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After a full two years and the passage of numerous landmark pieces of legislation, the House adjourned for the year and closed business for the 108th Congress. It was a very productive two years. We addressed many important issues--we made big strides on some, and small steps on many others. I would like to share some accomplishments that I think are the most notable. As for the issues that we only made small steps on, I am looking forward to continuing working on them during the 109th Congress.
Defense
Protecting our country is the most important responsibility of the government. Over the past two years, we have made tremendous progress on improving the quality of life of our troops and giving them the resources they need to win the War on Terror. We have a great responsibility to those who every day make sacrifices on behalf of our country. Congress will continue to work to ensure our troops have the funding necessary to defend the nation and our interests around the globe.
September 11, 2001 changed our outlook on the world and the way we look at security. To help keep our country safe and secure, Congress passed legislation that will make extensive and comprehensive changes to our current intelligence operations. The 9/11 Commission Implementation Act (S. 2845) makes many changes to our intelligence operations based on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. While taking every suggestion that will help improve our national security, this legislation also preserves the things that are working well.
Veterans
Our veterans have given so much on behalf of our country; I believe it is our responsibility to use our resources to make their lives and the lives of their families more comfortable. The most noteworthy accomplishment for veterans this session is the landmark agreement to provide concurrent receipt to more disabled veterans than ever before covered by law. We have also increased funding for the Veterans Administration and improved the Survivor Benefit plan to bridge the discrepancy between the benefits given to survivors of members of the military and the benefits given to survivors of other federal retirees.
Medicare
The passage of the Medicare prescription drug benefit was another victory during this session of congress. This legislation strengthens and improves the 40-year old Medicare program by adding a voluntary Medicare prescription drug benefit. Eighty percent of America's retirees use a prescription drug every day and these medicines are increasing in price every year. This package would help all 523,409 Medicare beneficiaries in Oklahoma afford the medicines they need to stay healthy. This legislation also contained provisions to protect access to health care in rural America, an extremely beneficial section to Oklahomans.
Economy
To help grow the economy and create jobs, Congress passed multiple tax packages this session that helped put Americans back to work and create a more fair tax structure. The American Jobs Creation Act will enhance the competitiveness of U.S.-based companies, particularly those engaged in exporting and manufacturing. This legislation is vital to continued economic growth in Oklahoma and across the United States. Last year the President signed into law a $350 billion jobs and growth package that helped many families and small businesses. This package gave marriage penalty relief, increased the child tax credit, lowered income tax rates, expanded the 10% tax bracket and reduced taxes on capital gains and dividends.
Although there are many notable accomplishments during this session, there is still much more to do next session. Both the energy bill and the transportation bill have been stalled in the Senate and were not passed during the 108th Congress. Both of these pieces of legislation are vital to our economic security and I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure their passage next year. I also hope to address tort reform, higher education reform, tax simplification, Social Security, increasing the size of the military and border security. These are very important issues facing our country. I look forward to working with my colleagues on these issues during the 109th Congress.
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