Most of us understand what it means to balance a budget. We work hard to get a paycheck. We use that money to feed and clothe our family and keep a roof over our heads. If we’re able, we put a little aside in case of emergency or for a rainy day. We all know the feeling of sitting at the kitchen table, long after the kids have gone to bed, shuffling through bills and pay stubs. But we… Read more »
Each year Washington imposes thousands of pages of rules and regulations on America’s local governments and small businesses. Hidden in those rules are costly mandates that stretch state and city budgets and make it harder for employers to hire.
In 1995, members from both parties got behind, and President Bill Clinton signed, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), which sought to… Read more »
The current K-12 education system is failing our students, and state and local attempts to make it better have been hampered by an enormous federal footprint. Parents and education leaders have lost much of their decision-making authority to Washington bureaucrats, and the Secretary of Education has bullied states into adopting the Obama administration’s pet projects.
Unsurprisingly,… Read more »
On Jan. 6, I was sworn in to my sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Serving the people of North Carolina is a profound honor, and I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the 5th District in Congress. It is always a tremendous privilege to take the oath of office and pledge to “support and defend” the Constitution of the United States.
The first month of the 114th… Read more »
Since I was first elected to Congress in 2004, I have heard from thousands of constituents across North Carolina’s Fifth District. In recent years, there has been an understandable note of frustration in their voices over the direction that our country is headed.
These folks know all too well the struggle to find a job and pay the bills. They’re angry that it takes an average 111 days… Read more »
Last week, President Obama announced the creation of a $600 million grant program to help prepare people for jobs that are currently going unfilled. It’s good that the President is giving the issue of workforce development some greatly needed attention, but I fear his unilateral approach will be counterproductive. The jumbled, confusing federal workforce development system currently… Read more »
This week brought news that the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicts Obamacare will cause the loss of 2.3 million jobs over the next decade. While the President’s ill-conceived healthcare law continues to have disastrous consequences for our economy, it’s important to highlight what The Congress has been doing to help stabilize our economy and put people back to… Read more »
North Carolinians keep telling me “this has to stop.” I agree. To have any hope of solving the challenges before us, leaders have to be willing to work together. So let’s restore services we agree should be running and fix inequities in the law. Let’s defend our credit rating by getting control over our bills and strengthening our fiscal foundation. Whether the challenge is ending the shutdown or confronting our debt, divided government demands bipartisan solutions, and finding bipartisan agreement starts by sitting down to talk. Read more »
The story of women – of our leadership, sacrifice, determination, and accomplishment – has been built over time, and needs no embellishment. But our collective story requires regular updates as it grows in richness, and continual re-telling. Because of Sherrie Norris, the contributions of high country North Carolina women are regularly added to this library. Read more »
An unchecked SNAP program that wastes its limited resources on publicity campaigns or subsidizing those who do not qualify is unable to provide the best service to the people it is designed to help. It is the job of this Congress to ensure the program is held accountable as a steward of taxpayer dollars and as a safety net of last resort for the needy. Read more »
