J. Randy Forbes Blog Entries

CAP the Debt

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

As you probably know, the House or Representatives voted last week – without my support – to increase the U.S. debt limit for the third time in the past year, adding $6,000 per citizen to the $40,000 in national debt Washington has already spent for every single American. This type of debt increase cycle begs the question of whether the “debt ceiling” is really a ceiling, if it is so easy to raise.

That's why I recently cosponsored the CAP the DEBT Act (H.R. 4262), which would mandate a 2/3 roll call vote in both the House and Senate chambers in order to raise the debt ceiling. It would repeal the current Gephardt Rule that allows a debt ceiling increase to be included in budget resolutions without facing a direct vote.

The CAP the DEBT Act will make passage of debt increases far more difficult. Most importantly, though, it will provide more transparency to the process so Members of Congress are held accountable for their votes to raise the debt limit.

Would Washington Lawmakers Spend Less if Their Paychecks Depended on it?

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Let me ask you a question - if lawmakers were spending their own money, would America still be going broke?

Just like families and businesses across America, Members of Congress need to be accountable for their fiscal decisions. I believe to do that they need to have a personal stake in their decisions.

Next week, I will introduce legislation to break Congress’ addiction to spending by tying the salaries of Members of Congress to the growth in government spending. The premise of the bill is simple - the more Members of Congress spend, the less they make in salary. So, if Congress increases spending by 7%, their salaries would be cut by 7% the following year.

I am putting the finishing touches on the legislation this week, but you can view a discussion draft of the legislation here. A discussion draft is the final draft I review before I introduce it on the floor of House of Representatives.

I’d like your help in naming this bill. Over the next few days, leave a comment with your name, your suggestion for a bill title, and your thoughts on this legislation. We’ll compile all the suggestions on Thursday of this week, narrow it to a Top 5 list, and send a survey this weekend asking you to vote on the final bill name.

Here are some of the bill names my staff has suggested:

-          Holding Our Lawmakers accountable for their Decisions Act of 2010 (HOLD Act)
-          Slow Down Spending Act
-          Performance Accountability for Your Congress (PAY Act)
-          Requiring Accountability in Lawmaker Pay Act (RAMP Act)
-          Cut Government or Cut Pay Act of 2010

What bill name ideas do you have?

We’ll announce the bill name via Twitter and Facebook, so make sure you are following me on one of those sites to be one of the first to find out about the winning bill name.

Bridging the Partisan Divide

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

As a Member of Congress, I intend to remain unwavering on the principles upon which I was elected. I regard it as one of my primary responsibilities to the citizens I represent. I am also certain that many of my Congressional colleagues feel the same way. Yet, we both have a responsibility to hear each other out. Some in Washington have become so focused on creating monologues that they’ve jeopardized the national conversation. Leaders in Washington have become impassioned about their own agendas. The result is that productive conversation is replaced with fuming debate and the areas in which we can work together become muddled hidden in a mire of political grandstanding and mudslinging.

Yet, even those of us with strong policy differences have common ground. And amidst the monologues, it’s important to point out those areas. I have created this website that highlights some of these areas where we can work together.

http://forbes.house.gov/issuesleg/bipartisanopportunities.htm

I invite you to leave a comment with your feedback on these initiatives.

U.S. stands to lose Triple-A debt rating

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Moody's warned today that the United States' could stand to lose its gold-standard Triple-A debt rating if government debt continues to rise.

I believe it’s no coincidence that the rating comes after the Administration’s FY11 budget proposal was released this week, which will put us on a path for a deficit in 2010 that exceeds 10% of our entire economic output, and that won't return us to sustainable deficit levels for another ten years.

And despite Moody's warning, today the House passed a measure – without my support – to increase the U.S. debt limit for the third time in the past year.

There is a clear disconnect between the real world and Washington decision-making. This spending cycle and these continuous debt limit increases must stop. Washington needs to heed Moody’s warning and take steps now to curb budget deficits.

A few weeks ago, I introduced a bill that would cut federal government discretionary spending by 40% over the next five years. I believe this is a first step of many to change our current fiscal course. Read about it here.

Black History Month

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

February is Black History Month, a time for our nation to recognize the journey of African Americans throughout American history, and to celebrate their substantial contributions to our history and culture as veterans, religious leaders, inventors, authors, and leaders in government.

As we recognize Black History Month, I have compiled learning tools and resources available through the Library of Congress, the National Park Service, and the Smithsonian Institute to help study this important part of our history.

History Month Teachers Guide

African Americans in All Areas of American Life

Legends of Tuskegee

African American Culture Heritage Virtual Tour

Heritage Month National Event Calendar

African American Stories Reading List (for young readers ages 3-10)

National Museum of African Art

What is the state of our union?

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Tonight we will hear the State of the Union address by President Obama. The address gets its position in American politics from Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, which mandates that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

The State of the Union address did not always follow the same format. George Washington's speech took about five minutes to deliver. Thomas Jefferson even gave his address in writing. It wasn't until Woodrow Wilson's presidency that it became standard for the State of the Union address to be delivered in person. And it wasn't until Harry Truman's presidency that the State of the Union address was shown on television.

Nevertheless, our Presidents have traditionally used the speech as an opportunity to declare the state of our nation as strong. And if our nation is not strong, the President has used the opportunity to lay out his plan to make it strong again.

A constituent contacted my office last week. He told my staff that, in his opinion, the state of our nation is poor. From his perspective, his grandchildren will have to pay off today’s debt and he is facing a federal government that, despite three recent elections, still doesn’t get it. He wishes that the President would acknowledge that fact this evening.

Although the State of the Union address is delivered to the masses of American citizens, the reality is what this man said is true – the “state of the union” is different for every person based on their individual situations.

- The state of the union for the working mom is based on the fact that gas prices are still rising, and college tuition is increasing at alarming rates.

- The state of the union for the middle-aged couple is based on the additional years of work they must take on because their retirement investments have shrunk considerably.

- The state of the union for a senior citizen is based on how much her prescription drugs have increased.

- The state of the union for a farmer is based on the fact that he is facing increasing production costs with declining farm prices.

In the face of these situations, the state of our nation is not strong. And the President has a decision to make tonight. He needs to use this opportunity to lay out a plan to make our nation strong again by taking a new, bipartisan approach to end deficit and stimulus spending, and focus on creating jobs for the American people.

Tighten Washington’s Belt

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) just released its Budget and Economic Outlook report today. Here is what they found:

- Federal spending is projected to outpace revenue by $1.349 trillion this year (fiscal year 2010).

- This is the second largest deficit in history, only being surpassed by the 2009 deficit of $1.414 trillion.

- At 9.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), it is also the second largest deficit as a share of the economy since World War II.

The message the CBO report is sending is clear. If we do not cut spending, our children and grandchildren will be forced to bear the burden. We need bold solutions when it comes to addressing Washington’s unshakeable appetite for spending.

Last week, I introduced a bill last week to address this type of spending. The Tighten Washington’s Belt Act would cut federal government discretionary spending by 40% over the next five years. Here’s how:

- It would set fixed spending limits that are 10% less than the previous year for all discretionary spending.

- If Congress breaches those spending limits, an automatic across-the-board spending cut from all discretionary programs would be enacted to keep federal spending within its limits.

You can read more about my bill here.

Are you getting these updates?

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Over 40,000 “tweets” have been sent from the halls of Congress, according to this new report. That means over 40,000 updates on the latest news and information in Washington bypassed the media and mailrooms across the country and went directly to American citizens.

Are you getting these important updates? Join the over 2,000 people who have subscribed to my Twitter updates to get real time information from me here in Washington.

Add me here.

Forbes Question Featured on Sean Hannity Show

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Is political correctness endangering our military?

In the wake of the Fort Hood shooting, that's a question our nation needs to be asking. This week the House Armed Services Committee met to review the findings of a Department of Defense independent review relating to the Fort Hood shooting. You can read the report here.

At the hearing I asked why the report did not examine how political correctness played a role in identifying Major Nidal Hasan as a threat to our citizens and soldiers. My question was featured last night on the Sean Hannity show last night. Take a look here.

What do you think? Is political correctness endangering our military? Post your comments below.

What I'm Reading

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

AP: Secret bill-writing on the rise

Schoolchildren are taught that a bill finally goes to the president after selected lawmakers meet openly to forge a compromise, and the House and Senate approve their accord. But in today's Congress, formal conference meetings are rare, the minority party is usually shut out and the public has little or no access to the process. That trend has been on display this month as Democrats and the White House engage in closed-door talks on how the government is going to change the delivery of health care that have effectively excluded the public and the media.

Wall Street Journal: Boston Tea Party

The resounding five-point victory in one of America's most liberal states is an upset heard 'round Washington—and one that ought to force Democrats to rethink their entire agenda, national health care in particular. Despite an 11th-hour intervention by President Obama in a state he carried with ease only 14 months ago, state Attorney General Martha Coakley was routed even in such unlikely tea-party outposts as Andover (58%) and amid a large turnout for a midwinter special election.

USA Today: Payroll taxes increase for many employers across USA

In 2009, the average business owner paid $95 per employee. This year, the tax will be $171, according to estimates by the state workforce agency. "It's another added expense to hiring somebody," Miller says. "Everything's going up, and business is going down." Similar tax increases are hitting employers nationwide this year as states struggle to pay the 5.5 million Americans currently collecting state jobless benefits. So far, high unemployment and, in many cases, poor planning have prompted 25 states to borrow more than $25 billion from the federal government to keep benefit checks in the mail.

LA Times: Chinese Hackers Pose A Growing Threat To U.S. Firms

The scale and sophistication of the cyber attacks on Google Inc. and other large U.S. corporations by hackers in China is raising national security concerns that the Asian superpower is escalating its industrial espionage efforts on the Internet. While the U.S. focus has been primarily on protecting military and state secrets from cyber spying, a new battle is being waged in which corporate computers and the valuable intellectual property they hold have become as much a target of foreign governments as those run by the Pentagon and the CIA.

Gas Prices

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Gas Prices