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Foxx Report
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On Tuesday, President Obama released his budget for fiscal year 2017. Some might call this proposal a vision for the future of our country. Unfortunately, the president’s vision for America ignores our fiscal realities and the magnitude of the problems we face.
The national debt is nearly $19 trillion. Our country is in the middle of a fiscal crisis driven by reckless borrowing and runaway government spending, and President Obama once again offers us a budget filled with untenable tax hikes that never balances.
Washington has a moral obligation to the American people to present a responsible budget that reins in wasteful federal overspending and guarantees accountability for the use of taxpayer dollars. House Republicans will continue to do all we can to make this vision a reality.
Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act
Every time the federal government approaches its debt limit, like clockwork, many politicians – from the White House down – begin threatening “default” unless the government is able to continue with its spending binge. Such gamesmanship is a disservice to everyone. We need a debt limit framework that encourages fiscal responsibility.
On Thursday the House passed H.R. 3442, the Debt Management and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which establishes a new debt limit framework that enhances accountability, reduces disruptive risk and ensures integrated debt reduction solutions. The bill requires the executive branch to appear before Congress prior to each potential debt limit increase and provide detailed reports on the national debt and its key drivers; explicit short, medium and long-term debt reduction proposals; and progress on debt reduction.
Helping Veterans and Increasing Accountability at the VA
This week the House passed several pieces of legislation designed to help veterans and increase accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs, including:
• H.R. 677, which makes the annual cost-of-living adjustment for veterans automatic;
• H.R. 2360, which protects the integrity of the GI Bill by ensuring that schools meet state-specific criteria for accreditation and certification;
• H.R. 2915, which builds on the suicide prevention law enacted in 2015 and ensures that the VA is focused on suicide prevention programs that are most effective for women;
• H.R. 3016, which extends the length of time for which newborn babies are eligible for VA care and gives spouses of fallen service members more time and flexibility to use GI Bill benefits;
• H.R. 3106, which increases oversight of the VA’s construction process; and
• H.R. 3234, which requires the VA to address problems at underperforming facilities and deploy specialists to fix them.
It is critically important that we take care of those who have sacrificed so much in service to our country, and this week Congress has continued its efforts to meet our responsibility to America’s veterans. However, we cannot transform the VA alone. It is the president’s responsibility to ensure changes are made within the agency and employees are held accountable for their actions. America’s veterans deserve a meaningful, decisive plan to right the many wrongs that have been committed.
North Korea Sanctions
This week Congress overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation to strengthen U.S. sanctions against North Korea. H.R. 757, the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act of 2016, targets North Korea’s access to the currency and goods that help keep its totalitarian regime in power. It authorizes sanctions on foreign financial institutions and governments that assist North Korea in evading the restrictions imposed upon it by U.N. Security Council rules. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature.
Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act
Federal agencies frequently place burdensome regulations on the American public, and the FDA’s nearly 400 page menu labeling rule, which would establish one-size-fits-all nutritional disclosure requirements, is no exception. Estimates state that this regulation could cost American businesses $1 billion to comply and 500,000 hours of paperwork. On Friday the House passed H.R. 2017, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, which provides flexibility in how food establishments like restaurants, convenience markets and grocery stores provide nutritional information.
Carolinians in the Capitol
This week I met with a variety of organizations from North Carolina, including the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Davidson County Community College, the North Carolina Rural Water Association and Special Olympics North Carolina.
Next week the House will hold a district work week. I look forward to traveling around North Carolina’s 5th District and hearing from you.
Sincerely,
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