E-Newsletter

Doing What Makes Sense

I came to Washington to make responsible, principled, and fact-based decisions for the 9th District. Since taking office in January, I’ve made it a priority to read and analyze the bills and amendments coming before Committee or on the House floor.  It is important to independently evaluate legislative ideas, make fact-based decisions, and vote one’s conscience, instead of blindly following the partisan line. A lot of things about Washington just don’t make sense, but I will support legislation that does make sense for my constituents and all Americans.

Last week, the House voted on a bill that would reauthorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration through 2014. I voted for an amendment put forth by Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA), which would have required the disclosure of a passenger’s baggage fees when a fare is quoted to an airline passenger and would require refunds for baggage that is lost, damaged, or delayed.  Anyone who has tried to check a bag lately knows that the fees at the check-in counter can add up unexpectedly. While the amendment only received 12 Republican votes, I thought it would benefit travelers in the long run. 

The same goes for the Energy Tax Prevention Act, which passed the House this week. Unless Congress intervenes, the EPA’s efforts to regulate carbon dioxide and other gases, in a manner akin to cap-and-trade, will drive electricity rates even higher. Rising energy costs affect every family and business in the 9th District.  Unreasonably regulating greenhouse gases will raise costs, making it difficult for working families and the elderly to adequately heat their homes. I’ve heard from families who’ve had to decide which rooms in their homes to heat or made the tough decision to turn down the heat. Regulating these gases will also increase costs and create even more uncertainty for cash-strapped businesses, further hindering job creation and economic growth in our region.

The Energy Tax Prevention Act would protect Americans from the EPA’s regulatory assault and potentially crippling energy costs. At last, Congress is starting to take back the governance “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” For too long Congress has been complacent in giving too much power to unelected bureaucrats. After all, as a button someone recently gave me says, “Who elected the EPA?” Preventing the EPA from regulating greenhouse gases and keeping energy costs under control makes sense for the 9th District.

While in Washington, I often have the opportunity to meet with constituents visiting from the District. This week a group of students from Lebanon Middle School came for a tour. Talking with these young people made it even more obvious to me that we have to rein in spending now. It’s no secret that our government is out of money. For years we’ve been spending beyond our means and operating in the red. Over the past two years, we’ve seen annual budget deficits exceeding $1 trillion. This year alone we are predicted to carry a deficit of $1.5 trillion, which is more than 10 percent of our entire national debt. If a business operated this way, they wouldn’t be in business for long. We can’t continue to spend money we don’t have. Your family couldn’t do it, and Congress shouldn’t either. Congress has a responsibility to the American people to rein in our crushing debt, and I will continue to fight to do so. The fact of the matter is, if we don’t take immediate action to reduce spending, we are condemning our children and grandchildren, including those I met with from Lebanon, to a life of debt, deficits, and despair.

That is something I will not stand for. 

As your representative in Congress, I want to you hear from you. If you have concerns or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. 

Note: I will be hosting a public Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, April 19th at 5:30 p.m. The event will be held jointly with Congressman Phil Roe (TN-01) at the Paramount Theatre located at 518 State Street in Bristol. I look forward to seeing many of you there.