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News From Congressman Vic Snyder-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recent News on Capitol HillRecently Congress passed H.R. 1, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. H.R. 1 is not just a short-term measure; it is a transformational investment bill for the country and for the American people. This bill invests in infrastructure, job stability, energy efficiency, healthcare innovation, and education, which are necessary to strengthen our nation's economy. It creates and saves millions of jobs, provides immediate tax relief for American families, and lays the foundation for long-term economic growth. Because of this bill now signed into law by President Obama, Arkansas will receive over $2 billion in tax relief and public investments.
Because of what is at stake, the American Recovery and Reinvestment plan contains accountability measures, along with no earmarks. To ensure transparency, the Administration has set up a website that features information on how the Act is working, tools to help you hold the government accountable, and up-to-date data on the expenditure of funds. There is information about federal grant awards and contracts as well as formula grant allocations. Federal agencies will show how they are using the money, and eventually, the state and local recipients of the money will provide information on how they are using their federal funds.
This week the Senate voted to allow a final vote on legislation to give the District of Columbia a voting representative in the U.S. House of Representatives. The people of the District of Columbia deserve representation. The bipartisan plan worked out by members of both parties achieves that result, and I will support it if it comes to a vote on the House floor next week.
Congress has finalized an omnibus appropriations package containing millions of dollars for numerous state and local priorities for Arkansas. I joined my colleagues in the House to pass the legislation Wednesday and the Senate is expected to approve the bill next week. The omnibus appropriations package combines nine of the twelve annual spending bills for Fiscal Year 2009. The funded projects in this bill are excellent investments in Arkansas’s future. All of the Second District projects were requested by entities of either state or local government or by President Bush’s administration.
On Tuesday night the President addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time in his presidency. His speech laid out in an honest way a plan to help our economy, improve our budget deficit, and develop a better foreign policy. Calling for a New Era of Responsibility, the President assured us that even with its economy weakened; America will rebuild, recover and emerge stronger than before. Like him, I am confident that America will see a brighter, better, and stronger tomorrow. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recent News from the DistrictThis past week in the District, Senator Pryor and I had the honor of attending a dinner hosted by Governor Beebe in honor of Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen and Consul General Sanjiv Arora at the Governor’s Mansion. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Governor’s Office and my office, helped bring Ambassador Sen to Little Rock to meet about economic development. I also attended a public ceremony honoring the Little Rock Fire Department for receiving more than $1.8 million in grant funding through the Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. The grant will be used to hire additional fire fighters. This federal funding will help our local economy by offering additional jobs and improve fire protection for the Little Rock community. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recent News from my CommitteesOn Thursday, February 12, 2009, the House Armed Services Committee received testimony on "Assessing U.S. Strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan-Balancing Interests and Resources." The hearing was helpful and informative, and focused on a realistic approach to US strategy in Afghanistan. The witnesses raised issues that will help us balance our interests and risks in Afghanistan and Iraq. It will be strategically challenging to determine how best to allocate the limited resources that are available. I look forward to working with Congress and the Administration in this process. I continue to serve in the 111th Congress as the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. This week we kicked off the year with an informal discussion with representatives from the Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office. I look forward to holding a series of hearings this year covering issues ranging from military professional military education to acquisition. In addition to my serving on the House Armed Services Committee and House Veterans Affairs committee, the leadership has appointed me to serve on the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) for the 111th Congress. Today, the JEC held a hearing with Paul Volcker, the Chairman of the President’s Economic Advisory Board. We explored short-term actions that are being taken to stabilize the markets to create a functioning credit system, and discussed the need for more oversight in the long-term to prevent the recurrence of this kind of financial crisis in the future. To understand more about the situation, I encourage you to read the written testimony of Paul Volcker.
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Featured Photo
Pictured from left to right at the Arkansas Governor's Mansion are U.S. Senator Mark Pryor, Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen, Governor Mike Beebe, Indian Consul General Sanjiv Arora, and U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder. |
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