Weekly Column: September 24, 2010
Six months ago House Republicans launched an innovative online forum, AmericaSpeakingOut.com. This site allowed folks from all over the country to share their thoughts and suggestions for the future of our county. We followed up with thousands of town hall meetings and other contacts with constituents. The goal was to start a national dialogue that brought the halls of Congress into American homes. I am happy to report that is exactly what has happened.
Just days ago, House Republicans released “A Pledge to America” which is the result of our conversations with everyday Americans, like many of my constituents in the Sixth District of Virginia. It’s based on the principles of smaller and more accountable government, economic freedom, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, protecting life, American values and the Constitution. This agenda also provides for a robust national defense that confronts and defeats the terrorist threat.
While it is clear that a majority of the American people have rejected the policies of higher taxes, runaway spending, government takeovers and record debt which have become commonplace in Washington these days, the “Pledge to America” represents a fresh, new governing agenda that is built on solutions that reflect the priorities of the American people and can be implemented today.
First and foremost, the American people want to see an end to the economic uncertainty and a plan to create jobs. House Republicans are proposing that we stop all job-killing tax hikes, rein in the regulatory red tape and burdensome mandates that hinder job creation, and give small businesses a tax deduction.
Second, we must stop the out-of-control spending and reduce the size of government. It is crucial that we rein in the skyrocketing deficit spending that is discouraging investment and threatening to bankrupt our nation. To accomplish this goal House Republicans pledge to cut government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels which could save us at least $100 billion in the first year alone. This would be a good start. Additionally, we must establish a hard cap on new discretionary spending, saving hundreds of billions of dollars and cancel the TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Act) program which used taxpayer dollars to bailout private businesses. These important steps will help put us on the path to balancing the budget.
Third we pledge to work to repeal the new health care law that kills jobs, raises taxes, threatens seniors’ access to care, will cause millions of people to lose the coverage they have and like, and increases the cost of health care coverage and replace it with commonsense reforms that lower health care costs and empower patients.
The fourth component of the “Pledge to America” is to reform Congress and restore the trust of the American people. It’s time to make sure that bills are read, debated, discussed and understood before votes are cast. We will publish all legislation online for at least three days before voting on it in the House and require that the bills we pass are based on a specific constitutional authority. Republicans are also calling for changes that will make it easier for legislators from both sides of the aisle to get a vote on amendments that cut spending.
Finally, we must work together to keep our nation secure at home and abroad. We are committed to working with state and local officials to enforce our immigration laws, ensuring that the Border Patrol has the tools and authorities they need to establish operational control at the border, strengthening our visa security, keeping terrorists out of our country and ensuring terrorists are not granted the same rights as American citizens.
We understand the serious problems our nation faces. Near ten percent unemployment, runaway spending and a national debt spiraling out of control are all unacceptable. The American people are demanding accountability and results and that is what House Republicans are offering. Having enlisted the voices of the American people to create the “Pledge to America”, we are now well prepared to move America forward and restore our founding principle of accountability to the people.
To contact me about this or any other matter, please visit my website at www.goodlatte.house.gov.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Rooting Out Corruption in Our Judicial System --- Congressman Bob Goodlatte
Weekly Column: September 17, 2010
It is a rare occasion when the U.S. Congress impeaches a federal judge and removes the accused from the bench. Indeed, only 15 federal judges have been impeached by the House of Representatives in our nation’s history. However, when evidence emerges that an individual is abusing his judicial office for his own advantage, the integrity of the judicial system becomes compromised, and the Congress has the duty to investigate the matter and take the appropriate actions to end the abuse and restore confidence in the judicial system.
Earlier this week a special U.S. Senate committee began the impeachment hearing of Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. As the Ranking Member of the House Task Force on Judicial Impeachment I serve as one of the lead prosecutors and have been presenting the case for Judge Porteous’s removal. Our case is based on four articles of impeachment, which charge Judge Porteous with intentionally making materially false statements and representations under penalty of perjury, engaging in a corrupt kickback scheme, soliciting and accepted unlawful gifts, and intentionally misleading the Senate during his confirmation proceedings.
Specifically, the four articles of impeachment charge that while on the federal bench, Judge Porteous refused to recuse himself from a case when he had previously engaged in a corrupt kickback scheme with the attorneys representing the defense; that he later took thousands of dollars in cash from those same attorneys while the case was pending; that he took gifts from a bail bondsman in exchange for granting favorable bond rates for him and then improperly expunged the records of two of the bail bondsman’s employees, one after he was confirmed by the Senate to be a federal judge; that he lied to a bankruptcy court when he filed for bankruptcy and then violated a bankruptcy court order mandating that he not incur further debt; and that he made materially false statements to the U.S. Senate and FBI during his confirmation process.
It is not a pleasant task to impeach a federal judge, yet when a judge abuses his office, it becomes necessary to take the appropriate action in order to restore the confidence of the American people in the judicial system. The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power and responsibility to impeach federal judges and the Senate the power to remove the accused from office after a fair and impartial hearing. These are powers that Congress utilizes only in cases involving very serious allegations of misconduct. In every step along the way from the thorough investigation by the Task Force on Judicial Impeachment to the hearings held by the House Judiciary Committee and the evidentiary hearing in the Senate, we in Congress have worked in a bipartisan fashion to uncover the truth in order to root out corruption in our judicial system.
It is a rare occasion when the U.S. Congress impeaches a federal judge and removes the accused from the bench. Indeed, only 15 federal judges have been impeached by the House of Representatives in our nation’s history. However, when evidence emerges that an individual is abusing his judicial office for his own advantage, the integrity of the judicial system becomes compromised, and the Congress has the duty to investigate the matter and take the appropriate actions to end the abuse and restore confidence in the judicial system.
Earlier this week a special U.S. Senate committee began the impeachment hearing of Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. As the Ranking Member of the House Task Force on Judicial Impeachment I serve as one of the lead prosecutors and have been presenting the case for Judge Porteous’s removal. Our case is based on four articles of impeachment, which charge Judge Porteous with intentionally making materially false statements and representations under penalty of perjury, engaging in a corrupt kickback scheme, soliciting and accepted unlawful gifts, and intentionally misleading the Senate during his confirmation proceedings.
Specifically, the four articles of impeachment charge that while on the federal bench, Judge Porteous refused to recuse himself from a case when he had previously engaged in a corrupt kickback scheme with the attorneys representing the defense; that he later took thousands of dollars in cash from those same attorneys while the case was pending; that he took gifts from a bail bondsman in exchange for granting favorable bond rates for him and then improperly expunged the records of two of the bail bondsman’s employees, one after he was confirmed by the Senate to be a federal judge; that he lied to a bankruptcy court when he filed for bankruptcy and then violated a bankruptcy court order mandating that he not incur further debt; and that he made materially false statements to the U.S. Senate and FBI during his confirmation process.
It is not a pleasant task to impeach a federal judge, yet when a judge abuses his office, it becomes necessary to take the appropriate action in order to restore the confidence of the American people in the judicial system. The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power and responsibility to impeach federal judges and the Senate the power to remove the accused from office after a fair and impartial hearing. These are powers that Congress utilizes only in cases involving very serious allegations of misconduct. In every step along the way from the thorough investigation by the Task Force on Judicial Impeachment to the hearings held by the House Judiciary Committee and the evidentiary hearing in the Senate, we in Congress have worked in a bipartisan fashion to uncover the truth in order to root out corruption in our judicial system.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Americans Want Commonsense Health Care Reform --- Congressman Bob Goodlatte
Weekly Column: September 3, 2010
Over the last few weeks I conducted a series of in-person town hall meetings and telephone town hall meetings throughout the 6th Congressional District. These meetings allowed me the opportunity to speak with thousands of my constituents and answer their questions. It is clear that the recently enacted “health care reform” law continues to be of great concern to a majority of Americans.
This sweeping health care reform law, pushed by Congressional Democrats and signed into law by President Obama a few months ago, will dramatically impact every family, taxpayer and small business in America. As I have said time and time again, this monstrosity, which I voted against, amounts to a big government takeover of our health care system – one that will lead to fewer choices, higher prices and rationed care. Furthermore, the bill creates more than 150 new government agencies and programs at a cost of well over $2.5 trillion.
In addition to mandating that folks have health insurance, the government-run plan included in the law, will force millions out of the coverage they currently have. In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 8-9 million people will be dumped from their employer sponsored coverage.
To pay for this massive new government expansion, the legislation contains a total of $569 billion in devastating new tax increases imposed on individuals and small businesses. This will result in millions of lost jobs as small businesses are forced to take money from salaries to pay new taxes. In addition, the legislation would cut Medicare for our nation’s seniors by over $500 billion.
Americans are frustrated by rising health care costs, and that is why we in Congress should have had the opportunity to work in a bipartisan way to cut health insurance costs and make health care better, more available, and more affordable for all Americans.
House Republicans continue to offer solutions that will empower patients with choices, make high quality coverage more affordable, and protect and preserve the doctor-patient relationship. I strongly support a proposal that will achieve these goals. Unlike the Democrats’ plan, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the plan offered by House Republicans would lower premiums by up to 10percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years, all without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses and while improving the quality of your health care. The Republican proposal allows for the purchase of health insurance across state lines, allows individuals and small businesses to join large pools to get more competitive rates, provides malpractice reform to cut down the high cost of defensive medicine, allows full tax deductibility of health insurance premiums, portability of health insurance, and protection against pre-existing condition exclusions.
I intend to continue working to repeal the new health care law that kills jobs, raises taxes, threatens seniors’ access to care, will cause millions of people to lose the coverage they have and like, and increases the cost of health care coverage. It must be replaced with commonsense reforms that lower health care costs and empower patients.
To contact me about this or any other matter, please visit my website at www.goodlatte.house.gov.
Over the last few weeks I conducted a series of in-person town hall meetings and telephone town hall meetings throughout the 6th Congressional District. These meetings allowed me the opportunity to speak with thousands of my constituents and answer their questions. It is clear that the recently enacted “health care reform” law continues to be of great concern to a majority of Americans.
This sweeping health care reform law, pushed by Congressional Democrats and signed into law by President Obama a few months ago, will dramatically impact every family, taxpayer and small business in America. As I have said time and time again, this monstrosity, which I voted against, amounts to a big government takeover of our health care system – one that will lead to fewer choices, higher prices and rationed care. Furthermore, the bill creates more than 150 new government agencies and programs at a cost of well over $2.5 trillion.
In addition to mandating that folks have health insurance, the government-run plan included in the law, will force millions out of the coverage they currently have. In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 8-9 million people will be dumped from their employer sponsored coverage.
To pay for this massive new government expansion, the legislation contains a total of $569 billion in devastating new tax increases imposed on individuals and small businesses. This will result in millions of lost jobs as small businesses are forced to take money from salaries to pay new taxes. In addition, the legislation would cut Medicare for our nation’s seniors by over $500 billion.
Americans are frustrated by rising health care costs, and that is why we in Congress should have had the opportunity to work in a bipartisan way to cut health insurance costs and make health care better, more available, and more affordable for all Americans.
House Republicans continue to offer solutions that will empower patients with choices, make high quality coverage more affordable, and protect and preserve the doctor-patient relationship. I strongly support a proposal that will achieve these goals. Unlike the Democrats’ plan, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirmed that the plan offered by House Republicans would lower premiums by up to 10percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years, all without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses and while improving the quality of your health care. The Republican proposal allows for the purchase of health insurance across state lines, allows individuals and small businesses to join large pools to get more competitive rates, provides malpractice reform to cut down the high cost of defensive medicine, allows full tax deductibility of health insurance premiums, portability of health insurance, and protection against pre-existing condition exclusions.
I intend to continue working to repeal the new health care law that kills jobs, raises taxes, threatens seniors’ access to care, will cause millions of people to lose the coverage they have and like, and increases the cost of health care coverage. It must be replaced with commonsense reforms that lower health care costs and empower patients.
To contact me about this or any other matter, please visit my website at www.goodlatte.house.gov.
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