The Week Just Passed: Time to Attack our Debt Crisis

Fewer Americans Working in 2013

“Health Website Woes Widen as Insurers Get Wrong Data”

This Week’s Salute: Morris County Sheriff and Freeholders

The Week Just Passed: Time to Attack our Debt Crisis

“Now that the government shutdown has ended,our attention now rightly turns to new bipartisan negotiations to attack our debt and making sure that another shutdown never happens again.  The focus must be on reducing Washington spending, pro-growth tax reform and assuring the solvency of Social Security and Medicare.

“As someone who serves on a committee that is directly responsible for funding the federal government, the House Appropriations Committee, I have been deeply disappointed that our historical, bipartisan committee efforts to fund the government on a timely basis, and to rein in Washington spending and overreach, have been circumvented in recent years.

“We have a window between now and the end of the year to conduct serious negotiations that are vitally important for our nation’s future.  It is time to stop the finger-pointing and the ‘blame game’ and roll up our sleeves to get to work!”

Rodney Frelinghuysen

Recommended Reading:Richard Vedder, writing in the Wall Street Journal, “The Wages of Unemployment.  Labor-force participation has declined since 2000, and among the reasons are soaring government benefits.”

President Obama Considers Easing Sanctions on Iran

Published reports this week indicated that the Obama Administration is considering easing sanctions against Iran, even as it continues its efforts to acquire a nuclear weapons capability.

The New York Times reported that the White House “is weighing a proposal to ease the pain of sanctions on Tehran by offering it access to billions of dollars in frozen funds if the Iranian government takes specific steps to curb its nuclear program…”

“Of course, we must explore every possible diplomatic avenue to end Iran’s nuclear weapons program,” said Rodney, the Vice-Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.  “But granting any concessions before Teheran agrees to substantial, verifiable steps to halt its weapons program is a perilous approach to a dangerous adversary.”

The Administration participated in two days of direct negotiations with Iran representatives in Geneva this week.  The Times reported, “While the discussions did not produce a breakthrough, Iranian officials were more candid and substantive than in previous diplomatic encounters…”

“There are those of us who fear that Teheran is simply playing for more time as its uranium enrichment program proceeds at high speed,” Rodney said.  “It is clear that our U.S. and international sanctions have already hurt Iran.  No one has made the case to me that now is the time to loosen them.”

Rodney is the cosponsor of several House measures to increase trade and financial sanctions on Iran until it ends its nuclear weapons program.

Recommended Reading: Christopher Weaver and Louise Radnofsky, writing in the Wall Street Journal, “Health Website Woes Widen as Insurers Get Wrong Data.”

Recommended Reading: Kelly Kennedy, writing in today’s USA Today, “Tech experts: Health exchange site needs total overhaul.”

This Week’s Salute: Morris County Sheriff and Freeholders

Congratulations to the Morris County Freeholders and Sheriff on the formal dedication of the expanded County Public Safety Complex – 911 Dispatch Center, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Sheriff’s Crime Lab. The EOC played a major coordinating role for 39 mayors in the county as the assisted residents during Hurricane Sandy last year.