In the News

While the men and women serving our nation through the armed forces should always be in our thoughts, this takes on special importance on May 18th, which is Armed Forces Day. The day is annually observed on the third Saturday of May, and Armed Forces Week begins on the second Saturday of May, ending on the third Sunday of the month. This, like Memorial Day at the end of the month, is a time to thank our armed services for the job they do day in and day out.

Making the recently-passed tax cut permanent means more than just extra money in the pocket of every tax-paying, hardworking American. It is a tool in which to ensure long term economic security and prosperity for our nation.

You will remember that last year, I supported President Bush and my House colleagues in reducing the tax burden on working American families. Under last year’s bill, this Congress acted on a comprehensive $1.35 trillion tax relief package that reduces the death tax, provides marriage penalty relief, and cuts tax rates across the board.

The tense situation in the Middle East is one with no easy answer. And we are now at the point where the situation is jeopardizing the long-term prospects for peace in the troubled region. As tensions flair, the United States must walk a fine line while monitoring these unstable relationships abroad. We must encourage peace, and understand that continuing terrorism is the enemy of peace.

It has been said that the major problem in the Middle East is – and I agree – that that area of the world has too much history and not enough geography.

So many people today are trying to find answers to why we have so much youth violence. I believe the lack of moral principles in our society is a large factor. Restoring the presence of fundamental values will help us all, regardless of our differing religions.

This reality, and current events that have strained us all, make my recently introduced bill, the “Ten Commandments Defense Act” (H.R. 3895), especially timely. This is a matter of tremendous importance to me, and as many of you have indicated, to many of you as well.

The Fourth District is a sprawling one -- indeed one of the state’s largest districts geographically. Proper rural development is essential to both our economy and our very way of life. I will continue my active role on the Rural Congressional Caucus, a bi-partisan coalition of Congressional Members dedicated to strengthening America’s rural areas during this next session of the 107th Congress.

With each new year come new opportunities. Among the most important of those is the opportunity to sustain, and even build on, the successes of the first session of the 107th Congress; to further our work on the important issues affecting all of our lives, and the lives of our loved ones.

There are so many important issues before us, it is difficult to narrow them down to a select few. I can say, however, that a number of items important in the past are no less important today.

Perhaps never before in modern times has a nation been as focused on its leadership as it is today. We are a nation unified in our efforts in the new: our war on terrorism. We are also unified in the old: our efforts to return to normal after the horror of September 11th.

In the President’s State of the Union last month, he outlined several elements designed to help the United States maintain the prosperities and freedoms we all enjoy. The President, in another display of his strong leadership, told the nation exactly what we needed to hear.