Thank
you for reading The Conaway Chronicle, a review of my activities
in Congress. This newsletter is to let you know what’s going on in
Washington and what important issues are being debated in Congress.
Conaway legislation to protect troops signed by the President
Today,
President Obama signed into law the Homeland Security Appropriations
Bill, which included language that I introduced with Congressman Health
Shuler (D-NC), along with Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Lindsey
Graham (R-SC), that provides the Secretary of Defense the ability to
protect American troops and civilians by preventing the release of
photos of past abuse of detainees in U.S. custody.
I
am pleased that Congress and the President have taken steps to prevent
the detainee photos from being released to protect our troops and
increase the safety of American citizens. The very fact that we could
put Americans all over the world, especially our men and women serving
in Iraq and Afghanistan, in dangerous scenarios is reason enough pass
this legislation.
The
consequences of refusing to enact this legislation were simple and
grave: if these photos had been released, they would be used by our
enemy to provoke violence against Americans and to further recruit
insurgents on behalf of a violent anti-American cause. Protecting our
troops is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue, and I am pleased
that my colleagues in the House and Senate, as well as our President,
recognize the importance of including this legislation in the Homeland
Security Appropriations Bill.
While
I am pleased that the detainee photo legislation was included in the
final Homeland Security Appropriations Bill that was signed by the
President, I could not in good faith vote for final passage of the
bill, as it would compromise the safety of Americans by allowing
prisoners at Guantanamo Bay entrance into the United States.
Health Care Update
After
weeks of crafting a health care bill behind closed doors, it seems that
Speaker Pelosi plans to unveil the health care bill in the House
tomorrow. However, she announced last week that she does not have the
number of votes needed to pass her robust public option, which is code
for a single-payer government run program. Instead, the Health and
Human Services secretary would negotiate rates with providers, which is
included in the Senate's version.
We
believe the latest plan leads to a complete government takeover of
health care that will raise costs, add even more to our national debt,
and will hurt seniors and small businesses. This massive bill would
cost $1 trillion over the course of 10 years, and would be paid for by
raising taxes on upper class individuals and cutting $500 billion in
payments to Medicare providers. It would also include new requirements
for employers to offer insurance to employees or else face penalties
and implements fines on those who do not purchase coverage.
At the end of the day, this bill will cost much more than we can
afford. It is my hope that the fiscally conservative Democrats in
Congress will hold the line on this spending spree. If the dishwasher
breaks, you don’t tear down the entire house to fix it. While parts of
our health care system are in need of reform, a massive government
takeover by our federal government is not the answer.
This issue will continue to be front and center here in Washington for
the next few months, and it is still anyone’s guess at this stage as to
what will actually pass. I again want to again thank everyone who has
contacted me with their comments and thoughts on this issue. Stay tuned
to this ongoing saga…
Click here to watch me speak to my Democrat colleagues on the House Floor on this issue.
New Face in the Brownwood Office
Last
week, I welcomed Hilary Stegemoller to head his Brownwood district
office. Hilary comes to our team from the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce
where she was the assistant to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and
Membership Director.
I
am thrilled that Hilary will be joining us to serve the Brownwood area.
Her experience from working with people at the Chamber of Commerce to
tutoring children in the Brownwood Independent School District gives
Hilary a unique compassion to help constituents with the many issues
that my office can assist with. I am confident that Hilary will be an
excellent addition to our team, and I encourage anyone in the Brownwood
area that is having issues with the federal government, VA, or any
other federal issue, to contact her with their concerns and questions.
The Brownwood hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, 8:00-5:00 p.m. Hilary can be reached at 325-646-1950.
Tele-Town Hall next week
I
want to thank everyone who participated in last week’s tele-town hall
meeting, and apologize to those who were unable to be connected to the
call due to technical difficulties. We have resolved the issue and will
be holding another tele-town hall meeting to discuss the ongoing health
care debate, as well as the many other issues that concern you, next
Tuesday, November 3rd at 5:30 p.m. Central. I use this
service as an outreach tool while I am in Washington and am unable to
hold face-to-face town hall meetings, where participants are able to
join in an open discussion forum without leaving their homes. If you
live in District 11 and would like to participate, dial 877-229-8493 and use the passcode 13347 at 5:30 p.m. Central next Tuesday, November 3rd. I look forward to talking with you about the important issues currently facing our great country.
