E-Newsletter

Bankrupt Solyndra Requests Bonuses! REALLY!
 
Bankruptcy and bonuses make for strange bedfellows, particularly when taxpayer money is involved. The bankrupt solar energy company Solyndra is requesting to pay staff bonuses under a proposal filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.  This request is outrageous!  The American taxpayers are already on the hook for the original $535 million Solyndra loan guarantee.  In addition, the taxpayers aren’t even the first creditor in line for $75 million because the Department of Energy ignored the law and subordinated that amount – putting taxpayers in the backseat.  
 
Many questions remain unanswered regarding the Solyndra debacle.  However, there is no question in my mind that bonuses would be an inappropriate use of taxpayer assets. Secretary Chu and the Obama Administration need to protect the taxpayers from any further damage in the Solyndra fiasco.  I implore the Obama Administration to vehemently oppose these bonuses on behalf of the creditors, the taxpayers of America.
 
Job Crushing Boiler MACT Rules to Move Forward
 
Last spring, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wanted to delay some of their rules on boilers at businesses, schools, hospitals, hotels, and other facilities because even they thought they might have gone too far.  Despite requests from the EPA to delay the Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) rules, a federal judge ruled last week that the delay was not allowed, giving boiler owners less time to comply and less certainty than ever. With the compliance clock running, no final rule has yet been issued. One can appreciate the near impossible position of boiler owners.  This court ruling reiterates the obvious need for a legislative fix to the Boiler MACT rules before American jobs are needlessly put at risk.  
 
The House passed my bill, the EPA Regulatory Relief Act (H.R. 2250), in October, with strong bipartisan support.  A nearly identical Senate bill (S. 1392) has the support of 12 Democrats and 29 Republicans.  Yet, it sits idle.  As the Senate continues to delay, it’s worth noting a recent statement by the National Association of Manufacturers that “…it is already 20 percent more expensive to manufacture in the U.S. compared to our trade partners, and regulations such as Boiler MACT continue to set us back.”
 
Last week, President Obama spoke about insourcing, or bringing jobs back to America.  He said, “…when a lot of folks are still looking for work, now is the time for us to step on the gas.” I hope we do step on the gas, but I’d also remind the President to look in the rear view mirror at the many jobs being run over or threatened due to burdensome regulations. The Boiler MACT rules alone could put over 200,000 American jobs at risk.  We cannot afford to ignore the jobs we currently have.  If we want to put the pedal to the metal, President Obama needs to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and call on the Senate to pass H.R. 2250 without further delay. After the Senate acts on H.R. 2250, they should also read, review, and debate the more than 25 bipartisan jobs bills the House has sent them.

Achieving Educational Excellence
 
Recently, Governor McDonnell announced recipients of the 2012 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. In the Ninth District, quite a few schools received one of these awards. A comprehensive list can be viewed at the Virginia Department of Education website. I’d like to congratulate the students, teachers, and administrators at these schools for their achievements.  Education is an important issue in the Ninth District and critical to the future of our nation.  The quality of education received by America’s children will continue to play a vital role in our global competitiveness in the 21st century. Congratulations to these schools for their roles in developing America’s future leaders.
 
As always, if you have concerns or comments or wish to inquire about legislative issues, feel free to contact my offices. You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov.