The week prior to a congressional recess is always busy, and this was no exception. On Monday, I cosponsored legislation introduced by Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) that will provide relief from burdensome requirements placed on small businesses by the new health care law. The Obama law, marketed as health care reform, expands the size of the federal government and actually increases health care costs rather than reducing them. It is bad for our economy and for American families who are already struggling to make ends meet.
This bill, the Small Business Health Relief Act, repeals mandates that drive up the cost of health insurance and limit choice for Americans, lowers premiums by repealing new fees that will be passed onto consumers, and allows people to actually keep the insurance they have if they like it – a promise made and broken by the Administration.
The last thing North Carolina small businesses need right now are more burdensome provisions that hinder their ability to hire new employees and grow. We need to be supporting our nation’s economic engine, not hindering them with new mandates that stifle growth, reduce flexibility and choice, and increase costs.
On Thursday, I introduced a bill that would cut government spending and improve efficiency by combining the Department of Labor and Department of Commerce into a single agency, the Department of Commerce and the Workforce. The bill would provide cost savings by combining duplicative functions and improve the quality of our country’s economic policies by ensuring a consistent, coordinated approach.
The amount of money wasted annually on duplicative programs within the federal government is staggering. In fact, in his State of the Union address this year, the president proposed merging and consolidating federal agencies, and this bill advances that proposal. This common-sense approach reduces duplication by combining offices with similar functions within these two agencies and would streamline our approach to comprehensive economic policy. To read more about this bill, click here.
I also received my subcommittee assignments for my newly acquired position on the Senate Finance Committeethis week. I will serve on the following subcommittees: Health Care; Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure; and Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Growth.
These subcommittees complement my continued commitments to putting America back on the path to fiscal sanity and job creation and my current seat on the HELP Committee, where I have been working to reform our broken health care system. While I was disappointed to have to give up my seat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, my new Energy subcommittee assignment will allow me to continue to focus on establishing sound policy to increase our nation’s energy independence and increase utilization of domestic energy resources. To read more about my position on the Finance Committee, click here.
This Monday, May 30, is Memorial Day, a day we honor America’s veterans and those who have died in service to our nation. There is no one to whom we owe more than our nation’s veterans and the men and women serving today who so bravely sacrifice for our country. On this Memorial Day, let us honor and remember the true heroes of all of our nation’s wars - those who did not make it home to lead full lives, and let us also renew our commitment to cherish and empower those who were fortunate enough to come home, after decades or mere weeks, and who face their own challenges as they continue to contribute to the success of this great nation.
The Senate is in recess next week, and I will be back in North Carolina. For updates on my schedule, visit my website. You can also keep up with my travels in the state and my work in Washington by following my Facebook and Twitter pages.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator Richard Burr
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SenatorRichardBurr
Twitter: @SenatorBurr
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