Friends,
I'm writing today to invite you to our town hall meeting this Saturday, February 19th at 10 a.m. at Cave Spring High School.
This is an important opportunity for us to meet face to face and discuss the issues. During the campaign, I promised to be open and accessible to all voters - regardless of political affiliation - and this town hall is part of my keeping that promise.
I hope you'll come and please bring your questions on any and all issues that are important to you.
Again, the town hall meeting is this Saturday, February 19th, at 10 a.m. in the auditorium of Cave Spring High School.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Regards,
Greg Habeeb
Thursday, February 17, 2011
News Release: GOODLATTE’S BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT DRAWS SUPPORT OF OVER 200 MEMBERS
Date: February 17, 2011
Contact: Kathryn Rexrode
Phone: 202.225.5431
Fax: 202.225.9681
Washington, D.C.: Today Congressman Bob Goodlatte announced the support of over 200 bipartisan Members of Congress for H.J.Res 2, a balanced budget Constitutional amendment. This legislation, which Congressman Goodlatte introduced in the opening hours of the 112th Congress, requires that total spending for any fiscal year not exceed total receipts.
Support is also growing for H.J.Res. 1, a three part balanced budget amendment which Congressman Goodlatte also introduced. H.J.Res 1, which has over 120 cosponsors, would (1) amend the Constitution to require that total spending for any fiscal year not exceed total receipts; (2) require that bills to raise revenues pass each House of Congress by a 3/5 majority; and (3) establish an annual spending cap such that total federal spending could not exceed 1/5 of the economic output of the United States.
“We have a spending addiction in Washington, D.C., and it has proven to be an addiction that Congress cannot control on its own and which is bringing dire consequences,” said Rep. Goodlatte. “We have gone in a few short years from a deficit of billions of dollars to a deficit of trillions of dollars. The government is borrowing money at an unprecedented pace, which presents serious risks of massive inflation. Our national debt recently surpassed an astonishing $14 trillion and continues to rapidly increase, along with the waste associated with paying the interest on that debt.
Goodlatte continued, “The fact that over 200 bipartisan Members of Congress have cosponsored H.J.Res 2 and nearly 120 Members have cosponsored H.J.Res. 1 shows the strong commitment on behalf of nearly half the Members of the House to balancing our federal budget.”
A balanced budget amendment is a commonsense measure that is long overdue. A Constitutional amendment will force Congress to eliminate unnecessary and wasteful spending and make the decisions necessary to balance the budget and eliminate the federal deficit. Currently, forty-nine out of fifty state governments, including Virginia, have a balanced budget requirement.
“A balanced budget amendment to our Constitution will once and for all require Congress to rein in this out-of-control behavior,” said Rep. Goodlatte. “My legislation ensures that the federal government is held accountable and that the money our citizens work so hard to earn is not squandered on wasteful spending and programs.”
Goodlatte continued, “Our federal government must be lean, efficient and responsible with the dollars that our nation’s citizens worked so hard to earn. We must work to both eliminate every cent of waste and squeeze every cent of value out of each dollar our citizens entrust to us. Families all across our nation understand what it means to make tough decisions each day about what they can and cannot afford and government officials should be required to exercise similar restraint when spending the hard-earned dollars of our nation’s citizens.”
Both H.J. Res 1 and H.J.Res 2 have been referred to the House Judiciary Committee on which Congressmen Goodlatte serves as a senior Member.
Contact: Kathryn Rexrode
Phone: 202.225.5431
Fax: 202.225.9681
Washington, D.C.: Today Congressman Bob Goodlatte announced the support of over 200 bipartisan Members of Congress for H.J.Res 2, a balanced budget Constitutional amendment. This legislation, which Congressman Goodlatte introduced in the opening hours of the 112th Congress, requires that total spending for any fiscal year not exceed total receipts.
Support is also growing for H.J.Res. 1, a three part balanced budget amendment which Congressman Goodlatte also introduced. H.J.Res 1, which has over 120 cosponsors, would (1) amend the Constitution to require that total spending for any fiscal year not exceed total receipts; (2) require that bills to raise revenues pass each House of Congress by a 3/5 majority; and (3) establish an annual spending cap such that total federal spending could not exceed 1/5 of the economic output of the United States.
“We have a spending addiction in Washington, D.C., and it has proven to be an addiction that Congress cannot control on its own and which is bringing dire consequences,” said Rep. Goodlatte. “We have gone in a few short years from a deficit of billions of dollars to a deficit of trillions of dollars. The government is borrowing money at an unprecedented pace, which presents serious risks of massive inflation. Our national debt recently surpassed an astonishing $14 trillion and continues to rapidly increase, along with the waste associated with paying the interest on that debt.
Goodlatte continued, “The fact that over 200 bipartisan Members of Congress have cosponsored H.J.Res 2 and nearly 120 Members have cosponsored H.J.Res. 1 shows the strong commitment on behalf of nearly half the Members of the House to balancing our federal budget.”
A balanced budget amendment is a commonsense measure that is long overdue. A Constitutional amendment will force Congress to eliminate unnecessary and wasteful spending and make the decisions necessary to balance the budget and eliminate the federal deficit. Currently, forty-nine out of fifty state governments, including Virginia, have a balanced budget requirement.
“A balanced budget amendment to our Constitution will once and for all require Congress to rein in this out-of-control behavior,” said Rep. Goodlatte. “My legislation ensures that the federal government is held accountable and that the money our citizens work so hard to earn is not squandered on wasteful spending and programs.”
Goodlatte continued, “Our federal government must be lean, efficient and responsible with the dollars that our nation’s citizens worked so hard to earn. We must work to both eliminate every cent of waste and squeeze every cent of value out of each dollar our citizens entrust to us. Families all across our nation understand what it means to make tough decisions each day about what they can and cannot afford and government officials should be required to exercise similar restraint when spending the hard-earned dollars of our nation’s citizens.”
Both H.J. Res 1 and H.J.Res 2 have been referred to the House Judiciary Committee on which Congressmen Goodlatte serves as a senior Member.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
From Congressman Bob Goodlatte --- Honoring and Remembering our 40th President, Ronald Reagan
Weekly Column: February 11, 2011
Just days ago we marked what would have been the 100th birthday of our nation’s 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan. It was a time to honor a man who led such an extraordinary life which had a profound impact on the span of human history.
President Reagan was born in a small town in Illinois. At his birth his father remarked, “…who knows, he might grow up to be president some day.” He couldn’t have known just how true these simple words would be one day.
Ronald Reagan spent his youth on the football field and on the stage as president of his high school drama club. With dreams of a broadcasting career Reagan headed west to California. He became a star on the silver screen and had his first taste of politics as president of the Screen Actors Guild. It was apparent that he was destined for greatness.
Ronald Reagan was twice elected Governor of California and then on November 4, 1980 he was elected to his first term as President of the United States.
In his eight years as president, Ronald Reagan accomplished many things. I believe that he was the greatest president of the twentieth century. He led America to win the Cold War by rebuilding our military. He reinstilled the economic greatness of this country from the malaise of the 1970s by restoring our faith in the free enterprise system. His efforts to reduce the tax burden on all Americans encouraged innovation. But most importantly he instilled in us his eternal optimism in America. In his first State of the Union address, President Reagan reminded us all to not “… let anyone tell you that America’s best days are behind her, that the American spirit has been vanquished. We’ve seen it triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now.”
I encourage all Americans to take a moment and reflect on these profound words which still ring true today. While as a country we will continue to confront challenges at home and abroad we must always remember that despite the challenging road ahead of us, we are more than equal to the task before us.
In his farewell address Reagan described how he envisioned the “shining city,” he had invoked countless times. He observed this of his time in office, “We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.”
Not bad reflects the modesty of the man but not the magnitude of his accomplishments. He set this nation on a new course that still inspires us. We have a right to dream great dreams he said…because after all we are Americans.
To contact me about this or any other matter, please visit my website at www.goodlatte.house.gov.
Just days ago we marked what would have been the 100th birthday of our nation’s 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan. It was a time to honor a man who led such an extraordinary life which had a profound impact on the span of human history.
President Reagan was born in a small town in Illinois. At his birth his father remarked, “…who knows, he might grow up to be president some day.” He couldn’t have known just how true these simple words would be one day.
Ronald Reagan spent his youth on the football field and on the stage as president of his high school drama club. With dreams of a broadcasting career Reagan headed west to California. He became a star on the silver screen and had his first taste of politics as president of the Screen Actors Guild. It was apparent that he was destined for greatness.
Ronald Reagan was twice elected Governor of California and then on November 4, 1980 he was elected to his first term as President of the United States.
In his eight years as president, Ronald Reagan accomplished many things. I believe that he was the greatest president of the twentieth century. He led America to win the Cold War by rebuilding our military. He reinstilled the economic greatness of this country from the malaise of the 1970s by restoring our faith in the free enterprise system. His efforts to reduce the tax burden on all Americans encouraged innovation. But most importantly he instilled in us his eternal optimism in America. In his first State of the Union address, President Reagan reminded us all to not “… let anyone tell you that America’s best days are behind her, that the American spirit has been vanquished. We’ve seen it triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now.”
I encourage all Americans to take a moment and reflect on these profound words which still ring true today. While as a country we will continue to confront challenges at home and abroad we must always remember that despite the challenging road ahead of us, we are more than equal to the task before us.
In his farewell address Reagan described how he envisioned the “shining city,” he had invoked countless times. He observed this of his time in office, “We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.”
Not bad reflects the modesty of the man but not the magnitude of his accomplishments. He set this nation on a new course that still inspires us. We have a right to dream great dreams he said…because after all we are Americans.
To contact me about this or any other matter, please visit my website at www.goodlatte.house.gov.
From Congressman Morgan Griffith --- Crying Over Spilt Milk
Update on Friday February 11, 2011
What do spilt milk and oil have in common? Quite a bit, according to the EPA. In fact, a new ruling by the EPA would force dairy farmers to comply with the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program when dealing with spilt milk – the same regulations oil and natural gas producers must follow. The EPA’s reasoning is that milk contains "a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil." It appears spilt milk is just as threatening as an oil spill.
Under the ruling, farms and facilities producing dairy products would be required to implement an emergency plan and install containment facilities in case of a spill. Not only would these new requirements put a dent in the pocketbooks of farmers and producers, but added costs would ultimately trickle down to consumers in the form of higher food prices. When money is already tight for many families in the 9th District, jacking up the price of milk and butter would be an unwelcome result.
It’s not just about spilt milk. From the financial markets to agriculture, energy production, and manufacturing, new burdensome regulations are making it hard to do business in America. Harmful greenhouse gas regulations from the EPA would make energy production from domestic sources increasingly difficult. Regulating greenhouse gases not only negatively impacts energy costs and coal production, but also every coal-related industry from electric production to the railroads. While we should be building confidence in our economy, Washington-style big government regulations are only creating more uncertainty.
While I was questioning EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in an Energy and Power Subcommittee hearing this week, she openly stated that the EPA would never create a cap and trade program for CO2 under the Clean Air Act. This admission is contrary to the views of some who thought that the Waxman-Markey bill must be passed in order to curtail the EPA’s actions on cap and trade. Administrator Jackson also stated that it was not the intention of the EPA to eliminate coal. However, current EPA actions suggest otherwise. I will continue to monitor greenhouse gas regulations closely to ensure that the EPA’s deeds match Administrator Jackson’s words.
By permanently preventing the EPA from enacting new greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act and rolling back current burdensome regulations, we can create more certainty for businesses and access more of America’s valuable energy reserves. Crying over and spending lots of our money on potentially spilt milk shows how serious the regulatory problem is here in Washington. Whether it’s milk or coal, it’s time to get harmful government regulations out of the way. I plan to work with my colleagues in the House to identify and review federal regulations that are impeding job creation and economic growth. If there are any silly regulations you know about or wish to contact my office regarding issues before Congress, I invite you to visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov or call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405. Next week we will be discussing spending and the federal debt.
What do spilt milk and oil have in common? Quite a bit, according to the EPA. In fact, a new ruling by the EPA would force dairy farmers to comply with the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program when dealing with spilt milk – the same regulations oil and natural gas producers must follow. The EPA’s reasoning is that milk contains "a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil." It appears spilt milk is just as threatening as an oil spill.
Under the ruling, farms and facilities producing dairy products would be required to implement an emergency plan and install containment facilities in case of a spill. Not only would these new requirements put a dent in the pocketbooks of farmers and producers, but added costs would ultimately trickle down to consumers in the form of higher food prices. When money is already tight for many families in the 9th District, jacking up the price of milk and butter would be an unwelcome result.
It’s not just about spilt milk. From the financial markets to agriculture, energy production, and manufacturing, new burdensome regulations are making it hard to do business in America. Harmful greenhouse gas regulations from the EPA would make energy production from domestic sources increasingly difficult. Regulating greenhouse gases not only negatively impacts energy costs and coal production, but also every coal-related industry from electric production to the railroads. While we should be building confidence in our economy, Washington-style big government regulations are only creating more uncertainty.
While I was questioning EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson in an Energy and Power Subcommittee hearing this week, she openly stated that the EPA would never create a cap and trade program for CO2 under the Clean Air Act. This admission is contrary to the views of some who thought that the Waxman-Markey bill must be passed in order to curtail the EPA’s actions on cap and trade. Administrator Jackson also stated that it was not the intention of the EPA to eliminate coal. However, current EPA actions suggest otherwise. I will continue to monitor greenhouse gas regulations closely to ensure that the EPA’s deeds match Administrator Jackson’s words.
By permanently preventing the EPA from enacting new greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act and rolling back current burdensome regulations, we can create more certainty for businesses and access more of America’s valuable energy reserves. Crying over and spending lots of our money on potentially spilt milk shows how serious the regulatory problem is here in Washington. Whether it’s milk or coal, it’s time to get harmful government regulations out of the way. I plan to work with my colleagues in the House to identify and review federal regulations that are impeding job creation and economic growth. If there are any silly regulations you know about or wish to contact my office regarding issues before Congress, I invite you to visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov or call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405. Next week we will be discussing spending and the federal debt.
Friday, February 4, 2011
UPCOMING SALEM REPUBLICANS COMMITTEE MEETING & IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Please mark your calendars for our next committee meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8th located at the Salem City Courthouse - 2 E. Calhoun st. in Salem. Also, we are now collecting 2011 dues for committee membership. Dues are $20.00 per the by-laws. You can bring your dues to our next meeting or they can be mailed to the Salem Republican Committee at P.O. Box 151, Salem, VA. 24153.
Secondly, Delegate Greg Habeeb will host a Tele-Townhall on Thursday, February 10 at 7:00 PM. Automated calls will be made to active registered voters in the 8th District and they will be prompted to join the town hall. Anyone not receiving a call may dial-in to a number that will be announced next week.
Also, if you are interested in reading Greg's weekly updates, please visit his website by clicking here. You can also click here to follow Greg on Twitter where he gives updates on what's happening in the General Assembly. The Salem Republican Committee is on Twitter too. If you have questions or concerns, please call 804-698-1008, or email delhabeeb@house.virginia.gov.
Lastly, the RVRW (Roanoke Valley Republican Women) will be holding it's annual St. Patrick's Day Dinner & Dance on Saturday, March 12, 2011. This event will take place at the Vinton War Memorial and will start at 7:00 PM. There will be great food and wonderful music provided by the Northwest Jazz Band. Tickets are $25.00. If you are interested in attending, please reply to salemrepublicans@yahoo.com .
Thanks.
Kjersten Croke
Salem Republican Committee Chair
UPCOMING EVENTS
1) Tele-Townhall - Thursday, February 10, 2011. 7:00 p.m.
2) Committee Meeting - Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 6:00 p.m. Salem City Courthouse. Salem.
3) RVRW St.Patrick Dinner & Dance - Saturday, March 12, 2011. Vinton War Memorial.
Secondly, Delegate Greg Habeeb will host a Tele-Townhall on Thursday, February 10 at 7:00 PM. Automated calls will be made to active registered voters in the 8th District and they will be prompted to join the town hall. Anyone not receiving a call may dial-in to a number that will be announced next week.
Also, if you are interested in reading Greg's weekly updates, please visit his website by clicking here. You can also click here to follow Greg on Twitter where he gives updates on what's happening in the General Assembly. The Salem Republican Committee is on Twitter too. If you have questions or concerns, please call 804-698-1008, or email delhabeeb@house.virginia.gov.
Lastly, the RVRW (Roanoke Valley Republican Women) will be holding it's annual St. Patrick's Day Dinner & Dance on Saturday, March 12, 2011. This event will take place at the Vinton War Memorial and will start at 7:00 PM. There will be great food and wonderful music provided by the Northwest Jazz Band. Tickets are $25.00. If you are interested in attending, please reply to salemrepublicans@yahoo.com .
Thanks.
Kjersten Croke
Salem Republican Committee Chair
UPCOMING EVENTS
1) Tele-Townhall - Thursday, February 10, 2011. 7:00 p.m.
2) Committee Meeting - Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 6:00 p.m. Salem City Courthouse. Salem.
3) RVRW St.Patrick Dinner & Dance - Saturday, March 12, 2011. Vinton War Memorial.
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