Friday, January 16, 2015

Hartzler weekly report addresses border security, veterans' suicides

(From Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler)

Promises made; promises kept.

The House approved legislation this week to fully fund border security and protection of our homeland while preventing the use of federal dollars to fund President Obama’s November executive action halting the deportation of people who are in this country illegally.

I have been an outspoken critic of President Obama’s unilateral action on immigration and am glad we addressed this overreach early in the new session of Congress. Now is the time to take that action to protect our borders and to ensure that our immigration laws are respected.

The Homeland Security Appropriations Bill increases funding for customs and border protection, bolsters enforcement of the immigration and customs system, and strengthens efforts to combat human trafficking and child exploitation. Furthermore, it directly addresses President Obama’s executive action by preventing any funds from being used to carry out his amnesty plans, which blatantly disregard our immigration laws. The citizens of MO-4 have made it very clear that, while they support legal immigration, they want people to follow the law and expect our President to honor the law as well.

I eagerly anticipate this good legislation passing the Senate and being sent to President Obama.

On another matter, the House passed legislation this week to prevent veteran suicides. Suicide among veterans who have served our country has become all too common. These brave men and women have given so much to protect the freedoms we all enjoy, and they deserve the best support and care from our health care system. The bill passed by the House and sent to the Senate will help ensure these veterans have access to the high-quality mental health care they have earned. I urge the Senate to act quickly in taking up and passing this important legislation.

The House also took an important step this week to bring much-needed accountability to the federal rulemaking process by requiring agencies to consider the economic impact of the rules they propose. Washington Bureaucrats routinely put forward major rules and changes to existing rules without regard to the cost or consequence to taxpayers. This is a common sense idea intended to stop the runaway outrageous regulations that stifle American productivity, job growth, and our economic outlook. I look forward to this bill passing the Senate.

The American people sent a clear message to their representatives in Washington. They want solutions to the problems they face. This new Congress will make people’s priorities our priorities with a renewed focus to grow the economy from the bottom up with good-paying jobs and higher paychecks.

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