The Hill Report: Week of May 26 - May 31, 2008
Op-Ed
The Hill Report: Week of May 26 - May 31, 2008
This week, I had the opportunity to spend time in my congressional district, observing Memorial Day and meeting with constituents and area business leaders about issues that are important to the North Texas community.
On Memorial Day, I had the honor of participating in several events to pay tribute to our country's veterans and fallen Armed Forces members. In the morning, I participated in the 14th Annual Memorial Day Parade in Dallas, which began at Spring Creek Elementary School. The parade involved many community participants, including veterans groups and Mayor Tom Leppert. As the parade concluded with a picnic, I was grateful for the opportunity to meet many constituents personally and hear their views about issues in our community and the direction of America.
In the afternoon, I participated in Memorial Day Dallas - an annual Memorial Day service held at Restland Memorial Park in honor of the men and women who have given their lives in military service. Sponsored by Dallas area veterans groups, this Memorial Day service featured guest speaker U.S. Air Force Captain Scott O'Grady (Ret.), who spoke about the importance of supporting our veterans and honoring military service. As you may know, Capt. O'Grady's plane was shot down over Bosnia in 1995, and he narrowly evaded capture for six days until U.S. Marines provided an escape. Capt. O'Grady's speech was followed with a fly-over by F-16 jets to pay respect to our nation's veterans, and a special tribute was given to WWII veterans in attendance by asking the veterans to stand as their names were called.
Each Memorial Day, I value the opportunity to pause and remember not only our fallen soldiers, but all the men and women of our Armed Forces - both past and present - who have dedicated their lives to defending our freedom. We remain a nation at war, and our heroes in the field should have full confidence in the unwavering support of the American people as they return home.
I remain committed to working in Congress to support our men and women who are currently serving, our veterans who have so honorably served our nation, and for the honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Medals for a WWII Hero
Last night, I had the honor of presenting military awards to Raymond Phillips, a World War II veteran from Dallas who will finally receive the seven medals he earned during his service to our nation over 60 years ago. The United States Army has now issued the following awards to Mr. Phillips:
Bronze Star Medala United States Armed Forces individual military decoration awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service
Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Easter Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars
World War II Victory Medal
Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award
Honorable Service Lapel Button for World War II.
In 1943, Mr. Phillips began serving in the military at the age of 18. Assigned to the 88th Infantry Division, he served in three campaigns in Italy during WWII, including his last assignment there in Bolzano, Italythe headquarters of the The Schutzstaffel Nazi Military organization. During this assignment, he was responsible for watching over war prisoner Karl Wolfe, the head of The Schutzstaffel in Italy. Following his service in Bolzano, Raymond was a member of the 5th Army Orchestra until he was honorably discharged on December 31, 1945.
In the spirit of a true patriot, Mr. Phillips humbly states that "the real heroes are the guys who didn't make it home." I am very grateful for the privilege of recognizing Mr. Phillips' outstanding service, and I am pleased that my congressional office worked successfully with the U.S. Army to secure the medals and ensure their belated delivery to a WWII hero. I thank Mr. Phillips once again for his service to our nation and wish him the best in the coming years.
Park Cities Town Hall Meeting
The WWII Medal ceremony took place during the Park Cities Town Hall Meeting, which I hosted last night at Highland Park High School. Nearly 100 constituents attended the event, which highlighted local achievements and provided a discussion forum for national policies that affect our community.
Following the opening presentation of Colors by Cub Scouts from Pack 84, I recognized seven military academy appointees and two 2008 military academy graduates from the 32nd Congressional District. These dedicated students and graduates represent the best of North Texas, and I am very proud of their academic achievement and commitment to serving our nation.
During the town hall meeting, I presented an update on our nation's economy, expiring tax relief, trade policies, border security efforts, and our troops' progress in Iraq. Town hall meetings are also an opportunity for me to hear directly from my constituents, and the discussions during the question/answer time highlighted key concerns about energy policies, veterans' care, and military policies.
Clearly, high gas prices and electricity bills are burdening North Texas families and individuals with cost of living increases. Most Americans agree on the need for energy independence; the question is how we achieve it. In addition to developing alternative energy supplies, I support tapping domestic oil resources in a conservation-friendly manner to increase supply and help drive prices down. In contrast, the energy policies promoted by House Democrats are designed to raise the price of current energy sources so that alternative energy options are more competitive. This approach clearly places the financial burden of alternative energy transition on American families and individuals, and I oppose this flawed plan. Congress should be working to increase domestic production, and I will work with my colleagues to support responsible drilling in addition to alternative energy development to relieve the energy price burden on Americans.
North Texas Business
This week's District Work Period also provided an opportunity for me to hear from business leaders in North Texas about how current tax and energy policies are affecting their businesses.
On Wednesday, I was pleased to be the keynote speaker for the North Dallas Chamber Business Leaders Briefing Series. Nearly 40 area business leaders attended the meeting, where I highlighted the important need for Congress to extend tax relief that was vital to our nation's economic growth after 9/11 and the economic downturn around that time. Tax relief remains critical to economic growth and job creation, providing American businesses with additional tools to grow, invest, and employ more Americans.
Our nation's energy and immigration policies also greatly affect local businesses. Consequently, I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss with area business leaders my support for increasing our nation's energy resources and developing market-based guest worker plans that provide a flexible labor force for economic growth while also upholding our nation's immigration laws.
After speaking at the North Dallas Chamber, I received economic briefings from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, detailing the state of the national economy and regional economy. This week, the Commerce Department announced that 1st quarter gross domestic product (GDP) grew to an annual rate of 0.9% - up from the 0.6% rate previously predicted. While economic growth increased slightly, concerns remain regarding inflation, unemployment, and the housing market.
Thus far, our regional economy continues to outpace the nation, thanks in part to increased exports and strong retail sales. The Texas unemployment rate continues at historic lows, marked at 4.1 percent for April 2008. However, our state is certainly not immune to the national economic downturn. As a result, I remain committed to working with local leaders and my colleagues in Congress to promote additional tax relief and effective energy solutions that will help facilitate continued economic growth.
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