Chattanoogan.com

2008 | 2007 | 2006

Time To Stop Piling On Debt
November 20 – Each year, Congress provides a doc fix to prevent substantial payment cuts to physicians who treat Medicare patients. I have always supported legislation to prevent these cuts from taking place, but this year’s bill includes $210 billion in additional spending with no plans to pay for it. With our nation already $12 trillion in debt, this is not a responsible approach. Republicans proposed an alternative measure that would prevent cuts to physician reimbursements without increasing the deficit, and would be paid for in part by savings from medical liability reform.
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Wamp Assails Health Care Bill That Passes House
November 8 – Rep. Zach Wamp assailed a Democratic-sponsored health care bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a close vote late Saturday night. Rep. Wamp said, “Seven Democratic governors, including our own Phil Bredesen, have spoken loudly against it. And every day, I hear from many more TNs who oppose this bill.”
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Healthcare Reform Should Lower, Not Raise Costs
October 29 – “The goal of health care reform should be lowering costs and giving Americans more control of their health care decisions,” said Congressman Wamp. “But the Democrats’ 1,990 page bill actually increases the cost of health insurance. It raises taxes on middle class families, cuts Medicare benefits for seniors and imposes an additional tax burden on small businesses, among other things, on the way to a government takeover of health care.”
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Wamp: Defense Bill Needs To Be About National Security
October 9 – Congressman Zach Wamp opposed today’s inclusion of hate crimes legislation within the National Defense Authorization Act. He said, "Throughout my 15 years in Congress, I have always been a passionate supporter of our military and their families. My support for our brave servicemen and women is strong. Regrettably, I cannot in good conscience vote for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. Using the broad admiration for our military, the Democrat majority has hijacked this Defense Authorization bill to pass a hate crimes provision that could not pass on its own."
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Supply and demand
June 16 – We can only help lower the price of gasoline by implementing an all-of-the-above approach that increases American-made energy, decreases our dependence on foreign oil and creates jobs here at home in the process. The world needs to see us proactively moving toward energy independence, and the best way we can do it is to deploy the technologies and capitalize on our free-enterprise system to solve these problems. We must continue to invest in next generation vehicles to decrease our petroleum consumption.
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The situation in Iraq is improving
June 5 – With the upcoming presidential race and the high cost of energy dominating recent headlines, it has been hard to find much coverage of the good news coming from Iraq. But evidence abounds that shows the surge is working.
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When the going gets tough
May 20 – My high school basketball coach used to say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” That battle cry should be our mantra as the leaders of the United States of America at this critical moment in history.
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Wamp backing Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act
May 9 – Congressman Zach Wamp and 34 of his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008. “Our tax policy ought to encourage long term investment in new energy technologies without raising taxes,” said Congressman Wamp. “Extension of these tax incentives is pro-growth and pro-America. Reliable energy technology policies will lead to economic benefits for our country by creating new jobs and growing the manufacturing sector here at home while increasing revenue.”
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Modernized GI Bill is long overdue
April 24 – After World War II, our country offered education assistance to returning veterans. Today, education benefits are administered under the Montgomery GI Bill, which was last updated in 1984. At that time, the average public college tuition cost about $1,250 per year. A lot has changed since 1984. Tuition averages $5,800 per school year today, and we are also asking more from our military now than any other time in history. Clearly, it is time to modernize the GI Bill.
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Erlanger partnership receives $2.3 million Medicaid grant
April 24 – U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp praised the announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that a partnership between Erlanger Health System, Blue Care and TennCare Select will receive $2.3 million over the next two years in federal grant funding to improve access to non-emergency medical care for Medicaid beneficiaries. “It is critical to relieve the overcrowding of emergency rooms and still provide patients, especially in rural and underserved areas, with the primary medical care they need," said Rep. Wamp.
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Hunter Lindberg of Ooltewah chosen Tourette Syndrome ambassador
April 11 – Congressman Zach Wamp honored 14-year-old Hunter Lindberg of Ooltewah, who has been chosen as a Tourette Syndrome Association Youth Ambassador. Rep. Wamp said he wanted to spotlight Hunter’s selection as the first Youth Ambassador for the state of Tennessee. He said, "Although there have been some significant advances in the scientific understanding of Tourette Syndrome in the last few years, there is still a long way to go to meet the challenges posed by the disorder."
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Wamp hears future direction of Army at hearing
April 9 – At a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs hearing, Congressman Zach Wamp heard testimony on the quality of life in the U.S. Army and details on the Army’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2009.
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Cleveland gets flood protection grant
March 18 – The city of Cleveland has been awarded a $1.39 million grant to complete the second phase of a flood mitigation project. “The construction of these two detention ponds will relieve much of the frequent flooding in the downtown business district and residential communities of Cleveland,” said Congressman Zach Wamp.
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Wamp backs move to force vote on border security bill
March 12 – Congressman Zach Wamp said he is working to force a vote on a border security bill. The Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act is a bipartisan plan to stop illegal immigration by securing America’s borders, expanding employer verification of workers and strengthening interior enforcement, he said.
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Wamp pushes physical activity guidelines
March 12 – Recent studies indicate that more than 150 million Americans over the age of 20 are either overweight or obese. By 2010, it is estimated that 20 percent of children in the United States will be obese.
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Rising cost of prescription drugs
February 26 – Congressman Zach Wamp issued a statement to address the Medicare Prescription Drug Program: “One of the major concerns I had about the Medicare prescription drug benefit when I opposed it in 2003 was that Medicare costs were already soaring.”
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Wamp named ranking republican to military panel
January 30 – In his 11 years of service and leadership with the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Zach Wamp has served on six of the 12 appropriations subcommittees. Now he will have the opportunity to take the lead on veterans’ issues through his new appointment as the top “ranking” Republican of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies.
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Wamp says Congress should pursue number of Bush initiatives
January 29 – Congressman Zach Wamp said, “My hope is that we can work together in Congress in a bipartisan manner to find solutions to some of the crucial problems facing our country outlined by the President in his speech. In particular, important issues that need to be addressed include finding a way to stimulate the struggling U.S. economy, permanently closing the loopholes in our intelligence laws, moving forward in Iraq and making sweeping reforms to the earmarking process in Congress."
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Wamp welcomes March for Life participants
January 22 – Congressman Wamp issued this statement about this year’s March for Life: “The most vulnerable members of our society are the unborn. An estimated 40 million innocent unborn human lives have ended. We mourn for these lives.”
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Wamp recognizes Religious Freedom Day
January 15 – Rep. Zach Wamp made this statement about Religious Freedom Day: "Experts warn us that because religious freedom has been in such decline around the world over the last 15 years that an 'Armageddon-type event' could happen as a result of intolerance and religious division."
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2008 | 2007 | 2006