E-Newsletter: District Connection - 7/7/14

Statement

A Land of Freedom and Opportunity

Liberty is immensely valuable, but equally fragile. It is a choice each generation must make, and ultimately defend. As Americans we have never shied away from this call, and I am grateful we continue to raise up young men and women eager to protect our freedom. The American republic is an exercise in self-governance and opportunity never before seen on the world stage. The United States of America is not simply a location on the globe, but rather an embodiment of ideas and ideals. It is the idea that by the sweat of your brow and the power of your intellect your tomorrow can be better than your today in a land of liberty and opportunity. It is an ideal for which the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence were willing to risk their lives, fortunes and sacred honor. Their risk wasn't for conquest, riches, or title for themselves, but rather for opportunity for a nation of people.

This gift of self-determination has been passed down from generation to generation. More than a gift, though, it is also a great responsibility. John Quincy Adams once stated, "You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it." I expect he would be tremendously proud of the extraordinary commitment and sacrifice that succeeding generations have made to protect and perfect that freedom.

As we reflect on our extraordinary beginning and present liberty, I pray we all heed President Adams' words and grasp their weight. Yes, it has always been the responsibility of the present generation to preserve the freedom we all cherish so that it can be passed on to the next, but it is also the responsibility of us all to seize upon that freedom and make good use of it.

On this Independence Day, let us remember to pay tribute to those who have come before, let us celebrate the freedom we have inherited, let us work diligently to ensure we pass along the same gift to our children and grandchildren, and let us commit to making good use of that freedom today! May God bless all of you, and continue to bless our remarkable country.

The Week Ahead

This week the House will consider a number of important pieces of legislation that will grow jobs and support small businesses in our economy.

The first bill is H.R. 803, the "Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act." This measure originally passed the House in March 2013, and while it took the Senate over 15 months to act, it finally did. In June, the Senate passed an amended version of this bill by a huge bipartisan vote of 95-3. This week, the House will agree to the Senate amendments and send this bill to the President's desk. This bipartisan legislation will assist unemployed Americans in finding work by helping them retrain for new and higher quality jobs.

CNN. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act has strong bipartisan support.
The House will also debate another of the twelve annual appropriations measures -- H.R. 4923, the "FY2015 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act." This bill totals $50 million below the FY14 spending level, but still makes significant investments in our nuclear security apparatus, our nation's energy infrastructure, and our important water projects, like continued construction on deepening the Port of Savannah.

Another important bill this week is H.R. 4718, a bill that will permanently extend and modify a tax credit for small businesses called the bonus depreciation credit. Bonus depreciation allows businesses to write off half the cost of capital investments in the year that they are acquired. This allows companies to purchase equipment or make other large investments, and it boosts cash flow to these companies, which gives them more money to continue investing in creating jobs and putting Americans back to work.

If you want to follow the progress of these bills, or any of the other bills that the House will be considering this week, I would encourage you to visit the House Republican Conference website at www.gop.gov and click on the Legislative tab.

Sincerely,

Rob Woodall

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