Off to a Good Start
Off to a Good Start
Rep. Boozman's Column for the Week of May 9, 2005
Washington, May 9 -
Last week we reached the 100 day mark of the 109th Congress and I am pleased to report that we have had a productive session so far. In just 100 days, we have passed legislation that addresses some of our top priorities which include providing support for our troops, improving our economy and increasing our border security.
The following are some highlights for the first 100 days:
The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief for 2005: Supporting our troops takes more than rhetoric. The men and women of our armed services are making enormous sacrifices for our freedoms and security. They need the best equipment and all the benefits that they have been promised. We also need to invest in the burgeoning democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan so that our troops can come home faster. For this reason, we passed the supplemental appropriations act which allocates $42.6 billion to support ongoing military and reconstruction efforts, including funds for new equipment and enhanced benefits.
The Highway Bill: Our region continues to be one of the fastest growing in the country, and each day that goes by without a new highway bill means Arkansans wait in traffic longer and our businesses lose more money. The highway bill will fund our federal highways at $283.9 billion and helps increase the quality of our transportation infrastructure, allowing products to move more efficiently and cutting traveling time down for commuters. Under this bill, Arkansas will receive $2.7 billion in highway funds over the next six years. We will also receive additional money for the state's transit needs and the Third District of Arkansas is also set to receive assistance for specific projects that have been earmarked in this legislation.
Energy Policy Act of 2005: The energy bill will create close to half a million new jobs in the manufacturing, construction, agriculture and technology sectors by reducing our dependence on foreign oil while exploring different sources of renewable fuels and nuclear energy. Another 735,000 jobs could be created by promoting the responsible exploration of energy in ANWR. Not only does this bill addresses the current crisis of high gas prices, but it sets a stage for making our country less dependent on foreign sources of oil in the future.
Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2005: The death tax is responsible for ending family businesses, eliminating jobs and discouraging savings. All of this money, including the tax itself, could be used to grow small businesses and hire more workers. This tax hits small businesses and family farms hardest, forcing them to divert resources from investment and employment to pay this unfair tax. There is no doubt that it is a hindrance to economic growth and for this reason, the House voted to permanently repeal the death tax.
Class Action Fairness Act: When predatory trial attorneys shop for favorable judges to get multimillion dollar rulings, it drains billions from our economy annually. This practice forces small businesses to pay outrageous fees, and in turn, the cost is passed back to consumers. This new law will eliminate these needless fees and allow small businesses to hire more workers, as a result of not paying those costs.
REAL ID Act: This legislation closes immigration policy loopholes that terrorists exploited to carry out the September 11th attacks. The REAL ID Act reforms driver license requirements, addresses asylum loopholes, toughens border defenses and strengthens our deportation laws. This bill puts teeth in our immigration policy by following the 9-11 Commission's recommendations to close these loopholes.
The 109th Congress is off to a good start. It has been a positive 100 days and my colleagues and I will work hard to ensure the rest of this session of Congress is as productive.
http://www.boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentPrint.aspx?DocumentID=26983