There
are just six weeks of session scheduled for the House before the lame
duck session begins. And while the House has passed a number of jobs
bills (which you can follow online at http://majorityleader.gov/JobsTracker/),
a responsible budget, and reauthorizations otherwise scheduled to
expire, a lot of work remains to be done. First among them will be
tackling what has been dubbed the “fiscal cliff” of January 1, 2013.
Unless Congress acts, not only will the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire in January, but the blind sequestration of $1 trillion in cuts to the military will go into effect in January. And unless Congress acts, not only will the sequestration – which Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said would be “devastating” and “seriously damage readiness” – go into effect, but so will another wave of taxes from the President’s health care law, such as the medical device tax and home sale tax which both begin in 2013.
The House passed legislation to replace the blind across-the-board cuts required by the sequestration with sensible reductions that target indefensible government spending. According to the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO), these targeted reductions will reduce the deficit by $242.8 billion, which is more than 400 percent of the arbitrary and blind cuts forced by the sequestration. But the Senate and White House have not acted.
If the Senate and White House intend to drive the nation over the fiscal cliff, the American people at least deserve to know how exactly they plan to realize the cuts required by the sequestration. Therefore, this week the House voted on the Sequestration Transparency Act, which would require the President to submit to Congress his plan for implementing the sequestration. This legislation passed the House 414-2 and would bring an added level of transparency and accountability to difficult deficit discussions.
Job creation and reversing the deficit drag on our economy are important priorities for our nation, which I have been focused on since day one. I also remain committed to one of the most basic responsibilities of our government which lays a foundation for all of our rights and freedoms: providing for the common defense. The changing nature of our enemies’ tactics means that we could face airliners demolishing our skyscrapers in New York City or we could face improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonating in a city center before an election, as Mexico saw before its recent presidential election. This week and last, I participated in and chaired hearings on how to respond to and prevent terrorists from using our flight schools for training and the IED threat to the homeland.
The success of any similar attacks would only add a deeper and more catastrophic element to the cliff that lies ahead for us. On all fronts, I remain committed to securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our children and grandchildren.
Sincerely,
Daniel E. Lungren
Member of Congress
Unless Congress acts, not only will the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire in January, but the blind sequestration of $1 trillion in cuts to the military will go into effect in January. And unless Congress acts, not only will the sequestration – which Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said would be “devastating” and “seriously damage readiness” – go into effect, but so will another wave of taxes from the President’s health care law, such as the medical device tax and home sale tax which both begin in 2013.
The House passed legislation to replace the blind across-the-board cuts required by the sequestration with sensible reductions that target indefensible government spending. According to the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO), these targeted reductions will reduce the deficit by $242.8 billion, which is more than 400 percent of the arbitrary and blind cuts forced by the sequestration. But the Senate and White House have not acted.
If the Senate and White House intend to drive the nation over the fiscal cliff, the American people at least deserve to know how exactly they plan to realize the cuts required by the sequestration. Therefore, this week the House voted on the Sequestration Transparency Act, which would require the President to submit to Congress his plan for implementing the sequestration. This legislation passed the House 414-2 and would bring an added level of transparency and accountability to difficult deficit discussions.
Job creation and reversing the deficit drag on our economy are important priorities for our nation, which I have been focused on since day one. I also remain committed to one of the most basic responsibilities of our government which lays a foundation for all of our rights and freedoms: providing for the common defense. The changing nature of our enemies’ tactics means that we could face airliners demolishing our skyscrapers in New York City or we could face improvised explosive devices (IEDs) detonating in a city center before an election, as Mexico saw before its recent presidential election. This week and last, I participated in and chaired hearings on how to respond to and prevent terrorists from using our flight schools for training and the IED threat to the homeland.
The success of any similar attacks would only add a deeper and more catastrophic element to the cliff that lies ahead for us. On all fronts, I remain committed to securing the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our children and grandchildren.
Sincerely,
Daniel E. Lungren
Member of Congress