News Letter I got today
http://geoffdavis.house.gov/Components/ ... 38-5697938
Last week, I was on CNBC’s The Kudlow Report to discuss the impact of federal regulations on small and medium sized businesses and how my bill, the REINS Act can help. To watch the full interview, click on the image above.
Weekly Column: 900 Days without a Budget
Kentucky families and businesses plan and prioritize their spending by making and following a responsible budget. Congress is required to do the same by passing an annual budget, a blueprint for all federal spending. While the House of Representatives passed a fiscally responsible budget on April 11th, 2011, the Senate has not passed a budget since April 29, 2009, more than 900 days ago.
Not only is this fiscally irresponsible, it is a failure of leadership and a breakdown of one of the most basic functions of government.
Since the Senate last passed a budget, there have been three Kentucky Derbies, three Independence Days, and three new school years have started. And you have filed your federal income taxes twice, while the Senate has still not passed any long-term plan of how to spend your money.
During the last 900 days, about 143,000 babies were born in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Together, these new citizens already owe $6.8 billion to pay off their share of the national debt, which has increased by $3.7 trillion over the same period of time.
Nine hundred days is also a long time for Kentucky businesses. Schwan’s Food in Florence can produce up to 2 million pizzas per day. This means, that in 900 days, they could produce 1.8 billion pizzas, enough to give every man, woman and child on Earth at least a quarter of a pizza.
With a capacity to produce up to 30,000 smoked, boneless hams a day, in 900 days, the Smithfield Packing Company in Grayson could make 27 million hams. This would be more than enough to give each Kentuckian a ham for the holidays, as well as a ham to every resident of Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia.
To work off all that pizza and ham, in 900 days you could walk in a loop from my office in Fort Mitchell to Seattle to San Diego to Miami to Portland, Maine and back almost four times, including twelve hours of rest per day.
Many of the students who were preparing to graduate from high school in the spring of 2009 (the last time the Senate passed a budget) are now juniors in college. In less than 900 days from now, many of them will have graduated and will be looking for jobs.
With unemployment still hovering over nine percent, too many Americans are looking for work and struggling to pay their bills. The Senate can help by passing a fiscally responsible budget that makes the difficult decisions necessary to reduce the deficit and begin to pay down our out-of-control national debt. This would be one step toward creating the stability and confidence that job creators need to invest, grow their businesses and hire.
A lot can happen in 900 days and there is simply no excuse for the Senate to avoid this responsibility for so long. The American people cannot afford to wait any longer for the Senate to act.
D.C. Talk
Upcoming Radio Interviews
Tune in to listen to me discuss the issues of the day on Fourth District radio stations. If you are not in the listening area, but want to tune in, click on the links below. Most radio stations allow you to listen online. Here are the dates and times of my upcoming radio interviews:
•Wednesday, October 26th. WLGC interview with Drew Skaggs at 6:30 p.m. Click here to listen live. http://geoffdavis.house.gov/Components/ ... 40-5697938
Last Week on the House Floor
Last week, the House was in recess for a Constituent Work Week.
Anticipated Action on the House Floor This Week
This week, the House will be in session Monday through Thursday. The House is expected to vote on the following bills:
•H.R. 441, Kantishna Hills Renewable Energy Act of 2011
•H.R. 1160, McKinney Lake National Fish Hatchery Conveyance Act
•H.R. 320, Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act
•H.R. 461, South Utah Valley Electric Conveyance Act
•H.R. 2594, European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011
•H.R. 2447, To grant the congressional gold medal to the Montford Point Marines
•H.R. 2527, National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act
•H.R. 2042, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Travel Cards Act of 2011
•H.R. 1904, Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011
•H.R. 2576, To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the calculation of modified adjusted gross income for purposes of determining eligibility for certain healthcare-related programs
•H.R. 674, To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the imposition of 3 percent withholding on certain payments made to vendors by government entities
You can read bills, summaries by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and keep up-to-date on their progress as they move through the legislative process by visiting http://thomas.gov and typing in the bill number. This service will also enable you to see how I vote. You can always check my recent votes on the Vote Record page of my website. http://geoffdavis.house.gov/Components/ ... 42-5697938
Legislative Notebook: 3.6% Increase for Social Security Beneficiaries in 2012
Last week, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will receive a 3.6% cost of living adjustment or COLA beginning in January 2012.
The COLA is calculated each year by a statutory formula known as the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). SSA uses the formula to determine whether or not there is a COLA based on an increase in the CPI-W. In short, the system has a mechanism to increase benefits automatically based upon increases in the cost of living over time. As a result of this formula, there was no COLA in 2010 or 2011.
This modest increase will help millions of Social Security and SSI recipients as we continue to struggle through difficult economic times. For more information on the COLA, visit http://www.socialsecurity.gov/cola/.
Constituent Corner
State Parks Offer Discounts to Current Military, Retirees and Veterans
Current and former members of our nation’s military services can take advantage of discount rates with the Kentucky State Parks’ “USA Military Pass” program from November 1, 2011, to March 31, 2012. The program is available to those on active military duty, retired members of the military, veterans, members of the National Guard and reservists. Proof of military service is required at check-in.
With the USA Military Pass, lodge rooms are available for $44.95 a night; one bedroom cottages for $74.95 a night; two bedroom cottages for $84.95 a night and three bedroom cottages for $94.95 a night. Tax is not included in these rates.
For more information and to make reservations, visit http://www.parks.ky.gov or call 1-800-255-7275.
During the months of April through October, current and former members of the military can get a ten percent lodging discount. If you are making your reservation online, use “USA” for the promo code for reservations between November 1st and March 31st. During the April through October period, select “military discount” when making an online reservation.
This Day in History – October 25th
•1415 - The army of King Henry V of England defeats the French at the Battle of Agincourt, which centuries later forms the centerpiece of William Shakespeare’s famous play, Henry V.
•1812 - During the War of 1812, the American frigate, USS United States, commanded by Stephen Decatur, captures the British frigate HMS Macedonian, after a fight at sea.
•1854 - During the Battle of Balaklava during the Crimean War, a charge by the British cavalry results in such losses that it is later memorialized in the poem Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
•1940 - Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., becomes the first African American general in the United States Army.
•1962 - In a dramatic moment during the Cuban missile crisis, Ambassador Adlai Stevenson shows photos at the United Nations proving Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba.
Thanks!
If you would like to send me an e-mail on any issue that is important to you, please click here. http://geoffdavis.house.gov/Components/ ... 45-5697938
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Sincerely,
Geoff Davis
Member of Congress
