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| Update From Washington |
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Howdy Texans!
As your Representative in Congress, I am writing to update you about the work that is being done in the U.S. House of Representatives and to provide you a report on the first session of the 114th Congress.
Republican Study Committee
Last November, I was humbled to be elected by my fellow conservative colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) during the 114th Congress. The RSC is the largest and most effective group of conservative Republicans in Congress. With over 170 members in the House of Representatives, we are an effective force in advancing a conservative economic and social agenda in Washington. During this Congress (2015-2016), we are focused on the following five objectives: (1) growing America’s economy instead of Washington’s bureaucracy, (2) fixing the federal government’s budget nightmare, (3) restoring our national security, (4) protecting American values, including religious liberty and the right to life, and (5) restricting the federal government to its Constitutionally limited role.
Reforming Federal Spending
One of the original reasons I came to Washington was to reduce federal spending and the growth of government. Over the last five years, conservatives in the House have taken the lead to halt some of Washington’s spending spree through several key initiatives, including the following:
(1) Reducing overall discretionary spending by $176 billion since FY 2010; these reductions will save over $2.1 trillion over 10 years.
(2) Enacting the first real entitlement reform in nearly two decades through Medicare reforms found in the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) replacement, saving taxpayers up to $2.9 trillion over the long term.
(3) Passing the first joint House-Senate balanced budget plan since 2001; this budget balances the federal in less than 10 years without raising taxes, saves taxpayers more than $5 trillion, and ensures a strong national defense.
(4) Adding more transparency and accountability to federal spending by establishing rules that make it easier to cut spending, harder to increase spending, and permanently banning earmarks.
(5) Cutting our own Congressional office budgets by 14% over the last five years has put us on track to save taxpayers $782 million.
While more work must be done, these initiatives have provided for a solid foundation for positive change as we move forward.
Securing our Nation
The House recently passed a new National Defense Authorization Act which provides for a strong national defense in a fiscally responsible manner that reforms procurement and cuts unnecessary spending. It provides our military men and women with the certainty, resources and authority needed to fight and defeat the threats that exist in the world today. Our troops give their all to preserve our freedom. It is incumbent upon us to give them the tools they need to succeed. Now more than ever, we must continue to strengthen our national defense and to support our military men and women to whom America owes so much.
Our current immigration system is broken and does not meet the needs of our modern economy. The problems with our immigration system are numerous and include issues such as persistently weak border security and the existence of sanctuary cities; an ineffective VISA tracking system; an antiquated employment VISA system which does not meet the labor requirements of today’s economy; and illegal immigrants receiving taxpayer funded entitlements. This broken system compromises our nation’s security, is unfair to those who come here legally, and negatively impacts our economy.
There are more than 300 cities and counties, including a couple of states, which are undermining our nation’s immigration enforcement efforts through the use of sanctuary polices. Sanctuary cities ignore federal immigration laws and threaten the safety of hardworking American families. The House recently passed the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act which cuts federal funding to sanctuary cities. Putting an end to sanctuary cities and ensuring that current laws are being enforced is a good starting point towards immigration reform and securing our nation.
Reining in Regulations
Out-of-control regulatory bureaucrats are causing substantial headwinds for America’s businesses and job creators. Instead of these headwinds, I believe that federal policy coming from Washington should provide tailwinds so that our businesses can create jobs and opportunities for struggling American families. Complying with Washington’s complicated regulations is one of the biggest burdens on America’s small businesses and manufacturers. The annual cost of complying with federal regulations in the United States increased to $1.88 trillion in 2014. This amount is equivalent to $15,000 for each and every American family.
In an effort to rein in federal regulations, the House passed the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act. The REINS Act requires any major regulation from the executive branch that has an economic impact of $100 million or more to come before Congress for an up-or-down vote before it can go into effect. This provides a much needed Constitutional check on the costly rulemaking by the White House that has a significant negative impact on the American economy.
I also feel strongly that a temporary freeze on all federal regulatory activities would instantly bolster our economy and ease the regulatory burden that has overwhelmed American businesses during the past seven years. I introduced a bill to do that in October, and I will introduce a revised version of that bill in the next few days. This proposed freeze would be placed on all non-emergency federal regulations that have an economic cost of more than $50 million. This freeze would extend through July 1, 2017 and would delay for 17 months the implementation of the parts of current regulations which have not yet been implemented. My bill will allow for waivers (subject to Congressional approval) for national security, emergencies, and health and safety. Many of the businesses and community banks in our district have said that this type of a temporary reprieve from the stranglehold of the current onslaught of federal regulations will allow them to begin investing in jobs and growth instead of spending on overreaching regulatory activities. This renewed investment will create more jobs and better paychecks for American families who have seen their incomes stagnate under the current administration’s economy.
21st Century Energy Security
Our nation’s energy situation is an integral part of our economic and national security. The key to shaping both a healthy economy for our country and to improve our national security is for us to adopt a robust energy strategy designed for the 21st century. In order to achieve energy security, we need a true “All of the Above” energy strategy, which includes the following:
Expanded use of nuclear power for the production of “baseload” electric generation;
Greater use of abundant North American oil and environmentally friendly natural gas;
Improved international market access for American oil and natural gas exports;
Increased research to develop clean-coal technology;
An improved focus on private sector development of alternative energy resources like wind, solar, renewable fuel sources, which are technologically and economically viable without the use of inefficient mandates and/or expensive taxpayer subsidies
Market-driven energy conservation programs;
Environmental regulatory programs which are based on sound science and real-world cost/benefit economics; and
Greater federal investment in “basic” research to discover the energy sources of the future.
For more information on “Architecture of Abundance”, a 21st Century energy strategy being crafted by the House Energy and Commerce Committee (of which I am a member), which includes many of the provisions outlined above, please go to energycommerce.house.gov/yes2energy.
Real Health Care Reform
Americans deserve commonsense health care reforms that increase access to affordable, high quality care and give American consumers a say in their health care. Earlier this year, the RSC rolled out its health care alternative entitled the American Health Care Reform Act. This bold plan fully repeals Obamacare, establishes patient-centered reforms, and develops free-market solutions for America’s health care sector to lower costs and improve access. The plan allows individuals and families to choose the health insurance plan that works best for them, while encouraging insurers to earn their business by offering affordable, competitive plans. For more information on this commonsense plan, please go to rsc.flores.house.gov/#AHCRA.
The House recently passed the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act. This is a filibuster-proof bill that will dismantle key provisions of Obamacare and protect hardworking Americans’ taxes by cutting the deficit by roughly $130 billion over the next 10 years. It repeals many of Obamacare’s core policies such as the individual and employer mandates, the medical device tax, the Cadillac tax, and the wasteful Prevention and Public Health slush fund. The bill also protects the unborn by preventing taxpayer dollars from being used to fund Planned Parenthood and reallocates those funds to community health centers so that there is no gap in access to care. This bill awaits action in the Senate.
21st Century Cures
There are currently 10,000 known diseases or conditions that plague the lives of people throughout the world. Surprisingly, we only have cures and treatments for 500 of them. This summer the House passed, with bipartisan support, the 21st Century Cures Act. This bill creates hope for patients and their caregivers as it will accelerate the discovery and development of life-saving and life-improving therapies. Through a new model of funding for the National Institutes of Health, we will help researchers and innovators unleash the power of 21st century science and technology. This is a huge step forward in improving advancements in both public and private health care.
It should be noted that through the advanced development of cures and treatments, we will save money for American taxpayers in the long run as costly and crippling diseases are treated more efficiently and expediently. The 21st Century Cures Act also takes steps to address entitlement spending by making substantial reforms that stop excessive government spending. By moving to a model that reflects competition and fair market pricing, these reforms will result in billions of dollars in net long-term savings. The passage of 21st Century Cures through the House was an important milestone. The ultimate goal is to get it signed into law so that we can further the modernization of research, innovation and the delivery of healthcare. Very similar to the Medical Breakthrough Fund above, this legislation also sets up incentives to tackle our costliest and most devastating diseases. For more information on 21st Century Cures, please go to energycommerce.house.gov/cures.
Pausing the Syrian and Iraqi Refugee Program
In light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, the House recently passed legislation with a bipartisan, veto-proof majority vote to stop the influx of Syrian and Iraqi refugees until the federal government puts systems in place to fully vet these persons in such a manner that we know they will not cause harm to our citizens.
To learn more about the work being done in the House, I encourage you to visit Flores.house.gov/114thWork to see a list of other notable bills that the House has passed and their status in the Senate and with the president.
Looking Forward
I remain committed to improving economic opportunities for hardworking American families and to lead America toward a path which restores our promise, prosperity, and security for current and future generations. For the remainder of 2015, the House will be considering plans to fund the government in a responsible way through the remainder of the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016 and tax extenders. Looking to 2016, House conservatives will be focused upon promoting a bold strategy which includes comprehensive tax reform; rebuilding our military and national security; improving border security and internal Visa tracking and enforcement; regulatory reform to help our businesses create jobs; health care reform (to replace Obamacare) like the RSC plan described earlier in this letter; reforming Washington’s budget mess; building a 21st century energy strategy; considering the enactment of free and fair trade agreements to promote economic growth; and protecting American values like religious freedom and the protection of all lives, including the unborn.
I truly feel if we work together, we can rebuild the “Shining City on a Hill” that President Reagan envisioned for our country. As always, I encourage each of you to continue praying for our country during these challenging times, and for our military men and women and first responders who protect us each day.
With great respect,
Bill Flores
Member of Congress
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