Weekly Roundup
From the Office of Congressman Gary G. Miller

September 23, 2011

This Week in Congress:

Continuing Resolution– This week, the House approved H.R. 2608, a continuing resolution (CR) to provide short-term appropriated funding for discretionary government operations through November 18, 2011, by a vote of 219-203. Under the current CR (H.R. 1473), appropriations are set to expire after September 30, 2011, the end of the fiscal year. H.R. 2608 continues government operations and services and allows time for Congress to complete the FY 2012 Appropriations bills that provide annual funding for the federal government. H.R. 2608 would provide $1.043 trillion in appropriated funding for government operations. This is the same funding level required under budget caps contained in the Budget Control Act and represents a 1.5 percent cut from FY 2011. Compared to FY 2010 spending levels ($1.089 trillion), this CR represents a cut of $46 billion. The bill also includes a total of $3.65 billion in disaster relief funding, offset by reductions to the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. The bill also rescinds $100 million from the troubled Department of Energy Loan Guarantee program that provided $535 million in loan guarantees to the now-bankrupt solar energy company, Solyndra.

TRAIN Act– On Friday, the House approved H.R. 2401, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts to the Nation (TRAIN) Act by a vote of 249-169. The bill would establish an interagency committee – including representatives from the Treasury and Commerce Departments, as well as the U.S. Commission on Trade – to evaluate the economic impacts of EPA regulations. H.R. 2401 also delays the implementation of two controversial EPA regulations that stand to cost our economy billions of dollars each year and millions of jobs. The Utility MACT final rule, which is expected to take effect November 16, 2011, will establish “maximum achievable control technology” standards for emissions of mercury, acid gases and non-mercury metals from power plants. The CSAPR (Cross-State Air Pollution Rule), which was announced in July 2011, will establish statewide caps for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants. If allowed to take effect, these rules for affect electricity prices for nearly all American consumers. National Economic Research Associates estimates that preliminary costs for the two rules to be $17.8 billion annually with 1.4 million jobs lost by 2020.

Next Week:

District Work Period: As of this writing, the House of Representatives has adjourned for a scheduled one-week district work period. The House is scheduled to be back in session and voting on Monday, October 3.

Congressman Miller to Host Service Academy Night: On Tuesday, September 27, Congressman Miller will host a Service Academy night at 7:00 p.m. in the East Room at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. Representatives from the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and U.S. Coast Guard Academy will be present to provide information and answer questions about the application and admissions process. To RSVP or request more information about applying to a U.S. Service Academy, please contact the Congressman’s Brea office at (714) 257-1142.

Also of Note:

Rep. Miller Recognized by CEI for Pro-Worker Record — This week, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) recognized Congressman Miller for having a 100% voting record in support of worker freedom in the 112th Congress. Today, too many Americans are forced to hand over their hard-earned dollars for union dues as a condition of their employment. In addition to limiting worker freedom, Big Labor policies are costing jobs and wasting taxpayer dollars at a time when we can least afford it. Sadly, the Obama Administration and the National Labor Relations Board continue to push this job-killing agenda forward by enacting pro-union rules and regulations that will add economic uncertainty among our nation’s job creators, Congressman Miller will continue to reform our nation’s labor laws to protect the rights and freedoms of workers and enable employers to do what they do best: create jobs.

President’s New “Jobs” Plan and Proposed Tax Increases

• In 2009, the Obama Administration promised their $860 billion “stimulus” plan would revitalize our economy and prevent the unemployment rate from rising above 8 percent.
• Two and a half years later, the unemployment rate continues to hover at or above 9 percent, with 14 million Americans out of work, while millions more remain underemployed or have quit looking for work.
• Despite the failure of the 2009 stimulus, the President is now trying to recycle the same stimulus spending that failed the first time and tax hikes that even Democrats rejected when they had total control of Congress.
• The President is calling for nearly $450 billion to extend unemployment benefits and previously enacted payroll tax reductions, infrastructure spending, and creates a $4,000 tax credit for employers to hire those who have been unemployed for six months or longer.
• To pay for the billions of dollars in new stimulus spending, the President has proposed once again to hike taxes on American businesses and families by $1.5 trillion that will hinder economic expansion and job creation.
• Many employers aren’t encouraged by the President’s so-called “jobs” plan and say it won’t get them to hire workers they didn’t plan to hire already.
• The last thing our economy needs right now are more stimulus boondoggles, job-crushing tax increases, or stifling bureaucratic regulation and red tape.
• Jobs don’t come from the government; they come from entrepreneurs who see opportunities, take risks, and innovate.
• Small business owners don’t need Washington to tell them how to succeed and create jobs. They need Washington to get out of the way and give them the freedom to succeed.
• We must do everything possible to remove obstacles to job creation and investment in the American economy – not make it more difficult.
• Instead of raising taxes to pay for more failed government spending, House Republicans are committed to working to cut spending, simplify the tax code, and cut through the bureaucratic red tape that is costing American jobs.