as someone who . . . wants to see my White House succeed, it was painful yesterday to watch that briefing and get 'Baghdad Bob' flashbacks. It was embarrassing."

On Fox News yesterday, Bret Baier had this exchange with Tommy Vietor, a former spokesman at the National Security Council:

BAIER: Did you also change 'attacks' to 'demonstrations' in the talking points? 

VIETOR: Maybe. I don't really remember.

BAIER: You don't remember? 

VIETOR: Dude, this was two years ago. We're still talking about the most mundane thing.

BAIER: Dude, it's what everybody is talking about.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi feigned outrage. In response to a reporter's question, Pelosi said, "… diversion, subterfuge. Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi. Why aren't we talking about something else?"

We're talking about Benghazi because four Americans died and government officials lied.

On Capitol Hill yesterday the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee heard from retired Air Force Brigadier General Robert Lovell. During the Benghazi attacks, Lovell was serving as Deputy Director for Intelligence for AFRICOM.

In response to intense questioning from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Lovell acknowledged that for the first time in his military career, he was prevented from doing what he was trained to do: "move to the sound of the guns." He sat frustrated as "discussions churned on" at the State Department about what to do.

While questions remain whether our forces could have successfully intervened, Lovell told the committee, "The point is we should have tried."

But we didn't try because, as the general said, "There was a lot of deference to the desires of the State Department about what they wanted us to do."

Congressman Robert Hurt's Statement on the Establishment of a Select Committee on Benghazi

 

Friday, May 2, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement regarding Speaker John Boehner’s announcement that he will allow a vote on the creation of a House Select Committee to investigate the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya:

 

“Like all Americans, I was devastated by the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, which claimed the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.  As information has come to light through congressional oversight, it has become increasingly clear that the Obama administration has repeatedly misled the American people and Congress on this issue.

 

“The American people and the victims’ families deserve answers to the questions that still surround the attack.  It is our constitutional responsibility to ensure that this failure in defending Americans abroad does not happen again.

 

“I have long supported this initiative and was an early co-sponsor of Representative Frank Wolf's resolution creating a Select Committee to investigate what happened in Benghazi.  I applaud Speaker Boehner's announcement that he will allow a vote on such a measure so that the House of Representatives may discover the truth on behalf of the American people.”

 

Congressman Robert Hurt';s Statement at Hearing to Examine Legislative Proposals to Help Small Companies

Thursday, May 1, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) made the following statement at a Capital Markets Subcommittee hearing entitled, "Legislative Proposals to Enhance Capital Formation for Small and Emerging Growth Companies, Part II." Text and video of his remarks are available below.

 

 

Click the image above or HERE

 

"Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding today's hearing on these three legislative proposals to further enhance capital formation.  I also want to thank our witnesses for being here today.

 

"While we have witnessed the successes of the JOBS Act in the two years since it was enacted, more still needs to be done – starting with the SEC completing implementation of the JOBS Act.  Additionally, Congress and the SEC must expand on those successes and find practical solutions to increase access to capital for small business without sacrificing key investor protections.

 

"Our securities laws are riddled with outdated and burdensome regulations that are hindering small businesses in Virginia's Fifth District, our district, from accessing the capital they need to grow.  As our markets and the needs of its participants continue to evolve, it is necessary for our regulatory structure to reflect those new realties.    

 

"Chairmen Garrett and McHenry's bills will provide important modifications to key sections of the JOBS Act that enhance the ability of small businesses and start-ups to raise capital.  For many of the companies that would take advantage of these improvements, the public markets are not a viable option, and they would otherwise face increased costs and complexity to meet their goals.   

 

"I appreciate this Committee's continued focus on ensuring that our small businesses and startups have the ability to access the necessary capital in order to innovate, expand, and create the jobs that we need.  I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance these proposals and others that will provide growth and opportunity for our constituents and communities.  

 

"I look forward to the testimony and thank you for your appearance today.  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.  I yield back the balance of my time."

 

Quote of the Day

"We need to recognize the uniting power of prayer. That is why, as co-chairmen of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, we introduced a bipartisan resolution, H.Res. 547, supporting the National Day of Prayer and urging all Americans to come together to pray and to reaffirm the importance prayer has had in our nation's history. By recalling historic national calls to prayer from Presidents Washington, Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Clinton, and George W. Bush, this resolution serves as a reminder of the many ways that prayer has united and strengthened the American people.

"We will continue to disagree over courses of action, but we can bridge those disagreements and overcome these certain challenges by uniting in prayer."

J. Randy Forbes & Mike McIntyre



United through Prayer
National Review
Read the article online here: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/376742/united-through-prayer-j-randy-forbes-mike-mcintyre

We Must Increase Our Energy Independence and Create Jobs with the Keystone XL Pipeline

Congressman Robert Hurt

April 29, 2014

As I have traveled across the Fifth District, I consistently hear about the variety of negative impacts that high fuel costs create. High gas prices hurt families trying to pay their bills, making it more expensive to fill their tanks and increasing the price of groceries and other goods. Rising fuel prices harm small businesses and farms that need reliable energy to operate their machinery, inhibiting their ability to succeed and grow. And energy costs impact schools, as filling up school buses takes more and more resources away from teachers and classrooms.

These examples and many others clearly demonstrate that our failure to adopt a strong national energy strategy is hindering our economic growth and burdening families at a time when we can least afford it. As the summer months with traditionally higher fuel costs approach, Washington needs to move forward with pro-growth energy policies that focus on the needs of families, small businesses, and farms.

One important step we could take right away is approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is a key piece of an all-of-the-above energy strategy aimed at reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy and giving Americans more affordable domestic energy choices. This project represents an opportunity to make our nation's energy future more secure and will create an estimated 20,000 American jobs while investing billions into our struggling economy.

The application to build the Keystone XL Pipeline was submitted over five years ago, but the Obama administration has used a variety of tactics to delay and frustrate the project's progress. Numerous exhaustive reviews have been performed by the administration showing that the project will have limited environmental impacts and meets the requirements for approval. The House has voted to approve this project seven times with strong bipartisan support, but the president will not budge. Making matters worse, the administration recently announced that a decision on the pipeline will be postponed indefinitely. The overtly political nature of the delay likely postpones a decision until after this year's midterm elections if not longer.

If the United States refuses to build the Keystone XL Pipeline, China will instead seize the opportunity to access Canada's rich supply of oil and the economic growth associated with possessing greater energy resources. In this highly competitive global economy, we cannot pass up this dynamic opportunity to increase our economic output and instead allow a competitor to capture that growth.

It is time that the President and the Senate join the House in supporting the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline as the first step of an all-of-the-above energy approach that will lower gas prices, create new American jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, strengthen our national security, and make life easier for our families, Main Street businesses, and small farms.

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.

Congressman Robert Hurt Votes to Address Backlog of Veterans' Disability Claims

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 4486, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which would address the unacceptable claims backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):

 

"Our veterans should not be forced to wait hundreds of days, and in some cases much longer, for the medical benefits they have earned by making incredible sacrifices on behalf of our freedom.  It is of the utmost importance that we work to address this backlog of disability claims, and I am encouraged by the passage of this bill which brings us one step closer to providing a solution to this serious issue facing our nation's veterans."

 

________________________________

·         The VA has established an objective to process all disability claims within 125 days, with 98% accuracy by the end of 2015.  In accordance with this effort, H.R. 4486 prioritizes resources to increase the VA's capability to quickly and effectively address the backlog.

·         H.R. 4486 also supports VA medical services, allowing 6.7 million patients to be treated over the course of the year.  This includes treatment for mental health care, suicide prevention, traumatic brain injury treatment, homeless veterans programs, and rural health initiatives.

 

Congressman Robert Hurt Statement on Financial Services Hearing Examining SEC Agenda with Chair Mary Jo White

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement regarding today's Financial Services Committee hearing entitled, "Oversight of the SEC's Agenda, Operations, and FY 2015 Budget Request":

 

"I firmly believe that one of the foremost responsibilities of this Committee is to provide the appropriate oversight and scrutiny of the federal agencies' budgets under our jurisdiction.  At a time when our national debt surpasses $17 trillion, federal agencies must learn to work smarter and do more with less.

 

"In addition to examining the SEC's budget request, I appreciated the opportunity for the Committee to discuss with SEC Chair Mary Jo White her priorities for the upcoming year.  A critical component of those priorities must be expanding capital formation for small businesses and start-ups.  The House has been leading the way on increasing capital access for these companies with the passage of the JOBS Act and similar bills will spur growth and opportunity for our nation and for the people I represent in Virginia's Fifth District.

 

"I also appreciate Chair White's support for improving college savings for families across our nation, and I look forward to moving forward with bipartisan legislation that I introduced that will provide a commonsense update to our securities laws allowing families who invest in these prepaid college savings plans to get the most return on their investments."

 

Video of Rep. Hurt's opening statement: clicking the image below or  HERE.

 

Congressman Robert Hurt Applauds Corsi Group Expansion in Charlotte County

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) released the following statement regarding the news that the Corsi Group, a custom and semi-custom cabinetry manufacturer, will invest approximately $5 million to establish an operation in Charlotte County, creating 110 new jobs:

 

"I am pleased to hear that the Corsi Group has chosen to expand and establish operations in Charlotte County, and I welcome the company to Southside Virginia.  The potential for over 100 new jobs in Charlotte will make a significant impact on the community as it continues to recover from the economic downturn.  I commend the Governor, the Tobacco Commission, the Virginia Growth Alliance and Charlotte County Administration, Board of Supervisors and Industrial Development Authority for their work to attract this opportunity to our area.  This news represents an important step toward enhancing job growth, and I am encouraged by this excellent opportunity for Virginians to get back to work."

 

Staff Members from Congressman Robert Hurt's Office to Hold Local Office Hours in Rappahannock County

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Staff members from Congressman Robert Hurt's (R-Virginia) office will hold Local Office Hours in Rappahannock County on Friday, May 2 to meet with constituents who need assistance with federal agencies. For more information, please visit our Local Office Hours Interactive Map.

 

Friday, May 2, 2014

 

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Local Office Hours in Rappahannock

Rappahannock County Library

Jamieson Room

4 Library Road

Washington, VA

Congressman Robert Hurt Applauds Announcement of Fort Pickett as Site for Embassy Security Training Facility

Thursday, April 17, 2014

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia), along with Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Congressman Randy Forbes applauded today's announcement that Fort Pickett, Virginia will be the location for a new Foreign Affairs Security Training Center (FASTC) to train U.S. diplomatic and government personnel assigned to high-threat posts around the world.  After a multi-year exhaustive search for the best site, the Administration has determined Fort Pickett is the best site to meet the State Department's operational requirements, and take advantage of synergies by being in close proximity to the State Department, its Foreign Service Institute, intelligence agencies, and military facilities in the Washington D.C. area.

 

"I am pleased that Fort Pickett has been selected as the home for the new Foreign Affairs Security Training Center," said Hurt. "The safety and security of our foreign service personnel is vitally important, and I applaud the decision to utilize the resources that Fort Pickett and the surrounding areas have to offer.  We also look forward to the potential job opportunities and investment associated with this decision for the people of Southside Virginia."

 

"These training facilities play an important role in the protection of American diplomatic personnel, and I am very pleased we were able to make a winning case for the selection of Fort Pickett in Blackstone," Warner said. "This training center will generate new economic activity in Virginia while also helping the State Department improve its training efficiencies while holding down costs."

 

"Our diplomats, security personnel and their families serve in some of the most dangerous places in the world, and I think everyone can agree they deserve the best security training possible.  Fort Pickett provides that venue," Kaine said. "The local community in Virginia is ready to support this project and I am happy the Administration is moving forward on it."

 

"America has an obligation when we send our diplomats and their families around the world to represent our nation that we have provided the best training for them and those responsible for their protection," said Forbes.  "Fort Pickett has remained the number one choice by the State Department to locate the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center and I could not be more pleased to see this critically important project now able to move forward.  There is no question that working together on this issue with my colleagues in Virginia, as well as the outstanding cooperation from our state and local partners, was critical in making this happen."

 

Warner, Kaine, Forbes, and Hurt have long-supported the establishment of a Foreign Affairs Security Training Center. The need for improved training for State Department personnel was underscored by the 2012 tragedy in Benghazi and more recently by threats to a number of U.S. embassies around the world. In response to the Benghazi Accountability Review Board (ARB) recommendation, the State Department reported to Congress in February 2013 that Fort Pickett was the best-suited site to meet operational requirements and provide synergistic training.

 

Congressman Robert Hurt Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony for Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia), along with Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia) and Senators Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), today attended the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre, Henry County and Martinsville's newest business park.  Earlier this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a long-awaited permit to the Henry County Industrial Development Authority to proceed with development of the site, a major economic development initiative.

 

Henry County and the Martinsville-Henry Co. Economic Development Corp. have long worked to secure a permit from the USACE for site preparation to attract job-creating manufacturing firms to the county.  Congressman Robert Hurt, along with Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Congressman Morgan Griffith, introduced legislation to address the flawed regulatory interpretation of the Corps that has led to the longstanding road block in Henry and Pittsylvania counties.  The Commonsense Permitting for Job Creation Act (H.R. 2937) was introduced in August 2013 and would allow for job creation at economic development sites while ensuring commonsense environmental protections.

 

Hurt said, "Today marks a great day for the people of Henry County and Martinsville.  This area is blessed with skilled and hardworking individuals who have been looking for opportunities to get back to work. Commonwealth Crossing will provide exactly the opportunities that so many have looked for in recent years. 

 

"This region has a proud history in manufacturing and I firmly believe that Commonwealth Crossing is an important step toward enhancing job growth in our area.  I sincerely thank our local officials in Henry County and Martinsville, who have worked diligently to complete this project and bring jobs to Southside Virginia."

 

Why We Celebrate

Gary L. Bauer

Campaign for Working Families
 

As most of you know, the persecution of Christians around the world has reached levels not seen since the early days of the church. In fact, according to a recent report by Reuters, the number of Christian martyrs doubled between 2012 and 2013.

Recently, American Values, my public policy organization, traveled to the Middle East to learn more about how our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering at the hands of Muslim extremists. Please watch and share this riveting short video, which tells the stories of a few of the Christians in Lebanon and Syria who are risking their lives by living the Gospel message.

It is appropriate that we learn about the sacrificial love of Middle East Christians today, on Good Friday, a day in which we reflect on the cross and the sacrifice paid for our sins.

When I learned about the Easter story as a child, part of me wanted a different ending. If only He had come down from the cross and destroyed His enemies, I thought -- that would have demonstrated His power to the world! Of course, I soon realized how wrong I was.

Christ had to die so that we might have everlasting life. His sacrifice on the cross saved all who believe in Him. If Christ had not risen from the grave and ascended to Heaven, he would have been forgotten as a criminal.

Thank God for the cross and the empty tomb! Carol and I send our love to you and yours. This weekend, may each of you find a remembrance of the peace that surpasses all understanding.

"We Must Eliminate The Cross"

Gary L. Bauer

American  Values


Did that headline get your attention? I hope so.

Those words were spoken recently by Nasir al-Wuhayshi, Al Qaeda's number two leader. He was addressing at least 100 Al Qaeda fighters in Yemen, and he spoke out in the open, in plain view.

He told them, "We must eliminate the cross. ... The bearer of the cross is America!"

Let that sink in for a moment, folks. For all those who say this isn't a religious war, think again. For those who insist that our foreign policy or that America's support for Israel is the problem, think again. There is a reason the extremists in Iran refer to America, not Israel, as "the great Satan." Israel and America are allies in the same war against the same enemy -- radical Islam.

Video of al-Wuhayshi's comments is burning up jihadi websites right now. CNN writes that it shows what is believed to be "the largest and most dangerous gathering of Al Qaeda in years." One terrorism expert describe it as "extraordinary," adding that al-Wuhayshi was "taking a big risk" speaking so publicly.

And we missed it. Peter Bergen, CNN's national security analyst, commented, "The U.S. intelligence community should be surprised that such a large group of Al Qaeda assembled together, including the leadership, and somehow they didn't notice."

Responding to this video, Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that Al Qaeda is re-grouping and getting ready to strike again. Rep. Rogers also suggested that the Obama Administration has taken its eye off the ball:

"…[Al Qaeda is] feeling empowered. The less pressure you put on them, the more they take that as a victory, the more that they believe that they can get away with plotting, planning, organizing… All of the things that they would need to do to strike a Western target, they're going through that process."

I know many Americans are war-weary. But radical Islam has declared war on us. And it clearly has not surrendered yet.

Email of the Day

Here are the 2,700 pages of the OBAMACARE (PPACA) condensed into one sentence.

ObamaCare: To insure the uninsured, we first make the insured uninsured and then make them pay more to be insured again, so the original uninsured can be insured for free to buy votes for the Democratic party.

 

Email of the Day

 

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