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Randy
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December 19, 2013
The debate regarding the government’s collection of information for national security purposes versus the American peoples’ constitutional right to privacy continues to grow. First, questions arose as to whether the information was even being collected. Now, the debate is quickly turning to whether the collection is constitutional. This week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia examined the NSA’s collection of telephony metadata, which includes, but is not limited to, the numbers of both parties on a call, along with location data, call duration, unique identifiers, and the time and duration of all calls. Metadata does not include the content of the communications. Earlier this year, a court order was granted compelling Verizon Communications, Inc., on an “ongoing, daily basis,” to provide the NSA with telephony metadata on its systems. In response, I joined my colleagues in introducing legislation to require the Attorney General to share all court orders with Congress to provide much needed oversight. The court held that “because the government can use daily metadata collection to engage in repetitive, surreptitious surveillance of a citizen’s private goings on, the NSA database implicates the Fourth Amendment each time a government monitors it.” Judge Richard Leon, who wrote the decision, said, “I believe that bulk telephony metadata collection and analysis almost certainly does violate a reasonable expectation of privacy.” Question of the week: Do you believe an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy is violated when the government collects their metadata, along with the metadata of millions of other citizens, without any particularized suspicion that they have done something wrong? ( ) Yes. ( ) No. ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other (leave your comments below). Take the Poll here. Find the results of last week’s InstaPoll here.
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Randy
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December 13, 2013
1 million: The number of people that the Department of Homeland Security has lost track of. While the Department knows that these people arrived in the U.S., they cannot prove whether they left the country, according to a Government Accountability Office report.
A workable system to track who has returned or illegally overstayed is grossly overdue. A biometric exit system remains an unfilled recommendation included in thereport published by the 9/11 Commission nearly 10 years ago. The 9/11 Commission called it, “an essential investment in our national security.” Studies show that roughly 40% of unauthorized immigrants have come in on legal visas and simply overstayed. It is not only critical that we address this issue, it’s common sense. Share on Facebook if you agree. Read more about my work to enforce our current immigration laws and secure our borders,here.
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Randy
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December 04, 2013
On November 27, 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule that would update payment policies and payment rates for services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on or after January 1, 2014.
Each year since 2002, the statutory method for determining the annual updates to the Medicare physician fee schedule, known as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) system, has resulted in a reduction in the reimbursement rates. And, each year Congress has passed bills to override the reductions. In January of this year, Congress acted to delay the previously scheduled reduction of 26.5% in the Medicare reimbursement for physician services through December 31, 2013. Now, if Congress does not act, CMS projected that the reduction in payment rates, based on the SGR formula, would be reduced by 20.1% for services in 2014. Our current Medicare physician payment system is badly in need of reform. Both the House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees have put forward legislation to repeal the current SGR formula, to create a stable system of payments to our doctors, and to maintain quality access to care for our nation’s seniors. The way in which our doctors are reimbursed by Medicare is of absolute importance in maintaining a high level of accessible care for all patients. It is my hope that Congress will act quickly not only to avert the scheduled payment reduction, but to enact a permanent solution to address the Medicare physician payment system.
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Randy
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December 04, 2013
During an interview last weekend, the heads of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees both said that they do not believe our nation is safer than it was two years ago.
As they note, groups around the world are growing more hostile toward the United States, and dangerous technology is becoming more readily available to terrorists. In order to combat these threats, we must maintain our technological and innovative advantage, ensuring that we have the resources and tools necessary to keep our law enforcement and the intelligence community safe, so they can keep us secure. As House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) said, “The pressures on our intelligence services to get it right, to prevent an attack, are enormous.” Particularly in a post-9/11 world, the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that the intelligence community is taking appropriate action to root out threats to the security of the American people, but must do so within the boundaries of the U.S. Constitution. Question of the week: Do you believe that the United States is safer today than it was just 2-3 years ago? ( ) Yes. ( ) No. ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other (leave your comments below). Take the Poll here. Find the results of last week’s InstaPoll here.
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Randy
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December 03, 2013
This week, I had the privilege of speaking at the annual Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), which serves to improve and promote modeling and simulation education and training programs. Modeling and simulation involves complex computer models to create artificial environments that use combinations of sound, sight, and motion to make you feel as if you are experiencing an actual event.
It is critical that we are training students in these fields so we can meet our workforce needs domestically, and grow our economy. I believe that incorporating modeling and simulation into K-12 education will increase interest in the STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and math – and hopefully lead students to pursue these majors in college. As Chairman of the Modeling & Simulation Caucus, I will continue working to ensure that we are training the next generation to unlock the innovative potential of modeling and simulation. More information for students and teachers can be found on the I/ITSEC website and the ‘Educate to Innovate’ initiative of the White House.
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Randy
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November 25, 2013
In the past few years, Social Security paid $133 million to beneficiaries who were deceased, according to a recent article by the Washington Post, while the federal employee retirement system paid more than $400 million to retirees who had passed away. And in 2011 alone, auditors found Medicare paid $23 million for services “provided” to dead people.
That means while many American families are struggling to make ends meet, they are also having to foot the bill for this fraudulent and wasteful spending. That is unacceptable. Congress has a duty to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent in the most efficient, effective manner possible. That is why I supported the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act,H.R. 4053, to require agencies to take precautionary measures before making payments, verifying the eligbility of recipients and reducing the frequency of improper payments. I also supported the Stop Government Abuse Act,H.R. 2879, which holds federal agencies responsible for the misappropriation of funds, and am working to end abuse-riddled government programs (like government-funded cell phones). Read about my efforts here.
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Randy
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November 22, 2013
Brain cancer. Breast cancer. Type 1 Diabetes. Parkinson’s disease. Osteoporosis. All of these diseases and more are already being treated through adult stem cell research.
I introduced the Patients First Act (H.R. 1740) to intensify research and human clinical trials using stem cells that are ethically obtained and that show evidence of providing near-term clinical benefit for human patients. This bill recognizes that the twin goals of scientific advancement and the protection of human life are not mutually exclusive; rather, they should be one in the same. By setting aside divisive political battles and prioritizing research with proven clinical success, we can finally make long-awaited progress in beating dreaded diseases. I also sent a letter to my colleagues encouraging continued support and funding for NIH. With the research community on the verge of numerous medical advancements, it is imperative that we direct taxpayer dollars to medical research that will provide the most benefit to patients in the shortest amount of time. I strongly believe that the federal government should do all it can to encourage the forms of medical research that show the most promise for curing and treating patients so we can combat these diseases. Currently, adult stem cells are being used to treat over 70 diseases. I will continue to work to encourage conscientious medical research to ease the suffering of those afflicted by diseases that do not yet have a cure.
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Randy
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November 21, 2013
Earlier this month, the Administration announced that it would support "limited, targeted, and reversible" easing of international sanctions against Iran if they agreed to halt their nuclear program.
In July, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill strengthening and expanding existing U.S. sanctions. Despite the strong bipartisan support for this legislation, the President urged Senate leaders this week to oppose enacting additional sanctions while the talks in Geneva are ongoing. The P5+1 negotiations with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council – the United States, China, Russia, Britain, and France – plus Germany, began in October, and the next round of talks is scheduled to begin this week. The goal of the negotiations is to reach an agreement regarding how to address Iran’s nuclear program. Question of the week: Do you believe that the United States should unilaterally reduce the tough sanctions it has placed on Iran in the hope that doing so will make a deal to disarm their nuclear program more likely? ( ) Yes. ( ) No. ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other (leave your comments below). Take the Poll here. Find the results of last week’s InstaPoll here
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Randy
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November 20, 2013
Putting aside political posturing and partisan talking points, what is the healthcare law's real life impact on small businesses across America? A survey of companies representing 42 million jobs, released this month by the International Franchise Association and Chamber of Commerce, reveals that the law is forcing our nation’s job creators to cut employee hours and halt job creation. Here are some highlights:
To place this burden on the backs of our nation’s number one job creators is both unacceptable and short sighted. That is why I championed solutions to:
Posted by
Randy
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November 19, 2013
Hardworking Americans shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for “free” government cell phones. Yet that is exactly what the $9.3 billion Universal Service Fund, one of the government’s most bloated and abuse-riddled programs which doubled in size under President Obama, is doing through the FCC’s Lifeline program. By saddling your telephone bills with a myriad of taxes and fees, the government is raising cash to buy these phones at your expense.
I will continue to aggressively scrutinize the way taxpayer dollars are spent, and work to cut back waste in duplicative, underutilized, and unnessecary government programs. Read about my specific efforts,here |
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