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From the Front...

Washington, June 19, 2011

A Weekly Newsletter From Congressman Steve Womack

District Update | June 19, 2011

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From The Front...

A Weekly Newsletter From Congressman Steve Womack

Happy Father's Day...

First of all, I just want to wish all of the fathers out there a very happy Father's Day. You are so important to your children's lives, and though sometimes it's a tough gig, it's one of the most important and rewarding jobs in the world. So thank you and enjoy YOUR day, you deserve it!

One Year Later…

Friday marked the one year anniversary of President Obama’s "Summer of Recovery" plan. As we take a look back, recovery is far from the reality of our situation. Since the president’s stimulus, the country has lost more than 1.9 million jobs. We’ve seen unemployment at or above 8% for 28 straight months and 6.2 million of those unemployed Americans have been out of work for 6 months or longer.

Our country can no longer sit around and wait to be rescued by a seriously flawed strategy. It’s time to get Americans back to work with a real plan. We can start by reforming the nation’s tax code by creating a welcomed environment for business. We can’t tax a company through the roof and then be surprised when they leave and take their jobs with them. That makes no sense.

Furthermore, small businesses have always been considered the backbone of the economy, but if we really believe that, we should be rewarding small businesses—instead, we punish them with burdensome regulations. We are a nation of entrepreneurs and in my opinion, that’s something to embrace—not push away.

The president promised his economic recovery plan would work. It hasn’t. America needs a different approach and we can do it together.

Ag Bill Passes House…

I know Chairman Kingston and his staff worked hard to craft a balanced bill. From the beginning, we have said that everyone will have some skin in the game. The fiscal situation of our country is dire and requires tough decisions. This bill represented those tough decisions. It reduced discretionary spending by 13.4 percent from FY 2011, and it did this—I think—in a balanced way.

These cuts are difficult but necessary. I know we cannot balance the budget on the backs of farmers, just as we cannot balance the budget on the backs of seniors or women or children. But I believe there are some legitimate arguments and real opportunities to create some efficiencies within some of these programs. That said, I believe these conversations need to happen in the context of crafting the Farm Bill. The House Committee on Agriculture knows which programs are effective and which programs can be better, and Chairman Lucas made a commitment to evaluate all farm programs during these discussions.

My colleagues and I look forward to having these conversations in the appropriate setting.

Special Guest…

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I was honored to have the Secretary of Energy, Dr. Steven Chu and members of his staff in my office Friday afternoon for about an hour. We talked about a number of energy related issues affecting our country—specifically the value that the Advanced Research Projects Agency on Energy (ARPA-e) has in transformational research that could be very useful in helping deliver our country from our current energy crisis.

We also talked about the need to maintain our competitive edge in research and development related to all areas, but especially the areas that appear to have a logical impact on our future economy like issues of sustainability, alternative sources of energy, reducing our needs and our dependence on fossil fuels, and so on and so forth.

I thought it was a very healthy discussion, and because I vice chair the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Energy and Water, it is my duty to learn as much as I can and have an appreciation for what the Department of Energy (DOE) does as far as energy matters in our nation.

During our visit, I also got the opportunity to invite the secretary to Northwest Arkansas to duplicate the visit we had recently with Dr. Arun Majumdar from ARPA-e and show off some of what’s happening—specifically with Wal-Mart—in areas where we are addressing some of the energy challenges facing our country.

Dr. Chu has indicated a willingness to come down at our invitation, and I look forward to having him in Arkansas’s Third District very soon.

Visitors…

Every week I enjoy getting the chance to meet with people from back home. Whether it be school groups, old friends or families enjoying their summer vacation, it’s always a highlight of my week. Here are a few of those pictures, and remember, if you’re ever in Washington please stop by and say hello. It’s the best part of my day.