Source: US Rep. Walter B. Jones, (NC-3), 12/19/14

The 113th Congress has come to an end, and I want to update you on some of my recent work for Eastern North Carolina.
Defending American Taxpayers and the Rule of Law

• This month, Congress passed a $1.1 trillion, 1,603 page CRomnibus spending bill. I voted against this bill because it provides funding for President Obama's unconstitutional amnesty for illegal aliens, hundreds of billions of dollars of more deficit spending, billions of dollars in deficit-financed foreign aid, billions of dollars for President Obama's unauthorized wars, funding for Obamacare, a Wall Street giveaway, and a lot of other troubling things. Members of Congress were also not given sufficient time to read this massive bill before voting on it. I have voted against every debt ceiling increase in the past 11 years, and I will not vote for a bill that continues Washington's out-of-control spending habit. 


• I was honored to receive the Constitution Award from The New American for a perfect constitutional voting record according to The New American's Freedom Index. The Freedom Index is "a congressional scorecard that rates every member of the House and Senate based on their adherence to constitutional principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, national sovereignty, and a traditional foreign policy of avoiding foreign entanglements." I consider it my primary duty as a member of Congress to protect our constitutional freedoms, and that duty guides every vote I make. 


Working for Eastern North Carolina
• In October I petitioned the Obama administration to fight for a bluefin tuna quota increase at the November meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). For years, fishermen in Eastern North Carolina have suffered severe economic setbacks due to steep quota reductions. The science shows the stock has been rebuilt, which is why I petitioned the Obama administration to fight for a quota increase. I was pleased to announce earlier this month that the quota has been raised. 
Fighting for Our Military and Veterans

This month Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015, which cuts pay and benefits for our military. The bill requires a $3 increase in certain pharmacy co-pays and a 1 percent decrease in the housing allowance for uniformed service members. In addition to cuts in military benefits, the NDAA for FY 2015 also includes President Obama's request of $5 billion for his unconstitutional expansion of military force in Iraq and Syria. I voted against the NDAA because I will not vote for a bill that cuts military pay and benefits while funding wars that Congress never declared. It's just not right.