Congressman Allen West Weekly Wrap Up, Legislative Lowdown, Highlights in the District 12/2/12

When Congressman Allen West was first elected 2 years ago he committed to his constituents that he would send them a detailed report each week as to what he was doing in his service for them, what the issues were that he was encountering and what progress he was making in addressing those issues. NO other Congressional Representative in the country does this. Even though Congressman West’s service as a Congressional Representative will end in January, even though NO other Congressional Representative bothers with such a report to those that they serve, Congressman West continues, steadfast and loyal, to meet his commitment to his constituents by generating this weekly wrap up. This man’s service in Congress will be sorely missed. Here is is weekly report for the week of 12-2-2012. – Larry Snowden

Dear Patriot,

Greetings to our constituents, fellow Floridians, and indeed all Americans, it is time to prepare our weekly update for dissemination.

While I enjoyed watching Georgia and Alabama battle it out for victory in the SEC Championship, the great contest in which our nation is engaged to ensure wealth expansion and economic growth remains part of the American way of life was never far from my mind. It seems this Administration has made its position very clear. Despite all historical economic evidence, the President and his Administration refuse to acknowledge that greater revenues are indeed derived from lower tax rates, and fewer deductions and exemptions rather than the opposite.

What’s more, the President appears to believe his policies have not contributed in any way to the economic mess in which we find ourselves – which is even more astounding considering his Administration is now demanding complete and permanent authority to increase the debt limit. Where will this end?

Sadly, this brings to mind another president, Mohammed Morsi, who just recently decided he also needed much broader powers, and had the Egyptian constitution rewritten in 16 hours in the middle of the night. Only weeks ago, the Obama Administration was praising Mr. Morsi.

Meanwhile, back at the “fiscal cliff,” President Obama wants $1.6 trillion in more taxes, $50 billion more in stimulus spending, continued extension of the 99-week unemployment benefits – to the tune of about $30 billion per year — maintaining the payroll tax cut, which has led to Social Security running a deficit  and which even the AARP opposes, and has said we can talk about spending cuts later. And when exactly would that be?

I wonder how many Americans have heard the simple maxim: “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.”

I also wonder how many Americans truly believe President Obama has any intention of rectifying our fiscal issues? We are indeed heading to that 53% growth in the federal government and more expansion of the welfare-state, which is exactly what his Fiscal Year 2013 budget laid out.

There is no plan to reduce our debt or deficit, just more spending. America is truly moving away from an opportunity society to a dependency society. That means more votes for those in power who will provide, as de Tocqueville stated, the largesse from the public treasury.

I want to share with you three quotes that I certainly wish this Administration would read:

1. “The first object of taxation is to secure revenue. When the taxation of large incomes is approached with this view, the problem is to find a rate which will produce the largest returns. Experience does not show that the higher rate produces the larger revenue…

I agree perfectly with those who wish to relieve the small taxpayer by getting the largest possible contribution from the people with large incomes. But if the rates on the large incomes are so high that they disappear, the small taxpayer will be left to bear the entire burden”.  – President Calvin Coolidge…who lowered tax rates and increased revenue.

2. “Taxation may be so high as to defeat its object, that given sufficient time to gather the fruits, a reduction of taxation will run a better chance, than an increase, of balancing the budget”.  – John Maynard Keynes, 1933

3. “It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high today and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now. Efforts to avoid tax liabilities make certain types of less productive activity more profitable than other more valuable undertakings and this inhibits our growth and efficiency. The purpose of cutting taxes is to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy”.  –President John F Kennedy, during his January 1963 address to Congress

It was George Santayana who stated in the 1920s, “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Sadly, I fear we are on a bullet train to repeat the economic failures of the past.

In closing, I want to put the events at the United Nations this week in some sort of context. Since 9-11 2012, has anyone paid attention to the deteriorating situation in the Middle East? It is a Middle East where, according to President Obama’s foreign policy, we are “pivoting away.”

Since November, we have seen Israel come under horrific attack from Hamas in Gaza, who is being supplied from Iran. We have had Egypt go 180 degrees away from any semblance of an “Arab Spring” of democracy to a radical Islamist regime led by the Muslim Brotherhood. Lastly, by a vote of 138-9, with 41 abstentions (which are in effect tacit yes votes), we now have a “Palestinian” non-member observer state recognized by the United Nations — coming after Israel was rocketed with not a peep of protest from Mahmoud Abbas.

Palestine is a territory which historically had nothing to do with Arab people. In fact, it was Roman Emperor Hadrian who renamed the region Palestinia from Judea to punish the Jews after their defeat in the second Jewish insurrection against Rome. The original word Palestinia comes from the root word Philistia and the ancient Philistines were originally Greek.

After decades of good propaganda and a lack of historical understanding on the part of many, the United Nations has created something which has no historical basis. What is most disturbing is a terrorist organization, which is attacking a sovereign State, has now been awarded legitimacy.

Are any of these events a result of the President beginning his second term or is it all just a strange coincidence?

Steadfast and Loyal,

Legislative Update:

– This Week

STEM Jobs Act of 2012—On Friday, the United States House of Representatives passed legislation to provide up to 55,000 green cards a year to new green card programs for foreign graduates of U.S. universities with advanced science, technology, engineering, or mathematics( STEM) degrees. H.R. 6429, which was approved by a vote of 245-139, I VOTED YES. This bill would create a new green card category for immigrants who have received STEM doctorates from U.S. universities. The bill would require immigrants to meet the certain eligibility requirements in order to apply for a STEM green card and require universities to meet certain requirements to be eligible institutions. The bill would also create a new green card category for immigrants who have received STEM master’s degrees from U.S. universities. The bill would allow foreign students to receive student visas to attend college in STEM fields without having to demonstrate that they have no desire to stay permanently in the U.S. Several changes were made to the bill as introduced, including expanding the “V” nonimmigrant visa program to allow the spouses and minor children of permanent residents to wait in the U.S. (without work authorization) for green cards to become available.

 – Next Week

The United States House of Representatives will meet next week on Monday, December 3, for legislative business. The House will consider a number of bills under a suspension of the rules throughout the week. The House is not scheduled to have any votes on Monday in order to facilitate the annual White House Congressional Holiday Ball. Also, in a change from the announced calendar, no votes are expected on Thursday, December 6.

Highlights of the Week:

– Tuesday, 27 Nov; Met with Lt. General (Ret) Kicklighter, US Army to discuss commemorative events for remembrance of the Vietnam War and its veterans and families; presided over House special order speeches for the evening.

– Thursday, 29 Nov; met with Ms Star Parker of CURE to discuss messaging to inner city residents on conservative principles and values; attended House Armed Services Committee classified briefing on Benghazi attack, more troubling than settling may I add; met with “Doc” McCauslin, CEO of the Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) to discuss ongoing efforts to support our veterans.

–  Sunday, 2 Dec; ran in the 2012 Palm Beaches Half-Marathon (finished middle of the field with 2:04:45); will attend the New Officers induction ceremony and dinner for the South Florida 82d Airborne Division Chapter.