Message from NC Senator Richard Burr

FYI!

February 3, 2012

Votes this Week: STOCK Act


Our country is facing a grave economic crisis, unemployment is rampant and continues to rise, and our country is further in debt than ever before. Unfortunately, Congress seems unwilling to tackle these pressing, vital issues. The American people are counting on the federal government to pass legislation that will improve our economy and create jobs, and Washington should be voting on policies that will attract capital and get investors off the sidelines so they can create jobs and spur growth.

Much to my dismay, however, the Senate has spent the greater part of this week debating the STOCK Act, a law that would codify what existing law already says. I voted against this bill because it goes without saying that laws regarding insider trading that apply to the American people also apply to members of Congress and their staff. Members of Congress are elected to serve the people, not make money for themselves, and any Member or staff member who breaks the already existing insider trading laws should be held responsible. Rather than wasting time codifying laws that already exist, Washington should take up real legislation focused on what’s most important to American citizens – jobs and the economy. (Mmmmm..not sure I buy that Senator, were they not 'exempt'?)

On Thursday, I spoke with Jerri Jameson on WWNC about my opposition to the STOCK Act, the economy and other news of the day. In case you missed it, you can listen to the interview here or read the full transcript.


Honest Budget Act: Restoring Accountability in Spending

Instead of tackling our economic crisis head on and instituting job-creating policies that restore certainty and predictability, Washington continues to throw money at the problem. Continued levels of high unemployment have shown that this pattern of egregious spending and expanded government have failed and are worsening our current crisis. Our economy is suffering, and now we have record-level debt on top of it.

Washington must learn to live within its means, and this starts with passing an annual budget to fund the federal government. It has been over 1,000 days since Senate Democrats passed a budget, and without one we have no blueprint for our nation’s spending priorities. (1010 to be exact!)

Last fall, I cosponsored the Honest Budget Act which would help restore honesty and accountability in government spending by putting an end to budget gimmicks that make it easier for Washington to spend money it does not have. On Wednesday, my colleagues in the House of Representatives introduced their version of this bill. We owe it to our nation’s taxpayers to govern responsibly and be transparent about how their hard earned dollars are being spent, and this legislation to eliminate dishonesty in the budget process is a step in the right direction.


Keystone XL Pipeline: Energy Security & Job Creation

In another effort to turn our economy around, on Monday I joined 43 other Senators in introducing a bill to continue construction on the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that would take great steps towards improving our energy security as well as create jobs for thousands of American workers. Despite claims that promoting energy security and creating jobs are top priorities, President Obama rejected the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline earlier this month.

Rather than support a project with the potential to create thousands of jobs for American citizens, while also increasing energy supplies from friendly neighbors, the President continues to place politics over policy. Since the President has failed to lead on the issue, our bill would authorize construction on this project under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. You can read more about the bill on my website.

Caring for the Victims of Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune

Those of you who are regular readers of this newsletter are well aware of the decades of water contamination at Camp Lejeune that caused many of the Marines, sailors, and their family members who lived or worked on base to become sick, and in some cases die, with various forms of cancer as a result of their exposure to this toxic water. Recently, the U.S. Marine Corps asked the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to remove parts of its recent study on this issue citing national security concerns. The information they wanted removed has been publicly available for several years, and it is unclear why it suddenly became a security threat and had to be removed from the report.

I fear that removing this information may jeopardize ongoing and future studies of the water contamination at Camp Lejeune, and also worry that this sets a dangerous precedent of withholding information from scientific studies for reasons of national security without adequate legal justification. Last week, I sent a letter to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with Senators Hagan (D-NC), Rubio (R-FL), and Nelson (D-FL) and Congressmen Miller (D-NC) and Dingell (D-MI), asking him to look into the legal soundness of the USMC’s request to redact this previously public information. The men and women of the Camp Lejeune community were sacrificing for our country when they were exposed to harmful chemicals without their knowledge, and we owe it to them to continue investigating how they were affected, spur greater health awareness, and provide them the compensation and care they deserve. To learn more about a bill I introduced to provide care for these men and women, you can read about the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act on my website.

Making Veterans’ Court of Appeals More Efficient for Veterans

Also this week, I introduced a bill that would require all judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to reside within 50 miles of Washington, D.C., in order to increase the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the Court. It is no secret that things tend to run more smoothly when those people integral to the day-to-day operations of the Court are present, and if Veterans Court judges have to travel across the country to get to their offices, it could make it extremely difficult for them to fully engage in their case work, manage their staff, and carry out their judicial functions. Our nation’s veterans could suffer from these inefficiencies. By requiring judges to live near the court’s office, we can help ensure that veterans receive the timely decisions from the Court that they deserve and we can keep down costs that result from judges working remotely and regularly traveling to and from Washington.

March for Life

Finally, last week I had the pleasure of meeting with hundreds of North Carolinians who traveled to Washington to take part in the March for Life. It was truly inspiring to see so many individuals and families stand together and rally in support of the sanctity of human life. To view pictures from this year’s March for Life event, click here.