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Saturday, July 4, 2015

McMorris Rodgers Joins Esperanza to Empower Hispanic-Americans

Washington, D.C. – This month Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) met with community faith leaders from the group Esperanza to discuss the importance of religious freedom, educational opportunities, and the future of immigration reform. Esperanza, a nationwide faith-based community group, focuses on empowering Hispanic communities through education, economic development and advocacy.

“I am proud to join Esperanza in our shared commitment to empower the American people,” said McMorris Rodgers. “That’s what Esperanza does for members of America’s vibrant Hispanic community. Through their advocacy, they empower Hispanic-Americans to embrace opportunities and offer hope for a better life. Esperanza understands that economic opportunities begin in the classroom, and I am so thankful for all the work they have done to advocate for charter schools.”

Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers also spoke at Esperanza’s annual conference in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

You can’t legislate more hours in the day – but here’s something we can do

Sometimes 24 hours isn’t enough. For working families across America, balancing work and home and children and bills and life – is a lot. But this week, House Republicans presented a package of bills that will make life easier for a lot of people.

Increasing flexibility in the workplace: Unfortunately, there’s no way to add hours to the clock. And, when you have to balance life at work and at home, time becomes valuable. The Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 gives private-sector employees the ability to use overtime hours for paid time off – as public sector employees can now. This will allow parents to take time off to be with their kids, and go to things like baseball games, mission trips, or school functions.

Increasing take-home pay: Every day costs – on things like gas, groceries, and air costs – are rising, as larger purchases like health care and education are skyrocketing. For families, this growing financial squeeze can be detrimental. Bills like the Child Tax Credit Improvement Act and the Student and Family Tax Simplification Act will put more money in the pockets of parents and make planning for future opportunities easier and more affordable.

Rewarding those who work hard: And often, when both parents work, other costs are incurred – like childcare or automobile costs. The Empowering Americans To Work Act was introduced by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and would amend the tax code to provide a deduction for families with a second income worker, to help make those every day expenses more affordable.

On the other end of the spectrum, sometimes children are left taking care of aging parents. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the Families First Act, which updates the dependent care tax credit to match inflation – so that that Americans paying for expensive health care costs for parents or children get the relief they need financially.

Advancing Opportunity in the Workplace: Rep. McMorris Rodgers has introduced a bill that will protect workers who discuss their salaries in the workplace. This bill would strengthen existing laws to help stop discrimination at work everyone, without adding unnecessary mandates and litigation to wage requirements.

Also, by increasing job training programs, all Americans will have access to the skills they need for good-paying job opportunities. Four million jobs are unfilled in the United States, because of a lack of skilled workers to fill the gaps. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act would connect Americans with the programs they need – while also making the current job-training program more efficient and effective.

Across America, families are making it work. But sometimes, we all need a little help. These bills have the potential to make life so much easier for so many Americans. As House Republicans, we want to empower all Americans so they can reach their full potential – no matter where they started.

View the original article here

Monday, September 1, 2014

Rep. Diane Black: The Possibilities of a “Governing Party”

This week on “Meet the Press,” host David Gregory asked guests their thoughts on a Republican-controlled Senate. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) responded in “The Hill” by pointing out the work House Republicans have accomplished, often in bipartisan fashion, compared to the Democratic-controlled Senate.

“On a recent edition of Meet the Press, host David Gregory asked his guest whether Republicans have given voters a reason to vote for them in the fall. He asked whether Republicans have demonstrated that they should control both Chambers of Congress and be “a governing party.”
“When it comes to addressing the most pressing issues facing the American people, the Republican-led House of Representatives has led the charge.
“For instance, while President Obama has recently boasted of a ‘booming’ economy under his watch, Americans continue to feel great anxiety. In fact, 6 in 10 Americans say they are dissatisfied with the state of the economy and 7 in 10 believe our country is headed in the wrong direction.

“Unlike President Obama, House Republicans have not lost touch with these very real economic concerns. That is why we have acted to pass dozens of sensible and bipartisan measures to help our economy grow and help Americans get back to work. In fact, there are currently 43 House passed jobs bills – most of which enjoy bipartisan support — sitting in the Democrat-led Senate just waiting for Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to schedule a vote.

“These include measures that would create jobs, lower energy prices for hard working Americans, and give relief to the predominantly female and lower income workers hurt by Obamacare, among other measures.
“Our national debt is now over $17.6 trillion – that’s over $55,000 for each American man, woman and child. Yet Obama and Democrats in Washington refuse to get serious about our nation’s fiscal outlook. This year, Obama once again submitted a budget plan over a month late that failed to ever balance even though it called for massive tax increases on the American people. Senate Democrats fared even worse by failing to even introduce a budget plan, let alone pass one with a simple majority vote as required by law.
“On the contrary, I was proud to help once again advance a responsible budget plan with Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and my colleagues on the House Budget Committee. The plan we introduced would bring our books to balance without needlessly harming our economy with painful tax increases like the ones Obama called for. House Republicans responsibly passed this budget plan this past April.
“Most recently, and to answer David Gregory’s question on Meet the Press, only one party in Washington has acted to address the influx of tens of thousands of unaccompanied Central American children who have illegally crossed our southern border. While the Democrat-led Senate recessed for the summer without passing legislation to address this humanitarian crisis, the Republican controlled House of Representatives stayed in Washington and worked until a supplemental border appropriations bill was passed.
“This contrast has been consistent throughout the year, as House Republicans have worked to pass seven different bipartisan appropriations bills to fund government operations for the next year while Senate Democrats have passed none. This behavior by Senate Democrats is not how a governing majority should behave and virtually guarantees unnecessary brinksmanship when lawmakers return to work in September with just weeks before the current appropriations lapse.
“The only party in Washington that is working to govern is the Republican Party, but unfortunately we only control one chamber of one branch of government.”

Read Rep. Black’s column in its entirety at The Hill.

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Sunday, August 31, 2014

VA progress is being made – but there is still work to be done

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Health Care VA progress is being made – but there is still work to be done Communications • August 14, 2014

Veterans heard some good news today. According to the Associated Press, VA referrals to private doctors are on the rise. This is largely in part to the House-passed bill H.R. 3230, the Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014. This bill allocates money to private doctors to treat veterans who are unable to get appointments at a VA hospital, either because of wait times or distance. H.R. 3230 was signed into law by President Obama, and within two months, the VA has made more than 838,000 referrals for veterans to receive care from private doctors – a 25% increase.

However, House Republicans know that this is just the beginning – there is still a lot of work to be done for our veterans. While visiting home districts, many members visited and spoke with veterans about their concerns and hopes for the VA and life after the military.

This is truly the “Veteran’s Town.” #HotSprings pic.twitter.com/gQKLFl3HnS
— Rep. Kristi Noem (@RepKristiNoem) August 14, 2014

Great visiting w/our veterans service providers and advocates in Clay Co. We will continue to fight for our veterans. pic.twitter.com/rR8eZLremd — Ted Yoho (@RepTedYoho) August 14, 2014

@TeamFairchild families getting answers on an array of topics during the #MilFamSummit pic.twitter.com/mbghp4mMTd
— Fairchild AFB (@TeamFairchild) August 14, 2014

Good round table w Cowlitz vets yesterday re: their experiences w the VA. More must be done to fix the VA for vets. pic.twitter.com/16OoO0FrNV — JaimeHerreraBeutler (@HerreraBeutler) August 14, 2014

Inviting #milfams to speak their minds so #cmfc can bring stories and feedback back to Congress #milfamsummit pic.twitter.com/iccmZVYl0n
— Sanford Bishop, Jr. (@SanfordBishop) August 14, 2014

So enjoyed visiting w/ my friends @MGMChamber and discussing issues like middle class econ struggles, Iraq & the VA. pic.twitter.com/SvWWGU2iXm — Rep. Martha Roby (@RepMarthaRoby) August 14, 2014

Our veterans have sacrificed for our country and have given of themselves and they deserve to have the the best care possible.
— Rep. Lee Terry (@LEETERRYNE) August 14, 2014

The #veterans only hour begins in 15 mins (9am CST) at the Great Mall of the Great Plains in Olathe #YoderJobFair http://t.co/T4f9Iecudw — Rep. Kevin Yoder (@RepKevinYoder) August 14, 2014

Speaking to the Society of American Military Engineers (@SAME_HQ) this evening in Spanish Fort. #AL01 pic.twitter.com/GoUTNRLsSk
— Rep. Bradley Byrne (@RepByrne) August 14, 2014

Veterans town hall in #Lovelock going strong at Pershing County Community Center pic.twitter.com/ZoWH1wbtYT
— RepMarkAmodei (@MarkAmodeiNV2) August 13, 2014

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Saturday, August 30, 2014

Solving back-to-school stress

Families across the country are gearing up for the first day of school. New backpacks, sharpened pencils, and back-to-school outfits are filling wish lists – and emptying wallets. Back-to-school spending is estimated to total $26.5 billion this year, a slight decrease from 2013.

And the buck doesn’t stop there. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual Expenditures on Children and Families report, the average cost of raising a child born in 2013 is $245,340. And once you equate inflation – that total rises to $304,480! The total cost varies from family to family, with multiple factors like income, education expenses, and region at play - but across the board, costs are rising annually.

Retailers are responding with multiple back-to-school discounts, tuition sweepstakes, and “freebies” for the season – but House Republicans know the stress of raising a family goes far beyond an annual school supply shopping trip.

To ease the financial burden, House Republicans have passed dozens of bills aimed at driving down every day costs. H.R. 3, which approves the Keystone XL Pipeline and H.R. 1582, the Energy Consumers Relief Act open up new energy prospects, lowers energy costs at the pump and at home. Other bills, like the Child Tax Credit Improvement Act and the Student and Family Tax Simplification Act will help families receive benefits they deserve – and benefits that will help them bring home more of their paycheck.

But House Republicans also understand that the financial aspect is only one stress in raising a family – working families know that time and flexibility are also key. House Republicans have passed bills like H.R. 1406, the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013, and H.R. 5110 the Save Medicare Home Health Act of 2014 to make the balance between work and home more manageable for American families.

Raising a child is hard work, great responsibility, and often costly. Yet despite these tribulations, families remain the core of our society. House Republicans understand and appreciate the sacrifices of parents across our nation. By passing bills that will help Americans bring home more of their paycheck, lower every day costs, and making the work and home balance more flexible, House Republicans are able to make life easier for these hard-working Americans. Yet, while dozens of these bills remain stuck on Senator Reid’s desk, we will not be dismayed. We will continue to work and create solutions that answer the real needs of every day American families.

View the original article here

Friday, August 29, 2014

We’re dealing with a stubborn, out-of-touch President

Yesterday, President Obama told a crowd that the economy has “turned around” since he entered the White House.

“And if you think about where we are now economically compared to where we were when I first came into office, we were then losing 800,000 jobs a month. We now are seeing the lowest unemployment claim since 2006 — the largest drop this past year in unemployment in 30 years. We’ve seen the deficit cut by more than half. We’ve seen the stock market rise so that people fully recovered their 401(k)s. We’ve seen corporate profits booming … The housing market has recovered.”

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Americans aren’t buying this. Last week, Americans’ economic confidence dropped six points – the largest one-week drop since October 2013. And these negative sentiments are more than just worry and emotion – they’re the byproduct of real, economic hardships.

-Since President Obama took office, there has been a 23 % increase in the number of the long-term unemployed. 2.6 million long-term unemployed at the beginning of his term has climbed to 3.2 million last month.

-There are 46.5 million Americans living in poverty. The number of Americans living at or below the poverty line has gone up by 6.7 million between 2008 and 2012.

-More than $7 trillion has been added to the national debt. Trillion equates to more than $61,000 per household! And when President Obama introduced his budget plan this year, he failed to address the debt and increase taxes for Americans.

-Americans are paying higher costs for nearly everything – and struggling to make ends meet. Energy costs in particular have nearly doubled under President Obama. A quarter of Americans reported they’re “just getting by” financially.

-In addition to paying more, Americans are receiving less. Since January 2009, median household income has fallen by $2,067 – dropping from $55,958 in January 2009 to $53,891 in June 2014.

-These lower incomes might be due to the 66% increase in involuntary part-time workers. There are 7.5 million Americans struggling to find full-time work - stuck settling with part-time jobs. That is more than double what it was in December 2007.

-The labor force participation rate is nearing a 30-year low. According to the most recent Department of Labor unemployment report, the share of the population participating in the labor force is at lows not seen since the 1970's, at 62.9%.

So has the economy turned around? Definitely not. In fact, it’s doing worse. President Obama’s failed economic policies, paired with an out-of-touch understanding of real, Americans’ problems is putting too many families in stressful economic situations.

House Republicans have passed over 40 jobs-bills that will put Americans back to work and help them bring home more of their paycheck – too bad they remain stuck in a Democratic-controlled Senate. However, a do-nothing Senate and a stubborn President will not deter the House from continuing to work. We will pass more solutions for Americans – solutions to make life better and solutions to empower.

View the original article here

Thursday, August 28, 2014

President Obama’s Got “No New Friends”

President Obama has earned a reputation of not playing well with others. And while House Republicans have long been vocally frustrated – now even Senate Democrats are speaking out about their inability to work with President Obama.

In a recent New York Times article, several Senate Democrats – including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) – were interviewed about their relationship with President Obama.

“With Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, sitting a few feet away, Mr. Reid complained that Senate Republicans were spitefully blocking the confirmation of dozens of Mr. Obama’s nominees to serve as ambassadors. He expected that the president would back him up and urge Mr. McConnell to relent.
“Mr. Obama quickly dismissed the matter.
“‘You and Mitch work it out,’ Mr. Obama said coolly, cutting off any discussion.”

Ouch. That’s not a very nice way to treat your co-workers or fellow leaders. And Senator Reid agreed:

“After his return to the Capitol that afternoon, Mr. Reid told other senators and his staff members that he was astonished by how disengaged the president seemed.
“But the impression the president left with Mr. Reid was clear: Capitol Hill is not my problem.”

Other Democrats spoke out about the lack of communication and compromise coming from the White House:

“Asked to characterize his relationship with the president, Mr. Manchin, a centrist Democrat who has often been a bridge builder in the Senate, said: ‘It’s fairly nonexistent. There’s not much of a relationship.’”

Senator Angus King (I-ME) said:

“In order to work with people, you need to establish the relationship first before you ask for something, and I think one of the things the White House has not done well and the president has not done well is the simple idea of establishing relationships before there is a crisis.”

But this isn’t the first time President Obama has opted out of compromising friendship – this behavior has been going on for a while. The Wire broke down a timeline of President Obama’s inability to make friends, from the recent border crisis to complaints from foreign ambassadors. Often, the word “aloof” arises when lawmakers describe the President.

President Obama’s behavior has created a trickle-down affect, and his inability to compromise is echoed in the Senate chambers. House Republicans have passed dozens of bills that would put Americans back to work – many of them with bipartisan support. Yet they remain stuck in a stubborn Democratic controlled Senate. And now even his allies there are catching on to the fact that President Obama isn’t interested in helping anyone. In the words of hip-hop artist Drake, Obama is making “no new friends – no, no, new.”

House Republicans will continue to pass bills that empower Americans to make their lives better – and will push against the obstacles of an imperial Presidency.

View the original article here

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Saturday, July 4, 2015

McMorris Rodgers Joins Esperanza to Empower Hispanic-Americans

McMorris Rodgers Joins Esperanza to Empower Hispanic-Americans

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

You can’t legislate more hours in the day – but here’s something we can do

Monday, September 1, 2014

Rep. Diane Black: The Possibilities of a “Governing Party”

Sunday, August 31, 2014

VA progress is being made – but there is still work to be done

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Solving back-to-school stress

Friday, August 29, 2014

We’re dealing with a stubborn, out-of-touch President

Thursday, August 28, 2014

President Obama’s Got “No New Friends”