Newsletter: Jobs, Energy and Security

Statement

Dear Neighbor,

The House of Representatives has been very active this week as we returned to Washington to for the beginning of the Lame Duck session.

I filed legislation entitled the CEASE Act, that will prohibit flights from landing in the United States if the flights originated or landed in a country experiencing an Ebola epidemic. This legislation will also prohibit the issuance of visas to protect Americans from the Ebola virus disease. Now that the United States is free of the Ebola virus disease, we must begin implementing a process that will keep our country safe from a potential future outbreak. President Obama's Ebola Czar, Ron Klain, stated, "we're going to see occasional additional cases of Ebola in our country. This is not the last one." Klain's statement does not provide my constituents and me comfort. The CEASE Act will implement commonsense safeguards to protect American citizens from this deadly virus. Ebola outbreaks are still devastating areas of Africa, especially in both Guinea and Sierra Leone. Until the CDC can ascertain that Ebola has been contained and eradicated overseas, we must be vigilant in keeping Americans safe by being proactive instead of reactive.

My committee, the Committee on Financial Services, held a hearing on Terrorist Financing and the Islamic State. Fighting terrorism requires more than military firepower. Money is the lifeblood of terrorist organizations and to defeat and dismantle terrorists we must starve them of funding. ISIL is estimated to bring in $2-$3 million a day through a number of illicit business practices. It is vital to dismantle and destroy this terrorist organization and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure the federal government uses every tool at its disposal to prevent ISIL from acquiring funds allowing them to continue their reign of terror. You may listen to my statement on YouTube by clicking here.

I voted to pass H.R. 5682, a bill to approve the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Keystone XL will create thousands of American jobs and increase domestic energy security. It's been two years since the president promised to cut red tape and support domestic energy production. Now, it's time for the president to put American solutions above his political agenda and build the Keystone Pipeline.

Next week my colleagues and I will consider three bills aimed at alleviating the Environmental Protection Agency's burdensome regulations imposed on small businesses.

As always, please continue to write, call, and email your opinions to my office. I could not effectively represent you in Congress without the advice of my constituents. It is an honor and a privilege to serve you in Congress.

Your Congressman,

Dennis A. Ross

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