Sam Graves-This Week in Washington April 30th

Below is the most recent version of Sam Graves' Legislative Newsletter. Sam is a great Congressman and we should be proud of his leadership here in Clay County!

This Week in Washington- April 30th, 2009 It was another very busy week in Washington. The H1N1 flu is still spreading, but hopefully the number of cases will begin to level off soon. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius was confirmed by the Senate as the new Health and Human Services Secretary and has begun coordinating the federal response. It is a serious situation, but there is no need for panic. We should and will do whatever is necessary to make sure Americans are safe.

Legislation
The House passed and I supported H.R. 627- the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights. It would curb arbitrary interest rate increases and ensure that cardholders who pay their bills on time do not face unfair penalties and fees. It passed with bi-partisan support on a 357-70 roll call vote.

The House also passed a final budget compromise between the House and Senate. Unfortunately, the $3.5 Trillion-dollar budget does not compromise at all. It makes no tough decisions, instead putting massive debt on our children and setting up tax increases for us all. It will double the national debt in 5 years and triple it in 10 years. It is an irresponsible budget and I voted against it.

The final piece of legislation that was considered this week was H.R. 1913, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This bill would expand the definitions of hate crimes. I believe that all crimes should be punished- including crimes committed because of the victim’s race, color, religion or national origin. This bill would treat “hate crimes” differently than any other type of crime. Crime is crime and it should be punished.

There is also some concern that this bill means that law enforcement will be trying to discern what an assailant was thinking. I don’t think we should punish thoughts, I think we should punish deeds. It is an unprecedented expansion of federal authority and I voted no.

The Small Business Committee this week held a hearing on the effect of climate change legislation on small businesses. Cap and trade comes at a time when most small businesses are already struggling to make ends meet. Testimony from witnesses indicated that this legislation would have a decimating effect on manufacturers who are already facing stiff competition from overseas firms. It would increase costs on fuel and fertilizer for farmers and ranchers. We should be working on legislation that will help create jobs, not legislation that will harm small businesses and consumers.

I was tapped on Thursday to help lead a panel that will look specifically for solutions to the challenges of rural America. Along with Frank Lucas of Oklahoma and Doc Hastings of Washington we will work to find new ways to create jobs and other opportunities for rural America. If you have any ideas for solutions, please let me know.