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Foxx Report
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This week the House passed legislation that would fund a number of important resources for America’s military personnel and their families. H.R. 2685, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016, would provide $578.6 billion in discretionary funding for the nation’s military and defense initiatives, including $88.4 billion for overseas contingency operations. It provides a 2.3 percent pay raise for service members, which is above President Obama’s request of 1.3 percent.
Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have threatened to block consideration of any appropriations bill until Republicans meet their demands for increased government spending.
Providing for the common defense of the United States of America is the federal government’s primary duty, and we must be vigilant, determined and united in full support of our military personnel. Holding hostage funding for our troops, their families and the nation’s veterans in order to extract more taxpayer dollars for Washington bureaucracies is the worst kind of political gamesmanship and completely unacceptable.
Transportation and Housing Funding
The House also approved the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016. Maintaining these transportation and infrastructure programs will help ensure that North Carolina is able to continue to attract industry, create jobs and remain one of the nation’s best places to do business.
Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act
On Tuesday the House passed legislation that I co-sponsored to ban permanently local and state taxation of internet access and prohibit multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce.
This legislation will ensure that Americans continue to have access to the Internet, which is a vital gateway to education and economic opportunities, without additional government interference.
Trade Promotion Authority
Today the House approved part of a legislative package on trade promotion authority, or TPA, which would provide accountability to the president’s trade negotiation efforts through enhanced congressional oversight and additional transparency. Before it expired in 2007, TPA had applied to every president since 1974.
There have been many mischaracterizations of what TPA is. The allegation that TPA is something for President Obama is false. Every day I hear from constituents who want me to hold the president accountable. TPA does just that by holding President Obama accountable on trade and is consistent with my ongoing efforts to limit the damage he has done to this nation. TPA requires the president to follow congressional negotiating directives and provides transparency for any negotiating texts and, of course, final agreements that Congress considers.
It is also important to recognize that more than 95 percent of the world’s customers live beyond U.S. borders, and 1.2 million jobs in North Carolina rely on trade. In North Carolina, trade-related employment grew 3.8 times faster than total state employment from 2004 to 2013. The United States currently enjoys a nearly $55 billion manufacturing trade surplus with its 20 existing free trade agreement partners.
While I heard many different perspectives on TPA from my constituents, the argument from North Carolina families, farmers and employers that negotiating these trade agreements is in the economic best interest of our state was the deciding factor for my vote in favor of TPA earlier today.
While the bipartisan vote on TPA passed 219-211, an earlier vote on a separate section of the bill regarding Trade Adjustment Assistance that I opposed did not pass. There has been no announcement on the process moving forward, but as always, I will continue to keep North Carolina’s conservative principles and economic best interest in mind.
What’s Coming Up
Next week the House will consider legislation repealing portions of Obamacare, the Independent Payment Advisory Board and the Medical Device Tax. We will also consider reauthorization of our nation’s foreign intelligence agencies.
Sincerely,
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