As we approach the final days of 2011, I wanted to provide you with a recap of this year in Congress and some of my work to advance our common goals of creating jobs in the 5th District and removing the government as a barrier to job creation. Below, please find information on my continuing priorities and the work I have done to represent you in Congress:
A top priority of mine is meeting with and hearing from as many 5th District Virginians as possible. Hearing from you allows me to better serve as your voice in Congress. From each meeting with constituents this year, I took away valuable information as we continue working to put our nation back on a path to fiscal sustainability. Throughout this past year, I toured up and down and across every major highway in the district, making frequent stops and visiting thousands of fellow citizens at their places of work and at local establishments. Additionally, I hosted jobs roundtables both in Southside and in Charlottesville to hear directly from you the ways in which Congress could help spur job creation in the 5th District. You may go to hurt.house.gov to view an interactive map of the hundreds of public constituent meetings held in 2011.
As I met this past year with constituents during highway tours, roundtables or in my office, I constantly heard concerns brought to me about the lack of job creation caused by onerous government regulations and the federal government's reckless spending problem. In response to these concerns, I authored and supported several pieces of legislation that would help move us toward fiscal stability and remove the government as a barrier to job creation:
1. House Resolution 1633 - The Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act: This legislation was introduced after a small business owner in Brunswick County brought to my attention the excessive amount of government regulations negatively affecting his productivity. H.R. 1633 reduces unnecessary regulations on naturally occurring dust for farmers and small businesses in rural areas in order to create a better environment for job creation and economic growth in the 5th District. This legislation has passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support and now awaits action in the Senate.
2. House Resolution 3663 - The SHORE Act: I introduced this legislation in response to citizens at Smith Mountain Lake, and in Bedford, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties, who are concerned with how the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is implementing policies that have diminished their property values and prevented them from enjoying the use of their private land. H.R. 3663 protects 5th District private property rights by requiring that FERC take into consideration the use and enjoyment of private land when exercising its authority to issue and enforce hydropower project licenses at Smith Mountain Lake and across the 5th District and the country.
3. House Resolution 1082 - The Small Business Capital Access and Job Preservation Act: One of the top reasons small businesses cannot create jobs is because onerous government regulations hinder their ability to gain access to resources necessary to hire and expand. H.R. 1082 reduces government mandates and unnecessary regulations on private equity firms implemented by the new Dodd-Frank law, and promotes increased access to capital for small businesses in the 5th District and across the country so they may have access to the resources needed to expand and create jobs.
4. House Resolution 2440 - The Market Transparency and Taxpayer Protection Act: Government transparency is critically important to our democracy, and in these tough economic times, the government must be held accountable for how it spends taxpayer dollars. H.R. 2440 helps protect taxpayer dollars by reforming the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and enhancing transparency to help increase private capital investment in our secondary mortgage market.
Since January 2011, the House has worked to find common ground to pass legislation in the best interest of the 5th District. In the past year, we have passed nearly 30 bipartisan bills that would help rein in reckless spending and remove the federal government as a barrier to job creation by easing regulatory burdens on small business owners, creating an environment for innovation and expansion, paving the way to maximize energy production here at home and tackling our over $15 trillion debt, while keeping taxes low.
We in the House have led the way in changing the focus of Congress to saving taxpayer dollars, rather than spending taxpayer dollars. The uncertainty caused by Washington's reckless spending is hindering job creation and negatively affecting individuals and small businesses. The House's proposed budget will address this uncertainty by helping to pay down our debt and put us on a course toward economic certainty. And though that - or any - budget has yet to be considered by the Senate, we have been successful implementing reforms this year that will save American taxpayers trillions of dollars at a time when our national debt threatens the very future of our nation.
With one year remaining in the 112th Congress, it is my hope that the Senate will work with us in the House and take up these pro-growth bills that have passed the House with bipartisan support so we can advance policies that will get 5th District Virginians back to work and help put America on a path to fiscal sustainability.
Should you need additional information or assistance, feel free to visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office at 202-225-4711, Charlottesville office at 434-973-9631, Danville office at 434-791-2596 or Farmville office at 434-395-0120.