Randy's Roundup: The President's Speech on Terrorism

The President’s Speech on Terrorism
Last night, in a speech from the Oval Office, President Obama once again failed to outline a clear strategy to defeat and destroy ISIS. Instead of acknowledging that we need to change course, the President defended his strategy that has been unsuccessful for the last 16 months. What we need is a clear military plan to be victorious against ISIS and all Islamic terrorists. Instead, the President used the speech to push for more gun control here at home. More gun control would not have prevented the tragic terrorist attack in California—it would only make it harder for law abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families. The National Defense Authorization Act that the President recently signed into law requires him to present a plan to Congress to defeat ISIS. We didn’t hear it last night, and to keep the American people safe we must prioritize our national security.

Congress Reverses Crop Insurance Cuts
In late October, a budget deal aimed at raising the debt ceiling into 2017 and busting the spending caps we worked so hard to put in place, passed the House and was signed into law. As many of you know, the bill also included a $3 billion cut to the crop insurance program. It hasn’t even been two years since passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, which already asked farmers to endure a $23 billion cut to farm programs. During consideration of this bill, I made it very clear to House Leadership that this cut was unacceptable, and I worked with my colleagues to get assurances that these cuts would be reversed before the end of the year.

Last week, Congress advanced legislation which the President signed into law, to repeal these cuts as if they had never happened. I applaud Speaker Ryan for reversing these cuts and ensuring producers in the 19th District continue to have access to this important safety net. Unfortunately, there continue to be those in Congress who oppose any spending on the safety net for America’s farmers and ranchers and we must continue to be diligent in warding off these attacks on agriculture and rural America.

Funding the Federal Government
This Friday, December 11th, Congress faces a deadline to pass an end of the year funding bill—also referred to as an omnibus bill. At a time when our nation is over $18.6 trillion in debt, I believe we need fiscally conservative policies to lower our debt and get our country back on track. I expect a lot of the debate surrounding this bill to focus specifically on taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, and the Syrian refugee program. These policy differences could force Congress to pass a short-term funding bill. Moving forward, instead of kicking the can down the road, I am hopeful Congress will return to “regular order” and pass individual appropriations bills to more efficiently and effectively fund the federal government. Please be sure to continue to share your opinions as Congress considers this important legislation this week.