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'Freshmen' get things done in Congress
Washington, DC,
January 3, 2006
Iredell County’s two freshmen lawmakers are proud of what they accomplished in 2005.
Carrie Sidener Iredell County’s two freshmen lawmakers are proud of what they accomplished in 2005. Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-5th) and Patrick McHenry (R-10th) have both passed bills, worked to control the deficit and brought money back to Iredell County. They’ve also backed the president in his approach to the war on terrorism. Both said learning to work in Congress has been a challenging experience. “We got a number of good things done this year,” said McHenry, the youngest member of Congress. “It’s rewarding to turn an idea into law.” Both Foxx and McHenry authored bills that passed during 2005. Foxx touts herself as the first freshman legislator to get a substantive bill passed. Her bill, called the HERO Act, allows military service members to put non-taxable combat pay in retirement accounts. “I’ve gotten a tremendous number of bills in committee and I’ve been part of the debate on all major legislation coming up in education and immigration,” she said. McHenry has been able to have two pieces of legislation enacted during the past year, a “rare feat for a freshman,” he said. One bill created penalties for countries who refuse to extradite people charged with murdering police officers in the United States. The other doubled the sentence for anyone convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of a child. “Those two were great accomplishments,” he said. The biggest lesson that McHenry learned was that having a good idea and working hard will get laws enacted. “If you don’t care who gets the credit, you can do even more,” he said. “I’ve learned that Democrats stand up on the floor of the House and say things that are not true and get by with it,” Foxx said. “They are also allowed to attack Republicans directly and indirectly.” War on Terrorism Both legislators think President Bush is doing a good job leading the country in the war against terrorism. Foxx said the fact that no majorattack has happened on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001, illustrates that the war on terrorism has been successful. “It’s a testament to what our folks are fighting for,” Foxx said. “We have to fight those people where they are or they will fight us here.” “If you stop one terror attack in the U.S., it may be connected to multiple other plots out there that are connected,” McHenry said. “If you reveal that you stopped one plot, it may tip our hand.” The most positive news has been the third election in Iraq in a year’s time, McHenry said. “In a culture that doesn’t know freedom, we are seeing some real sincere progress for the people to govern themselves,” he said. “If we succeed in Iraq, it will be a major sign, a symbol for the world.” Social Security and Medicare McHenry called Congress’ failure to pass legislation reforming Social Security one of his greatest disappointments. “We need to act sooner rather than later,” McHenry said. Foxx said she supports the president’s proposal to give taxpayers more financial control of their retirement. “The president suggests that people take more control over our lives,” Foxx said. “The Democrats want us to be more dependent on government.” “Federal government has gotten involved in so many things that we’ve lost sight of the role of federal government,” she said. When it comes to Medicare, McHenry said a balance needs to be struck between giving people the services they need and controlling taxes. “We have to make the system solvent going forward,” McHenry said. “We have to make it a pay as you go system. We can’t afford the rapid rising costs.” Foxx said she heard that in the next 10 years, 70 percent of the government’s budget will be tied up in Social Security and Medicare. “We cannot continue to operate that way,” she said.
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