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December 5, 2014 The Conaway Chronicle: Reining in Government Overreach, Constituent Outreach in Brady and Dublin, Welcoming Home Luke Wade __________________________________________ |
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Thank you for reading The Conaway Chronicle, a review of my activities in Congress and the 11th District. Reining in Government Overreach: I am working with my colleagues to include provisions in spending bills to rein in overreach by the Obama Administration. One of my top priorities is stopping efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency to claim jurisdiction over ponds, streams and even irrigation ditches that are under local and state jurisdiction. Passage of 2015 Defense Budget Bill: This week the House passed the Fiscal Year 2015 Defense Authorization Bill, which includes several important provisions that I worked on.One provision would require the Department of Defense to award Purple Hearts to soldiers killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shootings. I offered this amendment on behalf of Congressman John Carter (R-TX31) and Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX25), who are not on the House Armed Services Committee. As we know too well, the battlefield in the War on Terror is not limited to foreign lands. Men and women who defend America against terrorism on American soil, should be eligible to receive the Purple Heart and other medals that recognize their heroism and sacrifice. It also includes a two provisions I authored that would prohibit large-scale purchases of biofuels unless they are cost competitive with traditional fuels, and require the department to submit a case analysis to Congress before constructing a biofuel refinery. These provisions are necessary at a time when our military is already facing enormous budget constraints. It is not the job of the Department of Defense to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to develop the biofuel industry when these monies could go toward service member training and readiness. While I am happy this bill passed the House, the Senate now needs to pass it and the President needs to sign it. Furthermore, we need the President’s leadership in rolling back the across the board cuts that are damaging our military and threatening our national security. Meeting With National Cotton Council Chairman Wally Darneille: On Dec. 2nd, I met with Wally Darneille, Chairman of the National Cotton Council. We talked about the challenges and opportunities for our cotton farmers. As incoming Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, I will work hard on behalf of our cotton farmers. We cannot afford to have good men and women leave farming. The strength and values of rural America are intrinsically connected to the work that our farmers and ranchers do. It is imperative that those rural values are passed down to future generations of Americans.
Lieutenant Commander Michael Brewer: For the past year Lieutenant Commander Michael Brewer has been working for the residents of the 11th District. Lieutenant Commander Brewer has done an excellent job and I am sorry to see him leave. The military fellows I bring in every year are a key part of the staff and it is a pleasure to get to know them and their families. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.
Constituent Outreach in Brady: Eleventh District regional director Nancy Watson held a constituent outreach session in Brady this week. These constituent outreach sessions are a great opportunity to get help with federal issues such as Medicare or VA benefits. I always post upcoming constituent outreach sessions on my Facebook page. If you are unable to attend one of these sessions, you can always call the regional director who works in your area. All of the regional directors and the areas they cover can be found on my website.
Students in Colorado City Meet American Hero Shilo Harris: Students in Colorado City met an American hero: Shilo Harris. He is a veteran who was wounded in Iraq and is a Texas-native. According to a story in the San Angelo Standard-Times, Shilo told the Colorado City students, "(Military service) is the greatest honor there is, because when you sign your name on that line you’re saying I’m willing to die for what I believe in.” I have had the honor of getting to know Shilo. He is my friend and my hero and it is wonderful to see him sharing his story with young men and women. Ronald W. Erdrich took this photograph, which ran in the Standard-Times.
Dublin Welcomes Home Luke Wade: Dublin welcomed home native son Luke Wade ton Dec. 4th. Luke was one of the eight finalists that were selected from 48 contestants to compete for a record contract. Wade's homecoming took place at Wright Historical Park at noon on Thursday. Luke, who as a teenager worked as a soda jerk at Old Docs Soda Shop, arrived at the homecoming event in Dublin Bottling Works' green antique delivery truck. City officials are going to present him with a Key to the City. Like all of you in Dublin, Suzanne and I are very proud of Luke. He is a talented young man, but he also has worked extremely hard.
Christmas at Fort Mason: The Mason County Historical Society will be celebrating Christmas at Fort Mason tomorrow Dec. 6th, from 1:00 PM - 3:00 p.m. This is a great event to bring your kids to. Fort Mason was one a series of forts that was built to protect settlers against attacks from Kiowa, Lipan Apache, and Comanche Indians. The fort, which was active from 1851 to 1869, was Robert E. Lee's last command for the U.S. government before the Civil War.
As always, you can follow me on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Sincerely,  Rep. Mike Conaway, 11th District |
