On Dec. 17 Congresswoman Virginia Foxx visited the Food Lion headquarters facility in Salisbury for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified distribution center. On a tour led by Distribution Center Manager Tim Overcash, Congresswoman Foxx learned more about the complex path groceries travel on their way to Food Lion stores. From Food Lion: "The group began on the salvage dock, where nearly every piece of waste, including plastic bags, cardboard and even splinters of wood from pallets is recycled. The tour then made its way through various a... Read More »
Today, U.S. Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14), Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05) and 22 cosponsors introduced the Textile Enforcement and Security Act (TESA), a bipartisan bill to save U.S. textile jobs by providing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with more tools to enforce trade laws and better target fraudulent textile and apparel goods coming into the United States. “When trade violators sneak illegal goods into the United States it’s a direct threat to our textile workers,” said Rep. Graves. “The hardworking people in communities like Trion, Georgia, shouldn’t have to worry about fraudsters in... Read More »
Yesterday, the House passed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA) by a vote of 417 – 3. This bipartisan legislation will reform the way our country builds and maintains crucial ports and waterways while cutting federal red tape, increasing fiscal responsibility, and reducing the need for bureaucratic involvement. WRRDA will improve important transportation networks to ensure America’s competitiveness, prosperity, and economic growth. “At its heart, WRRDA is about jobs and improving America’s competitiveness,” said Chairman Shuster. “A strong water transportation networ... Read More »
It is no surprise that the American people are not signing up for the President’s flawed health care exchanges to the extent the administration projected. Internal memos from the Health and Human Services Department estimated that nearly 500,000 people would sign up just this month. Achieving that milestone looks highly unlikely at this point, as we have only seen a handful of people sign up for Obamacare throughout the country. The glitches which plague the HealthCare.gov website frustrating customers have also prevented us from knowing how many people have signed up for insurance on the webs... Read More »
The Federal Government’s healthcare exchange website launch problems are not just glitches, they are fatal systematic flaws. “These are glitches that go, quite frankly, way beyond the pale of what should be expected,” former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs explained. Sharply criticizing his former boss and the Department of Health and Human Services, Gibbs called the rollout of Obamacare “excruciatingly embarrassing” and believes that some officials should be fired over their failure to prevent and correct the system’s problems. The government’s website Healthcare.gov struggled as soo... Read More »
The cost of Obamacare is overwhelming businesses and companies throughout the country and in North Carolina. “Adapting to Obamacare is the hardest thing [I’ve] ever done,” said North Carolina businessman Doug Meyer-Cuno. WBTV recently interviewed Meyer-Cuno, Owner and President of Carolina Ingredients, who explained that “the cost of the country’s new law is overwhelming.” He said the decisions regarding what to do with Obamacare and its mandates are among the biggest decisions he has had to make in all 23 years of his time running Carolina Ingredients. Watch the Video of WBTV’s interview and ... Read More »
On Tuesday, October 1st at 10:00 a.m. EST, I will hold a Higher Education and Workforce subcommittee hearing regarding simplifying federal student aid as part of our subcommittee’s ‘Keeping College Within Reach’ hearing series. As the committee prepares to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, this hearing will provide members with an opportunity to explore certain proposals to streamline the federal student aid system in attempt to make it easier for students and families to understand the higher education investment system. Learn more about this hearing by following this link: http://edworkf... Read More »
Monthly phone bills are never fun to pay. But like so many families know, owning, using, and paying for a cell phone is part and parcel of life in this new age of technology. Cell phones connect us to our loved ones, enable us to do business, and give more and more people access to the internet – arguable the defining tool of the 21st Century. Cell phones are unlike any other piece of technology in the sheer number of people who own them; according to a recent poll over 90% of all adult Americans own at least one cell phone. Hidden in the details for those cell phone bills are fees directed to... Read More »
This year, North Carolina legislators dramatically altered the state’s tax system, replacing a very burdensome policy on both individuals and businesses, with one which sets the state up for long-term economic growth. As Washington continues to pursue federal tax reform, it is encouraging to see reform accomplished in the Tar Heel State. Personal and corporate income tax rates were each lowered in a plan that cuts taxes by about $4.75 billion over five years, according to Dr. Ray Cordato of the John Locke Foundation. With these reforms in place, North Carolina has lost the distinction of havin... Read More »
Estimates released today by the United States Department of Health and Human Services show that North Carolina residents could be hard hit by Obamacare, paying more in premium costs and having fewer choices than the national average. North Carolina premiums for a mid-range health insurance plan sold on the Obamacare health exchanges will cost $369 a month on average. This is $40 higher than the national average for similar coverage, which will be $328 when new health insurance markets start next week. Further, Forbes assessed information released by the Department against current health care c... Read More »
