J. Randy Forbes Blog Entries

A Study in Contrasts

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Consider the following facts:

- In response to the global economic downturn, China has made a focused investment in roads and infrastructure to stimulate their economy, while the United States has relied on short term bailout and stimulus packages that borrow money for corporate bailouts and social programs.

- While China continues to build up and modernize their military force, our Administration is focused on reducing our carrier fleet and has refused to submit a shipbuilding plan as required by law.

- And while our national debt continues to explode, China has strategically bought up more of our national debt than any other country, thus strengthening their bargaining position.

This week, the U.S.-China Commission released their 2009 report on the People’s Republic of China. As founder and chairman of the Congressional China Caucus, I look at these annual reports closely. This year’s report highlights that fact that China remains the most aggressive country conducting espionage against the United States. They lack regard for transparency, product safety, and intellectual property rights, and their currency manipulation has greatly contributed to global trading imbalances.

I’ve long argued that China’s actions warrant concern. I continue to argue so, but I believe equally that the actions of the U.S. warrant great concern. Our national leaders must not wait in developing a cohesive strategy to ensure that China works towards becoming a responsible and cooperative global participant. But they also must not wait to make clear and concerted efforts to address the runaway spending, ballooning debt, and weakened national defense posture that have marked a recent path toward deteriorating economic, fiscal and strategic security on the global stage.

Healthcare – the Commonsense Way

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

It’s not too late to get healthcare reform right, so every American has more choice, better quality, and more access to healthcare. I’ve joined former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and several other members of Congress in signing this letter to President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, outlining eight commonsense principles to find the right solutions in healthcare.

Here’s the letter. Do you support these principles?

November 18, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
United States House of Representatives
The U.S. Capitol, Room H-232
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader
United States Senate
The U.S. Capitol, Room S-221
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Reid:

There is no doubt that improving healthcare for all Americans is one of our country’s top priorities. From the quality of care to how much we pay, from insurance coverage to access, from treatments to technology, healthcare profoundly affects every American, every community, and every business.

We can all agree that we need to work together so that every American has more choices of greater quality at lower cost.

Unfortunately, the last several months have shown yet again that many in Washington are more interested in playing politics than achieving a positive result for the American people. It is not too late. There is still an opportunity to get health reform right. Here are commonsense ways to find the right solutions, the right way.

Slow down. Ramming through a trillion-dollar bill without giving three hundred million Americans the chance to study the legislation raises legitimate questions of why some leaders are trying to avoid a careful review by the American people. In a democracy, a secretive, one-sided process is never the right way to govern.

Open up. A 2,000-page bill written in secret by a handful of politicians and staff is the wrong way. Republicans have offered time and time again to bring constructive ideas to the table, only to be shut out by a cold shoulder and a closed door. We need an honest and open process free of artificial, political deadlines and open to input from everyone. Cooperation, not confrontation, is a better approach.

Don’t break the bank. The director of the Congressional Budget Office said this in July:

“In the legislation that has been reported we do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount. And on the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for healthcare costs.”

Nothing has changed since then to bend the cost curve down. Why should the American people believe that spending another $1 trillion will somehow reduce healthcare costs? Why should the American people believe that a $1 trillion price tag from Washington won’t put our country further into debt? Why should governors and state officials believe that the largest unfunded mandate in American history will not break their banks when they are on the hook to pay for these reforms? With unemployment at 10 percent and with more than $9 trillion in federal debt on the horizon, why commit to spending another trillion dollars before stopping the waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement in current government programs (Medicare and Medicaid) first?

Reform does not mean replace. The vast majority of Americans are satisfied with their current coverage and doctors, a fact that has been borne out in every public opinion study for years. Improvements must certainly be made to make health insurance more portable, more accessible, and more affordable, but our first priority should be to protect and strengthen what the American people already have and support.

The right reforms. Neither party has a monopoly on sound solutions. Good ideas and sound decision-making, regardless of their origin, are desperately needed. For example, the Congressional Budget Office recently concluded that reforming medical liability laws would save the federal government $54 billion. Despite these important savings and overwhelming support from the American people, medical liability reform has never been part of the discussion because of political reasons. Where money can be saved, it must be. This is particularly true today, given the fragile state of the economy and this year’s record budget deficit.

Real competition and real choice. You talk often about the important principles of “competition and choice.” We enthusiastically agree. But instead of creating one huge government-run insurance plan, let’s break down the existing barriers to greater competition. A better approach is a nationwide marketplace where all 1,300 insurance companies are forced to compete, giving Americans real choices. This will bring down costs and improve quality—just as it does wherever competition is allowed to flourish.

Save Medicare from bankruptcy. The non-partisan Medicare Trustees concluded that Medicare will be broke in eight years. Medicare already has an unfunded liability of at least $37 trillion in benefits that have been promised future generations. The emerging legislation does nothing to save Medicare. Rather than cutting Medicare to pay for new federal subsidies or a government-run insurance plan, we should save and strengthen it. The right way would be to root out the fraud, waste, and abuse first that is costing the current program tens of billions every year.

Unleash American innovation. Science, research, and innovation are a vital part of improving healthcare. We should reform the Food and Drug Administration to expedite the movement of drugs, devices, and new technologies to the market. We should invest in new science to cure diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. Inexplicably, the Senate Finance Committee goes in the other direction, raising more than $60 billion in new taxes on medical technology and drug research – the people responsible for the medical breakthroughs in America. These kinds of innovators should be rewarded, not punished.

Health reform or “health insurance reform” should not be a political wedge, pushed to satisfy political allies at the expense of the American people. Healthcare is too important and the stakes are too high. The American people deserve and have demanded better. With an honest process, the right priorities, and the right solutions, we can and will succeed.

Sincerely,

Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House; Founder, Center for Health Transformation

Jeb Bush, Former Governor of Florida

Mike Huckabee, Former Governor of Arkansas

Michael O. Leavitt, Former Governor of Utah; Former Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Mark Sanford, Governor of South Carolina

Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina

Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia

Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma

Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi

Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland

Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri

Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan

Rep. John Campbell of California

Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana

Rep. Charles Dent of Pennsylvania

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri

Rep. Randy Forbes of Virginia

Rep. Phil Gingrey of Georgia

Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas

Rep. Dean Heller of Nevada

Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas

Rep. Pete Hoekstra of Michigan

Rep. Darrell Issa of California

Rep. Mark Kirk of Illinois

Rep. John Linder of Georgia

Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington

Rep. Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania

Rep. Sue Myrick of North Carolina

Rep. Devin Nunes of California

Rep. Tom Price of Georgia

Rep. Dave Reichert of Washington

Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin

Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas

Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona

Rep. William “Mac” Thornberry of Texas

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia

Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia

Fmr. Rep. Sue Kelly of New York

Fmr. Rep. David McIntosh of Indiana

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Former Director, Congressional Budget Office

Benjamin E. Sasse, Former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

David Brailer, Former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

James C. Capretta, Former Associate Director for Human Resource Programs, Office of Management and Budget

Andrew von Eschenbach, Former Director, National Cancer Institute; Former Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Tevi Troy, Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Track the Money? Where exactly is the 36th congressional district of Virginia?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Recovery.gov is the U.S. government’s official website to provide "easy access" to how and where the billions of taxpayer dollars from the stimulus act are going.

Well, it lists where they are going but where exactly is the 36th congressional district of Virginia? Or the 17th congressional district? Or the 98th congressional district? Or the 00 congressional district? All total, Recovery.gov the lists $4,500,613 in taxpayer funds going into almost a dozen congressional districts that do not even exist in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Check out the site here.

Ironically, the website also prominently displays links to report "Waste, Fraud and Abuse."

The lesson here: Big government is not accountable government. It's just one of the many reasons I was one of the 17 Members of Congress to vote against every stimulus under both the Bush and Obama Administration.

Stimulus Watch

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

I came across this chart from the Ways and Means Committee last week. Despite the Administration’s claim that the trillion dollar stimulus package is working, the U.S. economy has lost nearly 3 million jobs since February when the stimulus legislation was passed. U.S. public debt, on the other hand, has soared:

I spoke about this very issue on the House floor in February when I voted against the economic stimulus package. You can watch those remarks here.

What I’m Reading

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

WSJ: White House Aims to Cut Deficit With TARP Cash

The Obama administration, under pressure to show it is serious about tackling the budget deficit, is seizing on an unusual target to showcase fiscal responsibility: the $700 billion financial rescue.

Politico: Health Savings? No one Knows

It’s one of the most basic, kitchen-table questions of the entire reform debate: Would the sweeping $900 billion overhaul actually lower spiraling insurance premiums for everyone? No one really knows.

CNN: Taking World War II veterans to see memorial before time runs out

The aging veterans gingerly walk from the plane in the nation's capital. Some get pushed in wheelchairs. A brass band strikes up World War II era tunes. Strangers rise to their feet and clap their hands. "Why are they doing this?" says Frank Bales, 86, a co-pilot on a B-24 during World War II. "I feel as humbled as a mouse."

Washington Post: Gambling with the dollar (Op/Ed By George Will)

Last month, India purchased 200 tons of gold at $1,045 an ounce, before the price topped $1,108 on Monday. China, too, may increasingly diversify from paper -- i.e., bonds -- into gold, the price of which, some experienced investors believe, could soar to $2,500 an ounce in three to five years. One reason for all this is U.S. behavior.

Washington Post: China proves to be an aggressive foe in cyberspace

China is significantly boosting its capabilities in cyberspace as a way to gather intelligence and, in the event of war, hit the U.S. government in a weak spot, U.S. officials and experts say. Outgunned and outspent in terms of traditional military hardware, China apparently hopes that by concentrating on holes in the U.S. security architecture -- its communications and spy satellites and its vast computer networks -- it will collect intelligence that could help it counter the imbalance.

Investors Business Daily: EPA Lawyers Cap-and-Trade ‘Fatally Flawed’ (Op/Ed)

Warming: After stifling a report questioning the science behind climate change, the EPA is censoring two of its lawyers for saying the proposed solutions are also problematical. The debate isn't over. It's being suppressed.

9/11 Mastermind to be tried in New York

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

The Administration announced today that several Guantanamo Bay detainees, including self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be prosecuted just blocks away from Ground Zero in NYC before a civilian federal court. The decision was made despite the fact that these terrorists were already being tried by military commissions that are specifically designed to prosecute terrorist acts.

There is a serious issue at stake here and that is the value we place on the security of our nation in the near and far term. The Administration’s decision on how we handle the detainees will set precedence for our nation – in the rights that we will afford terrorists in the future and in the security of our nation for future generations. Even the ‘low-risk’ detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center have the potential for further violence, as we saw in 2008 when an ex-Guantanamo detainee killed and wounded many in a suicide bombing attack.

Simply put, bringing detainees to the United States is a risk we should not take. These terrorists are not common criminals. To treat them as such is not only irresponsible on the Administration’s part, but it creates additional national security risks that we could otherwise avoid.

Earlier this year, I introduced legislation to prohibit the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to Virginia. Also, I visited Guantanamo Bay just a few months ago – you can read my thoughts about that trip here.

What do you think? Should Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other Guantanamo detainees be tried in civilian court within the United States?

A Nation's Strength

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

“What makes a nation’s pillars high
And its foundations strong?
What makes it might to defy
The foes that round it throng?

It is not gold. Its kingdoms grand
Go down in battle shock;
Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock.

Is it the sword? Ask the red dust
Of empires passed away;
The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay.

And is it pride? Ah, the bright crown
Has seemed to nations sweet;
But God has struck its luster down
In ashes at his feet.

Not gold but only men can make
A people great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor’s sake
Stand fast and suffer long.

Brave men who work while others sleep,
Who dare while others fly—
They build a nation’s pillars deep
And lift them to the sky."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

Although the setting changes and our challenges may be different, one thing that remains constant throughout our history is the willingness of brave men and women to serve courageously in the face of conflict. From the rolling grassland of Gettysburg, to the beaches of Normandy, to the jungles of Vietnam, to the deserts of the Middle East, there are stories of physical hardship, camaraderie, sacrifice, surrender, peace, bravery, loyalty and pain.

Each veteran has his or her own unique story, built not out of a formal history book, but out of a rich trove of personal experience and memories. Just as Ralph Waldo Emerson so eloquently describes in his poem, our nation’s strength is not found in monuments or documents, but rather it is built on foundations of faith, freedom, liberty, and in the unwavering belief of men and women in their country.

This Veteran’s Day we proudly honor the “Brave men who work while others sleep, who dare while others fly—they build a nation’s pillars deep and lift them to the sky.”

The Kelsey Smith Act

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Nine days after she graduated high school, 18-year-old Kelsey Smith was abducted from a department store close to her home in Kansas in broad daylight. Realizing that Kelsey may still have had her cell phone, police detectives sought to use ping information to search for her. However, it took four days for authorities to cut through red tape to get the wireless provider to release her cell phone location information. Kelsey’s body was found four days later.

In abduction situations, every second counts. Having access to cell phone information in the moment can provide valuable information to police. In fact, after Kelsey’s body was found, authorities were eventually able to use the ping information to track where Kelsey’s cell phone had been during her abduction.

I have cosponsored a bill, The Kelsey Smith Act (HR 3717), which would require wireless communication companies to swiftly provide call location information in emergency situations that involve the risk of death or serious physical harm. No parent should go through the agony of wading through red tape and paperwork when their child’s life is at stake. This bill gives investigators another tool to track missing persons and help save lives.

You can read more about my work on combating crime here.

Breathing Life into the Word 'Liberty'

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Have our leaders listened to themselves talk for so long that they can no longer hear the people? Watch my latest video:

Illegal Immigrants & the US Census

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

We’re just months away from the 2010 Census and data is beginning to be collected across the country. The census is mandated by the Constitution (Article I, Section 2), but the language does not specify citizenship for the purpose of counting. For the upcoming 2010 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau is set to count all persons physically present in the U.S.—including the 12 to 15 million persons here illegally. And next year for the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau is going to even greater lengths to count illegal immigrants by mailing bilingual census questionnaires to about 13 million households.

Counting illegal immigrants artificially inflates the population and could possibly give some states additional congressional seats (and take some from others). Illegal immigrants are not U.S. citizens and they shouldn't be counted in a survey that determines representation of U.S. citizens in Congress. I've cosponsored a bill, H.J.Res.11, which states that only American citizens should be counted in the U.S. Census. The bill proposes a Constitutional amendment to state that the apportionment of the number of Congressional Representatives from each state would be decided by counting the number of American citizens of each state.

While this bill won't stop illegal immigration, it is a step forward in creating fair census data.

What do you think? Should illegal immigrants be counted in the census?

Also - I occasionally send out email updates on immigration issues like this one. If you want to receive those emails, enter your email address and check the immigration box here. Read more about my work on immigration issues here.

Gas Prices

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 05:00:00 GMT

Gas Prices