Source: US Congressman Walter B. Jones, (NC-3), 3/10/14

As we move forward in the month of March, I wanted to take a moment to update you on some of my work for Eastern North Carolina thus far in 2014.  

Voting Against Increasing the Debt Ceiling
In February, Congress once again voted to raise the debt ceiling.  As the only member of Congress to vote against every debt ceiling increase in the last 10 years, I could not in good conscience support the proposal, which did nothing to curb wasteful spending.  The national debt has reached $17 trillion, yet we continue to spend money we do not have and borrow billions of dollars from foreign governments – only to funnel much of that borrowed money back overseas to various foreign aid projects.  I will stand firm in my opposition to legislation that allows the government to continue its reckless spending.  

Fighting Obamacare  
President Obama’s takeover of our healthcare system has infringed on our constitutional freedoms, including our freedom of religion.  To combat this attack on our liberty, I’ve joined a bipartisan coalition of 71 House members and 15 senators in filing an amicus curiae brief in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.  In this case, the Supreme Court will hear a challenge to the mandate in Obamacare that requires businesses to provide health insurance that covers contraceptives – even if those contraceptives violate the business owner’s religious beliefs.  Our brief argues that business owners should be protected from Obamacare’s infringement on their First Amendment rights by the bipartisan Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, among other laws.

In addition to Obamacare’s attack on religious freedom, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a February report estimating that the law will cause the loss of 2.5 million full-time jobs over the next 10 years.  This is unaffordable, and I will continue to fight to repeal this harmful law.

Reining in the Federal Government
The last thing Eastern North Carolina needs is unnecessary government regulation stifling job creation and economic growth.  That’s why I introduced legislation to repeal excessive restrictions on human access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.  I am pleased to announce that the House of Representatives approved my proposal on February 6, 2014.  I believe my provision strikes the appropriate balance between protecting wildlife and protecting the taxpayers’ right to access the recreational areas they own..  I encourage you to join me in calling on the Senate to also approve my proposal.  

The federal government has also overstepped its boundaries by infringing on individual and states’ rights.  Perhaps the most egregious example of this can be found in the U.S. Department of Education’s practice of coercion and overreach into state education systems by tying federal funding to the adoption of the Common Core State Standards.  I've cosponsored H. Res. 476, which denounces this practice and supports individual state authority over academic standards and assessments - where this authority rightfully belongs under the Tenth Amendment.

The federal government has further abused its power by allowing the Internal Revenue Service to unfairly target tax-exempt organizations based on their political affiliations.  I voted in favor of H.R. 3865, legislation that would end this practice by delaying a rule prohibiting tax-exempt organizations from engaging in actions or speech that the Obama administration deems to fall under the category of “candidate-related political activity.”  I believe this legislation is necessary to protect our First Amendment rights.

Defending Our Military
Just as today’s retired service members have rightfully earned the benefits they receive through years of selfless service, future service members will also make incredible sacrifices for our country.  That’s why I will continue to work for a full repeal of cuts to the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for retired members of our armed forces – both current and future.  The COLA reduction, enacted by the Ryan-Murray budget - which I voted against - remains in place for future enlistees.  We cannot break faith with our men and women in uniform in this manner.    

In addition to advocating for our future service members’ benefits, I believe the equipment that our future service members rely upon should be maintained in top condition.  That’s why I called on Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to fund the F-35 Vertical Lift Fan Repair and Test Facility at Craven County's Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East.  Locating the maintenance and testing of the F-35 vertical lift fan at FRC East would be the right decision for Eastern North Carolina, the service members who will depend on the F-35’s readiness, and the taxpayers who are funding the aircraft’s acquisition and maintenance.

Thank you for taking the time to read about some of my work for the Third District.  For daily updates, please follow me on Facebook and Twitter.  To contact me or learn more about the services my office provides for Eastern North Carolinians, please visit my web site.