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July 16, 2008
Lately, the word “speculation” seems to be on the tips of everyone’s tongue. “Speculative” investments in oil futures have been vilified as the culprits in the astronomical price spike of oil. Having an obvious villain is generally more satisfying than having a difficult and complex problem. But as the calls for increased government regulation to rein in the “speculators” mount, I want to take just a minute to reflect on what the free market is and how it operates. Buyers and sellers are always hoping to have an advantage over one another. For every buyer who decides to buy there is always a corresponding seller who decides to sell. Both are acting in their own best interests. In a competitive market, each buyer or seller “speculator,” takes a position on whether the market will go up or down in the future. Without buyers and sellers willing to take a position on where the market is going, the futures market ceases to exist, and with it goes the certainty that is so important to so many American business. The futures market—composed solely by so-called “speculators”—lends stability, liquidity, and predictability to business transactions. These markets determine the prices that will clear markets and ensure the efficient allocation of resources.
If you have an interest in these markets that so many are positioning as the bogeyman behind high energy prices, you can read more on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) website.
July 10, 2008
I’d like to start this blog with a quote by Douglas Adams: “Space is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the drug store, but that’s just peanuts to space.”
This is a funny quote but also very true. It is oftentimes difficult to put in to perspective just how curiously vast the universe is. I guarantee we all have, at some point in our lives, taken a look at the night sky and briefly wondered what exactly is going on up there. While most of us simply put the thought out of our heads and proceed with our day-to-day lives, for a few this curiosity becomes a passion, and in turn, a pursuit.
Among the votes that I cast today was one in favor of H.Res. 1313, introduced by Representative Nick Lampson (D-TX), which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first American woman in space, Dr. Sally K. Ride and honors her contributions to the space program and to science education. Dr. Ride has done more than simply ride a rocket beyond the atmosphere—twice. She is an accomplished physicist who has served on Presidential commissions, written children’s books, and currently serves as a college professor. I have provided a link to her biography here.
Today Republicans were arguing for Democrats to bring energy legislation to the House floor in the proper fashion. We are pushing for energy-independence and pondering what exactly it will take to make our government work in concert once again and bring forth the proper solutions to so many long-standing issues. In the midst of that more very heated debate, I enjoyed taking the moment and voting for Dr. Ride’s Congressional recognition. For me, it was that chance in my day to figuratively look into the sky and not only consider the curious infinity of the universe, but also recognize the accomplishments of an individual American who has achieved her dreams.
July 9, 2008
Today I hosted my second of three informational Water Caucus briefings on Capitol Hill and the turnout was tremendous. It is so inspiring to see members from all across the nation recognizing the importance of this issue and showing interest in the cause. We have made more progress than ever before with getting H.R. 135 passed and I’m optimistic my bill will make it to the House Floor by the end of summer. Feel free to visit my 21st Century Water Security webpage to read more about H.R. 135.
July 8, 2008
Did you know that we live on the most severe weather-prone country on Earth? According to the National Weather Service, the U.S. sees an average of 10,000 thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,000 tornadoes and 2 landfalling deadly hurricanes every year. While we cannot do much about what nature brings us, we can take the proper measures to be prepared. Now that we are on the other side of the 4th of July holiday and the first hurricane of the season has been officially named--sure signs that we are well into the summer--I urge you to take a moment to think about what preventative measures you can take to make sure your household is safe in the event of severe weather.
It may not seem like we are seeing much of it yet in Georgia, but even without the rain, electrical storms gather and disperse with surprising swiftness. I have included two general interest links on storm preparedness including one from the National Weather Service and one from Weather.com as well as a continually updating hurricane tracker from the National Hurricane Center .
July 2, 2008
There is good news coming from the education front. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced today the launch of a ”Differentiated Accountability” pilot program allowing schools in six states--including Georgia--to use their own methods for meeting the standards set by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation. This program will essentially give these states more options in assessing their schools’ performance standards as well as decide their methods for implementing NCLB.
I supported NCLB with the anticipation that steps would eventually be taken toward giving individual state and local governments the ability to tailor the parameters of this legislation to meet their schools’ needs. This pilot program is exciting news and is a big step in the direction of state and local control. Through this program, Georgia will be able to decide for itself how to target its energies toward improving education. I am excited to see the long-term effects of the Differentiated Accountability program in Georgia and look forward to positive results.
I encourage you to visit the U.S. Department of Education and Georgia Department of Education websites if you are interested in learning more about the Differentiated Accountability program on a national level, as well as Georgia’s specific plans for implementing it.
June 27, 2008
The Supreme Court passed down a ruling this week overturning a 30-year Washington, DC, ban on guns in the home for personal protection. This is a critical decision reaffirming our Constitution guarantees. I have provided a few articles and links on the ruling should you wish to read more:
Absentee Voting for America's Servicemen and Women
In the midst of fighting to establish democracy and freedom overseas, our servicemen and women are often forced to put everyday duties and tasks on the back burner. Each year, thousands of our country’s military personnel do not participate in our own democratic elections because they are uncertain about the procedures and deadlines for absentee voting. I encourage all of our servicemen and women to visit the following link for information that will be helpful to them as they prepare to cast their votes in this year’s general election.
June 24, 2008
Did you know that the U.S. Department of Defense currently has the authority to terminate the retirement pay of a retired service member who has been kidnapped in Iraq or Afghanistan within 30 days of such an event?
Since the beginnings of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, retired service members have traveled to the Middle East as contactors of private firms to perform reconstruction projects, security, and other vital work in support of our missions there. In the unfortunate event of a kidnapping, the military retirement pay of the former service member can be discontinued. It is important to understand that military retirement pay is not a minor benefit provided to our veterans, but rather it is a pension that is owed to each and every retired armed service member. For most retiree families, it is an essential part of their monthly income.
In one recent case, despite having a letter from the U.S. Department of State verifying that her husband was alive but had been kidnapped, a retired military service member’s wife and two young children lost all military pay benefits. After months of fighting, this retired service member’s wife was finally granted a survivor’s benefit (the benefit that would be paid to the spouse of a deceased service member), but it totaled only 55% of the pension that her husband had earned through his service and that she need to continue to provide for her children.
In response to this incident, Representative Paul Broun (R-GA) introduced H.R. 6140, the “Protect Act,” which eliminates the DoD payment problem and provides for the families of retired military personnel, serving as contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, who have been kidnapped in the region. The bill ensures that these service member families continue to receive the full military retirement pay that they earned through their service to this nation. It guarantees that this pay continues until either a death certificate has been issued to the next of kin or a period of seven years has passed.
The “Protect Act” would make sure that our nation does not abandon veterans’ families facing such a tragic event, and I am a proud co-sponsor of this legislation.
You can read more about this important bill here.
June 18, 2008
As a follow up to my remarks on the cost of oil that I made yesterday in the Gwinnett Daily Post, I would like to make sure that you saw President Bush’s comments urging Congress to take action on the rising price of oil. You can read his remarks here. He proposed lifting the ban on offshore drilling, which would increase access to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Keep in mind, as you ponder the President’s remarks and the lack of action on the part of those currently in control of Congress, that the OCS alone contains 86 billion barrels of oil—which is enough to replace imports from OPEC for more than 40 years.
June 12, 2008
Even when I am in DC during the week as I am today, I want you to know that my help is always available to you. When you are struggling through federal agency red-tape or looking for an answer to a question about a federal agency or program, many of you call my office directly, and I am very glad that you do. I have a small team of federal agency specialists in Georgia who are working with me on these issues full-time so that even when I am in Washington you will have access to local answers.
Sometimes, however, you may want more than a phone call. Sometimes you might want to talk to someone face-to-face. While you are always welcome to visit my office in Lawrenceville, I try to make these visits even easier for you by bringing them to your community. This morning, for example, while I was voting here in Washington, a member of my casework staff was in Winder at the Piedmont Library taking questions from constituents and providing as much help and as many answers as possible. If you didn’t know or have forgotten about these in-person Outreach opportunities, I would like to take today to remind you of them.
Outreach occurs each week in a different county in the Seventh District. It is held at a variety of locations in hopes of finding a convenient opportunity for you to interact with my staff on any issues you may have with Federal agencies and departments. You may view the complete list of this quarter’s Outreach events here.
If in-person meetings are not for you, however, you may always call my local district office at 770-232-3005. The reason I came to Congress is to serve the constituents in Seventh District in the best way possible. My passion goes beyond debating and voting on legislation and extends to more individualized issues that impact your day-to-day life such as Social Security, veterans’ benefits, and obtaining passports. My goal is to be helpful to you in any way I can, and I hope that you will take the opportunity to call on me when you are in need.
To browse an archive of previous blogs, click here.