Randy's Roundup

[RareLubbockDem]

I don't know how I got on this email list, but I get these about once a week. This one just seemed extra-funny to me, so I thought I'd share.

It's Randy Naugebaur (or something like that).



-- Randy’s Roundup --
June 6, 2005

Congress Succeeded in Not “Messing Things Up” Last Week

There are many people who subscribe to the line of thinking that the less Congress is in session, then the less opportunity it has to mess things up. For those folks, they will be glad to hear that members of Congress were not in Washington last week, but rather back in their districts attending Memorial Day events and meeting with constituents. However, that does not mean that there are not any interesting nuggets of information to report.


Economy Improves as Jobs Added and Projected Size of Budget Deficit Decreases

Recent news reports show that the economy continues to add jobs and that the projected size of the federal deficit for this year continues to decrease. These bits of good economic news demonstrate that the policy of letting working Americans keep more of their money – instead of sending large portions of their weekly wages to Washington – helps reduce the deficit. A recession and the response to terrorist attacks led the federal government to spend more than I would normally support. However, President Bush has pledged to cut that deficit in half by 2009, and we are well ahead of schedule in meeting that goal.

The U.S. Department of Labor also reported that the unemployment rate has dropped to 5.1% - far below recent historical averages and the lowest it has been since September 11th, 2001. As government has eased the tax burden on individuals and small business owners, more workers are being added to the payrolls. For the past 24 months (since May, 2003), each month has seen an increase in jobs. This long streak of monthly increases has led to the addition of 3.5 million jobs to the U.S. economy, and more Americans are working than ever before.

With the economy on the right track, it is imperative the Congress respond by reducing spending. In recent weeks, while the Senate was plagued by filibuster-itis, the House was moving right along to set next year’s budget. The House has voted to hold the line on spending or even reduce spending in areas of government that are inefficient, redundant, or wasteful. At the same time, we have shifted those savings to new priorities, such as border security and medical services for our veterans. If we can continue to show fiscal restraint, and if the Senate can follow suit, then it will mean good news for those who support deficit reduction.


On This Week’s Agenda…

With 4 of the 11 Appropriations bills taken care of in the House, next up is Agriculture. The House will likely vote on the Agriculture Appropriations bill this Thursday. There are several agricultural programs and research initiatives important to District 19 that are included in the bill. Stay tuned to next week’s Roundup where I will detail how the final House version turns out.

--Randy