Miller Message 9-27-15

Statement

Papal Visit
To view the Pope's address to the Congress on September 24, 2015, click on the image above.

On March 13, 2013, Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected by the College of Cardinals to assume the Papacy and became the spiritual leader of the roughly 1.2 billion Roman Catholics worldwide, including many right here in Northwest Florida.

Pope Francis is the first to choose his papal name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, as well as the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas. Last week, he added to his list of firsts when, as head of state of the Holy See, Pope Francis became the first to address a joint meeting of Congress.

While he is not the first pope to be engaged in global and public affairs, Pope Francis' vision and approach to his Papacy during his more than two years as pontiff has sparked mixed emotions amongst Catholics, Members of Congress, and individuals of various faiths. Though not Catholic, as a devout Christian, my faith in God guides me, and while there may be areas on which I respectfully disagree with the Pope, I too respect the dignity of human life, value peace and justice, and believe that we have a moral and civic duty to contribute to the common good of society.

Speaking from the People's House, with our national motto "In God We Trust" engraved in marble a few feet above the rostrum and facing out to the marble portrait of Moses--part of the collection of historical figures selected for their influence on American law--which is centered over the gallery door in the House Chamber, the Pope addressed a Nation founded on our faith in God. God has always been a part of the fabric of American life, and we truly are the greatest Nation on earth and leader of the free world because of our founding principles, including religious liberty, and the men and women who have fought for and defended these principles throughout the last 239 years.

The Pope's underlying message--highlighted by the Golden Rule--however, was a global one that transcended party lines and spoke to all mankind. Despite any political disagreements we may have, it is my hope that the Congress, and the millions of viewers across the country, walked away from the Pope's address with a greater sense of humility, renewed sense of hope to preserve the beauty of American dream, and an appreciation of life and the freedom of religion that we are blessed with in the United States of America.

House Votes to Establish a More Streamlined and Transparent Federal Permitting Process
The ingenuity and hardworking spirit of the American people has helped our Nation achieve unprecedented economic success and complete impressive construction projects in short spaces of time. It took our Nation just over a year to build the Empire State Building and only five years to finish the Hoover Dam, but today, project after project remains stalled due to bureaucratic inertia. These delays hamper economic growth and job creation, and according to a 2011 study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are more than 350 delayed projects that, if approved, would add $1.1 trillion to our economy and create 1.9 million jobs.

The vast majority of construction delays today are the result of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements to conduct environmental impact statements. When NEPA was instituted by Congress in 1969, these environmental impact statements were expected to be completed in a matter of months, but despite advances in technology that should make environmental reviews easier, the average NEPA environmental impact statement takes about three and a half years today, largely due to bureaucratic inefficiencies. To help streamline this process and ensure that job creating projects are considered in a timely manner, the House passed legislation last week that would create a framework to increase efficiency and enhance coordination among agencies in the environmental review process. Specifically, H.R.348, the RAPID Act, would allow a project sponsor to prepare environmental documents required by NEPA, and require that agencies establish a reasonable schedule for completing the environmental review within the prescribed timeframe and for them to make permitting decisions. This bill, which I voted for, passed the House by a vote of 233-170, and it is part of a larger effort by the House to reduce the regulatory regime and support our Nation's businesses and workers.

Constituent Voice
One of the issues that I hear about consistently from constituents in conversations, letters, phone calls, and emails is the need to address Washington's out-of-control spending. For far too long, big government advocates in our Nation's capital have spent hard-earned taxpayer dollars irresponsibly, racking up a massive debt of more than $18 trillion in the process. This spending is unsustainable, and it poses a serious threat to the future economic prosperity of our Nation. As a fiscal conservative, I believe we must continue to take action to cut spending, balance our budget, and pay down our debt, and that is why I have consistently supported measures like a balanced budget constitutional amendment, as well as spending reforms put forward and passed by a Republican-led Congress, like the Budget Control Act (BCA), that have successfully reduced the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars.

The Budget Control Act, which was signed into law in 2011, places spending caps on our federal budget. While the BCA is far from perfect, the need to seriously tackle federal spending remains as important today as it was when the law was originally passed. Ultimately, we must pass and send a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment to the states for ratification in order to address our spending issues in the long-term and ensure that all future Congresses adhere to fiscally responsible budgeting principles, but in the interim, I believe it is vital that we continue to take steps to reduce spending now. That is why I agree with many constituents in Northwest Florida that we should reject efforts by some to increase spending and capitalize on the success achieved earlier this year through the House and Senate passed Budget, which prioritized funding for national defense and balanced within the 10-year budget window. As stewards of taxpayer dollars, Congress has an obligation to current and future generations to act responsibly, and as we consider funding bills in the coming days and weeks we should not lose sight of this imperative.

In the News

Speaker to Resign
Speaker John Boehner announced his retirement, effective October 30, 2015, from Congress last week after more than 24 years in Congress and nearly 5 years serving our Nation as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Speaker of the House is one of the most important positions in American democracy, as outlined in Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. The Speaker's position comes with great responsibilities, and it is critical that whoever the House chooses as the next Speaker will continue to carry out the task with the utmost reverence for our Constitution as they serve our Nation and her citizens in the People's House.

Tragedy Strikes a Thin Blue Line
Deputy Bill Myers, devoted father, husband, and grandfather, decided 25 years of putting his life on the line for his community was not enough. He came out of retirement to continue his service, and so he could save enough money to take his beloved granddaughter to Disney World. While serving a restraining order to protect the wife of the suspect, Deputy Myers was tragically and cowardly shot and killed.

The very foundation of our Nation is built upon justice, and we as citizens rely on those willing to risk their lives to enforce the rule of law. Without the stability and protection provided by law enforcement, the opportunity for freedom and individual rights would not exist. Deputy Myers knew this, and devoted his life to it. My wife, Vicki, joins me in sincerest gratitude for Deputy Myers' service, and we pray that God be with his wife, Jan; sons Sean, Eric, and Adam; his family and friends during this time of great mourning. Additionally, we thank all law enforcement officials serving and protecting our community and great Nation, and pray that God watch over them as they watch over us.

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