View from the Capitol – Week of February 1, 2016
|
Having dug out from a massive snowfall, Washington, D.C. welcomed Representatives of the people back to the Nation’s Capital this week and no time was lost scheduling and holding a vote on overriding President Obama’s veto of the Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act. This is the bill to repeal ObamaCare and to stop funding for Planned Parenthood. I joined Speaker Ryan, Majority Leader McCarthy and other House Republican leaders for a press conference highlighting just why we need to repeal this unworkable law. I shared a true story from someone in our district who has been hurt by Obamacare. The reasons we need to give Americans better options couldn’t be clearer. Watch my remarks below:
(click to play) Though the House lacked the two-thirds majority needed to override the presidential veto, I stood with you and the majority of Americans again in voting to end this bad law. His decision to stand firmly with the mandates of the Washington elites remains in place but we have seen there is a clear path to repealing this onerous law. I am optimistic that Congress will send a similar repeal bill to the White House next year when a new president is sitting in the Oval Office – and that new president will put the wishes of the American people ahead of the desires of extreme interests. In other developments, I was pleased to attend the annual National Prayer Breakfast this week. More than 3,000 people, including President Obama and many of my Congressional colleagues, attended this event which has taken place every February since 1953. This wonderful tradition brings together people from around the world to pray and acknowledge “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” I was blessed to hear House Speaker Paul Ryan’s remarks, reminding all of us that prayer should always come first. I urge you to take a moment to watch his speech here. The keynote address was delivered by husband and wife team of Roma Downey (known for her role as Monica on TV’s Touched by an Angel) and Mark Burnett. They have produced many faith-based TV shows including The Bible, AD, and Answered Prayers. It was encouraging to hear of their journey from immigrants to America to their current role as leaders in family-friendly media production and how their faith in Jesus Christ and their desire to let Him use their lives has made all the difference. You can watch the keynote address here.
Roma Downey and Mark Burnett at the National Prayer Breakfast On another matter, it was wonderful to meet with Dr. Roger Drake, the President of Central Methodist University in Fayette, who stopped by our Washington office. Dr. Drake, who has headed CMU since July of 2013, shared his thoughts on important education matters. I appreciate his first-hand insight and I wish him all the best as he continues the great work he is doing in Fayette. It was an honor to co-lead an amicus brief in support of the State of Texas in the Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt (Cole) case. This Supreme Court case will consider the constitutionality of a Texas law stating abortion doctors and clinics should comply with the same health, facilities, and sanitation standards that apply to all other medical practitioners who perform surgical procedures and to all other surgical centers. The Texas law is common sense legislation that protects the health of women, and it should be upheld. Missouri and a number of other states have similar laws on the books as well. Striking down the Texas law could jeopardize Missouri’s law and those of other states. I hope the Supreme Court takes our concerns into account when making its decision and does the right thing for women’s health in Texas and throughout the country. The House also passed an important bill I co-sponsored, the Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act. In light of the Iran nuclear Deal, multiple entities are going to be granted relief from our sanctions and allowed to do business with Iran again. The President had stated that individuals and entities on the terror and human rights sanctions lists would not get relief from these sanctions. At the same time, the administration has slated over 50 entities and individuals to be removed from these lists. This bill would require the Administration to certify to Congress that these entities have not engaged in transactions that benefit those terrorists and extremist organizations in the Middle East that wish to do us harm. I urge my Senate colleagues to quickly take up and pass this bill to keep our interests secure. As we gear up for the Super Bowl this weekend, I have an important question to ask. What happens in Congress when a Chiefs fan and a Houston Texans fan start talking before their teams face each other in the playoffs? Well, the Chiefs fan gets an extra bottle of barbecue sauce for the victory! This week, Houston-area Representative Pete Olson presented me with what he called “the best barbecue sauce around” (apparently he has never had Missouri barbecue). I’m looking forward to an even better Chiefs season next year!
Texas Congressman Pete Olson (right) gives Vicky a bottle of Swinging Door barbecue sauce to commemorate the Houston Texans’ loss to the Chiefs in round one of the 2016 playoffs
“The Spoils” I thank Congressman Olson for his graciousness in defeat and look forward to trying this sauce out! As always, I want to hear from you. As we get started in 2016, what are the issues most important to you? Click here to take a quick survey on my website to let me know what YOUR top priorities are for 2016. Have a great week, Vicky |
|
# # # |
