By Staff
Last week, the House of Representatives passed S. Con. Res. 21, a concurrent resolution which establishes the budget levels for the coming fiscal year.
In February, the president formally began the budget process. He sent Congress a plan to balance the budget without raising taxes while maintaining the successful pro-growth economic policies that have fostered our economy's solid, sustained growth while creating 7.8 million new jobs over the past 44 months.
In fact, the tax cuts - signed into law four years ago this month - have produced strong and lasting economic growth. This economic growth has helped produce record levels of tax revenue - receipts have increased nearly 35 percent since the 2003 tax cuts were implemented - and the deficit has declined by $165 billion in the last two years.
Unfortunately, the progress our national economy has made over the past four years could be placed in jeopardy by this budget that calls for more taxes and higher spending. It will impose the second largest tax increase in history - raising taxes by at least $217 billion - and providing an automatic increase in the national debt by $850 billion.
Instead of building on the momentum and keeping our economy moving in the right direction, the majority has instead chosen to raise taxes and increase spending.
Telephone town hall meetings
This week I began holding my first round of telephone town meetings for this year. Last year, I hosted my first telephone town hall meeting and the first telephone town hall meeting - to my knowledge - in Alabama, and certainly the first in southwest Alabama.
Utilizing a relatively new technology, I am able to call residents throughout the First District from my office in Washington, D.C., and for one hour, I am able to listen to comments and answer questions on events in our nation's capital and issues of concern to my constituents and their families and friends.
Over the past four and a half years, I have held over 150 traditional town meetings in all six counties of Alabama's First Congressional District. The personal interaction these meetings provide cannot be duplicated over the telephone; however, this technology enables constituents to share their thoughts and concern with me from the comforts of their own home.
In the coming weeks, I will be holding more telephone town halls as well as traditional town hall meetings throughout the district.
2007 hurricane season
The 2007 hurricane season officially begins next Friday, June 1. And this week, May 20 -26, is Hurricane Preparedness Week, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a Web site dedicated to hurricane preparedness, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2 which I encourage you to visit.
The effects of a hurricane can be reduced if you and your family plan ahead and know the steps you should take before, during, and after any natural disaster.
I encourage you to prepare a disaster supply kit as we head into the hurricane season. It is important to plan ahead when it comes to family safety and security before, during and after a hurricane.