Newsletter: 08/29/2014

Statement

Dear Friend,

During my time in Congress, there have been few issues more important to me than setting a tone of civility and working across the aisle to get things done. I am proud to be, by nearly every measure, the most independent member of Congress and the most willing to look beyond partisan politics to focus on solutions. I am always looking for likeminded colleagues to work with, and I have mentioned before that there are other members who share this broader goal.

There have been many discussions over the last year among members committed to the idea of looking beyond partisanship. Some of these discussions have centered on legislative proposals that are immediate opportunities for Congress to pass commonsense reforms -- ideas like thoughtful budget savings, reasonable regulatory reforms or ways to streamline inefficiencies in government. To date, nine bills have been put forth with support from these members and I am proud to be a cosponsor of each one.

A few highlights among my bipartisan legislative priorities include:

HR 310, No Budget No Pay: if Congress cannot pass a budget and annual spending bills in a timely way, Members of Congress shouldn't receive pay.
HR 2506, Don't Duplicate, Consolidate: the Government Accountability Office has identified a number of duplicative programs in the federal government that should be combined.
HR 2689, Wasted Energy, Wasted Dollars: allow the private sector to use the expertise in identifying energy savings in federal buildings, and pay for it with the realized savings.
HR 2590, 21st Century Healthcare for Heroes: the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs should merge electronic records systems for better, and more efficient, service.
I am honored to serve in Congress on behalf of Utah families like yours. As your representative, I always appreciate hearing from you on current topics and issues affecting you and our community. Please let me know areas you find especially interesting or where I can provide you with additional information. I value your ideas and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

U.S. Representative
4th District of Utah

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