Butler County Bugle

Boehner Column: "Let's Work Together to Make America Energy Independent"

2008-11-12T12:35:00.001-05:00

I spoke to President-elect Obama on the phone briefly last week. We had a good conversation. I congratulated him on his historic election as our nation’s 44th President, and expressed my sincere hope that Democrats and Republicans will find ways to work together in the years ahead to adopt real solutions to the problems Americans face in their daily lives.

Energy policy is one area in which I believe the potential for collaboration exists. President-elect Obama has vowed comprehensive energy reform will be among the top priorities of his administration, and he displayed willingness earlier this year to break with the harsh anti-drilling stance held by other Democratic Party leaders and radical anti-energy groups based in Washington.

Republicans are hopeful that we’ll have the opportunity to work with the President-elect to ensure his goal of comprehensive energy reform is realized in a responsible manner that meets our country’s needs. For this reason, I’m troubled by reports that he may reinstate the ban on American energy production in certain federal areas as one of his first acts upon taking office. I would respectfully urge the incoming president against such action.

As a candidate for the presidency, President-elect Obama demonstrated leadership by breaking with his party’s other leaders on the issue of offshore drilling. Last August, in the midst of the House GOP energy protest on the House floor, he announced he would be willing to support lifting the ban on offshore drilling if it were necessary to pass a “comprehensive energy policy that can bring down gas prices,” echoing pro-energy Republicans who were calling for an end to the ban as part of a comprehensive “all of the above” approach to energy reform. Weeks later, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who previously had shut down the annual appropriations process in the House in an effort to prevent the ban from being lifted, abandoned her efforts and permitted the lifting of outdated moratoria on energy production both far off our shores and in remote lands in the Inter-Mountain West.

This development was applauded by most Americans, a clear majority of whom oppose the ban. Some in Washington were displeased, however. Responding to anger from powerful special interest groups who contributed heavily to Democratic political campaigns this fall, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) promised that reinstating the ban “will be a top priority for discussion next year” in the 111th Congress, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) tried unsuccessfully to reinstate part of the ban via the year-end continuing resolution.

In breaking with his party’s other leaders last August on the issue of offshore drilling, then-candidate Obama signaled he would be willing to put the needs of the country first on this key issue as President. As he reviews the possibility of reinstating the ban in the coming days, I would urge him to hold firm and continue to side with the American people on this important issue for our country’s future.

Reinstating the ban would delay our nation’s transition to energy independence, inhibit progress toward widespread use of alternative and renewable energy, destroy jobs, increase costs for families and small businesses, and make our country less secure. It would also run counter to the views of a majority of Americans, who are struggling in the current economy and remain worried about our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and our vulnerability to dramatic gas price spikes despite the recent decline in prices at the pump.

The energy crunch of 2008 alerted the nation to the consequences of ill-conceived limits on domestic energy production that force us to be reliant on foreign oil. While gas prices have temporarily dropped, they will certainly rise again, quite possibly to levels higher than Americans experienced last summer.

Our nation’s energy challenges must be answered responsibly and aggressively. This means abolishing federal bans on domestic energy production, giving the green light to environmentally-responsible drilling in previously untapped areas, and using a share of the revenues from such drilling to expand the development and use of clean, renewable energy systems.

One of the great accomplishments of the 111th Congress and President-elect Obama’s initial years in office could be the implementation of an “all of the above” energy strategy that bolsters American-made energy, encourages conservation and efficiency, and promotes the use of renewable and alternative fuels. Ending the energy production ban is a cornerstone of such a solution. Reinstating the ban would be a setback for hopes of cooperation on this vital issue for our country’s future.

Boehner Column: "End Tax-Payer Funding of ACORN"

2008-10-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

Our elections serve as an example of free choice and peaceful transfer of power to the world where too many people are denied the right to vote and a new governing authority comes in during a bloody coup. That’s why allegations of rampant voter registration fraud and electoral fraud throughout Ohio and the country are all the most disturbing. But what makes me angry – and what makes a lot of my constituents angry – is that an organization at the heart of this controversy is receiving federal tax dollars.

For years, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), has been the recipient of millions of dollars of federal funding through various programs and third-party groups. House Republicans were successful in removing a housing slush-fund from the recent economic rescue plan that was slipped in by ACORN’s allies.

This was a good first victory against an organization that for decades has promoted the housing policies that pushed our economy to the brink – forcing banks through affordable-housing programs to give mortgages to individuals who under normal circumstances would not qualify for such loans. The lack of congressional oversight – and a willingness from those who benefited politically to turn a blind eye – to the practices at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have enabled ACORN to continue its destructive actions.

Other than its voter registration efforts, ACORN is involved in lobbying for federal dollars to assist low-income housing programs and, through another arm of its vast network, works in local communities promoting and operating the same programs.

Unfortunately for American taxpayers, ACORN’s allies have successfully found ways to funnel federal dollars to the group. In July, congressional Democrats pushed through a housing bill that contained another slush fund. I voted against that bill because of the slush-fund. Additionally, I have called for an immediate stop to all federal funding for ACORN. Your hard-earned tax dollars that are distributed through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other federal agencies should not be going to an organization that is actively seeking to subvert our electoral system

Just recently, ACORN’s top organizer in Cleveland told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the organization “can’t be expected to catch” every fraudulent voter registration it turns into election officials. This was preceded by two Ohio voters claiming they were harassed by ACORN workers so often that they wound up registering “10 to 15” times, according to an article published in the New York Post.

And these problems are not new to Ohioans. In 2006, ACORN tried to register a dead man in Columbus and others who simply turned out not to exist, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Franklin County officials that year questioned the validity of hundreds of ACORN-submitted registration forms, the paper said. Similar problems existed in 2004, and these problems will continue unless action is taken now.

Currently, more than a dozen states have opened investigations into ACORN’s activities. I am currently looking into how much federal money ACORN is receiving, either directly or indirectly, so that we can put an end to this nonsense. Election cycle after election cycle, ACORN has been at the forefront of breaking the law to promote a radical agenda.

All federal funding to this group must stop. Contracting for services between candidates for federal office and ACORN must end. And now that the taxpayers own Fannie Mae, any funding from Fannie’s nonprofit foundation to ACORN must stop immediately. The American taxpayers should no longer be forced to help fund an organization that has threatened our economic security and that has over the years perpetrated frauds on our electoral system making us question the fairness and accuracy of our voting system, the most fundamental right granted under our Constitution. It’s time to cut off ACORN now before it grows even more destructive.

Voinovich's View: "Ohioans Speak Out Over High Gas Prices"

2008-09-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

I understand that Ohioans are hurting from sky-high costs of food and energy – especially from gasoline prices. And your personal experiences dealing with this crisis are important to me.

To reach out to Ohioans directly, I recently emailed the recipients of my monthly E-Newsletter and asked them to share with me stories about how their families have been affected by these costs. This email newsletter and platform for you all to weigh in with me directly gives you a real voice in Washington. To sign up for my E-Newsletter, visit my Web site at http://voinovich.senate.gov.

I was overwhelmed by the number of responses I received and was deeply touched with the stories people shared. I have already shared many of these stories with my colleagues in the Senate so that they can better understand how real people in Ohio are coping with these escalating costs. Ohio families cannot ignore rising gasoline prices – which are having an effect on everything from electricity and natural gas bills to food prices and the overall cost of living – and your stories can help convince Washington lawmakers to stop twiddling their thumbs.

I heard from parents, who have had to slash their family budgets; from seniors who are struggling to cover health care costs; and from small business owners who are really feeling the pinch and not sure how to make ends meet and keep their companies afloat.

An elderly woman from Defiance shared her struggle to pay for groceries, medications and health costs – and she’s especially worried about her home heating bills this winter. She said the high prices of gas have really affected the local Meals on Wheels program because volunteers are being forced to spend even more money to pay for gas.

Another woman, Beverly, said that she is thankful to be employed but, even with money coming in, they haven’t been able to visit and help their elderly parents as much as they would like because of gas prices. Beverly’s youngest son even had to transfer to a closer college and is struggling to pay the cost of tuition, commuting and food.

Shirley from Toledo was let go from her job in March. Mounting medical bills, prescriptions that cost $700 every three months and the increased cost of living forced her and her husband to file for bankruptcy as she looks for new employment.

Larry from Cincinnati said that he grew up in a poor family, and this great country allowed him to work hard, get an education and find a good-paying job that has afforded him and his wife a secure financial retirement. But, he added, he is sorry to say that he does not see the same security or opportunities for his children and grandchildren.

A small business owner from Bowling Green shared with me how his fuel charges for his carpet cleaning business have increased almost 50 percent in the last year and a half. It’s not too hard to figure out what that does to his take-home pay.

In addition to their experiences, Ohioans from across the state graciously shared words of support for my efforts in the Senate to address the energy crisis and craft a comprehensive solution, while at the same time expressing profound frustration. Believe me, I feel that same frustration. I’ve called for a Second Declaration of Independence from foreign sources of energy that threaten our energy and national security. While we cripple our own economy, we are sending billions of dollars overseas for oil to pad the coffers of many nations that do not have our best interest at heart, allowing them to control the supply and cost of our energy.

I’ve been frustrated for 10 years in the Senate as I’ve voted time and time again to take steps to avoid this crisis but to no avail. In fact, I have voted 10 times to allow for the safe production of the 10 billion barrels of oil known to be in ANWR. I have also fought to lift the moratorium on responsible exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf, which is what experts believe to be the quickest opportunity our nation has to increase or domestic oil production. And I have fought to tap the more than 800 billion barrels of oil locked up in our vast reserves of oil shale. We also must undertake an Apollo-like project focused on developing the clean, reliable and domestically abundant energy alternatives of the future.

Folks, we’ve got a big problem ahead of us, but I am confident that we can solve it by tapping into the resources we have at our fingertips. Congress has sat on its hands for far too long, but people across the country are raising their voices and demanding to be heard, and that is the only way we can bring about real changes in our policies and take our economy and national security back into our hands.

As I mentioned, one of the best ways to stay informed about what I’m doing to address the energy crisis is to read my E-Newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter at http://voinovich.senate.gov. My Web site and E-Newsletter are two of the best ways to know what I’m doing for each and every Ohioan.

Since my days as governor of Ohio, I have been guided by my own motto of “Together we can do it!” And so it is with the energy crisis – we must work together and we must start now to solve this crisis and bring our economy back on track.

Boehner Column: Another "No-Energy Energy" Bill Forced Through Congress That Still Won't Let Us Drill Here Now

2008-09-19T13:00:00.000-04:00

“We’re not trying to give incentives to drill …” (Washington Post, 9/17/08)

That’s what U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told reporters just before voting on the energy bill that she claimed would help solve our energy crisis. Given the overwhelming cry from the American people to drill here and to drill now, this latest sham bill was the last thing we needed.

Pelosi’s bill keeps about 88 percent of the oil and natural gas we could find in deep ocean waters off our coast under lock and key, threatening about $800 billion in tax revenues for the U.S. Just imagine the investment we could make into our economy to create Americans jobs, and to develop alternative and renewable fuels with that money. Instead, the bill was cleverly written to prohibit drilling within 50 miles of the coastline – where most of the untapped oil happens to be – and to deny coastal states any share of drilling revenues, giving them absolutely no incentive to let companies explore for untapped resources.

It was clear more than six weeks ago when congressional Democrats voted themselves a five-week break that any serious discussion about relieving pain at the pump and creating American energy independence was a priority for only some lawmakers. House Republicans took our message directly to the American people about our bill – the American Energy Act – that would unlock our natural resources in Alaska, the Intermountain West and far off our coasts, create a significant investment into the fuels of tomorrow, such as clean-coal and coal-to-liquid technology, and help create good-paying American jobs. Since Aug. 1, I’ve heard from hundreds of you here in the 8th Congressional District – including dozens who mailed me their gas receipts – who agree that we need a comprehensive approach to produce American oil and natural gas for short-term relief and commit ourselves to developing tomorrow’s fuels (biomass, hydropower, wind, solar) to create energy independence. In fact, more than 70 percent of Americans agree that such a comprehensive approach is the direction we need to take. But instead of standing up for the vast majority of Americans who want our natural resources opened up for development, Pelosi sided with the few who would sacrifice the wallets of working families for, in her words, “saving the planet.”

The Newark Advocate in Licking County had this to say about the sham bill in a recent editorial:

“Oil drilling bill is short of a full tank. … The good news is the Democrats have reconsidered their opposition to some offshore oil drilling, getting a related bill passed. The bad news is it won’t make much difference in increasing domestic oil production. … Too bad the bill has so many other stipulations on it that even if it became law it seems like it would do little good. … until a bill that is actually helpful in cutting the price of a gallon of gas gets support in Washington, the only thing that Congress will lower is the estimation it has in the eyes of the public.”

As the Washington, D.C., publication Congressional Quarterly noted, the bill was an attempt to “provide political cover” for lawmakers who needed to be seen as supporting drilling at home while actually voting differently in Washington, D.C. This is exactly the kind of cynicism and hypocrisy that the American people are tired of seeing from Congress. If we are truly serious about stimulating our economy to create jobs, lower energy prices and get our economy moving again, an “all of the above” energy strategy is the way to do that, not political half-measures designed to protect lawmakers vulnerable in their re-elections.

Those who have been hardest hit by prices at the pump are Americans who don’t have the wiggle-room in their budgets for this tremendous increase to their costs of living. House Republicans will continue to fight for an “all of the above” comprehensive energy strategy that will once and for all get us off foreign oil and lead us toward American energy independence.

WMOH VIDEO: Joe Nuxhall Rally

2008-09-03T20:29:00.001-04:00

Butler County Commissioner Greg Jolivette kicked off another bid to get Joe Nuxhall elected to the Hall of Fame. Voting for the Ford C. Frick award is now underway.

Voinovich's View: "Helping Ohio Companies Create Jobs"

2008-09-03T10:53:00.002-04:00

Helping Ohio Companies Create Jobs

Ever since I left the governor’s office, I have watched thousands of good-paying manufacturing jobs leave our great state, and leaving families in crisis. And I have been trying to figure out new ways in Washington to help our state officials reverse that trend. Recently, we got a big win signed into law for Ohio businesses – but our work can’t stop there.

A few weeks ago, President Bush signed into law an amendment I authored that promises to help struggling businesses make new investments, expand operations and create jobs. The Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 included my amendment to provide tax relief to the very companies that are hurting the most in Ohio.

It allows companies operating at a loss the option of claiming their accumulated alternative minimum tax (AMT) and research and development (R&D) tax credits if they use the funds to make new capital investments and create new jobs. But time is running out – this provision expires at the end of 2008. I hope that every eligible company takes advantage of it.

While this is a big win indeed, our work is far from done. I am pursuing even more initiatives to improve the competitiveness of U.S. and Ohio businesses:

Corporate Tax Reform: I recently introduced a bill, the Manufacturing, Assembling, Development, and Export in the USA Tax Act — or MADE in the USA Tax Act — to provide tax relief to domestic corporations and small businesses. My legislation would eliminate tax breaks that advantage foreign competitors and encourage companies to move jobs overseas and then use the additional revenues would then be used to cut taxes on large and small businesses that invest and create jobs in the United States, including: cutting the corporate tax rate to 28 percent from 35 percent; increasing the domestic activities deduction to 12 percent from 9 percent of qualifying income for S corporations and partnerships that are not taxed at the corporate rate; and making permanent the expanded small business expensing provision enacted in 2003 and that expires in 2011.

Energy Independence: I have cosponsored multiple pieces of legislation to increase our domestic supply of both traditional and alternative energy sources, including oil, coal, natural gas, oil shale, tar sands, nuclear power and other forms of alternative and renewable energy. I recently introduced an amendment that would open up the Outer Continental Shelf to oil and gas exploration and use a portion of the revenues to fund research into alternative energy. I am also leading the effort to make Ohio a leader in energy production by expanding nuclear power and coal-to-liquids technology.

Intellectual Property Rights: I have joined Senators Specter, Leahy and Bayh to introduce comprehensive intellectual property (IP) enforcement legislation that treats IP theft with the seriousness it demands by offering a focused, aggressive solution to stop counterfeiting. Our bill would preserve jobs and protect the health and safety of American citizens by increasing IP enforcement through improved coordination among the federal and state agencies charged with IP protection and making permanent many of the President’s current initiatives to combat IP theft.

Workforce Development: This year, I introduced legislation aimed at making it easier for states to develop regional workforce development and economic development programs that meet the needs of the workers and employers. The Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Act of 2008 will help states attract and retain businesses and jobs by helping to ensure that the state can leverage its federal workforce dollars with federal development dollars. This will help ensure that Ohio has a well-qualified and well-trained workforce that meets regional employers’ needs.

I am very concerned about our country and the ability of our businesses to compete in a global economy. I will continue to work hard to build an infrastructure of competitiveness so that our businesses can prosper and create jobs for hardworking Ohioans.

Boehner Column: American Energy Act Will Promote Use of Alternative & Renewable Fuels

2008-08-12T14:16:00.002-04:00

We’re almost through the summer driving season – with no relief in sight since the Democratic Majority in Congress left Washington, DC for a five-week break. Still, as gas prices remain high and home heating costs expected to soar this fall and winter, I remain hopeful that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will finally allow a vote on the American Energy Act, which is the House Republicans’ plan to lower gas prices by increasing production of American energy, promoting more conservation and efficiency, and encouraging more use of alternative and renewable fuels.

Along with the vast majority of Americans, I want to unlock our natural resources and start producing more American oil and natural gas. It’s also important that we increase our investment in alternative and renewable fuels, and the American Energy Act includes several provisions to do that. I recently visited the National Renewable Energy Lab in Colorado, which is an Energy Department facility operated by private-sector scientists dedicated to perfecting cutting-edge solar, wind, fuel cell, biomass, and other emerging energy technologies. The work being done at NREL is a critical component of our strategy to reduce our nation’s dangerous and costly dependence on foreign oil through a comprehensive “all of the above” strategy.

To encourage the use of renewable and alternative fuels, the American Energy Act would:

Award a monetary prize to the first entrepreneur to develop an economically feasible, super-fuel-efficient vehicle (reaching 100 miles-per-gallon);

Establish a renewable energy trust fund using revenues generated by exploration in the deep ocean and on the Arctic coastal plain;

Eliminate barriers to the expansion of emission-free nuclear power production;

Permanently extend the tax credit for alternative energy production, including wind, solar and hydrogen;

Repeal the prohibition on government purchasing of alternative energy; and

Promote coal-to-liquids technology.

Since Speaker Pelosi shut down the U.S. House on Aug. 1 for a five-week break, House Republicans have taken our plan for more American-made energy directly to the American people – from the House floor, where we are talking with thousands of American citizens touring our nation’s Capitol to explain how we’re being denied a vote on the American Energy Act, to communities across the country, where we are promoting our “all of the above” energy strategy in our own neighborhoods.

But instead of joining us in our “American Energy Call to Arms,” Speaker Pelosi is telling her Democratic Caucus – many of whom support the same goals the American Energy Act would achieve – to try to have it both ways. She is on the record telling lawmakers that they should support a drilling plan while at home while assuring them she would never allow such a bill to come for a vote.

Instead, the Democratic leadership of the “Drill Nothing” Congress continues to peddle legislation that will not produce a single drop or watt of new American energy. Is that the type of leadership the American people expect from their leaders in Washington?

I’ve seen the American system work, and when the American people speak up and demand something, there is no way the Congress can defy them forever. Families and small businesses across America want more production of American energy to help lower gas prices, and that is just what Republicans are fighting for in our nationwide gas prices protest. Congress should get back to work, have a real debate on the American Energy Act, and put our “all of the above” energy strategy to work for families here in Ohio and across the country.

Pics From Butler County Airport Radio Controlled Air Show

2008-08-10T20:03:00.011-04:00

TIB Network's Doug the Producer went to the Butler County Airport Radio Controlled Air Show today and snapped a few photos.

Butler County Mom Charged with Pimping her 11-Year-Old Daughter

2008-08-06T16:44:00.003-04:00

The Cincinnati Enquirer has the story which includes this quote from Butler County Prosecuter and a Great American -- Robin Piper:

"What words express a mother taking an 11-year-old girl to someone for the purpose of having sex?" Piper said. "I don't know what word you use - appalling?"

Boehner Column: House Republicans, American People Protest “Drill-Nothing” Congress

2008-08-04T13:34:00.001-04:00

The U.S. House of Representatives truly became the People’s House on Friday, August 1 when hundreds of American citizens and families joined Republicans on the House floor to protest Democratic leaders’ decision to send Congress home for a five-week break without voting on energy reform legislation.

This historic event was not just about gas prices; it was about the power of democracy. Throughout the summer, the Democratic leadership in the House had refused to allow a vote on legislation to help lower fuel costs and put us on the road to energy independence, despite widespread public support for such legislation among the American people. When Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) closed down the U.S. House for the five-week break on August 1 without an energy vote, House Republicans took to the Floor in protest. When the lights, microphones and cameras were shut off, we raised our voices to speak for the American people who for too long have been ignored by this "Drill-Nothing Congress.”

Rather than listen to the American people, Speaker Pelosi and other Democratic leaders are listening to radical special-interest groups that believe we’re better off with expensive gas because fewer people will be able to drive. When she was asked why she refuses to allow a vote on the energy reforms Americans want, this was the Speaker’s explanation: “I am saving the planet.”

But the notion that we have to choose between “saving the planet” and making America energy independent is false. I recently visited Northern Alaska, where energy production and wildlife have not only co-existed, but generally thrived together for decades. I saw firsthand that energy production can be done in a manner that protects the environment and the plants and animals that exist in such regions. It’s also notable that the people of northernmost Alaska – those who know the land best and care for it most – favor opening areas such as ANWR to careful, environmentally responsible drilling.

I prefer to help working families by lowering gas prices, creating American jobs and getting us off our addiction to foreign energy. Every year, we send $700 billion a year overseas to pay for our oil addiction. That money would be better spent here at home to create good-paying jobs. Twenty-five years ago, about 60 percent of the oil we used was produced here in America; today, just 25 percent of the oil we use is American. While some Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have called on Saudi Arabia to increase its production, I believe that more people agree with Republicans in calling for the United States to increase production.

House Republicans have introduced a comprehensive energy reform bill we call the American Energy Act. The American Energy Act calls for “all of the above” when it comes to the reforms needed to lower gas prices and liberate America from its dependence on foreign oil: more conservation, more alternative and renewable energy, and more production of American-made energy. It would accelerate the development and implementation of clean, renewable fuels; create new incentives for conservation and development of alternative energy sources; and lift the government ban on drilling in the frozen North Slope of Alaska and deepwater ocean energy zones far off the U.S. coast. We need to make use of these untapped American resources for affordable energy in the short-term as we work to develop and implement new, cleaner energy sources for the 21st Century.

I reject the notion that American families have to suffer with $4 and $5 per gallon gasoline before America can successfully transition to the widespread use of new, cleaner energy. And clearly the American people reject it too. The American people want Congress to take action on an “all of the above” energy reform strategy. It starts with a vote on the American Energy Act, which would pass with bipartisan support today if Speaker Pelosi would simply allow it to come to a vote. Unfortunately, to date, she has refused to allow such a vote to take place. That’s why House Republicans, joined by hundreds of American citizens, rose in protest on the House floor on August 1.

August 1 was a defining day for the U.S. House, and it will be remembered as the day the people took control and demanded action from their democratically elected representatives. While House Republicans stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the people, the Democratic leadership sent their Caucus home.

Judge Niehaus Dies of Heart Attack

2008-08-01T10:01:00.003-04:00

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported this morning that Butler County Prosecuter Robin Piper had indicated that Judge David Niehaus of the Juvenile Court had passed away last night. The Journal-News adds that according to court officials, Niehaus died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 64.

This story will be updated over at WMD.

EnterTRAINment Junction

2008-08-01T09:48:00.005-04:00

Matt Cunningham of the Journal-News has the story on the opening of EnterTRAINment Junction in West Chester. Be sure to also check out the photo and video galleries as well.

UPDATE: You can check out EnterTRAINment Junction on the web by clicking here. Currently, admission is $9.95 (everybody gets to be a kid again!) during the grand opening.

Boehner Column: "It's Time for the U.S. House to Vote on Meaningful Energy Reform"

2008-07-26T11:26:00.001-04:00

The next time you fill up at the gas station consider this: The U.S. House of Representatives has not been allowed to vote on meaningful energy reforms in more than a month. There have been several sham votes – such as one recently to replace 70 million barrels of easily refined oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) with oil that is much more difficult to process – but nothing that would help get out us out of this situation. Seventy million barrels of oil would meet our energy needs for about three days, and then we’re right back to where we are today. That’s not a solution; that’s not even a band-aid.

Our job responsibilities as congressional representatives include voting on legislation. In 2007, there were 1,186 roll call votes in which you can track how individual lawmakers voted; so far in 2008, there have been 533 recorded votes. As of Friday, July 25, the House has held 62 roll-call votes this month. Not a single one of those votes has done a single thing to help bring down gas prices.

And the Democratic leaders who control the House have indicated they will take the traditional August recess without letting the House vote on long-term solutions for what ails you – high gas prices. The Washington Post editorialized, “Instead of dealing with the issue on the merits, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a staunch opponent of offshore drilling, has simply decreed that she will not allow a drilling vote to take on the House floor.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such cynical and petty politics play out in the House. The American people are crying out, demanding their lawmakers take action to help – help lower fuel prices, help get us off our addiction to foreign oil and help create programs and incentives to bring alternative fuels online.

A colleague of mine recently said, “Politicians do not see the light; they feel the heat.” I don’t know how much more clear it could be that the American public is indeed bringing down the heat on their representatives to do something; and that includes letting us vote on meaningful, long-term energy solutions.

House Republicans recently introduced our energy strategy – the American Energy Act – that is a comprehensive measure to help reduce gas prices by harnessing new technologies, encouraging greater conservation and efficiency, and increasing American energy production in an environmentally-safe way. I recently visited Alaska’s remote North Slope where vast American energy resources sit untouched as well as nearby Prudhoe Bay, which uses 1970s technology to pull oil from the ground. I can tell you that I have seen with my own eyes wildlife and oil production coexisting.

But instead of letting us vote on the American Energy Act, Pelosi and her lieutenants are trying to run out the clock. Chairmen of the House and Senate appropriations committees who are charged with moving spending bills to keep the federal government running have stopped their committee work because Republican lawmakers kept offering amendments to help lower fuel costs. We’re looking at situation in which both the House and Senate will leave for August recess without passing a single spending bill. That hasn’t happened since at least 1950.

My Republican colleagues and I continue to look for ways to force the House to vote on meaningful energy reform, not band-aid measures that don’t create new American energy and help wean us off foreign oil. It’s time for Democratic leaders to stop listening to radical special-interest groups that favor high gas prices, and hear the cries of the millions of energy-strapped American families who are crying out for help.

WMOH Video- Scott Dallis Talks About Extreme Makeover Home

2008-07-19T15:50:00.000-04:00

Boehner Column: How Much Higher Do Gas Prices Have to Go Before Congress Acts?

2008-07-18T16:34:00.001-04:00

It’s no wonder that just 14 percent of the American public believes that Congress is doing a good job with such cynical moves as the recent vote on the ill-named “Drill Now” Act. This bill was the Democratic Majority’s answer to soaring gas prices, but the legislation would actually not do a single thing to lower prices and help us move toward energy independence.

The American public is crying out for relief from high energy prices, and a growing majority of Americans wants Congress to act on comprehensive energy reforms that include ending the ban on new American drilling for oil and gas in Alaska and deep ocean energy zones. A bipartisan majority in the House comprised of Republicans and moderate rank-and-file Democrats supports such a comprehensive approach and is ready to vote for it. This has put Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other Democratic leaders in a quandary, because the radical anti-energy special-interest groups that helped put them in power are dead-set against the reforms the American people want.

Desperate for a way out of this box, yet determined to prevent a vote from taking place on comprehensive energy reforms that include drilling, Democratic leaders hastily threw together the “DRILL Act” – a collection of hollow half-measures designed to look like a pro-drilling energy bill. They bypassed the committee process and rushed the bill to the floor on what’s called the suspension calendar. Members cannot offer amendments to bills brought to the floor on the suspension calendar, which meant the bipartisan pro-drilling coalition couldn’t offer proposals to strengthen the DRILL Act.

But the leadership ploy had a weakness that proved to be its undoing. A bill brought to the floor on the suspension calendar must get a two-thirds majority to pass rather than a simple majority. Because a bipartisan majority in the House saw the DRILL Act for what it was – a sham – the legislation failed.

Democratic leaders reacted to the bill’s failure with more spin, charging that “House Republicans” are “blocking energy reforms.” Nothing could be further from the truth. I and a bipartisan majority of members in the House are promoting what we call the “All of the Above” energy strategy. It includes expanding domestic and deep-ocean drilling, increasing production of American energy, increasing our investment into alternative fuels and promoting conservation. And it deserves an honest, up-or-down vote in Congress.

So far Democratic leaders have refused to allow such a vote. Instead they defied the will of the American people and a bipartisan majority in the House and allowed a vote instead on the hapless DRILL Act. How weak and meaningless was this bill? Democratic leaders made a big deal out of a provision that would “reconstitute a ban on exporting Alaskan oil.” But the U.S. is not currently exporting Alaskan oil – and the bill a bipartisan majority in the House supports to allow new environmentally-safe drilling in the Alaskan coastal plain specifically requires all new oil pulled from the ground there to be sold within the United States.

The bill also included a much-ballyhooed “Use It or Lose It” provision that would supposedly force companies to drill on land they’re leasing from the federal government. But “use it or lose it” is already the law of the land.

But the DRILL Act’s greatest weaknesses lie in what it doesn’t do. It doesn’t support a comprehensive energy strategy that includes accelerated development of alternative fuels, greater conservation, and increased American energy production. These are the reforms the energy-strapped American people want brought to a vote. Instead they got window-dressing.

There are few legislative days left before Congress will leave Washington for the August recess – a five-week break during which gas prices are expected to rise even higher. Ohio’s families and small businesses are already suffering. How much worse does it have to get before Speaker Pelosi allows the bipartisan energy reform plan to come to a vote?

Butler County's Most Wanted

2008-07-17T13:34:00.002-04:00

Sherrif Jones (blog) has released a new set of Butler County's Most Wanted.

Hat Tip: Hamilton Journal News, Staff Writer Lauren Pack

Boehner Column: "We Need an 'All of the Above' Energy Strategy"

2008-07-15T13:34:00.001-04:00

We moved one step closer to developing our own natural resources to provide American energy with the White House announcement that President Bush will lift an executive ban on deep-ocean drilling. But that alone does nothing as it must be matched by congressional action.

Unfortunately, those in control of the U.S. House stubbornly refuse to unlock U.S. resources to help bring down prices at the pump while we wait for emerging technologies and alternative energy sources to become viable for mass consumption. As American families and small businesses face record prices at the pump, they are counting on their leaders in Congress to work together on reforms to help reduce fuel costs. Ending this outdated ban now will help reduce our costly dependence on foreign sources of energy, empower states and local jurisdictions to make decisions about energy exploration, and will also create thousands of good-paying jobs.

For weeks now, House Republicans have tried to bring legislation to a vote in the U.S. House that would help bring down gas prices and put us on a path to being energy independent. Time and again, those bills get caught up in political maneuverings from the Majority party that worships at the altar of radical environmentalism. We’re looking to open up remote, barren land in Alaska for drilling, unlock our deep-ocean resources and develop clean coal-to-liquids technology in what we call an “all of the above” energy strategy. All options should be put on the table, and lawmakers should have the opportunity to vote on them.

While I am promoting the “all of the above” strategy, others in the House are clinging to a “no energy” agenda. Democratic House leaders have announced they would support supposedly speeding up development of energy resources out of Alaska ’s National Petroleum Reserve (NRP-A). But just last year, Democrats passed an energy bill that would actually discourage development in this area. Do they plan to overturn their previous legislation and join House Republicans in unlocking our natural resources for development?

Democrats also claim they will “reconstitute a ban on the export of Alaskan oil” but we currently do not export Alaskan oil so “reconstituting” a ban would be pointless, although it makes for a good rhetoric. The much-heralded “use it or lose it” legislation also makes for good rhetoric but again, it’s completely unnecessary as oil and natural gas companies exploring on federally-leased land must produce results within five to 10 years or they will lose their lease. And the millions of acres some claim is just sitting around untouched is false. At today’s prices, it makes no sense that a company would sit on an oil find rather than develop it and get it onto the market.

We have few legislative days left before the House is scheduled to begin its traditional August break. I believe that we should not leave Washington until lawmakers have the opportunity to vote on meaningful legislation that will help bring down gas prices and set us on the road to energy independence. The more time we waste, the more our working families and small business will suffer. The American public has made it clear that they expect their leaders in Washington to take action to provide some kind of relief from soaring energy prices. The Democratic-run House should stop defying the will of the people and join with Republicans to implement an “all of the above” comprehensive energy strategy that will end our near-total dependence on foreign resources and allow us to develop our own.

Editorial: Fairfield Board Puts Levy on Ballot

2008-07-15T10:11:00.007-04:00

Imagine our surprise: the Fairfield Board of Education has put yet another levy on our ballots. In a Hamilton Journal News piece by Eric Schwartzberg, we learn the stakes:

The 2-mill levy would raise $2,787,537 a year and help the school district fund specific long-term items, such a large equipment purchases and major maintenance items.

Every five years since 1983, residents voted to renew the levy at the same millage to fund roofs, school buses, computers, security systems, paving, heating and ventilation systems, plumbing, windows and safety equipment.

Board President Mark Morris said 2 mills would cost an extra $5 a year on a $100,000 home.

If the levy does not pass, the district will have no permanent improvement funds for the first time in 25 years.

We also learn that the board realizes that this is getting tired:

Also at Monday's meeting, board member Jerome Kearns said he and Dan Murray collected information and data from many sources during the past couple of months to create five recommendations for immediate action including eliminating the middle school dean of students position, reducing building budgets by 5 percent, restructuring library services provided to elementary school students, discontinuing weekend and holiday building checks and implementing a hiring freeze for new positions beginning in school year 2009-10.

"These recommendations would result in an immediate savings of $265,400 in the first year," he said.

The Butler County Bugle stands with board member Arnold Engel on this one: he voted against the levy and also says that Kearns' estimate of saving $111,000 via the hiring freeze can not be rolled into the total amount of savings because that money had not been spent previously.

"It's not a savings if you're saying you're not going to spend it," Engel said. "There's no reduction in cost."

Reducing the cost of government, including public education, is imperative for the growth of the region and the state.

It is a noble effort to demand high quality education, but it is absurd to think that we are doing so at the most effective price using the most efficient means. Our community deserves better.

Editorial: "What is Happening in Hamilton?"

2008-06-28T12:25:00.003-04:00

Something very bad is happening in Hamilton and the fear is that the disease may spread to the rest of the communities in Butler County if action isn't taken to contain the damage. Two stories from this week perfectly illustrate the nature of the illness that afflicts the city of Hamilton. The first deals with the suggestion that Hamilton adopt a "kilowatt hour" tax and the second recommends that Hamilton install red light cameras.

Butler County is doing pretty okay economically, which is a miracle considering the condition of our state's economy. Gas prices are high, but they aren't as high here as they are in neighboring counties. An energy crisis looms over the horizon and Republicans on city council want to impose a tax on energy consumption. Does that sound like a winner to you? An energy tax is absolutely the wrong move at this time and if Republicans do the deed, it will come back to bite them come election time. People remember it well when Republicans raise their taxes and their energy bills.

Red light cameras are not about safety. Study after study has shown that safety conditions do not improve due to the presence or absence of these cameras. Like the energy tax, installing these cameras is about raising revenue to feed a particularly nasty habit: a bloated budget. There is no safety concern at play here. There was a story out of Springfield, OH where one of these cameras cited a driver for making a legal right turn on red. Bottom line: It is not the city's responsibility to enforce traffic laws, but rather the police departments. That the city would consider deputizing cameras for this job is a joke; that the real reason they are even considering such a move is purely financial is a travesty.

The city of Hamilton ought to look at making spending cuts and reducing the tax burden in order to encourage commerce. That is a proven method of increasing revenue and a much better alternative to the various schemes and scams that city council is currently considering.

Boehner Column: "Energy Independence"

2008-06-28T12:12:00.002-04:00

In a few days, we will mark the founding of our great nation, Independence Day. We’ll cheer our historic victory over the British monarch. We’ll celebrate the ingenuity and enterprising spirit that transformed us from 13 colonies to a world superpower of 50 states. And yet with all of our accomplishments, we are still incapable of meeting our own energy needs.

This is insane. Americans are demanding action, but all you hear from the leaders in the Democratic Congress are excuses for why they refuse to schedule votes to put us on the road to energy independence. And the votes that are scheduled are on bills that would actually raise gas prices.

Democratic leaders brought to the floor of the U.S. House a “patch” for the Alternative Minimum Tax that would raise taxes on America ’s domestic energy industry by $13.5 billion. As any small business owner can tell you, when the cost of doing business goes up – and taxes are one of those costs – prices must go up, meaning that consumers will pay more. We’re already paying more than $4 a gallon for gas; how much higher does that have to go before we do something about it?

I recently hosted a telephone townhall with about 300 constituents from the 8th Congressional District and the number one topic by far was gas prices. One thing we discussed was the fact that we import $600 billion worth of oil annually. Think of the dramatic impact $600 billion would have if, instead of sending that money overseas to buy oil, we kept it here at home to create American jobs and create American energy. But instead of offering real solutions, the Democratic Congress is offering sham legislation.

The House recently passed a bill to lower fares for mass transit as part of what Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called a “key component of a clean and green American energy future.” But that bill will force taxpayers to subsidize public transportation costs in big cities while doing absolutely nothing for people living in rural and suburban areas who don’t have access to public transportation.

Speaker Pelosi wanted to pass a “Use It or Lose It” bill to force oil and natural gas companies to produce energy from the lands they lease from the federal government. But federal energy lease holders already must produce oil or natural gas within five to 10 years to remain in compliance with their lease terms and with the law. This law was passed in 1992, and Speaker Pelosi voted for it then.

Democratic leaders refuse to let the House vote on a bill that would let oil companies build new refineries on closed military bases. We haven’t built a refinery in this country in 30 years, and while the existing ones have expanded somewhat, we need to build more to meet our ever-increasing demand. House Republicans have tried to introduce legislation to streamline the approval process for new refineries down to about seven years, compared with the current 10 to 20 years but those beholden to the radical environmental lobby continue to block it.

Democratic leaders also refuse to let the House vote on increasing domestic oil and natural gas drilling. We need to drill for oil on the Arctic coastal plain. The total area we’re looking at is the size of South Carolina ; the area in which the drilling would take place is akin to putting a postage stamp on a football field. Another area where we need to drill is in deep-ocean energy zones far off the U.S. coast, where it’s estimated we could find 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The main reason we’re in this mess is because of misguided federal rules that prevent us from tapping into our own resources based on the mistaken notion that exploration in these remote areas cannot be done in a manner that does not harm our environment.

If I believed we had other sources of energy to turn to right now, I might agree with leaving our natural resources under lock and key. But we don’t, and so it’s all the more critical that we start the process of creating more American energy. It’s going to take at least 20 years before alternative sources like wind, water and solar help meet a significant part of our energy demand. In the meantime, we have no other choice but to go after our own resources if we want to lower gas prices.

As you may know, a nickname for the Republican Party is G.O.P., which stands for “Grand Old Party.” A Democratic colleague recently referred to us as the “Gas and Oil Party.” Compared with the Democrats’ stubborn position of no new domestic energy, no drilling for oil and natural gas, and their continued worship at the altar of radical environmentalism, I’m proud to belong to the party that is actually trying to do something to lower gas and oil prices and help make us energy independent.

Boehner Congratulates First Lakota West Student Named Presidential Scholar

2008-06-26T13:56:00.001-04:00

Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) congratulated Lakota West High School senior Raymond Xi on being named a Presidential Scholar.

Raymond, who plans to attend Yale University in the fall where he will study mathematics and economics, is the first student in the Lakota School District to earn this honor.

“Raymond Xi is an outstanding student, and I congratulate him on earning national recognition as a Presidential Scholar,” Boehner said. “Lakota West High School is one of the best schools in Ohio’s 8th Congressional District, and this award also honors the dedication of the school community to giving students a well-rounded education.”

Raymond’s many school activities include President of Mu Alpha Theta, the mathematics honor society; captain of the Academic Quiz team; Peer Counseling leader; and head of the Engineering Tech Society. He also plays piano, belongs to the National Honor Society and Junior Classical League and is a fund raiser for the American Cancer Society. He is also a member of Lakota West’s Ultimate Frisbee Team.

The Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson to recognize the nation’s outstanding high school scholars. Today, the program honors the achievements of both scholar and artists and to date, has honored more than 5,000 American high school students. Each year, one male and one female student from each state, the District of Columbia are selected as well as 15 at-large students, a number of students living abroad and up to 20 students in the arts are selected based on their academic achievements, service, leadership and creativity through the U.S. Department of Education.

Raymond traveled to Washington, D.C., with his parents, Xiaobing and Hui Wang; his brother, James Yihua; and his grandmother, Duqing Chen.

This is a huge accomplishment and a great reflection on our community. Congrats, Raymond! ...and best of luck at Yale!

Boehner Congratulates 8th District Art Contest Winner Trun Vu

2008-06-26T13:53:00.002-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today congratulated Lakota West High School sophomore Lyndsey Trun Vu for winning the 8th Congressional District Art Competition.

“Trun is an accomplished artist, and I’m proud that her art work will represent Ohio ’s 8th Congressional District to the thousands of visitors who visit the U.S. Capitol,” Boehner said. “I want to thank all the students who participated in this year’s art competition. This is a great opportunity to showcase the talents of our high school artists.”

Trun and her family – father, David; mother, Lehai; brothers, Tri and Minh Dao – visited Washington , D.C. , to attend a ceremony honoring all art competition winners from around the country. Trun joined with other district winners for a group photo on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, and all the students were honored at a reception.

Trun’s winning piece “Looking Up” was done with ink using her fingerprints. Her picture will hang in the U.S. Capitol for a year along with other district winners from around the country. The second- and third-place winners along with two pieces that took honorable mention will hang in Boehner’s West Chester and Troy offices where they may be viewed by the public. Currently, all art work is displayed in the Fitton Center for Creative Arts in Hamilton through Tuesday, May 20.

This year’s contest was judged by Cathy Mayhugh, Fitton Center for the Arts; Sue Samoviski, City of Sculpture ; Laine Snyder, Fairfield Community Arts Center ; and Karen Connolly, a local artist.

The other winners are:

2nd Place: Tatum Berry , senior at Lakota West High School for “Floating Chair. Medium: NuPastel.

3rd Place: Kelsie Garrett, senior at Butler Technology Center for “ Hollywood .” Medium: watercolor/black acrylic paint.

Honorable Mention: Maggie Hinkle, junior at Monroe High School for “The Bird & The Bee.” Medium: Photography.

Honorable Mention: Chris Crabtree, senior at Butler Tech’s Options Academy – The Arts for “The Old Butler County Courthouse.” Medium: Digital Photography.

Photos of all winners and art work submitted for the competition may be viewed in the Photo Gallery at www.johnboehner.house.gov.

Boehner Column: "New Technologies Deliver New Cleaner Energy"

2008-06-21T10:00:00.001-04:00

Usually when you hear the word “nuclear” it means that Iran is in the news again. But I think that we need to view “nuclear” in another light, as in safely and cleanly delivering on our energy needs and helping us achieve our goal of energy independence.

While the price of gas has been slowly creeping upward in the years since President Clinton vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have opened up parts of a desolate plain in Alaska for oil exploration, the true consequences of President Clinton’s ill-advised decision have only recently become fully apparent. Families and small businesses this summer are being pummeled by skyrocketing gas prices that have put an unacceptable squeeze on their budgets.

In a recent e-mail to constituents, I asked people to tell me how they’re coping with gas prices. I did this because I want to be able to share these real-life stories with the politicians and bureaucrats in Washington whose policies are blocking our nation’s path to energy independence. The response to my request was staggering. I heard from grandparents who are limiting their visits to grandchildren. I heard from farmers in rural areas who cannot drive to the post office more than twice a week to get their mail and families who are cutting back on groceries.

Just as the United States has the capacity and the ingenuity to increase domestic production of oil in an environmentally-safe way to help lower gas prices, so too can we pursue technology to lower the cost of electricity. And we can do so using clean nuclear energy.

Believe it or not, France can serve as a great example for us here at home when it comes to nuclear power. Today, 440 nuclear reactors in 31 countries generate 16 percent of the world’s electricity – including 30 percent in the European Union – but France most assuredly leads the way.

Today, France derives 78 percent of its electricity from more than 50 reactors and “recycles” nuclear fuel for further use – a textbook example of “energy efficiency,” which we hear so much about these days in Washington.

In a sign that we may have finally been turning the corner on nuclear energy, last year Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told a House committee that “I have a different view on nuclear than I did 20 years ago” because of advances in technology and that she believes nuclear energy “has to be on the table.” Unfortunately, the Speaker’s actions speak far louder than her words. In spite of its clear advantages to American consumers, the Democratic Congress has refused to promote nuclear power.

For those of us here in Ohio , particularly near Fernald and the Miamisburg Mound Laboratory, the word “nuclear” may have a certain connotation. But, as other nations around the world have demonstrated, nuclear energy in the 21st Century is the safest, cleanest source of energy you can find. In fact, we’re proving it in this country as well. For more than a generation, nuclear technology has powered our Navy with incredible safety.

It’s time now for our leaders in Washington to step up to the plate. The American people deserve a Congress that is willing to make these difficult decisions. Let’s begin to free our nation from the shackles of energy dependence through the clean, safe, and efficient nuclear power.

Boehner Column: We Can Increase American Energy in an Environmentally Sound Way

2008-06-06T19:23:00.002-04:00

For years I’ve been an advocate for increasing the production of American energy in an environmentally responsible way to liberate our nation from its dependence on foreign oil. And for years, such reforms have been blocked by Washington politics. This summer, we’re witnessing the bitter consequences of Washington ’s failure. Skyrocketing gas prices are hurting working families and destroying jobs right here in our region. It didn’t have to be this way. . .and it doesn’t have to stay this way.

General Motors announced recently it will close its Moraine plant in two years because the products made there are no longer in demand. Sales of pick-up trucks and midsize SUVs are down since gas prices keep going up. Just days after the GM announcement, DMAX Ltd., also located in Moraine, announced that it would lay off 290 hourly workers at its diesel-engine plant by mid-July. The DMAX plant builds engines for large trucks and vans, which are also not in demand as gas prices continue their upward climb. What began as a steady drain on family budgets has turned into a dire situation. We’re losing good jobs.

The situation is an outrage. It has been clear for decades that we must strengthen the development of alternative fuel sources and increase the production of American energy. It has also been clear for many years that these steps can be taken in an environmentally responsible way. Why hasn’t it happened? A lot of the blame goes to politicians who say one thing and then do another. Many have promised to increase our nation’s energy supply, but consistently voted against legislation to achieve it.

We have plenty of oil spread throughout Alaska , Montana , North Dakota , the Rocky Mountains and offshore, but extreme regulations prohibit us from going after it. How ridiculous are our current restrictions? As columnist George Will recently noted, China is drilling for oil off U.S. shores, but American oil producers can’t. Congress has repeatedly denied them permission to do so, even over the objections of the coastal states nearest to the potential drilling zones. Instead we’re importing more than 60 percent of our oil from other countries, including a number of nations hostile to America .

Meanwhile, our domestic resources remain locked away, including 86 billion barrels of American oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS); 10.4 billion barrels in a tiny, desolate portion of the remote Arctic coastal plain; and 2 trillion barrels of American oil shale in the Intermountain West.

I’m for increased domestic production, and I have been for years. But don’t take my word for it; look at my voting record. Ninety-one percent of current House Republicans (I’m one of them) have historically voted to increase environmentally-responsible production of American-made oil and natural gas. By contrast, 86 percent of House Democrats have consistently voted against it.

Here are just a few of the most recent examples:

Aug. 4, 2007: the House voted down an amendment to H.R. 3221 that would have included provisions for more oil and gas from Alaska , the OCS and oil shale; removed bureaucratic obstacles to allow construction of more refineries; and promoted more research and development into efficient energy sources. I voted for this amendment; Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) voted against it.

June 29, 2006: while I was serving as House Majority Leader, the Republican-led House passed H.R. 4761, a bill that would have provided incentives to coastal states to permit offshore oil and natural gas exploration under strict environmental protection. I voted for this bill; Speaker Pelosi voted against it.

June 7, 2006: the Republican-led House passed H.R. 5254, a bill that sought to lower gas prices by expediting the permitting process for expanding oil refineries. I voted for this bill; Speaker Pelosi voted against it.

May 26, 2006: the House passed H.R. 5429, a bill supporting environmentally-sound oil and gas exploration and production in the Alaskan coastal plain. I voted for this bill; Speaker Pelosi voted against it.

These are just some of the most recent examples of my votes. You can find more votes on my website, www.johnboehner.house.gov.

I don’t believe $4 gas was the “new direction” Americans believed Congress would take under Speaker Pelosi, but unfortunately that’s where we are. And under Democratic leadership, not only is the U.S. House not doing anything to increase production of American energy, it’s actually trying to enact stricter regulations that further hamper our chances of achieving energy independence. Unless we take immediate steps to increase our own production in an environmentally sound way, we will remain dependent on foreign and oft-times hostile regimes.

Increasing production is just one of the steps we need to take. We also need to conserve more. We need biofuels. We need alternative fuels. We need to have a real serious conversation about the cleanest form of energy, nuclear power. But none of this will make a difference unless we’re willing to explore our own land here in America and increase domestic energy production in an environmentally safe way. We can do this.

House Republicans have announced we will force a steady stream of votes in Congress in an effort to get the energy reform process moving. We need your help to get Congress to take action. Washington is broken. Working together, we can begin to fix it. And we must.

Boehner Column: Energy Independence America Deserves

2008-05-30T15:17:00.000-04:00

Energy Independence America Deserves

Gas prices in Ohio soared over $4 per gallon last week, and that’s a record I am sure families would rather not have achieved. We can waste our time pointing fingers and finding someone else to blame, but the fact is we cannot meet our own energy demands. When it comes to energy production, we’re stuck in the 1970s while our global competitors are going after 21st century technologies. We haven’t built a refinery in the United States in 30 years, and 70 percent of our energy needs are supplied by other countries. We have to stop this dependence on foreign energy; we must begin to meet our own needs.

Simply pointing out that we keep going in the wrong direction is not enough, which is why I am pleased to lead House Republicans in introducing an energy agenda that offers both short- and long-term solutions.

To help ease pain at the pump in the short-term, I am supporting legislation that would impose an immediate freeze on public money for lawmakers’ pet projects (“earmarks”) and use the resulting savings to reduce the federal budget deficit and suspend the 18.4 cents per gallon federal gas tax for the summer. No one should mistake this for a comprehensive solution, and I’m under no illusions that this alone is going to ease the pain motorists are feeling. But stopping the earmarks is something we ought to do anyway in Congress until fundamental changes are made in the spending process, and using the billions of dollars in savings to reduce the deficit and provide even a small measure of relief for families at the gas pump seems like a much more responsible use than frittering it away on pet projects most Americans will never see or use.

Even more important, though, are the long-term solutions embraced by House Republicans that will boost supplies of all forms of energy here at home. The reforms we’re advocating will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and remove the threat of blackmail from foreign dictators who control our energy supplies. At the same time, we will be creating jobs here at home and growing our economy. This is a win-win for everyone, and House Republicans are aggressively seeking solutions to the challenges we face.

First, we will increase the production of American-made energy in an environmentally responsible way. This includes the exploration of next generation oil, natural gas and coal, as well as the production of advanced alternative fuels like cellulosic and clean coal-to-liquids all the while protecting our natural resources.

Second, we will promote clean and reliable energy sources like advanced nuclear and next generation coal, while encouraging clean power from renewable energy such as wind and hydroelectric power. Nuclear energy has proven itself as a safe, carbon-free and environmentally-friendly alternative. France relies on nuclear power for 80 percent of its electricity needs, while here in America it meets just 19 percent of our need. Clearly, we must do better to utilize this energy resource.

We use an estimated 20 million barrels of oil each day, and we haven’t been able to meet our own demand since 1970. As I mentioned previously, we haven’t built a refinery in more than 30 years and there are thousands of capped wells that, while some may have run dry, could help supply us with oil.

A recent report from the U.S. Department of the Interior notes that an incredible 62 percent of oil on federal land is inaccessible for development and another 30 percent is restricted. This leaves just 8 percent of America ’s 31 billion barrels of on-shore oil available for use. The report also states that of our nation’s 231 billion cubic feet of on-shore natural gas, only 10 percent is accessible. Is it any wonder we’re paying such steep gasoline and energy costs when the vast majority of our domestic supply is tied up by extreme regulations that prohibit us from going after them?

Under the House Republican energy agenda, we will cut red tape and increase the supply of American-made fuel and energy to lower prices. Heavy-handed bureaucratic regulations and limitations on the construction of new oil refineries have decreased energy supplies and increased prices.

Finally, we will encourage greater efficiency by offering conservation tax credits to Americans who make their homes, cars and businesses more energy efficient. This will give more families and businesses the chance to take advantage of the newest, most efficient energy technologies available.

All we’ve seen from Washington lately are more of the same failed approaches that caused the long gas lines and rationing we had in the 1970s. Working families across the 8th Congressional District today are feeling the pain of these failed policies. It is inconceivable that we would continue down that same path again, especially when we have the technology, the know-how and the desire to make a change that will give us the energy independence we deserve.

Boehner represents Ohio ’s 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County . He was first elected to Congress in 1990.

Boehner Column: Using Our Troops to Score Political Points Does Not Honor Their Sacrifice

2008-05-23T15:56:00.001-04:00

By Rep. John Boehner:

Earlier this year, Congress worked quickly to pass a bipartisan stimulus package to help middle class families and small businesses and boost our economy. We were able to accomplish this because leaders in both parties passed a clean bill, refusing to let it turn into a “Christmas tree” with all sorts of unrelated spending attached to it.

Unfortunately, this good example wasn’t repeated when it came time to craft legislation to fund our troops in harm’s way. Instead, Democratic congressional leaders tried to use and abuse our troops by attaching tax hikes and spending increases to what should have been a clean bill to fund our men and women in combat. Outraged legislators who support the troops and their mission refused to go along with the scheme, and it fell apart. I was among these legislators who took a stand on behalf of our troops by voting “present” on the bill instead of being complicit with the politicians’ exploitation of our military personnel.

At this point, the Majority should have done the right thing. It should have put a “clean” troop funding bill on the floor for an up or down vote, and sent it to the President. Instead, the Democratic Majority stubbornly did nothing. And the result was that Congress let our troops down by failing to pass a clean troop funding bill before Memorial Day.

The consequences of this failure are considerable. Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in early May, “We need [the troop spending bill] very badly before the Memorial Day recess. We stop paying soldiers on the 15th of June and we have very little flexibility with respect to that.”

Congress heard the Admiral’s warning. But the Democrats who run Congress didn’t heed it. Instead, congressional leaders saw an opportunity to advance their political agendas. Knowing the troop funding bill is popular and certain to pass, politicians in Congress tried to attach tax increases and unrelated spending increases to it – in effect, exploiting our troops by forcing them to carry unpopular political provisions they knew could not pass Congress on their own.

Attaching these “riders” is the sort of stunt that has made Americans extremely cynical about Washington . That anti-war forces in the U.S. House would employ this scheme right before Memorial Day was irresponsible at best and depraved at worst.

Congress owes our military men and women the funds they need for success in Iraq and Afghanistan . That means passing a bill free of unnecessary riders trying to enact an immediate withdrawal from Iraq and add-ons such as $210 million to cover cost-overruns for the U.S. Census Bureau. The American people know our troops are carrying a heavy burden on their shoulders, and they don’t like the idea of Washington politicians exploiting our troops by using them as a vehicle for tax hikes and spending increases. By voting “present,” we were able to stop this scheme and give Congress another chance to do the right thing by passing a “clean” troop funding bill.

Unfortunately, the Majority that runs Congress still didn’t do the right thing. Unhappy that it couldn’t get its way, the Democratic congressional leadership left town for the Memorial Day recess without holding a vote on a clean bill. Then it had the audacity to launch political attacks against legislators who had refused to go along with its cynical scheme, distorting their “present” votes as a vote against the troops. Never mind that dozens of Democratic legislators, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) herself, voted “no” on the troop funding bill itself.

If, as Admiral Mullen warned Congress, the Pentagon is forced to stop paying soldiers by the middle of June, it will negatively affect military families while our troops are fighting overseas. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen should not have to worry about the financial well-being of their husbands, wives, sons, or daughters while they’re halfway across the world facing insurgent bullets and roadside bombs.

Our fighting men and women deserve to be honored for the sacrifices they made and continue to make in defense of our freedom. Lawmakers in the U.S. House can show their gratitude by passing a clean spending bill and giving our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan the resources they need to win and come home safely. It’s disappointing that the Democratic Congress was so devoted to the idea of using our troops to carry unrelated spending and tax increases that it went home for Memorial Day without passing legislation to fund our men and women in harm’s way.

Boehner Column: "It’s Time for a Bipartisan Plan to Lower Fuel Costs"

2008-04-25T21:22:00.001-04:00

We recently marked the two-year anniversary of congressional Democrats saying they had a “commonsense plan” to lower fuel costs. Problem is, that plan has never been revealed and gas prices are, on average, $1.25 per gallon higher than in 2006.

The rising costs are having severe effects not just on family budgets but on industries and local governments. The Richmond Palladium-Item reported on April 2 that surging gas prices forced that city’s police department to have fewer patrol cars. Some school districts in Bowling Green , KY , are looking at cutting bus routes and even, as reported by WKBO News, “going to four day school weeks” because fuel prices are so high.

In Texas , volunteer fire departments are reducing their equipment budgets to be able to afford gas, and the U.S. Department of the Interior recently noted that the trucking industry is poised to spend $135 billion on fuel this year – a $23 million increase from 2007.

To put the true extent of this into perspective, consider that the average American family consumes 1,143 gallons of fuel per year, according to the Energy Information Administration. Based on the $2.33 price per gallon of gasoline when the Democrats took control of Congress on January 4, 2007, a family would have spent $2,663 per year on gas. But based on today’s price – a whopping $3.56 per gallon – that same family would spend about $4,069 per year – that’s $1,406 less for summer vacations… $1,406 less for necessities like food and clothes… and $1,406 less for retirement or college savings.

Memorial Day weekend – the traditional start of summer travel season – is just around the corner. Until we begin to address our problems with regard to domestic supply, we will remain at the mercy of foreign fuel suppliers and you will continue to pay higher and higher costs. A recent study by Canadian bank CIBC states that the price of oil is expected to soar to $225 a barrel by 2012 as supplies tighten. The cost of a barrel currently hovers around $120.

Enough is enough. Empty rhetoric and political promises have done absolutely nothing to lower fuel costs. So far in the 110th Congress, not one energy bill brought to a vote in the U.S. House has contained a single watt or gallon of new domestic energy, despite assurances from Democratic leaders that they have a “commonsense plan.” It’s time to see that plan. But if there is no such blueprint that will take real action to reduce costs without raising taxes, then it’s high time they stop playing partisan games and work with House Republicans to develop a plan that will work.

The best way to bring down prices is by increasing all forms of energy – such as biofuels and nuclear – and especially by increasing our domestic supply of oil in an environmentally responsible way. The U.S. Geological Survey recently announced that the Bakken Shale that stretches across Montana and North Dakota may hold as much as 3.7 billion barrels of oil. The irony is that we have plenty of oil right here at home – more than 10 billion barrels in Alaska , 30 billion barrels offshore and an incredible 1.3 trillion barrels in the Rocky Mountains . We just can’t go after it because of extreme environmental regulations.

We can – and we must – find a balance between being responsible stewards of the environment while producing our own energy. In the midst of a slowing economy, falling home values and soaring costs of living, these fuel costs are a heavy premium for working families, particularly those in suburban and rural communities who are paying more and more just to drive to work each day. Isn’t it time for a bipartisan, comprehensive plan to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, lower costs here at home and invest in all forms of energy to provide relief to working families, create American jobs and grow our economy?

Boehner Column: "Fuel Prices Rising, Taxes Hikes Threatened . No Relief in Sight From Wasteful Washington Spenders"

2008-04-18T15:02:00.000-04:00

It’s possible that by the time you read this column, the federal government will have already cashed the check you wrote for your 2007 taxes. And if you think that was bad, wait until you see how big a check you may write very soon if Congress passes all the tax hikes it’s threatening.

Three times in one recent week, the Democratic-led U.S. House refused to side with taxpayers, instead choosing to continue their tax-and-spend ways. Using a proposal introduced by my colleague, Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan , House Republicans forced three votes on the House Floor to try to stop the largest tax hike in American history. Rep. Walberg’s bill, the Tax Increase Prevention Act, would stop the $683 billion tax increase passed by Democrats in March as part of their Fiscal Year 2009 budget proposal.

Stopping this massive tax hike will help every American taxpayer, including low- and middle-class families, working parents with children and seniors. With record-high gas prices, rising food costs and declining home values, the last thing we need and the last thing our economy needs is a tax increase.

The tax relief enacted previously by House Republicans led to a robust economy, low unemployment and increased savings for working families. But the Democrats’ budget proposal assumed that this tax relief will expire, sending tax rates soaring: personal income taxes will go up, the child tax credit will be slashed in half, the marriage penalty will be re-introduced, the death tax resurrected, taxes on dividends and investments will go up, and even seniors will see their retirement savings taxed at higher rates.

One of the hardest things for middle-class families right now is they can’t seem to catch a break. In today’s economy, it’s getting harder and harder to save, especially with every spare dollar seeming to go to rising fuel costs. And another week has gone by without hearing from Democrats what their plan is to lower gas prices, as they promised two years ago. Instead, gas prices have hit a nationwide average of $3.44 per gallon, according to AAA. Experts are predicting that prices will spike even higher in May, and the summer driving season isn’t even upon us yet.

The harsh reality is that since January 2007, gas prices have increased so much that motorists are paying $1.11 more per gallon to fill up than they were before the beginning of last year. The Associated Press recently reported that fuel costs “appear poised to resume their seemingly endless trek toward a record high milestone of an average $3.50 a gallon. Forecasters call for gas to peak as high as $3.65 within a month.”

Our working families deserve better than this.

We are too dependent on foreign oil. We must increase domestic production by building more refineries and opening up areas of the country to exploration in an environmentally-safe and responsible manner. At the same time, we must commit ourselves to develop long-term energy alternatives. The benefits of expanding our energy portfolio are not just in reducing prices and reducing our dependency on foreign oil but increasing opportunities for new family-wage jobs and growing American industries.

We need to advance commonsense, comprehensive energy solutions that increase American supplies in all forms. Instead, we’re stuck with bad ideas like a 55-cent increase in the federal gas tax and raising other taxes to pay for wasteful Washington spending while middle-class families struggle to make ends meet. It’s time to put aside political maneuvering and work together to bring relief to working families tired of Washington double-speak and empty rhetoric.

Boehner Column: "Killing Colombia Free Trade Agreement Maintains Economically Dangerous Status Quo"

2008-04-12T21:01:00.000-04:00

It was bad news for our region recently when the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which would have created good jobs for Ohio and opened new markets for Ohio farm exports, was killed by political gamesmanship in Congress. In refusing to bring this agreement before the House for a vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has signaled that she puts the concerns of big labor bosses above those of Ohio ’s farmers and working families.

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy here in the 8th Congressional District. We rely not only on current markets to move our products but also on expanding to new ones. Powerful labor bosses in Washington , however, oppose the Colombia trade agreement. They contributed huge sums of money to the Democratic Party in 2006. They’ve pledged to pump even larger amounts into the Party’s coffers in 2008. And in exchange, they got what they wanted on the Colombia trade deal: it was unceremoniously killed by the Democratic Speaker of the House.

Democratic leaders’ political maneuvering clearly tells our trading partners, allies and our own workers that catering to special interests is more important than creating jobs and helping our economy grow.

For the past 15 months, Administration officials have negotiated with Congressional leaders to find a responsible compromise on a trade agreement that would let U.S. goods enter an important South American market virtually tariff-free. Current rates vary, but U.S. cars going into Colombia face a 35 percent tariff; furniture is hit with a 20 percent tariff; and high-quality U.S. beef is socked with an 80 percent tariff. Compare that to Colombian goods, which since 1991 have enjoyed almost complete duty-free access to our markets.

In February, the House voted to extend the Andean Free Trade Preferences Agreement that allowed Colombian goods to continue entering the U.S. virtually tariff-free while maintaining the unfair status quo on our exports. The intent of the Colombian agreement was to eliminate the barriers on our goods entering that country, which would lead to more jobs here in Ohio and throughout the country as businesses would no longer need to worry about meeting stiff tariff rates.

In addition to being a valuable potential trading partner, Colombia is America ’s leading democratic ally in South America . It has waged a long and so-far successful battle against drug traffickers and terrorists that seek to destroy its government and establish a kind of Communist narco-state. Efforts to destabilize Colombia ’s government are supported by leftist Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, a committed ally of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Cuban dictators Fidel and Raul Castro. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has repeatedly said that the best help America can provide against Colombia ’s adversaries – who are our adversaries – is to pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

President Uribe was certainly not alone in encouraging us to pass this important agreement. Many valuable international partners expressed a desire to see Congress take swift action on the agreement and send it to the President for his signature, arguing it would send an overt signal of our shared desire to see stability and democracy in Latin America . Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper pointedly addressed security concerns in a speech last September before the Council on Foreign Relations. “If the U.S. turns its back on its friends in Colombia , this will set back our cause far more than any Latin American dictator could hope to achieve,” he said. In fact, an Investor’s Business Daily editorial grimly notes that the political maneuver used to kill this agreement was being called the “Chavez Rule” in the Latin America media.

Indeed, having seen the political games that just played out, how can any nation trust that future trade agreements made with the United States will not meet the same fate? Speaker Pelosi’s unfortunate decision is likely to wreak havoc on our international trade commitments and on future attempts to open new markets for goods produced by American farmers and producers.

A complaint that frequently surfaced among those seeking to kill this agreement was that the administration allegedly did not consult with congressional leaders. Let me set the record straight on that. There have been hundreds of meetings over the last 15 months in which the administration reached out to the Democratic leadership in Congress in hopes of reaching mutual agreement on how and when the treaty should be considered. Labor and environmental standards identical to those included at the behest of Democratic leaders in the Peru Free Trade Agreement that the House approved in February were written into the Colombian agreement. There were also serious conversations between the administration and the Speaker of the House specifically over the past six to eight weeks.

Despite all of this, the Colombia Free Trade Agreement become another in a long list of legislative victims of election-year political gamesmanship. What could be more fair to our workers than to provide access for our goods to important new markets in South America virtually tariff-free? Our global competitors are already working to expand their exports to Colombia through trade agreements. By killing our agreement with Colombia , Democratic leaders sacrificed more than 200 years of international credibility for the shallowest possible short-term gain. This trade agreement was good for our farmers, ranchers, small business owners and other American exporters who will now continue under an unfair and economically dangerous status quo.

Boehner represents Ohio ’s 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County . He was first elected to Congress in 1990.

Sheriff Explains Operation C.A.S.T.

2008-03-29T15:34:00.002-04:00

Video from WMOH:

Sheriff Richard K. Jones explains Operation C.A.S.T. (Criminal Auto Sales and Titles) which targeted used car dealerships providing fake ID's to illegal immigrants, who would in turn use the phoney documents to buy a vehicle.

Boehner Column: Congress Should Work in Bipartisan Manner to Find Solutions

2008-03-28T19:35:00.000-04:00

Over the next eight weeks, Congress will have an opportunity to show the American people that it can work in a bipartisan manner rather than engaging in partisan sniping and political games. There are real challenges facing our nation, and it’s my hope that we can work together to solve these challenges. I’ve outlined in this column some of the critical issues we will face in the coming weeks.

The Economy and the Housing Market: The housing market is slumping as costs of living – gas prices, food, tuition for example – continue to rise. What we’ve seen from the Democrat-controlled Congress so far have been budget gimmicks, attempts to raise your taxes and plans to make government bigger and more intrusive than it already is. Congress must enact responsible reforms that will empower individuals to make the best choices for themselves. We need to create an environment in which businesses can grow, thereby creating jobs, and working families can afford their living costs while saving for the future.

Project Lifelife, an outreach program to seriously delinquent homeowners who want to remain in their homes but currently face the greatest risk of losing the house, is available through an agreement among the major home-lending companies. This is an effort to “pause” foreclosure through a single phone call. If you have received a letter from your mortgage lender indicating that you may qualify for relief, please call the number in the letter. If you would like to talk with a mortgage counselor to learn what options might be available, call the HOPE NOW Alliance at 888-995-HOPE.

Winning the Global War on Terror: Soon after Congress returns, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will again brief lawmakers on the progress of the troop surge, the conditions on the ground in Iraq, and the political progress that has been made by the Iraqi people over the past year. I sincerely hope that Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will have the opportunity to present his findings in an environment completely different from their previous visit. Last fall, they were greeted by the radical anti-war group MoveOn.org publishing a full page ad in the New York Times calling Gen. Petraeus “Gen. Betray Us” and Sen. Hillary Clinton claiming that their report of progress in Iraq required a “willing suspension of disbelief.”

Our troops continue to make remarkable progress against terrorist groups like al Qaeda that want to see our way of life destroyed. Our troops continue to believe in their mission, and they are constantly looking for ways to improve. Recently, a first-of-its kind graduation ceremony took place at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for six soldiers enrolled in the hospital’s Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course. Four of the soldiers are recovering from injuries sustained in the war; the other two are assigned to Walter Reed. The two-phase course teaches leadership traits and skill sets to enlisted soldiers who will assume responsibility for soldiers working under them. This course is grueling in its own right – imagine completing it and graduating as a wounded warrior.

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA): Until midnight on Feb. 17, our nation's intelligence officials were able to freely monitor foreign communications of suspected terrorists overseas, such as key al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan, to protect our nation and our interests. But today, they cannot monitor new terrorist threats in the same way - and they will not be able to until Congress returns to them all the tools they need to gain critical new surveillance information that could save American lives.

It doesn't have to be this way. Congress returns to session this week, and every day we don’t pass the critical legislation, our nation is placed at further risk. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell explained that "our ability to gather information concerning the intentions and planning of terrorists and other foreign intelligence targets will continue to degrade" without congressional action.

Likewise, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), said recently on the Senate floor that unless Congress acts, "People have to understand around here that the quality of the intelligence that we're going to be receiving is going to be degraded.” Rockefeller is not alone. In a letter written directly to Pelosi in January, 21 of her fellow House Democrats urged her to schedule the Senate bill for a House vote because the "consequences of not passing such a measure could place our national security at undue risk."

This strong, bipartisan call for action makes the majority's decision to block passage of this much-needed legislation all the more troubling. Good information is the lifeblood of the intelligence community.

Ask Boehner: Intelligence Assets, Rebate Checks

2008-03-21T13:58:00.000-04:00

I occasionally use this column to answer questions from 8th District constituents. You may submit questions to askboehner@mail.house.gov. My office is available to help constituents and you will find contact information at the end of this column.

Q: Why did you vote to uphold the veto of the Intelligence authorization bill?

During a time of war, I believe it of the utmost importance that we do not telegraph to our enemies our counterterrorism techniques. The flawed legislation that you’ve asked about would do that, and much more – it would essentially tell terrorists how to train to beat our interrogation techniques so that we cannot obtain information that would help us win the global War on Terror. President Bush and CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden have both stated repeatedly that we do not employ the use of torture against our enemies.

Earlier this month, I voted to uphold the President’s veto of the Intelligence Authorization Bill because it is bad policy. This bill shortchanged critical human intelligence assets necessary to fortify our national security and protect our troops. Instead, it bankrolled millions of dollars of wasteful spending for lawmakers’ pet projects. This misguided legislation also required our intelligence officials to take away from their work protecting us from terrorists to asses the “national security” aspects of global warming.

Let me be clear: our intelligence resources must be dedicated to our national security, not pork and political correctness.

Q: When can my husband and I expect to receive our rebate check that we’re getting under the Economic Stimulus Congress passed?

As part of the bipartisan economic growth package, citizens filing 2007 income tax returns will receive rebate checks as early as May 2, the IRS has announced. The initial round of payments should be completed by early July. Taxpayers can choose to receive these checks by either direct deposit or in the form of a paper check, depending on your preference indicated on your tax return. These stimulus payments will be sent out in the order of the last two digits of the tax filer’s Social Security number; joint filers will receive their checks based on the first Social Security number listed on the tax return.

On the IRS website (www.irs.gov) is a “calculator” that will help taxpayers determine if they are eligible for a stimulus rebate and how much they can expect to receive. Be sure to have your 2007 tax return handy when you use the calculator as you will be asked several questions about the information contained on your filing.

The economic growth package is comprised of two simple parts: rebate checks with an overall phase-out for those with adjusted gross incomes above $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married couples plus provisions to give small businesses incentives to expand and create new jobs. Rebate checks will be determined by the income tax paid in 2007, with a maximum of $600 for a single taxpayer and $1,200 for married couples or, $300 for an individual and $600 for a married couple, provided the individual or couple earned income of at least $3,000 in 2007. Qualifying income includes wages, Social Security benefits and payments to disabled veterans or their survivors. A children’s bonus also will be included in the rebate calculation. Anyone qualifying for the base amount also receives an additional $300 per dependent child under age 17, with no cap on the number of children.

The business tax incentives are:

Bonus Depreciation: Under the new law, a taxpayer is entitled to depreciate 50 percent of the adjusted basis of certain qualified property during the year that the property is placed in service. This is similar to the special depreciation allowance that was previously available for certain property placed in service generally before Jan. 1, 2005, often referred to as “bonus depreciation.” This temporary tax cut offers significant savings on new property with a depreciation period of 20 years or less.

Small Business Expensing: In general, a qualifying taxpayer can elect to treat the cost of certain property as an expense and deduct it in the year the property is placed in service instead of depreciating it over several years. This property is frequently referred to as section 179 property. Under the new law, a qualifying business can fully expense up to $250,000 of section 179 property purchased by the taxpayer in a tax year beginning in 2008 with an overall investment limit of $800,000.

If you are an 8th District resident and have questions about either of these issues – or other issues with the federal government – please contact my office toll-free, 1-800-583-1001.

Boehner Column: Congress Responds to Soaring Gas Prices by Raising Your Family's Taxes

2008-03-14T15:31:00.001-04:00

Gas prices have soared to unprecedented levels in recent weeks, squeezing family budgets and driving up the cost of everything from food to commuter travel. What has the Democrat-controlled Congress been doing while gas prices have soared? It’s been raising your taxes.

Congress’ failure to enact bipartisan legislation addressing America ’s growing energy crisis is proof positive that Washington is broken. Democrats took power in Congress in January 2007 promising they had a plan to lower gas prices. Today, gas prices are 43 percent higher than they were when the Democratic majority took over. And the majority’s “plan” has yet to be seen.

The pain from this broken promise is being felt across America . Our district is no exception. If you live in Eaton, your average gas price as of this writing is $3.29 per gallon. Live in Celina or West Chester ? Your average gas prices are $3.42 per gallon. (Source: OPIS Price Index, March 14, 2008)

But don’t expect Congress to help you out with the ongoing problem of rising gas prices – it’s too busy trying to enact tax hikes to give middle-class families relief from skyrocketing costs of living. Consider this: under the budget approved last week in the U.S. House of Representatives despite Republican opposition, a family of four earning $50,000 can expect to see their tax burden increase by $2,100, according to an analysis from the House Budget Committee. Right here in Ohio , the average family’s tax burden will actually increase by $2,716.

This is what else the House’s budget would do, if it becomes law:

Some 116 million taxpayers will see an average tax increase of more than $1,800 per year.

More than six million low-income individuals and couples who currently pay no taxes will no longer be exempt.

Approximately 48 million married couples will face an average tax increase of $3,000 per year.

Low-income families with one or two children will no longer be eligible for the refundable child tax credit in 2011.

Roughly 12 million single women with children will see their taxes increase by $1,100 per year.

About 18 million seniors will face tax hikes of more than $2,100 per year.

Tax bills for an estimated 27 million small-business owners will increase by more than $4,000 each.

And what will Washington bureaucrats do with this tax windfall? They’ll spend it.

The same budget calls for an astounding $82 billion in increased “discretionary” spending, and does nothing to address the runaway growth of entitlement spending that threatens both current and future generations of Americans. And since Congress refuses to temporarily halt funding for lawmakers’ pet projects – a freeze I and other House Republicans have called for – the extra tax dollars will pay for even more wasteful spending. That means Congress will continue to use your money to fund projects like the “hippie museum” for Woodstock , NY requested by Sen. Hillary Clinton, instead of letting you keep more of what you earn to help you deal with soaring gas prices and other rising costs of living.

Former President Ronald Reagan once said, “We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much.” His words are as true today as they were in the 1980s.

The American people expect their leaders in Washington to work together to promote American energy independence, keep taxes low, promote economic growth, and put an end to waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. Trying to enact tax hikes while costs of living skyrocket is not the way to accomplish that goal.

Boehner Column: Congressional Priorities: Relief for High Living Costs, Restoring Trust of the American People

2008-03-03T09:06:00.000-05:00

Drive anywhere in the 8th District these days and you’ll notice the price of gas from Piqua down to West Chester hovering right around $3.19 a gallon. That’s a lot to pay to fill up your vehicle, and despite promises made two years ago, lawmakers now in charge in Congress are doing nothing to lower these costs.

Middle class families and small businesses are both feeling the squeeze from high energy prices and other costs of living. But a bill passed in the U.S. House recently that I voted against could actually made energy prices more expensive. This legislation does nothing to decrease our dependence on foreign energy sources because it doesn’t produce a single watt, barrel or gallon of new domestic energy. What it would do is raise taxes on producers of energy here at home, send good-paying jobs overseas increasing local energy costs. Worse yet, it actually carves out tax breaks for Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez – courtesy of your tax dollars.

This is unacceptable.

The House also voted down a Republican proposal to make permanent two key tax relief initiatives in the 2001 and 2003 tax relief laws – the expanded child credit and marriage penalty relief – that would have given struggling middle class families some relief from high costs of living. The Republican proposal would also have removed the provisions in the legislation that provides tax breaks for Chavez’s CITGO energy company and raises taxes on millions of Americans.

I was disappointed to see the House vote against tax relief for middle class American families at the same time as the largest tax increase in our history is on the horizon. Congress’ priority should be protecting our families, not enriching a foreign dictator.

While we focus on protecting our middle class families, we must also rebuild the bonds of trust between Congress and the American people. This should be among the highest priorities in Congress. Simply put, Americans have every right to expect the highest ethical standards from the men and women sent here to represent them.

The House ethics process simply doesn’t work, and that’s been true for several years now. I joined with Speaker Nancy Pelosi a year ago in appointing a bipartisan task force of respected members to recommend steps to improve ethics enforcement. As a result of their work, I’m more convinced than ever that if the ethics committee isn’t functioning properly, we should fix it — not layer on top of it a new bureaucracy that stands between members of Congress and entities such as the Department of Justice and the FBI. But that’s just what the Democratic leadership’s proposal does.

Instead of providing a new way for Congress to sweep its mess under the rug, we should focus on fixing the problems that have led to the total loss of confidence in the ethics committee: unending partisan gridlock, a lack of meaningful deadlines for action and the high level of secrecy that surrounds every aspect of the ethics committee’s investigative work.

The desire for a functioning ethics committee is shared by members on both sides of the aisle. Let me highlight three key aspects of our Republican plan:

1. Trust the Department of Justice and the FBI. The House ethics committee is a toothless body that has been paralyzed for years by partisan gridlock. It is a black hole where complaints are filed, never to be seen or heard of again. That’s why our ethics reform plan requires the House ethics committee to refer any matters not resolved within 90 days to the FBI and the Department of Justice. The American people trust the DOJ and the FBI to conduct thorough and effective investigations. Furthermore, in the past few years, the DOJ’s public integrity division has been very active in investigating allegations of public corruption, and it only makes sense to enlist their help when the ethics committee refuses to act.

2. Let in the light on ethics investigations. The House ethics committee is shadowed in secrecy, and very little information about investigations is made public. This lack of transparency has allowed the committee to hide behind a smokescreen of uncertainty. House Republicans want to bring more transparency to Congress, and the ethics process is an important place to start. Our plan requires the House ethics committee to release a monthly public report on its investigative activities. These reports will list all new allegations and any actions taken by the committee to investigate them, with appropriate safeguards that strike a balance between protecting the rights of the accused and informing the public about the progress of the investigation. This public disclosure will also keep the committee accountable and encourage it to act quickly.

3. Get the American people involved. The House ethics committee closed its door to the American people years ago by not allowing the public to submit allegations of ethical violations by members of Congress and staff. Our plan opens the door to public scrutiny by empowering the House inspector general to receive information from the public about alleged misconduct and transmit that information to the committee. Our plan will allow those who submit information to track what happened with it in the committee’s monthly reports.

Our goal is real reform of the ethics process and a system that makes it harder, not easier, for problems to be swept under the rug by Congress. Our proposal puts real teeth into congressional ethics enforcement. The American people have every right to expect the highest ethical standards from their Congress. And they have a right to expect an honest debate, and an honest choice, as we strive to restore trust between the American people and their elected leaders.

Ask Boehner Column: What's Different Now that the Terrorist Surveillance Law Has Expired?

2008-02-22T19:18:00.001-05:00

Regarding the terrorist surveillance laws that Congress is fighting over: Can you explain what is different today compared to before the law expired?

The law giving our intelligence officials the ability to quickly begin monitoring communications among suspected terrorists and terror groups expired at midnight, Saturday, February 16. While we can continue surveillance begun before that date, any new surveillance will be delayed by lengthy legal proceedings that put us and our troops overseas at an increased risk of attack. Let me give you an example.

The New York Post recently reported a heartbreaking story about U.S. forces in Iraq having to wait 10 hours last May before they could begin searching for three American soldiers taken hostage by al Qaeda because lawyers here in the United States were hammering out the proper documents to get emergency permission for wiretaps. One of our soldiers was found dead, two others remain missing. In August, Congress updated the law to ensure that a situation like this does not repeat itself, and that short-term fix expired – as I noted – on February 16. And now Congress has the responsibility to act on long-term modernization of our surveillance laws.

When the original Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was enacted in 1978, a world of wireless communications was unthinkable. Today, technology has changed so much that FISA must be updated to give us the best chance to intercept terrorist chatter. That update includes providing liability protections for third parties that voluntarily help the federal government monitor wireless communications. National Director of Intelligence Mike McConnell, appearing on a national news program recently, said that it’s very difficult to compel a private company to cooperate unless the company is assured it will not face legal action stemming from its help. Already, some trial attorneys are seeking millions of dollars in the form of frivolous lawsuits from third parties who have voluntarily cooperated to help protect us.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, had this to say about the consequences of letting this law expire: "What people have to understand around here is that the quality of the intelligence we are going to be receiving is going to be degraded. It is going to be degraded. It is already going to be degraded as telecommunications companies lose interest."

I remain hopeful that when the House returns from a 12-day recess, it will immediately pass the same legislation approved by bipartisan Senate that will restore our ability to quickly intercept terrorist communications and protect the private companies that help keep us safe.

Do you know of any programs to use electronic patient records to improve medical care?

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is actually implementing a five-year demonstration project for small- to medium-size primary care physicians to use electronic health records to improve patient care. The program’s goal is to revolutionize the way healthcare information is managed, reduce medical errors and improve the quality of care for an estimated 3.6 million Americans.

An electronic health record contains information such as prescription records, test results, treatment histories, progress reports and even X-rays. The benefits range from fewer adverse reactions to prescriptions and fewer redundant tests and procedures to faster diagnosis and treatment with comprehensive health information readily available.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and other senior HHS officials are meeting with community leaders across the country to encourage communities to apply to this program. Eligible communities will include those that:

Demonstrate active community collaboration with a broad group of stakeholders – healthcare providers, medical professional groups, patients and employers;

Show private sector support that includes the possibility of similar programs among employers or health plans in the region;

Are geographically large enough to recruit enough small- and medium-size medical practices – 100 will be eligible for incentives while another 100 will be control sites; and

Are not already participating in a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) demonstration similar to the electronic records program.

Once the 12 communities are selected in June, CMS will begin working within these communities to recruit eligible physician practices. The practices may receive financial incentives throughout the program that will vary in amount and will, in part, depend on reporting and performance for quality measures.

For more information on this program, e-mail ehr_demo@cms.hhs.gov.

If you are an 8th District resident and have questions about either of these issues – or other issues with the federal government – please contact my office toll-free, 1-800-583-1001.

Boehner Column: "Third Parties Helping Secure America Should Be Protected, Not Opened Up to Lawsuits"

2008-02-17T15:50:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle came together to pass an economic growth package to help get our economy moving again. I hoped this same spirit bipartisanship would extend to other critical matters, such as reducing wasteful government spending and keeping America safe. Sadly, this was not to be.

At the end of last week, the House left Washington for a 12-day break after failing to pass critical legislation designed to ensure that our intelligence officials are able to monitor foreign communications of suspected terrorists overseas, such as Osama Bin Laden and other key al-Qaeda leaders while adding critical liability protections for third parties who helped us defend our country. This measure received strong bipartisan support in the Senate, and was on the verge of receiving the similar bipartisan support in the House until it was blocked from coming to the floor.

For some lawmakers, there is no urgency to address this crisis. But the New York Post recently reported a heartbreaking story about U.S. forces in Iraq having to wait 10 hours last May before they could begin searching for three American soldiers taken hostage by al Qaeda because lawyers here in the United States were hammering out the proper documents to get emergency permission for wiretaps. One of our soldiers was found dead; two others remain missing.

These unconscionable delays had real consequences. It should take exactly zero lawyers to rescue our troops. The liability protections included in the bipartisan Senate bill are intended to ensure that patriotic third parties are not subject to frivolous lawsuits when they cooperate with our intelligence officials to help track terrorists and protect our country. But already some trial lawyers are seeking millions of dollars in the form of frivolous lawsuits from third parties who have voluntarily cooperated with our government. This is wrong and we must fix it.

Our first priority should be protecting our national security and not paying off trial lawyer campaign contributors. The question now is how much longer are some lawmakers prepared to protect their trial lawyer allies at the expense of our national security?

Much has been said about the U.S. Senate being the world’s most deliberative body, but in this case our colleagues proved that they can work quickly to pass good legislation that will keep America safe.

The consequences of inaction in the House and the failure to send a bill to the President are real. U.S. intelligence officials will not be able to begin new terrorist surveillance without needless and dangerous delays. If a previously unknown group were to attack or kidnap American soldiers tomorrow, U.S. forces would have to wait – again – for the lawyers to get permission before a search could begin. The families of the three soldiers abducted in May by al Qaeda can attest to how devastating waiting can be.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was written and passed during the Cold War era, and in August Congress updated it to reflect the sophisticated and adaptive nature of the terrorist threat. Just a few months ago, we were able to work in a bipartisan manner to close a gaping loophole that allows our intelligence officials to monitor foreign communications of terrorists overseas. There only ones preventing us from working together in a bipartisan way again are those in the House beholden to trial lawyers.

What was true then remains the same today: instead of shielding terrorists, we should be working to prevent future attacks. Refusing to give our intelligence officials all the tools they need to keep America safe is unacceptable. Refusing to extend protection from frivolous lawsuits to third parties that cooperate with the government to protect American lives and then leaving town for 12 days is also unacceptable. And it begs the question: how much longer are some in Congress willing to protect their trial lawyer allies at the expense of our national security?

Boehner Announces 17th Annual 8th District Farm Forum

2008-02-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC – Former Congressman Cal Dooley of California will be the keynote speaker at the 17th annual 8th District Farm Forum, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) announced.

Dooley, now president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association, served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 2004 and sat on the Agriculture Committee with Boehner. Dooley is a fourth-generation farmer and partner in Dooley Farms, growing cotton, alfalfa and walnuts in California ’s San Joaquin Valley .

“Agriculture is a pillar of the 8th District’s economy, and I host Farm Forum each year so that people whose livelihoods depend on the continued success of our agriculture community as well as those with an interest in agriculture can come together to discuss the issues of the day,” Boehner said. “Farm Forum is always a highlight of my year, and I’m pleased to bring together some of the best agriculture policy minds in the 8th District, throughout Ohio and from Washington , D.C. to talk with farmers in our community.”

This year’s distinguished panel of experts includes Tom Menke, President of Menke Consulting; Bob Peterson, President of the Ohio Farm Bureau; Carl Zulauf, the Francis B. McCormick Professor of Agriculture and Marketing Policy at The Ohio State University; and Jim Chakeres, executive director of the Ohio Poultry Association. The panel moderator will be Sen. Keith Faber (R-Celina), who sits on the Ohio Senate Agriculture Committee and has been named a Friend of Agriculture by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.

Farm Forum is a free event for anyone with an interest in agriculture. To RSVP, call Boehner’s office toll-free at 800-582-1001 or register online at www.johnboehner.house.gov.

WHERE: Edison Community College , 1973 Edison Drive , Piqua

WHEN: Saturday, March 1. Registration opens at 9:30 am; the program begins at 10 am.

Boehner Column/Ask Boehner: Illegal Immigrants Not Eligible for Tax Rebate Checks, Switching from Analog to Digital TV

2008-02-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

I occasionally use this column to answer questions from 8th District constituents. You may submit questions to askboehner@mail.house.gov. My office is available to help constituents and you will find contact information at the end of this column.

I liked the economic stimulus bill the House passed but now I hear that illegal immigrants will be getting rebate checks just like everyone else. Is this true?

As you noted, the U.S. House of Representatives recently approved an economic growth package intended to infuse resources into our economy and provide small businesses with incentives to expand and create new jobs. This simple plan would provide rebate checks to working families based on their 2007 tax returns and give tax relief to business owners.

Unfortunately, an alarming number of reports have sprung up claiming that the package would enable illegal immigrants to receive a tax rebate. The bill contains no such language enabling illegal immigrants to receive a tax rebate. In fact, illegal immigrants who steal or fabricate a Social Security number are not eligible to receive checks under the House bill. An illegal immigrant who files taxes based on stolen or fraudulent information in an attempt to receive a check under the House bill is committing tax fraud.

I continue to be a strong proponent of enforcing our immigration laws and securing our borders. In a joint-statement I issued with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, we said that will take legislative action to clarify and underscore the language in the growth package that prevents illegal immigrants from receiving any benefits. In fact, the stimulus bill that passed in the House with overwhelming bipartisan support includes language similar to the provisions included in the 2001 and 2003 tax relief bills regarding the prohibition of benefits to those here illegally.

The economic growth package isn’t perfect, but it will quickly get money into the hands of working families while helping small businesses grow and create jobs. Those are two of the most important components for the long-term economic health and security of our nation.

Can you tell me why the government is making a change in how we receive television signals?

On Feb. 18, 2009, over-the-air television broadcasts will become exclusively digital, which could render your old TV and rabbit-ears or rooftop antennae obsolete. As mandated by federal law, local TV stations are moving from the old analog system to digital broadcasting. This will free up much-needed parts of the broadcast spectrum for public safety communications – police and fire departments, and rescue squads.

This switch to digital broadcasting is the most significant development in television technology since shows switched from black-and-white to color. But as with any major change, people will have questions. Foremost on peoples’ minds is whether or not they will have to buy a new TV once this change goes into effect.

If your TV is connected to cable, satellite or a telephone service provider or if your analog TV have a built-in digital tuner, this transition will not affect you. To determine whether your TV has this tuner built in, check your owner’s manual, consult the manufacturer’s website or check your TV set for an input connection labeled “digital input” or “ATSC.” If you bought your TV set before 1998, it most likely will not have a digital tuner. Sets made after 2004 generally come equipped with a digital tuner and by law, all reception devices (TVs, VCRs, DVRs, etc.) sold in the U.S. must have this tuner. However, stores may continue to sell analog-only sets as long they come with a Consumer Alert that the device will need a converter box.

Households with analog television have three options: (1) buy a digital-to-analog converter box to hook up to your analog television set; (2) purchase a digital television or an analog television equipped with a digital tuner; or (3) subscribe to cable, satellite, or telephone company television services, which will likely provide for the conversion of digital signals to their analog customers.

The analog-to-digital converter box program, administered by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, will provide up to two $40 coupons to requesting households to help pay for the converter boxes, which are expected to cost between $50 and $75 each. The coupons will be issued between January 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009, and must be used within three months after issuance toward the purchase of a stand-alone device used solely for analog-to-digital conversion. Coupons mailed to consumers will list converter box models along with local and online retailers certified to participate in the converter box coupon program.

For more information and to apply for a converter-box coupon, visit the Federal Communications Commission’s digital TV website, www.dtv.gov, or call 888-225-5322 (TTY: 888-835-5322)

If you are an 8th District resident and have questions about either of these issues – or other issues with the federal government – please contact my office toll-free, 1-800-582-1001.

Boehner Column: "Bipartisan Agreement on Economic Growth Package is a Win for American Families, Small Businesses"

2008-01-24T17:21:00.000-05:00

Bipartisan Agreement on Economic Growth Package is a Win for American Families, Small Businesses

Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House recently put aside partisan differences to compromise on an economic growth package that will put money in the hands of middle-income families and give small businesses incentives to create new jobs. This is a short-term fix, and it by no means should be viewed as a solution to ensure our long-term economic health.

I am pleased that lawmakers in the House moved quickly to draft an economic growth agreement that is a win for the American people. Equally as important as infusing money into our economy, this agreement contains no unrelated spending or tax increases – a Republican condition of support from the beginning of our negotiations.

We cannot lose sight of the fact that this agreement is only a short-term measure to deal with the unsettled economic situation. It is just as important to put policies in place to strengthen our economic competiveness and create more American jobs in the long-term. First and foremost, we should block the largest tax increase in American history looming in 2010. We also must lower our corporate tax rate, which is among the highest in the developed world, and finally end the arcane alternative minimum tax. And Washington finally needs to control spending and reform entitlements so we don’t leave a legacy of debt for generations to come.

The agreement will provide tax relief for working families in the form of rebate checks. Anyone who earned income of at least $3,000 in 2007 will be eligible for this benefit. Rebate checks will include a base amount determined by the greater of two options: (a) Income tax paid in 2007, with a maximum of $600 for a single taxpayer and $1,200 for married couples; or (b) $300 for an individual and $600 for a married couple, provided the individual or couple earned income of at least $3,000 in 2007. There is an overall phase-out for those with adjusted gross incomes above $75,000 for a single taxpayer and $150,000 for married couples.

A children’s bonus will also be included in this rebate calculation. Anyone qualifying for the base amount also receives an additional $300 per child, with no cap on the number of children.

The package provides tax relief for employer in three areas: bonus depreciation, Section 179 expensing and an increase in Government Sponsored Enterprises conforming loan limit.

Bonus Depreciation: The economic growth package will provide for a 50 percent bonus deduction on new equipment in the year it is placed in service, with certain exceptions for equipment with a “long life.” This temporary tax cut offers significant savings on new property with a depreciation period of 20 years or less. This will give employers – particularly small businesses – greater incentive to invest and create jobs for more Americans searching for work. The temporary bonus depreciation, coupled with expensing measures enacted in May 2003, resulted in a four percent increase in business spending in the first six months alone.

Section 179 Expensing: This provision allows employers, including small businesses, to fully expense $250,000 in both new and used tangible property in the year it is purchased up to an overall investment limit of $750,000. This will provide a particularly strong incentive for small companies to invest in their businesses so they can continue to provide good-paying jobs for the American people.

Increase in Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE)/Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Conforming Loan Limit: The conforming loan limits for both FHA and GSE (such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) loans would be increased from $362,000 to $725,000 and from $417,000 to $625,000 respectively.

The third component of the agreement is that it contains no extraneous spending on unemployment insurance, transportation infrastructure, food stamps, and Medicaid. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, my colleague Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), who serves as the Republican Whip, and I asked that extraneous spending be taken off the table, and the Democrats agreed to that.

This economic growth package is not perfect. But the beauty of it is that it is simple, neat and it quickly puts money into hands of working families while also helping small business owners grow and create jobs. These are two of the most critical components for the long-term economic security of our country. Many Americans correctly believe that Washington is broken. This agreement is one small step toward fixing it.

Boehner represents Ohio ’s 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County . He was first elected to Congress in 1990.

Meet the Political Lindy's

2007-12-29T14:02:00.000-05:00

The Hamilton Journal-Herald has a fun story about a Butler County family that is heavily involved in politics. Check it out here.

Boehner Column: "Congress’ No-Energy Bill Could Cost Jobs, Will Raise Energy Prices"

2007-12-07T19:22:00.000-05:00

Congress’ No-Energy Bill Could Cost Jobs, Will Raise Energy Prices

It should come as no surprise that Congress has, once again, made your life more difficult. The U.S. House recently passed an energy bill that does nothing to lower energy costs – you don’t get a break on your fuel costs; there’s no relief for your high home-heating bills.

The American people want their elected leaders in Washington to address the rising costs of living and the skyrocketing energy costs. But this bill instead will create an energy shortage and kill American jobs, creating a recipe for economic disaster. According to an independent study by CRA International, a business consulting group, the No-Energy Bill would “restrict the supply of energy available to the U.S. economy” and increase costs for a wide array of consumer goods and services. And energy policy analysts have noted that schemes in the bill will actually increase gas prices.

The big question that must be asked is: Who is looking out for consumers? Unfortunately, the answer from Congress is: Not us.

I voted against this bill, and I will continue to vote against bad legislation that will hurt working families. This bill contains zero reforms to help families deal with rising home-heating costs. It doesn’t take a single step toward more production of domestic energy sources. And, as the CRA study noted, it could result in the net loss of 4.9 million American jobs by 2030, a $1,700 decrease in the average American household’s annual purchasing power and a net loss of $1 trillion in U.S. economic output.

By now, you’re wondering what is contained within the more than 1,000 pages of the bill that was written secretly by just a few powerful Congressional representatives and bypassed U.S. House process by not being vetted through the Energy and Commerce Committee.

There is $2 billion in the bill to develop a rail line from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to lower Manhattan. The bill creates “forestry conservation tax credit bonds” that apparently will benefit just one company in the entire country due to the new program’s requirements that land must include at least 40,000 acres and have a “native fish habitat conservation plan approved by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.” The only such “forest” with fish is owned by a timber company in Montana.

As if that’s not bad enough, a “green pork” $3 billion slush fund in the bill could also put your tax dollars toward:

Hybrid snowmobiles in Aspen, Colorado;
A fake rainforest in Iowa;
Replacing police cars in Beverly Hills with Lexus Hybrids;
And copies of Al Gore’s global warming move to give to school children.

If we are serious about solving the energy crisis in America , we must deal with conservation, with alternative fuel sources and with increased domestic production of energy. We must be committed to developing long-term alternatives to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And we must provide incentives for consumers and companies to embrace alternative sources of energy.

Two years ago, the Republican-led Congress passed the Energy Policy Act – the first comprehensive national energy strategy in more than a decade – that called for oil exploration on a very small parcel of the 19 million acres in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge. The benefits of expanding our energy portfolio are not just in reducing prices but increasing opportunities here at home for new family-wage jobs and growing American industries. Ohio is among the largest coal-producing states in the country and we have devoted an enormous amount of resources for research and development. While retaining our position as a national leader on coal, we should seek to become a leader in other energy sectors as well.

Let’s get serious about energy independence. Let’s get serious about what we need to do as a nation to solve this problem for our children and grandchildren. Unfortunately, legislation that kills American jobs and threatens our economy is not the right direction for us to take. I look forward to developing a real energy strategy for our nation and for our working families.

Boehner Hosts First Telephone Townhall

2007-10-23T13:52:00.000-04:00

Nearly 600 Constituents Participated; 20,000 Messages Left

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) last night hosted his first Telephone Townhall with nearly 600 constituents from Ohio ’s 8th District.

“My chief responsibility in Congress is representing my neighbors in Ohio ’s 8th District, and the best way for me to be effective in doing that is to talk directly with them about the issues they care about most,” Boehner said. “Advances in technology allow me to be here in Washington waiting to vote while speaking with a large number of constituents to gauge their priorities. We had a frank conversation about the important issues that impact the residents of the 8th District, and I appreciate the honest feedback they provided to me.”

Those participating in last night’s call were given the opportunity to question Boehner on any issues they wished to discuss. Questions ranged from concerns about expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, limiting earmarks and winning the Global War on Terror to questions about the Medicare Drug Prescription Benefit, simplifying the U.S. tax code and manufacturing jobs being outsourced overseas. At the end of the call, participants could choose to record a question and/or comment; Boehner will be responding to those 8th District residents who left recordings.

A total of 40,136 households in the 8th District were called last night with an invitation to participate in the call. A message from Boehner directing constituents to either the West Chester or Troy district offices or Boehner’s website was left at 20,265 households. The call lasted 50 minutes, and the average length of time constituents spent on the call was 10 minutes.

“I’m very pleased with our first Telephone Townhall, and I look forward to the next one,” Boehner said.

Boehner Column: "Capitol Flag Controversy Reaffirms We Are One Nation Under God"

2007-10-15T09:28:00.000-04:00

The American people have grown weary of endless attempts by politicians and bureaucrats to bar the word God and other references to faith from our public institutions.

The latest evidence that Americans have had enough came this month, when it was revealed that employees of the Office of the Architect of the Capitol (AoC) have been removing references to God from the official certificates that accompany United States flags that are flown over the Capitol and sent by Members of Congress to their constituents. The revelation sparked a massive public outcry.

Since 1937 when the flag program began, people have been able to request to have an American flag flown over the Capitol in honor of loved ones, special events, honored colleagues, fallen soldiers, community achievements and other special people or occasions. The flag is typically paired with a certificate to commemorate the occasion or person for whom the flag was flown. Often, the messages mention God or reference faith in some way. This proud and time-honored tradition has stood for generations.

Like millions of other Americans, I was troubled to learn that the new management in the U.S. House of Representatives had quietly decided to change the practice. I am grateful for the actions of Dayton-area Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH) who spoke out after learning that the word “God” was omitted from a certificate requested by a young Eagle Scout in his district seeking to honor his grandfather.

Shortly after learning of this situation from Rep. Turner, the senior Republican on the House Administration Committee, which oversees day-to-day functions of the U.S. House, voiced similar concerns to the Architect’s office. I followed suit by sending a letter to the Speaker of the House, who oversees the Architect’s office, asking her to immediately restore the traditional flag procedures that allow for religious expression on the certificates.

I wrote, "As Speaker, you have the authority to instruct the Acting Architect to disregard the written policy and restore the longstanding practices that have been the tradition of the House for generations… As Speaker, you have the authority – and the opportunity – to do the right thing… This policy does not reflect the will of the American people.”

The morning after I sent my letter, I was pleased to hear from the Speaker that she had decided to instruct the Architect’s office to reinstate those time-honored traditions allowing for religious expression on the flag certificates.

To remove any questions regarding flag procedures, Rep. Turner has announced that he will offer legislation to permanently allow references to God and expressions of faith on flag certificates. I support the legislation and believe it is an appropriate way to solidify the Speaker's decision.

It's unfortunate that this controversy had to take place, and indeed, the battle to restore the traditional practice in full may not be over yet. I have made clear that I will accept nothing less than the full restoration of this tradition. Nonetheless, the massive public outcry over the policy banning the word God from flag certificates has provided reassuring evidence that most Americans still believe passionately that we are One Nation Under God -- and the procedures of the United States Congress should continue to reflect it.

Boehner Column: "Higher Taxes, Zero Accountability Won’t Cure Washington’s Spending Addiction"

2007-10-05T21:22:00.000-04:00

President Ronald Reagan famously said, “We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much.”

Regrettably, Washington’s spending habits have only gotten worse since President Reagan uttered those words and while the Republican-led Congress lowered taxes for working families, married couples (and married couples with children) and small businesses, the new majority in the U.S. House is doing its best to erase our economic success by raising taxes.

Last month, 110,000 jobs were created, and the Department of Labor revised its August jobs report to note the creation of 89,000 jobs. This marks 49 consecutive months of job creation in the U.S. , which is the longest uninterrupted period of job growth on record for our nation. Still, too many American families continue to struggle with the rising cost of living in the United States , especially as the price of energy, home mortgages, and consumer goods continue to increase and eat away at the family budget every month.

The anxieties American families face are deepened every time another tax increase is proposed – in part because we don’t have full accountability and transparency in how Congress spends your tax dollars. Studies show Americans believe about 40 cents of every tax dollar sent to Washington is wasted. They also show an overwhelming majority of Americans believe that lawmakers who request federal funding for projects in their districts (known as an “earmark”) should publicly put their name to that project and be willing to defend it. I believe that if a politician isn’t willing to put his or her name publicly behind a project, the American people shouldn’t have to pay for it.

But its business as usual in Congress where these earmarks are disclosed in some bills – not all – and even then, the disclosure is so murky you can’t pull up a comprehensive list of earmarks and the lawmakers requesting them. Recently, when a powerful Member of Congress was asked why this was so difficult, he responded that it was too bad people would have to work to connect the projects with their sponsors. This is exactly the kind of attitude we need to do-away with in Washington .

Another attitude we need to do-away with is, again in the words of former President Reagan, “If it moves, tax it.”

In the late 1990s, the Republican Congress enacted a ban on Internet taxes that has allowed the American people to capitalize on its growth. Since then, the Internet has driven economic growth and prosperity in ways we never could have imagined. But this tax moratorium will expire in just a few weeks and so far, there’s been no action by the majority in either the U.S. House or Senate to renew the ban or even eliminate e-taxes permanently. That’s sad proof of Mr. Reagan’s words.

Here is a list of just some of the tax increases that have been proposed since January in the U.S. House, as documented recently by the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Reinstating the “marriage penalty” income tax that forced middle-class married couples filing jointly to pay more taxes than if they filed separately;

Cutting the per-child tax credit from $1,000 to $500;

Reinstating the Death Tax, which is scheduled to meet its own demise in 2009 but will resurrect two years later unless Congress makes this tax’s death permanent;

Raising federal cigarette taxes by 156 percent, to $1 per pack;

Raising cigar taxes from a 20.7 percent tax on wholesale prices with a 5-cent cap to a 53 percent rate with a $3 cap;

Increasing the federal gasoline tax anywhere from 5 cents to 50 cents per gallon;

Eliminating the interest deduction for home equity loans;

Creating a $50 per ton tax on carbon to be assessed on coal, petroleum products and natural gas to create a fund to combat global warming;

The most recent proposal is a war surtax that will be levied on every working American, purportedly to pay for the war. What this really is, though, is a backdoor proposal to cut off funding for our troops bravely serving in Iraq by forcing an unpopular tax increase onto hard-working American families. If this attempt to pull the plug on troop funding succeeds, there will be a stampede by free-spending lawmakers looking to grab those dollars for pork-barrel projects – and unless we enact full accountability and transparency for earmarks, you won’t know how your tax dollars are being spent.

Right now, I am leading an effort to require public disclosure for all earmarks and to make sure we can openly debate any earmark on the House Floor. I don’t personally use earmarks because I don’t view the federal Treasury as an open checkbook for Washington lawmakers, and I will continue fighting to make sure that you know how we’re spending your hard-earned dollars.

Family Drug Court Receives Grant

2007-10-05T08:28:00.000-04:00

It is a program designed to bring drug-addicted parents back together with their children after treatment. And it got a major boost in funding after having to scrape from wherever it could. Butler County's Family Drug Court received a 2.5 million dollar federal grant which will be split out ($500,000/year) over five years.

The Enquirer has more...

Since June 2006, existing staff from various agencies have carved out time to serve on a “treatment team” that coordinates drug treatment, counseling, parenting classes and weekly court visits – much more intensive work than on other cases. “The goal is to reunify the children with their parents who are sober and clean,” said Ron Craft, the court’s judge.

About a dozen parents of 23 total children are enrolled. Because of the new funding, the program might be able to double the number of people served, Craft said.

“This is major,” Butler County Commissioner Chuck Furmon said Thursday. “Two-and-a-half million dollars is really going to make this program go.”

It is a good progam doing good things.

Nenni Announces for 53rd District

2007-09-28T09:21:00.000-04:00

From the Oxford Press:

MIDDLETOWN — Former two-term Middletown City Commissioner and local businessman Paul Nenni announced Thursday that he'll be seeking the Republican nomination for the 53rd Ohio House seat.

Nenni, a certified public accountant, will be seeking the seat currently held by four-term state Rep. Shawn Webster of Hanover Twp., who will be barred from seeking re-election due to term limits.

Nenni said he has spent the time focusing on his family and business since leaving the city commission in 1999.

Now that his two daughters are older, Nenni said he has "a lot of free time now."

"I have a desire to do it plus the availability to be in Columbus, three, four or five days a week," he said.

Nenni believes his 34 years of business experience, his accounting background and his patriotism from his Marine Corps service makes him a good, honest and caring politician for the county he lives in.

I had been hearing that there was going to be a candidate announcement out of the 53rd, and I am pretty sure that this is it...

He gets my support with this comment:

"We need new blood in Columbus," Nenni said. "We need people who can hit the ground running and to get the job done."

Couldn't have said it better myself...

Road Closure Notice - Seward Road Near Route 4

2007-09-26T13:38:00.000-04:00

This via my good friend Scott of Fairfield Republicans:

CITY OF FAIRFIELD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATED SEWARD ROAD CLOSURE FOR RAILROAD CROSSING WORK

MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED THAT THE CSX RAILROAD CROSSING LOCATED ON SEWARD ROAD (BETWEEN STATE ROUTE 4 AND PORT UNION ROAD) WILL BE CLOSED FOR AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO TWO WEEKS. THE ROAD WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC FOR FIVE (5) DAYS BEGINNING AT 9 A.M. ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007, TO ALLOW CSX TO REPAIR THE CROSSING.

WORK ON THE CROSSING IS WEATHER DEPENDENT.

DURING THE CLOSURE A DETOUR WILL BE POSTED DIRECTING THROUGH TRAFFIC AROUND THE CLOSURE VIA STATE ROUTE 4 AND BY-PASS STATE ROUTE 4 AND PORT UNION ROAD.

AN ADDITIONAL DETOUR WILL BE VIA STATE ROUTE 4 AND MUHLHAUSER ROAD AND PORT UNION ROAD.

CONTACT: Ben Mann

City Engineer

Public Works Department

8870 N. Gilmore Road

Fairfield, Ohio 45014

Butler County GOP Seeking Candidates

2007-09-26T11:58:00.001-04:00

From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

The Butler County Republican Party will screen potential candidates Oct. 3 for some of the offices appearing on the March primary election ballot.

Candidates for Common Pleas Courts, U.S. Congressional Districts No. 1 and 8, and state central committee should notify Sandy Ewen in writing by Thursday.

Fax 513-858-4634.

Boehner: SCHIP Proposal Expands Government-Run Health Care, Includes Hidden Earmarks & Aids lllegal Immigrants

2007-09-25T18:35:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today made clear his strong opposition to legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), saying the program should focus on the needs of low-income children, not adults or upper-income children who already have private sector health care.

In classic “Washington-style math,” the bill could classify 1,516 Ohio as rich and poor at the same time. According to an analysis by the Heritage Foundation, 1,516 families could pay the Alternative Minimum Tax – intended to prevent the very rich from skipping out on paying taxes – and qualify at the same time for SCHIP – intended to provide healthcare to children of low-income families.

Boehner issued the following statement regarding the SCHIP proposal:

“Republicans support renewing SCHIP to help states provide health care to low-income children, which is exactly why we’re opposing this disappointing bill today. Using this critical program to provide government benefits to adults, illegal immigrants, and upper-income families who can afford private health insurance is bad policy. Federal funds targeted for low-income children should benefit low-income children. Period.

“Republicans created this program in 1997 for exactly this purpose – as a means to help children in low-income families – not as a first step towards a massive expansion of government-run health care for all Americans. The children this program is intended to serve deserve better, as do American taxpayers. Unfortunately, this bill also includes hidden earmarks and opens the door for illegal immigrants to enjoy taxpayer-funded health benefits.

“Throughout this process, some lawmakers have sought to ensure a presidential veto rather than avoid it, putting politics first instead of focusing on the needs of low-income children. Having ignored repeated calls from House Republicans to work together on commonsense solutions for America ’s neediest children, the majority has now produced a fatally-flawed bill that deserves to be vetoed. With only five days until the program’s September 30th expiration date, I’m hopeful we can put politics aside and focus on the 6.6 million low-income children who need quality health insurance. Republicans remain committed to renewing SCHIP and providing low-income children with the health care they need.”

There are anywhere from 236,000 to 245,000 children in Ohio who currently have no health coverage. But nearly 165,000 of those childrens’ parents have not signed them up for the program, despite the benefits it would provide. What’s more, studies and surveys repeatedly have shown that opening up eligibility to government-funded programs like SCHIP leads to a decline in those who participate in private insurance despite preferring private health insurance.

NOTE: Republicans have repeatedly called for House Democrats to work together on bipartisan solutions that focus on helping low-income children obtain quality health care benefits. As recently as September 19th, Leader Boehner and Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) requesting that she back an 18-month extension of the SCHIP program sponsored by Energy & Commerce Ranking Republican Joe Barton (R-TX). The extension would give both Republicans and Democrats ample time to reauthorize the program in a more responsible fashion and in the same bipartisan spirit that marked the creation of the program in 1997.

Ask Boehner: Investing in Our Security, Passport Rules Reinstated

2007-09-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

I occasionally use this column to answer questions from 8th District constituents. You may submit questions to askboehner@mail.house.gov. My office is available to help constituents and you will find contact information at the end of this column.

I’ve heard that you made a comment during a television interview about our troops in Iraq but I’ve heard it from so many different places that I was hoping you could tell me what you said and why you said it.

During a live interview with CNN while I was traveling in Iraq to thank our troops for their hard work, I was asked about the money we’re spending in Iraq – an amount the show’s host quoted as $2 billion to $3 billion a week. This is a lot of money. But when we look at this money in the context of the investment we’re making to defeat al Qaeda, protect our interests here and abroad, win the global War on Terror and provide the equipment and resources our troops need to do their job, that investment is well worth the price. However, any attempt to put a dollar figure on what our troops are doing in Iraq does a disservice to their sacrifices that will make us, our children, our grandchildren and generations to come safer.

Unfortunately what’s happened is certain parts of that interview have been cherry-picked and spliced to create an entirely new meaning to my words. Now, as anyone who’s watched recent elections can tell you, negative attacks are part of politics – and that’s true, to a certain extent. What’s not acceptable are partisan attacks aimed at our troops and their families, and character assassinations on the brave men and women who volunteer to serve in our country’s military. Recently, a political group that is pushing for precipitous withdrawal from Iraq bought a full-page ad in a national newspaper attacking the character of Gen. David Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, and implying that he’s somehow betraying the nation by reporting on progress in Iraq. Elected officials – those of us who choose to run for office as the path to making a better world for our children – understand that people and groups who don’t agree with us may resort to misleading attacks. But the men and women who bravely serve in the armed forces do not deserve such a heinous assault on their character.

During my trip to Iraq , I had lunch with Ohio soldiers in Baghdad and also met with Col. Michael Garrett, a 1984 Xavier University graduate who now serves as the commanding officer of Forward Operating Base Kalsu. After returning from Iraq , I met with five Ohio families who lost their sons there. These families came to thank me for my commitment to supporting our efforts in the global War on Terror. These families wanted me to know that they’re committed to winning because they want their sons’ sacrifices to be worth something.

I’m including here a transcript of the complete question and answer from the CNN interview so you can see what I was asked and how I answered:

Excerpt from CNN Interview transcript, September 10, 2007:

BLITZER: Mr. Leader, here is the question. How much longer will U.S. taxpayers have to shell out $2 billion a week or $3 billion a week as some now are suggesting the cost is going to endure, the loss and blood the Americans who are killed every month, how much longer do you think this commitment, this military commitment, is going to require?

BOEHNER: I think General Petraeus outlined it pretty clearly. We're making success, but we need to firm up those successes. We need to continue our effort here because, Wolf, long term the investment that we're making today will be a small price if we're able to stop al Qaeda here, if we're able to stabilize the Middle East . It's not only going to be a small price for the near future, but think about the future for our kids and their kids. This is a very important effort on the part of the United States to secure our national interests and to secure our security interests, especially when it comes to al Qaeda, who has been our number one enemy here in Iraq .

My family is planning a Thanksgiving trip to Mexico and we remember hearing that the new passport rules were no longer in effect. Do we still need passports?

Yes. Beginning Oct. 1, anyone age 16 and older traveling by air to Canada , Mexico , the Caribbean and Bermuda will need a passport. Due to an extensive backlog, the State Department temporarily relaxed that requirement but the rules will soon go back into effect. While the State Department says the standard application process will take 10 to 12 weeks and the expedited process two to three weeks, my office found that the standard application was taking 12 to 16 weeks and expedited applications were taking three to six weeks. Even though the State Department will have processed much of the backlog, I still encourage anyone planning to travel by air to Canada , Mexico , the Caribbean and Bermuda should apply for a passport as early as possible. Information may be found at http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html.

If you are an 8th District resident and have questions about either of these issues – or other issues with the federal government – please contact my office toll-free, 1-800-583-1001.

Boehner Arrives in Iraq , Leading Congressional Trip to Review Troops’ Progress Under Operation Phantom Thunder

2007-09-12T10:53:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) arrived in Iraq today, leading a seven-member congressional delegation to review the progress made by U.S. troops described by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker under Operation Phantom Thunder. Boehner issued the following statement on the delegation visit:

“My Republican colleagues and I have said throughout the year that it is our duty to listen to the commanders on the ground as we make key decisions on the next steps in Iraq . This congressional delegation visit will give us the opportunity to listen to them in person and see firsthand how General Petraeus’ strategy has laid the foundation for important security and political gains ahead.

“Our troops have made irrefutable progress against al Qaeda in Iraq but, as General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker reported to Congress this week, there is still much work to be done – particularly when it comes to political reconciliation. Though reconciliation has begun to take hold in towns and villages across Iraq , everyone – Democrats and Republicans alike – hopes Iraqis will make progress more quickly on a national basis. It is my hope that this trip will give us a chance to see the challenges that lie ahead, while gaining a greater appreciation for the significant strides our troops have made under Operation Phantom Thunder.

“Most importantly, this trip will give us a chance to thank our troops for their efforts in Iraq and service to our country. Our men and women in uniform have joined with Iraqi Forces in taking the fight to al Qaeda and brought greater stability and security in Iraq . It is now our responsibility to make a bipartisan commitment to solidify those gains and bring our troops home after victory, not defeat.”

NOTE: Joining Boehner in Iraq are Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), Ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA), Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH), Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), and Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-OH).

Boehner Column: "A Chance to Improve No Child Left Behind"

2007-09-11T12:14:00.000-04:00

Five years ago, President Bush signed into law No Child Left Behind at Hamilton High School . This law represents the most sweeping education reform in a generation – an effort to end decades of failed federal education policy that allowed billions of taxpayer dollars to be spent without insisting on results for students, rewards for good teachers, and direct involvement by parents.

Congress is currently working to rewrite this legislation – updating it to continue meeting educational challenges and working to provide states and local school boards more flexibility than the original law allowed in how they can choose to spend federal dollars. We should look at what has worked since No Child Left Behind was first implemented and use those lessons to write a new law that more effectively tracks the reform principles that guided the original bill.

Flexibility and Local Control

Republicans have long believed that states and local school districts should have maximum flexibility in how they spend federal dollars as long as they are willing to commit to increased student achievement. I recently signed on as a supporter of the State and Local Flexibility Improvement Act that allows local entities to transfer up to 100 percent of their dollars among the various federal education funding streams and provide states with additional flexibility in the design of their accountability systems. It is simply unacceptable for us to deny states and school districts this type of freedom and flexibility.

No Loopholes in Accountability

Prior to No Child Left Behind, states accepted billions of dollars each year in federal education aid but were not held accountable for using that money to get academic results for all children. Disadvantaged students were written off as unteachable and shuffled through the system without receiving a quality education. I hope that in writing a new bill, there will be no loopholes for chronically underachieving schools to evade identification as a school in need of improvement or as a school in need of restructuring. As Congress writes legislation to reauthorize No Child Left Behind, we must ensure it is free of loopholes that permit children to fall through the cracks.

School Choice

Before No Child Left Behind, millions of parents were in the dark about how their child’s school was performing – and they had no options if they suspected the school was underachieving. One of the most important reforms brought to federal education policy by No Child Left Behind was that it gave parents a choice. For the first time, parents with children in these schools could use their child’s share of federal dollars to choose a better school and/or secure a private tutor, including one from a faith-based entity.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen right here in Ohio the vehement opposition to giving parents these options with proposals to eliminate educational opportunities for low-income students and a line-item veto used by the Governor to eliminate a choice program for students with disabilities. School choice programs give parents and their children options in education, which should be a common goal for all of us.

Among the proposals in the new law being considered is one that would allow an underachieving school to essentially extend the school day and keep students longer rather than encourage them to seek help from private tutors. This is a flawed idea that would take options away from parents and hurt children who are not getting the education they deserve. Additionally, under current law, a school district must set aside 20 percent of its federal Title I dollars to fund outside tutoring for eligible students. But the revised law that is being drafted would require individual schools to set aside this money. While this may seem like only a subtle change, it could cheat tens of thousands of students out of their right to free tutoring services if the total amount of set-aside funds is limited in this way.

Support for Our Teachers

Our teachers are among the most dedicated professionals, and they deserve our support as they educate our children. Several years ago, Republicans enacted a measure that allows teachers to take a tax deduction for money they spend out of their own pocket on classroom expenses like books and crayons. As Congress considers No Child Left Behind reauthorization, we should also pass legislation making permanent this tax relief, which recognizes the sacrifices teachers make to ensure their students get a quality education.

No New Testing

I oppose adding any new testing mandates that would require states to do more testing than is currently required under federal law. Since implementing No Child Left Behind, I have seen no evidence convincing me that we need to test in additional subjects and in more grade levels. Instead of creating more tests, we should make sure the current system is working as it was intended.

We’ve seen many successes under No Child Left Behind, and our children are better for it. But the law is far from perfect. Congress has an opportunity this year to improve No Child Left Behind to allow greater local control, more parental choice, and additional help for good teachers. I hope we seize it.

Boehner: Higher Education Bill Saddles Taxpayers with New, Misdirected Entitlement Spending

2007-09-07T13:28:00.000-04:00

So-Called “Student Aid” Bill Subsidizes Institutions and Graduates, Shortchanges Students

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the following statement today opposing the higher education bill (H.R. 2669) because it creates five costly new entitlement programs; provides billions in benefits for those who already graduated from college; and misdirects new, mandatory federal spending toward institutions, rather than students:

“Last year, Republicans expanded student benefits and saved taxpayers billions by fundamentally reforming our student loan programs. This higher education bill guts those reforms by shortchanging students and mortgaging their future to pay for a tidal wave of government spending.

“As our nation grapples with runaway entitlement spending, some in Congress continue to make matters worse by leaving taxpayers on the hook for an explosion of costly new programs. Their higher education bill asks taxpayers to subsidize college graduates and institutions with billions in new spending that will be placed on auto-pilot instead of being subjected to an annual congressional review.

“While some lawmakers insist on burdening taxpayers with new spending and higher taxes, House Republicans have presented plans to balance the budget without raising taxes, keep federal spending in check, and let middle-class families keep more of their own money. It’s often said that once Washington creates a new program, it never goes away. Congress should think twice before forcing taxpayers to pick up the tab for new entitlement programs.”

NOTE: Today’s entitlement bill is only the latest example of new federal spending in the 110th Congress. Since the beginning of the year:

$6 billion in new spending was tacked onto January’s omnibus spending bill to finish the 2007 appropriations process;

A budget with $20 billion spending more than the President’s budget request was passed;

About $17 billion in additional spending was added to the troop funding bill; and

More than half of the annual appropriations measures were passed despite the threat of a Presidential veto because of excessive spending.

Boehner: General Petraeus, Ambassador Crocker Deserve to Be Heard

2007-09-06T15:55:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement today on the upcoming testimony by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker and the new report released by the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, chaired by retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, on the success of the military surge in Iraq:

“General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker will testify next week on the progress of our troops, and both Republicans and Democrats alike should listen to their conclusions and recommendations with an open mind. It is troubling that Democratic leaders are doing anything and everything they can to dismiss their testimony even before they have the chance to utter a single word before Congress. Republicans have said all year that we will listen to those who have witnessed our successes and setbacks firsthand, and as next week’s testimony approaches, we will await any recommendations, next steps, or adjustments that may be needed in our strategy.

“The report today from General Jones offers Congress valuable insight into the security gains we’re making in Iraq, as well as the challenges that lie ahead. The foremost priority of our troops has been to train, equip, and deploy the Iraqi Army in combat, and General Jones’ report confirms that Iraqi armed forces are becoming increasingly effective and are capable of assuming greater responsibility for the internal security of Iraq. And while the report found that the Iraqi police are making progress, it says we must see more for them to meet their essential security responsibilities. Everyone – the Jones Commission, Republicans, and Democrats alike – expects to see even more progress in Iraq, but it’s clear the foundation for solidifying our security gains has been laid.

“Most importantly, General Jones’ report concludes that ‘the strategic consequences of failure, or even perceived failure, for the United States and the Coalition are enormous,’ and I could not agree more. When Democratic leaders invested their political fortunes in failure in Iraq, they were acutely aware of the risks, and the Jones report underscores the very dire consequences of a precipitous withdrawal and policy options rooted in failure.”

Boehner Op-Ed

2007-09-04T08:42:00.000-04:00

Washington Times: "Congressional One-Trick Ponies" by Rep. John Boehner:

“I’ve often said that Democrats are running Congress just as I’ve expected them to, and nowhere is this clearer than on their approach to fiscal policy. And on taxes especially, Democrats have proven to be one-trick ponies; rather than pursuing real spending reform, they’ve singled-out tax increases as a ‘silver bullet’ solution to any and every problem facing our nation. This not only demonstrates an appalling unwillingness to make tough decisions when it comes to the federal budget, and runaway entitlement spending in particular. It also places working families squarely in the crosshairs, ready to absorb higher — and often altogether new — taxes to pay for an onslaught of new spending in Washington .”

Jungle Jim's Won!

2007-08-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

This is news is about a week or so old, but Jungle Jim's won the Best Bathroom contest. Read all about it on Jungle Jim's website here.

HT: RightAngleBlog

In the News...

2007-08-29T10:29:00.000-04:00

Scott over at Fairfield Republicans has a few stories that might interest Butler County residents:

Bee's Buffet owner gets year in prison - This story has been brewing since 2004 when the restraunt was raided for illigal immigration violations.

Raid at Fairfield Business - Koch Foods - Nets 161 - Something of a theme here...another illegal immigration story.

Butler County changing voting precincts - This one is very interesting if you're a political junkie like me!

Check 'em out!

Boehner Statement Following President's Speech at American Legion Convention

2007-08-28T15:28:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement after President Bush’s remarks on the war on terrorism at the 89th Annual American Legion convention in Reno, Nevada:
“As President Bush underscored today, Iraq is at the intersection of our battle against radical Islamic extremists and represents the defining struggle of this generation. Throughout Iraq, General Petraeus’ strategy is working to drive out extremism and bring freedom to a part of the world that needs it most – and America will be safer because of it.

“In addition to our military gains in Iraq, Sunday’s news of a political consensus among Iraq’s top Shiite, Sunni Arab, and Kurdish leaders will help deliver reconciliation, unity, and a free and secure country in the heart of the Middle East. A growing number of my Democratic colleagues have witnessed our troops’ successes firsthand and are realizing the folly of their leadership’s year-long political calculation to simply declare ‘the war is lost.’ Indeed, this approach is proving to be dead wrong both for the national security of our country and for the credibility of their party.

“With Congress set to return to session next week and with General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker poised to deliver their report next month, Democratic leaders are faced with some very serious choices. Will they support a path that continues success, or they will maintain a platform of failure? If it’s the latter, just how far are they willing to move the goalposts in the face of overwhelming evidence of progress in Iraq? And just how much longer will they attempt to make the case that a precipitous withdrawal is the right approach, even as Iran’s radical leader declares that he is prepared to fill a power vacuum left if American troops leave behind an unstable Iraq? House Republicans will continue to ask these key questions as we await the report from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker in the coming weeks.”

The Reds Can Still Win the Division

2007-08-26T11:10:00.000-04:00

BizzyBlog has the detailed analysis. My reaction can be found in today's WMD Blast.

Congressman Boehner Weekly Column: Iraq Surge Strategy Shows Signs of Progress

2007-08-24T10:34:00.001-04:00

Iraq Surge Strategy Shows Signs of Progress

Soon after Congress reconvenes from the August District Work Period, the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq will deliver a report detailing the progress we’ve made under a new battle plan put into action this year.

Gen. David Petraeus, who assumed control of our troops in February, has implemented a “surge” that required an infusion of U.S. troops working with Iraqi Security Forces and our allies to methodically clear violence-plagued areas of Iraq of terrorists. Gen. Petraeus’ overall plan in Iraq includes a counter-insurgency strategy, which in part focuses on helping Iraqi towns rebuild after major combat operations.

We have two options in Iraq – success or failure. Failure would bring about disastrous consequences for our security, our international interests and our allies. Failure in Iraq would allow al Qaeda to emerge strong and establish terrorist safe havens, and it will give Iran unchecked ability to increase its support of terrorist groups.

Success in Iraq , however, will deny terrorists a safe haven not just in that country but throughout the Middle East , striking a significant blow to the efforts of Islamic extremists in a region that serves as a critical source of funding, recruits and support for global terrorist activities. Success in Iraq will mean a safer America for our children and grandchildren.

And we’re seeing success emerge. In a recent military operation, Iraqi Army Scouts planned and conducted simultaneous raids on multiple buildings and detained a suspected terrorist believed to be a key man in the exchange of smuggled money for weapons, explosives and recruits. And as Iraqi civilians see more and more progress on the ground, the number of tips they’re relaying to Coalition Forces are yielding greater results. One recent tip led U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police in Baghdad to two sites that contained materials to make bombs and other explosive devices.

Despite this progress, those who are invested in failure in Iraq will no doubt find an angle from which to criticize Gen. Petraeus’ report. But our troops are not in Iraq just to create a stable political environment – they are there to help the Iraqi people take control of their country and of their own lives. Coalition Forces are training Iraqi Security Forces, including local police, to defend their countrymen – that is very different from their mission under former dictator Saddam Hussein, who used the police and military to terrorize his own people. While progress in Iraq ’s national government has been slower than hoped for, grassroots reconciliation in provinces like Anbar and other Iraqi towns is encouraging. We all agree that more political progress is essential but pushing for a precipitous withdrawal when the momentum is ours is not just irrational, it is negligent.

I’m pleased to see that lawmakers who hold varying opinions of our purpose in Iraq recently noting that we’re seeing successes there. Freshmen Congressmen Brian Baird (D-WA), Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Jerry McNerney (D-CA) commented on that progress after returning from Iraq where they saw for themselves how the surge is working.

“The success in Ramadi is not just because of bombs and bullets, but because the U.S. and Iraqi military and the Iraqi police are partnering with the tribal leadership and the religious leadership. … What they’re doing is respecting the people, giving the people some control over their own lives,” Ellison said. (Associated Press, Ellison Returns from Trip to Iraq , 7-30-07)

Rep. Baird: “One, I think we’re making real progress. Secondly, I think the consequences of pulling back precipitously would be potentially catastrophic for the Iraqi people themselves, to whom we have a tremendous responsibility … and in the long run chaotic for the region as a whole and for our own security.” (The Olympian, Baird sees need for longer U.S. role in Iraq , 8-17-07)

Sen. Dick Durbin, who has been a fierce critic of the war in Iraq , stated after a trip that, “the surge of American troops has led to military progress in Iraq .” Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), chairman of the Senate Armed Committee, noted that the surge is producing “measurable results.”

And the Cincinnati Enquirer earlier this month opined that, “…the war has taken a turn for the better, like a patient making a sudden recovery after years on life support.” (Cincinnati Enquirer, “Wait, Haul Down the White Flags – The Surge is Working,” 8-5-07)

There’s still a lot of work for us to in Iraq and in the region to ensure not only security there but our security here at home. The terrorists have taken note of the painful lessons of Vietnam , and their hope of victory in Iraq lay in us losing faith in ourselves and in our military. We cannot turn our backs on our troops, who have sacrificed so much, and on the Iraq people who, having tasted freedom will not rest until they are truly a free people.

House-Passed Medicare Bill Would Cut Additional Billions in Funding for Home Oxygen Beneficiaries; Ohio's Seniors to Face Significant Medicare Cuts

2007-08-23T16:11:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ohio will be severely impacted by provisions in the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 (CHAMP), legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on August 1, 2007 that will cut additional billions in funding for Medicare beneficiaries on home oxygen therapy and directly impact 21,500 of the state's senior citizens who receive this critical therapy in their homes. If enacted into law, the bill will cut almost $2 billion in Medicare funding for home oxygen therapy over the next 5 years -- $81.2 million in Ohio alone.

The House-endorsed bill will cap Medicare funding at 18-months for home oxygen therapy, a benefit on which more than one million Americans nationwide rely. Nationally, nearly half of the more than 1 million seniors who rely on this benefit will be affected by these cuts.

The Council for Quality Respiratory Care, a coalition of the nation's leading home oxygen providers and manufacturers, strongly opposes any further cuts to Medicare funding for home oxygen therapy. Peter Kelly, Chairman of the Council and CEO of Pacific Pulmonary Services, Inc., urged congressional leadership to eliminate these Medicare cuts from final legislation when the House and Senate meet to reconcile their respective bills. According to Kelly, "Congress has already made sweeping changes to the home oxygen benefit as part of both the Medicare Modernization Act and the Deficit Reduction Act, changes that take effect in 2008 and 2009 and that will cut Medicare home oxygen funding by 19 percent. We are deeply concerned that further Medicare cuts at this time would deal a destabilizing blow to the home oxygen therapy benefit and the Medicare beneficiaries who are dependent upon it for their care."

Recent research shows that "access to services such as home oxygen...can decrease the need for hospitalization" of Medicare patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bacterial pneumonia. The study, conducted by researchers at the Center for Studying Health System Change and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, was published in the June edition of the journal Medical Care.

A state-by-state breakdown of the Medicare cuts concludes that Florida, Texas, California, Ohio and Michigan, states with the largest number of home oxygen beneficiaries, will feel the greatest impact of the proposed cuts. The CQRC data is based upon recent analysis of the Congressional Budget Office's scoring of Medicare spending reductions from the 18-month rental cap.

The Council for Quality Respiratory Care is a group of the nation's leading home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturers, representing a majority of the more than one million Medicare patients who depend on the home oxygen benefit for their care in order to live in an independent environment. The Council was formed to work closely with policymakers and their staffs to facilitate a deeper understanding of the clinical, operational, and service- related complexities associated with the provision of this life-enhancing benefit.

Boehner Statement on National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq

2007-08-23T15:18:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement today after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report on security in Iraq:
“Today’s report confirms what Republicans have been saying about the successes of our troops in combating al Qaeda in Iraq and underscores the consequences of a precipitous withdrawal. In fact, the report states very clearly that changing the mission of our troops right now, as Democratic leaders have proposed, would ‘erode the security gains achieved thus far.’ The fact that Democratic leaders continue to push for precipitous withdrawal despite the significant progress our troops are making shows just how deeply invested they are in failure.

“The NIE report also confirms what Republicans have been saying about political reconciliation. The ‘bottom-up’ progress we’re seeing in provinces like Anbar and other Iraqi towns are positive steps, but we must see further evidence of reconciliation at the national level. House Republicans have said all along that it’s critical for Congress to listen to the commanders on the ground. That remains the right approach, and we will await the report from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker in the coming weeks.”
NOTE: Following are excerpts from some key judgments of the National Intelligence Estimate:
“There have been measurable but uneven improvements in Iraq’s security situation since our last National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq in January 2007. The steep escalation of rates of violence has been checked for now, and overall attack levels across Iraq have fallen during seven of the last nine weeks. Coalition forces, working with Iraqi forces, tribal elements, and some Sunni insurgents, have reduced al-Qa’ida in Iraq’s (AQI) capabilities, restricted its freedom of movement, and denied it grassroots support in some areas.”

“Perceptions that the Coalition is withdrawing probably will encourage factions anticipating a power vacuum to seek local security solutions that could intensify sectarian violence and intra-sectarian competition. At the same time, fearing a Coalition withdrawal, some tribal elements and Sunni groups probably will continue to seek accommodation with the Coalition to strengthen themselves for a post-Coalition security environment.”

“Iraqi Security Forces involved in combined operations with Coalition forces have performed adequately, and some units have demonstrated increasing professional competence.”

“We assess that changing the mission of Coalition forces from a primarily counterinsurgency and stabilization role to a primary combat support role for Iraqi forces and counterterrorist operations to prevent AQI from establishing a safe haven would erode security gains achieved thus far.”

Boehner: We Will Balance the Budget Without Raising Taxes

2007-08-23T13:32:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the following statement today after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced its deficit forecast for this year declined dramatically from $248 billion to $158 billion - $47 billion less than the Bush Administration’s estimate from a month ago and $90 billion lower than last year’s CBO estimate:

“Today’s announcement reaffirms what Republicans have been saying for years: we will balance the budget without raising taxes. Democrats in Congress, on the other hand, are intent on reversing course by raising taxes on working families and proposing billions upon billions of dollars in new federal spending. These misguided, failed policies not only would guarantee us deficits as far as the eye could see, but they would bring our economy to a screeching halt and leave future generations on the hook to pay for the unchecked spending spree congressional Democrats have in store.

“Earlier this year, House Republicans pledged to uphold the President’s veto of any bill that contains excessive spending, and as Congress prepares to return next month, we’ll continue to uphold that pledge. And when Democrats propose raising taxes as the solution to any and every problem facing our nation, we’ll fight them every step of the way. Republican-led pro-growth policies have strengthened our economy and placed a balanced budget within reach, and we’ll work to ensure those policies stay in place.”

NOTE: So far this year, congressional Democrats have added $6 billion in new spending to a bill that finished the 2007 appropriations process; passed a budget that exceeded the President’s budget request by some $20 billion; added about $17 billion in additional spending to a troop funding bill; and passed several annual appropriations measures that have drawn veto threats because of excessive spending. At the same time, they have proposed a laundry list of new taxes, including:

A massive $392.5 billion tax increase on middle-class families in their Fiscal Year 2008 budget.

More than $15 billion in new energy taxes that will raise gasoline prices on consumers.

A 115 percent to 2,200 percent increase in tobacco taxes and a new tax on every American who has a private health insurance plan in their SCHIP bill.

A $7.5 billion tax increase in their Farm Bill, threatening 5.1 million American jobs and greater investment in the U.S.

A 5-cent increase per gallon federal gas tax hike for infrastructure and a 50-cent increase per gallon federal gas tax hike for a global warming plan.

Raising taxes on homeowners by ending the home mortgage deduction.

Boehner Weekly Column: Free Speech Under Attack by Calls to Revive Fairness Doctrine

2007-08-17T15:46:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Constitution guarantees and spells out our rights as citizens, the foremost of which is the freedom of speech. And over the past few months, there’s been talk among liberal Democrats of reviving the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a repealed Federal Communications Commission rule requiring broadcast license-holders to offer a balanced presentation of controversial issues.

The theory behind the Fairness Doctrine, put in place in the 1940s when there were relatively few radio and television stations compared to today, was that the limited numbers of these media outlets should offer people the full spectrum of news and opinion. I’ve always believed that government regulation of speech is a bad idea and leads to the rationing of political thought and expression, and I was pleased the Fairness Doctrine was repealed in 1987 under President Reagan’s administration.

Of late, however, there has been a renewed effort to re-instate the Fairness Doctrine prompted by liberal frustration with the success of conservative talk radio hosts while networks such as Air America, which catered to the far left, have floundered into obscurity.

Talk radio has become a conduit for those who otherwise wouldn’t have a voice, and reinstating the Fairness Doctrine would amount to censorship of the radio airwaves. Broadcast companies would water down their programming, and could be forced to eliminate conservative talk radio. While the spectrum of airwaves is not unlimited, they are not a scarce resource in need of protection. In fact, the number of broadcasters in the country continues to increase.

But it’s not just radio and television that offer people choices. There are enough places today where people can get their news that we don’t need the federal government playing Big Brother. Most Americans simply won’t support government bureaucrats deciding what should and should not be on radio and TV.

In June, the U.S. House approved legislation preventing federal funds from being used to implement the Fairness Doctrine. This is a temporary fix. A permanent solution is needed, and that’s why every single Republican in the House have signed on as co-sponsors of the Broadcaster Freedom Act, introduced by my friend Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN). This bill would prevent the FCC or any future President from re-instating the Fairness Doctrine without an act of Congress.

The Fairness Doctrine will not ensure that more opinions will be heard. It will limit the number of opinions offered and it will diminish any kind of vigorous debate. Those Democrats in Congress championing the return of Fairness Doctrine have made clear that they do not intend to balance the airwaves – they just don’t like the proliferation of conservative talk shows that millions of Americans enjoy every day.

A senior advisor to the Speaker of the House recently warned, “Conservative radio is a huge threat and political advantage for Republicans, and we have to find a way to limit it.” Many conservatives – myself included – could make the same argument about the explosion of liberal web blogs, which have been identified as a major political advantage for Democrats. But we don’t.

Indeed, we understand that limiting debate – whether by forcing broadcasters, bloggers, or anyone to fit their views into a government-determined mold – weakens the most sacred of our rights: the freedom of speech. And we simply won’t stand for it.

Hamilton West Side All-Stars on ESPN2

2007-08-17T09:48:00.000-04:00

The Hamilton West Side Little League All-Stars play today at 2pm on ESPN in the first round of the National Little League Championship...they currently are the Great Lakes Champion and play the Eastern States champion from Massachusettes. Hamilton definitely has some hitters. GO WEST SIDE!

Butler County Commission Picks Fox for CSB

2007-08-03T14:51:00.000-04:00

From the Fairfield Echo:

HAMILTON — Michael Fox's former colleagues on the Butler County Commission on Thursday named him executive director of Children Services.

Fox resigned as county commissioner in early May to apply for the job.

"I am very confident Mike will be an outstanding director," Commissioner Gregory Jolivette said. "Mike has exhibited a passion for protecting children throughout his public career."

Commissioners had chosen three finalists from the 14 applicants for the job. The other two finalists had both served as directors of children services agencies in other counties.

Timothy Stolitca, one of the other finalists, was named deputy director by the commissioners.

At least they had the sense to hire someone with competence to back him up...

Mike Fox, enjoy your raise... Commissioners Jolivette, Furmon and Dixon: this is not one I'll soon forget... Competence matters...

Boehner: 20 Simple Reasons to Oppose the Democrats' SCHIP Bill

2007-08-01T09:22:00.000-04:00

From some $193 billion in Medicare cuts to new tax hikes on working families, from new benefits for illegal immigrants to its new ‘Hillary-Care’ plan for government-run health care, there is a lot to oppose in the Democrats upcoming bill to dramatically expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Republicans support renewing SCHIP to aid children in low-income families, but all the Democrats delivered with this bill is a poorly-crafted, partisan proposal that works against seniors, working families, and taxpayers.

Following are the Top 20 Most Egregious SCHIP provisions that House Democrats won’t tell you about:
Massive ‘Hillary-Care’ at Taxpayer’s Expense. The Democrats’ bill would help achieve their longtime goal of bureaucratic government-run health care.

3.2 million Seniors in 22 States will lose Medicare Advantage benefits.

Cuts Medicare Advantage for Seniors by $157 billion, resulting in higher co-pays, a loss in specific health care benefits, less quality and choice of programs, and fewer choices among doctors.

Cuts Medicare Part A for Seniors by $8.8 billion, including rehabilitation facilities, and long term care hospitals.

Includes Medicare Cuts of $6.5 billion to skilled nursing facilities.

Cuts Medicare Part B for Seniors by $9.6 billion, including payments for oxygen and brachytherapy.

Includes Medicare Cuts of $3.6 billion to the end-stage renal disease program for seniors.

Includes Medicare Cuts of $7.5 billion to home health and more cuts to end-stage renal programs.

Provides Benefits for Illegal Immigrants. Opens the door for SCHIP and Medicaid benefits for illegal immigrants by eliminating the requirement that persons applying for such services show proof of citizenship or nationality.

Removes Legal Immigrant Waiting Period for Benefits. The Democrats’ bill eliminates the current five-year waiting period required for legal immigrants to receive government health benefits.

Includes Stealth Tax Increase on Private Health Care Plans. The Democrats’ bill includes a stealth tax increase that will drain money from the Medicare trust fund and increase taxes on every American with a health insurance plan.

Dramatically Increases Tobacco Taxes. The Democrats’ bill hikes the cigarette tax by 45 cents per pack, once again proving that Democrats are harming low-income families they claim to want to help.

Expands Massive Entitlement With No Regular Scrutiny. The Democrats’ bill creates a permanent entitlement program without requiring Congress to review the program on a regular basis, thus encouraging irresponsible spending with no checks and balances.

Eliminates Income Eligibility Restrictions for SCHIP. The Democrats’ bill allows anyone to be eligible for free health care through a program that was intended to serve low-income children.

Shifts 2.1 Million Kids with Private Health Care to Government-Run Hillary-Care. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Democrats’ bill would shift some 2.1 million children who are currently in private health care plans to government-run health care.

Guts Key Fiscal Responsibility Measure to Keep Medicare Spending in Check. The Democrats’ bill repeals the requirement in the Medicare prescription drug law requiring Congress to consider reforms to control runaway spending.

Allows 25-Year-Old “Children” to Receive SCHIP Benefits. A “child” can be 25 years old under this children’s health insurance program.

Allows States Access to Unlimited Waivers to Enroll Adults. This bill does nothing to rein in the numbers of waivers given to states allowing them to enroll hundreds of thousands of childless adults, who are simply taking away limited resources from low-income, uninsured children.

Restricts Beneficiaries’ Access to Wheelchairs. Under the Democrats’ bill, seniors will be unable to purchase a wheelchair for the first month after they are prescribed one.

Allows Planned Parenthood to Determine Eligibility for Medicaid. The Democrats’ bill allows pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood to determine eligibility for Medicaid services and provide Medicaid services.

Why would anyone, Republican or Democrat, vote for this bill?

Butler County Fair Post-Mortem

2007-07-31T09:50:00.000-04:00

The Middletown Journal has this update from the Butler County Fair which ended on Saturday:

Rep. Courtney Combs bought Hoerst's entry for $4,250, according to Hoerst. Bear weighs in at 1,430 pounds.

Samantha Darner, 14, of Hamilton offered up the reserve grand champion, Sunny. Darner is a member of the Butler County Beef Club.

Richard's Pizza bought Sunny for about $3,000, according to Darner. He weighed in at about 1,290 pounds.

If you order up beef on your pizza, you just might be getting a piece of that $3000 Sunny...

Rep. Combs Wants Salvia Classified as a Controlled Substance

2007-07-31T09:45:00.000-04:00

Salvia is sometimes called the legal LSD and it causes some pretty intense hallucinations as evidenced by a number of videos on YouTube.

State Rep. Courtney Combs (R-Fairfield) wants to see the drug classified as a controlled substance in Ohio.

"I don't understand why people want to do that, why do you want to feel that way, why do you want to be out of control."

That is why he, like many other politicians in Columbus, is putting his name on the bill. Six other states have already banned the use of salvia.

WKRC has more here.

Butler County Fair Update

2007-07-28T10:48:00.000-04:00

Here is what's happening at the Fair today:

Livestock Sale-9:00 A.M. - Open Class Sheep Barn

Frisch Marionettes - 1:00 P.M. & 6:00 P.M. - Farm Zone

Wolf Bros. Racing -

ATV - Motorcycle Dirt Drags - 1:00 P.M.

Butler County Children Services Exec to be Named on Thursday

2007-07-28T10:42:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the new executive director of the Butler County Children Services will be announced on Thursday according to County Commissioner Greg Jolivette. There are three candidates; two experienced professionals from other childrens services boards and former Commissioner Mike Fox.

Chasing Aaron Update

2007-07-28T09:55:00.000-04:00

AP News Alert from last night:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Barry Bonds has hit his 754th home run to pull within one of Hank Aaron's career record

Nobody likes a cheater. Is having a steroid filled slugger as the lifetime home run champion good for baseball? Give us your answer in the Calls...

Butler County Fair Update

2007-07-27T11:53:00.000-04:00

Today's events at the Butler County Fair:

Sponsor of The Day - Journal News

Fair Parade - 11:00 A.M.

Frisch Marionettes-1:00 P.M. & 6:00 P.M. - Farm Zone

Farm Bureau Fun Day-1:30 P.M.

Demolition Derby-7:00 P.M.

Boehner Offers Farm Subsidy Reform Amendment to Save Taxpayers $3 Billion

2007-07-27T11:50:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today introduced an amendment to the 2007 Farm Bill to save taxpayers $3 billion by fixing a loophole in current disaster relief law that some producers have been able to exploit to obtain large government subsidies.

Because of the loophole, Boehner noted, some producers have been able to take advantage of low crop prices early in the harvest to obtain large government subsidies while retaining the ability to sell their crops later at much higher prices – “gaming the system” to obtain farm subsidies at the expense of both taxpayers and farmers who are truly in need of assistance.

“No one should be able to exploit natural disasters to get subsidies from the federal government. Turning our back on this problem cheats both taxpayers and farmers who are truly in need of emergency aid,” Boehner said.

The amendment would replace the current daily posted county price (PCP) with a monthly PCP for each crop. PCPs are used to establish loan repayment rates, which determine loan deficiency payments and marketing loan gains under marketing assistance loan programs. Boehner’s amendment would eliminate the excessive cost of loan deficiency payments (LDPs) and marketing loan gains. If a similar provision had been in effect for the 2005 crop year, government outlays would have been nearly $3 billion lower.

“The issues in the Farm Bill are not abstract issues for my constituents,” Boehner said. “My amendment aims to fix a problem that has not been addressed in the bill we’re currently considering. If we are going to continue Loan Deficiency Payments, we need to address the situation that allows farmers to lock in an LDP when prices are low and then sell their crop when prices are high. LDPs are a valuable for farmers and to preserve them, we need to fix this problem.”

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns included this provision in his Farm Bill recommendations. The problems with calculating LDPs based on the daily posted county price were highlighted in the days after Hurricane Katrina. The storm halted grain transport on the Mississippi River for several days, causing a short-term decline in market prices, which then triggered a large volume of LDP requests at a high LDP rate that did not reflect the longer-term or underlying market conditions. The farmers who locked in these artificially low LDPs were simply using the program to increase the payments that they received from the government.

“If we allow the marketing loan program and LDPs to continue to be used in this manner we will undermine their integrity by allowing them to game a pricing system that reacts to daily to natural disasters,” Boehner said. “Supporting a good farm policy is important but exploiting catastrophic natural disasters cannot stand. We need to make this change if we are going to preserve LDPs and the integrity of our farm policy.”

Ohio’s 8th District is on the eastern edge of the cornbelt and is home to some of the richest soil and most productive farms in the country. The district includes all of Darke, Miami and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County. Boehner was first elected to Congress in 1990.

Defense Contractor Armor Holdings Expands in Butler County Ohio

2007-07-27T08:44:00.000-04:00

HAMILTON, Ohio, July 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Butler County Board of Commissioners today approved an Enterprise Zone tax abatement agreement for Armor Holdings Aerospace and Defense Group. The West Chester Township Board of Trustees approved the agreement earlier this week.

"We are very pleased that Armor has decided to stay and expand their operations in Butler County," said Commission president Greg Jolivette.

The company is a leading manufacturer and distributor of military vehicles, vehicle armor systems, and life safety and survivability systems. Armor's Butler County operation is focused on military vehicle armoring programs including the up-armored HMMWV ("Humvee"), various military trucks, and the armored cabs for more than 1,100 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, which are part of a $518 million contract recently announced by the company.

Commission vice president Chuck Furmon said that he was heartened that another manufacturer was expanding in the County. "Ohio has experienced an erosion in manufacturing jobs but here in Butler County we are seeing growth in that segment of the economy," Furmon said.

The $75 million project will include the construction of a new 60,000 sq. ft. ballistic glass plant, office space remodeling, and the addition of a larger lobby and customer reception area. Armor will add 300 new jobs to its current workforce of 742.

Armor Holdings has revalidated Butler County as a good place to do business that is very attractive to manufacturers," said Commissioner Don Dixon.

Train Derailment in Hamilton

2007-07-27T08:39:00.000-04:00

This is ONN:

HAMILTON, Ohio - Police were responding to a report of a train derailment in the city of Hamilton on Friday morning.

ONN affiliate WKRC reported that 20 Norfolk Southern Railroad cars were off the tracks on the west side of Erie Boulevard.

Three cross streets between Maple and Grand were closed.

Hazmat crews had not been called to the scene, but officials said it would take a long time to clean up.

There was no immediate word on injuries.

Democrat Job-Killing Tax Could Eliminate 1,200 8th District Jobs

2007-07-26T14:46:00.000-04:00

From the mailbox:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 1,200 workers in Ohio ’s 8th District could get the pink slip because of a job-killing tax hike slipped into the Farm Bill at the last minute by Democrats. Throughout Ohio, more than 200,000 jobs could be lost if Democrats succeed in raising taxes on international companies that “insource” to the U.S., according to date compiled by the Ohio Department of Development and the Organization of International Investment.

Nearly another 4,000 jobs in counties surrounding the 8th District could also be imperiled because of this tax hike while nationwide, “insourcing” companies employ more than 5.1 million Americans. These jobs have an average compensation per worker of $63,428 – 32 percent higher than typical U.S.-based jobs.

“The tax increases just keep coming,” Boehner said. “This latest tax-raising scheme threatens millions of jobs and was sprung on the American public at the last possible moment, with Democrats hoping that its inclusion in legislation as important as the Farm Bill would force its passage. But you cannot increase the security of American farmers by destroying millions of American jobs, endangering the economic freedom and security of millions of working families. This is completely unacceptable, and we’re going to fight it.”

The “insourced” jobs comprise 4 percent of the private-sector workforce in Ohio and maintain a heavy concentration in manufacturing – fully 45 percent of the jobs at these companies are in manufacturing industries, according to the OFII. Companies like BASF Corp. in Darke County , which employs about 150 people, Miller Brewing Co. in Butler County , with 600 workers, and American Honda Motor Co. choose to locate their subsidiaries in the 8th District. Other companies, such as Reed Elsevier in Montgomery County with 3,100 workers and Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, Inc., which employs about 800 people in Warren County, are U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies.

“The State of Ohio, in general, and the city of Troy, in particular, have relied on the recruiting of International companies to offset the significant job looses we have experienced over the last two decades,” said Chuck Cochran, president of the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce. “And as globalization of our economy continues, we will need to rely on international investment and in-sourcing of jobs even further. Haphazard amendments such as the one proposed by the Democrats is simply out of touch with how the world’s economy functions today.”

Ohio companies that could be affected by the Democrats’ tax on foreign companies that “insource” jobs to the U.S.:
Akzo Nobel; Alcon; BASF; Boehringer Ingelheim; BP; Bridgestone Americas; Cadbury Schweppes; DaimlerChrysler; Deutsche Telekom; GlaxoSmithKline; Honda; HSBC; Huhtamaki; Lafarge North America, Inc.; L'Oreal USA; Miller Brewing Co.; Mitsubishi Electric; Nestlé USA, Inc.; Novelis Corp.; Oldcastle Inc. Philips; Protec-Pac; Reed Elsevier; Rexam; Rolls-Royce North America, Inc.; Saint Gobain; Sanofi-aventis SAP; Shell Oil Company; Siemens; Sodexho; Square D; Sumitomo Corp.;Toyota; Tyco; Voith; and Volvo

Butler County Fair

2007-07-26T10:17:00.001-04:00

The Butler County Fair continues today with today's events as follows:

Sponsor of The Day - Butler Tech

Open Class Market Goats - 8:30 A.M.

Open Class Beef Breeding -9:00 A.M.

Cookie Judging-10:30 A.M.

Men's Bake-Off-11:30 A.M.

Tractor Pull- OSTPA Pull (7:00 P.M.)

Frisch Marionettes-1:00 P.M. & 6:00 P.M. - Farm Zone

Junior Talent Contest-Youth Building-7:30 P.M.

Be sure to check it out...

UPDATE: The Fairfield Echo has excellent Fair coverage.

Scumbag from Hamilton Caught on 15th DUI

2007-07-26T09:01:00.000-04:00

The Hamilton Journal-News' Eric Schwartzberg has this unbelievable story:

FAIRFIELD TWP. — A man suspected in a hit-and-run incident was reportedly intoxicated more than twice the legal limit and is facing his 15th conviction of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Stephen W. Wolf, 50, of Hamilton was driving his 1994 Ford F-350 on Tylersville Road near Jessies Way at 5:47 p.m. July 13 when witnesses say he attempted to pass in a no-passing zone, striking an oncoming 2003 Ford Explorer head-on, according to police reports.

Wolf then allegedly fled the scene, but was apprehended a short time later at Hideaway Lounge and Reef Tavern in Fairfield. His blood-alcohol content was .203 percent, more than twice Ohio's driving limit of .08 percent, authorities said. "We don't see many (blood alcohol contents) that high anymore," said Fairfield Twp. police Chief Richard St. John.

Wolf's driving record shows he has been convicted of OVI 14 times, according to police reports. Eight of those convictions occurred during the past 20 years.

Wolf was also charged with driving with a suspended license, failing to stop after an accident and passing in a no-pass zone.

The Ford's driver, David J. McMillan, 47, was injured but did not require hospitalization, St. John said.

New OVI laws, including lowering the legal blood alcohol limit and increasing penalties, work well and get most people's attention, said state Sen. Gary Cates of West Chester Twp. However, repeat OVI offenders will continue to break the law even when their license or car is taken away, Cates said.

"They don't seem to have any respect or concern what the law is," he said. "The only solution is to lock them up until they can get their problem cured."

Dirtbags like this need to be kept off the streets for everybody's safety.

Rep. Boehner: "Lessons Learned: Republicans Returning to Our Core Principles"

2007-07-26T08:13:00.001-04:00

Rep. John Boehner (OH-08) has an op-ed published in The Hill today. Two exccerpts are provided below, but read the whole thing here.

In January I wrote in The Hill that after our losses last November, House Republicans “must recommit to the principles of limited and accountable government.” Here we are, seven months into the 110th Congress, and I’m pleased to report we’re doing just that.
...
Republicans have a long way to go in our effort to earn back the majority, but the last several months have shown we are united and proving our commitment to delivering a federal government that will guarantee the freedom and security Americans expect; a government that is smaller, less costly and more accountable — one that will secure our borders and protect Americans from attack by radical jihadists. The American people sent Republicans a message last fall. We’ve listened. Seven months into the 110th Congress, Republicans are keeping their promises to the American people; it’s fair to say the majority can’t say the same.

State Sen. Gary Cates (West Chester) Wants a Smoking Ban Exemption for Cigar Bars

2007-07-25T21:53:00.000-04:00

State Senator Gary Cates of West Chester has SB No. 195 on the table asking for an exemption to the smoking ban to "allow smoking in cigar bars and in outdoor seating areas of restaurants that are at least 20 feet away from an entrance, exit, or window of the restaurant."

It looks to be a rather reasonable compromise. The Cincinnati Enquirer had an article about Anthony's Cigar Bar and how this legislation might save that business from going under.

WCPO calls the exemption "unlikely" in the headline, but offers no evidence in the actual article. The piece ends with this:

Both Cates as well as Varacalli say they receive plenty of positive feedback on their attempt for an exemption.

They claim it comes from both smokers and non-smokers alike.

Some people feel the issue goes beyond smoking, to an issue of civil liberties, especially at an establishment which patrons know features tobacco, even before they walk through the doors.

While I am not a smoker, I do view this ban as a violation of your right to choose how to live your life. The nanny-state has plenty of adherents though, and it will be interesting to see how this legislation fares. At least we'll get a real debate...

Butler County Offers Basic Health Care Coverage

2007-07-25T21:47:00.000-04:00

Butler County Commissioner Greg Jolivette says he feels like a proud father seeing this program finally come to fruition as the county offers basic health insurance to those making less than $30,000.

WCPO reports:

HealthShare Select is meant to cover people who are working and haven't had any health insurance for at least six months.

Employers don't have to make any contributions to the health plan, except for being willing to set up a payroll deduction for their employees.

For payments of $76 a month for individuals and $187 a month for families, it would offer basic health insurance that would cover routine medical costs like doctor and emergency room visits. All with little or no money to pay out of pocket.

When someone covered by the plan goes to the doctor and is charged more than $55, the patient is expected to pick up the slack. The whole goal is to reduce the number of uninsured patients at area emergency rooms and doctor's offices.

The plan was designed to pay for itself using no taxpayer dollars and will be managed by Horan Associates. Employers are also not required to contribute.

If no subsidies are required, I'm excited about the service; but if this program ultimately becomes yet another government handout, I will not be pleased. I have yet to see where exactly the funds are coming from...I assume that the plan's fee is expected to foot the bill.

WLWT covers what isn't covered:

The program, which goes into effect Sept. 1, covers only basic medical care, such as doctor’s visits and checkups.

Major medical emergencies are not covered under the plan, which is available to workers who earn less than $30,000, even those who have pre-existing medical conditions.

It looks like an interesting program...and no, I don't qualify...

UPDATE: The Enquirer picks up the story and has this quote in it:

"If a doctor's visit costs $75 and the plan's limit is $55, we'd like the doctor to agree not to bill the patient for the remaining $20," Jolivette said.

Uhh...why not? Isn't the doctor entitled to that money? It is what the cost of the visit actually is...

It is precisely this sort of back-door negotiating that is causing inflated prices in the first place... And if the doctor would agree to this, why isn't his cost $55 to everybody?

Welcome to the Butler County Bugle

2007-07-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

Introduction: Your editor is Matt Hurley, who also blogs at Weapons of Mass Discussion, and Gem City Journal. He is the founding member of the State of Ohio Blogger Alliance and a contributer to the Miami Valley Conservative Alliance Commentary and Journal. Matt also is the Owner, Programming Director and a host on TIB Radio, an internet radio station with the talk format.

What the site is about: BCB will feature stories about the people and happenings in and of Butler County, Ohio.

Want to contribute? Email Matt at wmdtvmatt - at - yahoo - dot - com if you have tips, comments or want to be staff blogger.

Much more to come...