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November 5, 2003, was a historic day in Washington, DC. I joined several of my House and Senate Colleagues at the Ronald Reagan International Building for President Bush’s signing of the ban on partial birth abortions.
Recently, I joined many of you in watching the national media cover the removal of the Ten Commandments display from Montgomery’s State judicial complex. To actually have the Ten Commandments carted out of that building’s lobby is a scene one would expect to see in the former Soviet Union, not the United States of America.
When I returned to Washington after the August Congressional recess, I renewed my calls for the United States House of Representatives to act to protect the public display of the Ten Commandments.
The procedure known as partial birth abortion is one of the most barbaric and disturbing operations in today’s society. It is considered wrong by virtually every standard by which it could be measured – except the legal one. Now, we are making progress to change that.
On June 4, 2003, I joined my House colleagues in supporting the ban on the partial birth abortion procedure. The bill passed by a vote of 282 - 139. The legislation will now be reconciled with the Senate version in order to produce a unified bill to send to the President.
The World Wide Web truly offers a world of opportunity. What used to require a trip to the library, the store, or the bank is now accomplished with the push of the button. In a sense, the world now comes to us. But along with the Internet’s convenience and benefits come hazards. However, The Truth in Domain Names Act - an amendment to the Child Abduction Prevention Act - represents a move to protect our children from inappropriate and pornographic websites.
It is hard to believe that Baghdad used to be one of the world’s great cities; the capital of an empire stretching from North Africa to the edge of China. A city made famous -- in part -- by the stories “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” and tales from "A Thousand and One Nights.” It was the city of great prosperity: gleaming with modern hospitals and universities, filled with shops and restaurants rivaling the world’s finest.
Protecting senior citizens and creating jobs have been among the top of my priorities in Congress. While those topics remain important to me, and will continue to be, they are joined by an equally important issue: threats to our everyday lives and our national security.
Keeping every American safe both abroad, and in their own front yards, make up one of the most important tasks before Congress.
Just recently, the House passed legislation providing seniors the right to choose a prescription drug plan under Medicare that is best for them.
We need a plan now. And beyond the partisan debate one truth has become stunningly clear: There are a lot of ways to do this wrong.
That’s because to do it right, a truly responsible plan has major challenges to meet:
In the weeks and months since the tragedies of September 11th, there have been countless stories of inspiration, heroism, and compassion. Stories of a nation united in grief – responding to a horrible act of terrorism. The support for fellow Americans is as apparent in Alabama’s Fourth Congressional District as it is in every other community in this strong nation.
It is hard to choose just one story to represent the compassion found in our district. However, there may be few better stories than that which started at Union Grove Elementary School in Marshall County last fall.
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.