Letters From Washington

Comment

Comment by Ted Wallace on March 28, 2009 at 12:25pm

Are these letters intentionally stacked in order of pro to con ? LOL
Very much resesmbles the responses I've gotten.....average "C".
Good to see the letter from the signer. Of the responses I've gotten getten a response which includes the word Pickens is better than average..

Comment by Chandrashekar Tamirisa on March 28, 2009 at 12:24pm

Dear Mr. Tamirisa:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( H.R. 1 ) . Over the past few months, I have heard from thousand s of Maryland ers who are struggling in this economic climate, but are also worried about significant new federal spending . I share your concerns about our economy; it is my top priority in the United States Senate.

Our economy is hurting and President Obama asked Congress to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act . I agree with President Obama that there is no miracle that will solve our problems overnight, but if we do not act quickly, this recession could continue for years . America could lose its competitive edge that has served as the foundation for our strength and standing in the world . I am committed to working in a bipartisan manner to find ef fective legislative solutions that benefit working individuals and families. These solutions must be timely, temporary, and guarantee greater transparency and accountability so that consumers, homeowners, investors and taxpayers are adequately protected. Additionally, we must improve the current regulatory system so that we can help stabilize the financial markets and increase the availability of credit to families and small businesses.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would provide needed tax relief for individuals and families. The bill include s a $25 0 one-time payment distrib uted to Social Security beneficiaries, disabled veterans, SSI beneficiaries, and retired rail-road workers; an alternative minimum tax patch for 2009; a temporary suspension of federal income tax on the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits; and an expansion of the homeowner tax credit to $8 ,000 .

I also sponsored a provision in the bill that would provide relief to our nation's small businesses. It is essential that surety bonding capacity be available for small business contractors once funds are made available to rebuild our nations' infrastructure. My provision increase s the current statutory limits under the Surety Bond Guarantee Program from $2 million to $5 million . This will allow small businesses to compete for a greater share of federal contracts and ensure that the government better spreads it s ' work among minority owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and disadvantaged small businesses.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 would provide important investments in health information technology. These investments will quickly grow jobs in the health care sector and eventually improve the quality of health care for every American. The bill would also expand health insurance coverage through COBRA and Medicaid programs to individuals who lose their jobs and are uninsured. It also include s a temporary increase in the Medicaid federal matching funds, several unemployment benefits , and supplemental grant extensions for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to assist states struggling to meet the growing needs of newly unemployed workers.

On a local level, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would provide at least $2.5 billion for Maryland . A portion of t his money would put Marylanders immediately to work rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges , and transit systems - creating a stronger and more efficient infrastructure for the 21st century economy. Funds will be distributed throughout Maryland for infrastructure , science, education, training, energy, and will help protect our most vulnerable citizens by providing immediate relief for the poor, the young , and the elderly.

Representative David Obey introduced H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on January 26 , 2009. The House passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Conference Report by a vote of 246-183 on February 13, 2009, and it was forwarded to the Senate . I voted for H.R. 1 , and the Senate passed it by a vote of 60-38 that evening. On February 17, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and it became Public L aw : 111-5 .

I appreciate your contacting me about this most serious and difficult issue. I ask that you continue to keep me informed of your views on efforts to improve the economy. With your help, we can work together in pursuit of bipartisan solutions to improve the lives of working families and our country as a whole.

Please visit my website at http://cardin.senate.gov to sign up for my e-newsletter.

Comment by Christopher and Daniela Rabalais on March 28, 2009 at 10:42am

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

Our economy is facing dramatic challenges. Financial conditions are rapidly evolving, creating volatility and uncertainty for businesses, small and large, across the country. Tightening credit markets, mounting job losses, and decreased consumer spending are wreaking havoc on the bottom lines of small businesses and the savings of every American household.

In response to the economic crisis, Congressional Democrats unveiled H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the Stimulus bill. After several weeks of debate, a $787 billion package filled with an array of funding for government healthcare, education, energy, and infrastructure programs was agreed upon.

The Stimulus bill passed on a party line vote, with all but three Senate Republicans opposing the bill, and was signed into law on February 17, 2009. I strongly opposed H.R. 1 for three primary reasons.

First, I believe the most effective way to stimulate the economy is to leave more money in taxpayers’ pockets. Instead of providing significant tax cuts, the vast majority of the Stimulus bill focused on dramatically expanding government programs. In fact, tax cut provisions in H.R. 1 only represented 27 percent of the total bill. Furthermore, the few tax relief provisions that were included are likely to be ineffective. The largest tax relief provision in the bill, the Making Work Pay Credit, is a $400 tax credit for individuals and an $800 tax credit for couples that will be distributed though decreased paycheck withholdings. For individuals, this amounts to only an additional $7.69 per week. This meager effort will not stimulate our economy out of the current recession.

Second, I believe any stimulus bill should attempt to expend funding immediately and effectively. Instead, in this bill, of the $311 billion in government discretionary spending, only 11.3 percent, or $35 billion, will be spent in 2009. The remainder of the spending will occur over the next ten years. Stimulating our economy over ten years will not bring immediate relief to those feeling the impact of the economic crisis today.

Lastly, this bill will saddle Americans with a significant amount of additional debt. Our national debt is currently above $10.9 trillion dollars. It is irresponsible for our government to wastefully spend taxpayer dollars by the billions when our nation is operating in the red. In addition, it is unfair to place this mounting financial burden on America’s future generations. I could not support a $787 billion bill that will not provide much-needed tax relief; will not spend the funding immediately and effectively; will not create sustainable, private-sector jobs; and will not address the mounting debt facing our country.

The economic downturn has had a pronounced impact on Texas families and businesses, and I would have supported stimulative measures that were balanced, reasonable in size, and targeted specifically to job creation, keeping people in their homes, and overall economic growth. A better proposal would have emphasized tax relief so that individuals and businesses can have more capital to inject into the economy, and it would have guarded against massive government expansion. History teaches that excessive spending may prolong a recession. Moving forward, Congress must carefully consider the long-term consequences of a fiscal policy premised on borrowing and spending. As Congress continues to consider legislation to address the financial crisis, you may be certain I will keep your thoughts in mind.

For more information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, please visit www.recovery.gov.

I appreciate hearing from you. I hope you will not hesitate to contact me on any issue of concern to you.

Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator

284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5922 (tel)
202-224-0776 (fax)
http://hutchison.senate.gov

Comment by Christopher and Daniela Rabalais on March 28, 2009 at 10:39am

Thank you for contacting me regarding our nation's energy policy. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

I support a comprehensive energy strategy that combines conservation, the development of alternative sources of energy, and an increase in domestic oil and gas production. We are increasingly dependent on foreign sources of energy - importing over sixty percent of the oil we use today. Preliminary research data suggests there may be as much as 125 billion barrels of oil and over 565 trillion cubic feet of natural gas located in designated production areas of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) combined. The domestic oil reserves in both the OCS and ANWR, when coupled with existing U.S. reserves of 21 billion barrels, are more than Iran’s total oil reserve of 136 billion barrels. However, Congress has enacted a moratorium on production in these areas.

In order to bolster domestic production and reduce our reliance on foreign sources, I cosponsored the American Energy Production Act of 2008, which repeals current misguided policy and provides access to America's domestic energy supplies in ANWR and the OCS. The bill also allows access to alternative sources, such as one trillion barrels of shale oil in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. These sources, which presently sit unused, are equal to three times the reserves of Saudi Arabia.

I have also supported numerous initiatives to encourage alternative energy use through market- and incentive-based approaches. On March 28, 2007, I introduced the Creating Renewable Energy through Science and Technology (CREST) Act. It promotes the research and development of renewable energy sources, including wave, solar, wind, geothermal, and biofuels. I am very proud to say that Texas is the nation’s leading producer of wind energy, illustrating our state’s commitment to alternative energy production.

Our nation’s energy policy must be proactive instead of reactive. Some of my colleagues in the Senate believe that imposing a windfall profits tax on oil producers or suing the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is the solution to our country’s energy crisis, when, in fact, neither of these proposed plans produces one more ounce of energy. The burden of this tax would be passed down to the consumer, causing record-high fuel prices to rise even higher. Additionally, a windfall profits tax would discourage oil companies from increasing refinery capacity and furthering exploration and production of our own domestic resources. These are not solutions. Instead, a comprehensive energy policy that combines conservation, the development of alternative sources of energy, an increase in domestic oil and gas production, and a safe nuclear energy program will lower energy costs and help our nation become energy independent.

You may be certain I will keep your views in mind regarding any energy legislation offered in the 111th Congress. I appreciate hearing from you, and I hope that you will continue to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.

Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator

284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5922 (tel)
202-224-0776 (fax)
http://hutchison.senate.gov

Comment by Christopher and Daniela Rabalais on March 28, 2009 at 10:38am

Thank you for contacting me regarding global climate change. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

As you know, much scientific data relating to global climate change has been compiled. A preponderance of this data suggests that greenhouse gases have increased in concentration in the Earth's atmosphere, causing the Earth to warm. However, significant scientific data also substantiates the view that the Earth is warming due to normal fluctuating temperature cycles. This suggests that the current warming period of Earth is neither anomalous nor necessarily influenced by human activity.

I believe that the potential dangers of global climate change due to human activities merit additional research. I have supported numerous initiatives to increase conservation, including corporate average fuel efficiency standards, which will reduce fossil fuel use. For example, I voted in favor of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which the President signed into law on August 8, 2005. This legislation provides tax incentives to encourage the design and improvement of energy-efficient homes and vehicles. Tax incentives are also included to promote alternative energy use, including solar, wind, ethanol and bio-mass. In July of 2006, Texas became the nation's leading producer of wind energy, illustrating our state's commitment to alternative energy production.

In June 2008, the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act came to the floor of the Senate. This bill aimed to reduce U.S. emissions by 66% by 2050 through a cap-and-trade system. Through such a system, the Federal Government sets a cap on emissions for certain industries, and companies in these industries are forced to buy permits for all emissions over the cap. The revenues generated by this cap-and-trade system - estimated to be around $6.7 trillion - are taken from American manufacturing and energy industries to be redistributed elsewhere. Not only would this bill essentially impose a $6.7 trillion tax on American manufacturing and energy production, it would also cause a loss of jobs and an increase in electricity and gasoline prices. For this reason, I was not able to support the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act.

I believe that future federal action relating to global climate change should use the most up-to-date and reliable scientific data, as well as carefully consider the economic and social costs involved. We must act in a responsible way to clean our air and address the issue of global climate change, while maintaining a level playing field for commerce. We should not, however, adopt international treaties that place American businesses at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace, while ignoring the proliferation of pollutants by developing countries. Please be assured that should relevant legislation come before the full Senate, I will consider it closely with your thoughts in mind.

I appreciate hearing from you, and I hope that you will not hesitate to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.

Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator

284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5922 (tel)
202-224-0776 (fax)
http://hutchison.senate.gov

Comment by Eric Lykins on March 28, 2009 at 9:49am

and this reply from U.S. Senator Bob Corker:
Thank you for taking the time to contact my office regarding the need for new energy sources and the plan offered by T. Boone Pickens. Your input is important to me, and I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts.

I agree with you about the need to diversify our energy supply so that we are less reliant on foreign sources of oil. Accomplishing this will require a balanced, multilateral approach that includes all available technologies: the continued development of alternative fuels, nuclear power and renewables such as solar and wind; investment in research and technology; the expansion of our refinery capacity to include biorefineries and coal-to-liquid facilities; conservation of our resources; and enhancing oil and gas production in an environmentally friendly way.

In July, I joined a bipartisan energy working group--dubbed the "Gang of 10"--that was created to draft a bill that could actually have a chance of garnering the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate. This bipartisan group, currently comprised of 20 members, has drafted legislation, titled the New Energy Reform Act, which contains three major components: targeted, responsible domestic production of energy resources; an intensive effort to transition vehicles to non-petroleum based fuels; and a robust federal commitment to conservation and energy efficiency.

Like Mr. Pickens, I feel that the time is now to pass meaningful legislation that will lower energy prices and increase our country's energy security. I believe our plan contains the elements necessary to pass an energy bill whether this fall or in the next congress, and it is my hope to see it considered by the Senate in the immediate future.

Thank you again for your letter. I hope you will continue to share your thoughts with me.

Sincerely,

Bob Corker
United States Senator

here's that Wisconsin link forgotten in the last comment

Comment by Eric Lykins on March 28, 2009 at 9:45am

Phil Bredesen, Tennessee Governor:
Thank you for your message expressing your support for the plan that
T. Boone Pickens has advanced for a comprehensive alternative
energy policy for the United States. I share your interest in solving the
issues associated with the cost, availability and environmental
impacts of energy. The plan that Mr. Pickens has presented merits
very serious attention, and I expect to review it thoroughly.

My administration is already working to produce a well-grounded,
effective and achievable energy policy for Tennessee. To that end, I
recently issued an Executive Order establishing the "Governor's Task
Force on Energy Policy." The Task Force is charged with identifying:

* Opportunities for state government to lead by example in
energy efficiency and conservation in our state-owned
buildings and vehicles.
* Prospective policies, legislation, regulations or incentive to
encourage statewide energy efficiency and conservation in
public and private sectors.
* Possible public-private partnerships and collaborations to
encourage research and development of clean-energy
technology and to increase the economic development
potential of the state's energy sector.
* Strategies for expanding the use of alternative fuels and
renewable energy resources to support the sustainability of
Tennessee's environment.

Tennessee is positioned to be a leader in the development of regional
and national energy solutions that can provide economic and
environmental benefits to our citizens. The Task Force is scheduled
to deliver its state energy plan to me by December 1, 2008, and I am
confident that our state will meet this challenge. I appreciate your
comments and your support.

Warmest regards,
Phil Bredesen
*******************************
Task Force Members
Task Force News Archives
Politicians and Policymakers for an Energy Independence Plan
Copy of Wisconsin's Report of The Governor's Task Force on Energy Efficiency and Renewables

Comment by Leslie G. on March 26, 2009 at 9:54am

Great idea for the new group, Missy.............

Comment by Missy Steichen on March 26, 2009 at 7:42am

Dear Missy-
Thank you for contacting Senator Prettner Solon and requesting that she sign the Pickens Plan. She has already signed onto this plan as a supporter. Thanks again for your interest in energy policy.
Please let me know if you need anything further.
Will


William Seuffert

Committee Administrator
Senate Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications Committee
Office of State Senator Yvonne Prettner Solon
G-9 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. MLK Jr. Blvd.
St Paul, MN 55155-1606

(651) 296-7593 (office)
(651) 225-7594 (fax)
william.seuffert@senate.mn

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