Newsletter - The Hill Report: Week of May 13-17

Statement

This week, a devastating tornado hit our neighbors in Cleburne and Granbury. I'm deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction in North Texas, and my thoughts and prayers are with all of those who have been impacted. It is always inspiring to see the outpour of support for our Texas communities during difficult times, and I'm deeply grateful for all of the individuals and organizations that have provided assistance.

Benghazi Update

The White House released 100 pages of Benghazi-related e-mails this week that made it clear that the Obama Administration has misled the American people about the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist attack in Benghazi. The House currently has five standing committees investigating the events preceding and immediately following the attacks, which left four Americans dead. These committees are attempting to discern why the Administration ignored prior security warnings and then chose to withhold timely information from the American people following the attack.

The House is determined to bring the perpetrators to justice, and as your Congressman, I will do my part to improve existing procedures in order to ensure that Americans serving our country abroad are never again unnecessarily put in harm's way.

IRS Scandal

Over the past week, we have learned that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) abused its authority by targeting conservative groups and political opponents of the president. This type of behavior is unacceptable and goes against everything we stand for as a nation -- a place where free speech is encouraged, not threatened.

In response to this recent scandal, I became a cosponsor of both the Taxpayer Nondiscrimination & Protection Act of 2013 and the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act of 2013. These bills directly address the IRS and its accountability to the American people going forward -- one significantly boosts penalties for discriminating against individuals or organizations based on political speech and the other prohibits the IRS from implementing or enforcing any part of ObamaCare.

As your Member of Congress, you can rest assured that I will keep fighting for a more responsible government. House Republicans are committed to a full and complete investigation of this incident, and I will continue to keep you updated on our progress to provide accountability to the American people.

Repealing ObamaCare

On Thursday, the House approved H.R. 45, a bill to fully repeal the President's healthcare overhaul. Contrary to what the Administration sold to the American people, ObamaCare is driving up costs and discouraging hiring while costing taxpayers an unsustainable $1.88 trillion. It also dramatically cuts senior care and puts Washington bureaucrats between patients and their doctors.

I remain dedicated to replacing this disastrous law with better reforms that protect North Texas families, seniors and workers. The American people deserve a healthcare system that gives everyone the opportunity for the affordable care of their choice, not another costly government-run program that is full of empty promises.

SEC Regulatory Accountability Act

On Friday, the House voted to hold the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) accountable by requiring it to review proposed and existing regulations on the financial industry. H.R. 1062 would require the SEC's Chief Economist to perform cost-benefit analyses of proposed regulations, identify and assess alternatives to those regulations, and choose the regulatory approach that maximizes net benefits.

Too often under the Obama Administration, job creators are hit with an unprecedented onslaught of rules and regulations without appropriate consideration of how they will impact our economy and job creation. To address this issue, I offered, and the House approved, an amendment to H.R. 1062 to require the SEC to also measure the impact of any regulation on jobs in both the public and private sectors. Job creation remains my top priority in Congress, and I will continue to promote common-sense ideas that will help reduce unnecessary red tape and unleash our economy.

Meeting with Texans in DC

On Wednesday, I met with representatives from the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind--an organization that provides job training and career opportunities to visually-impaired individuals. I was proud to hear of the wonderful work they are doing in North Texas to empower individuals to live independently.

Congressman Sessions with Dallas Lighthouse representatives

Also on Wednesday, I met with representatives from Alon, USA, a domestic oil company headquartered in Dallas with refineries located in Texas, Louisiana and California. During our meeting, we discussed the challenges of complying with federal regulations and mandates, as well as the negative impact they have on the production of domestic gasoline. The price of renewable-fuel credits has dramatically increased over the last few months, making it more costly to keep up with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) regulatory demands. The EPA is making it more difficult for oil companies to stay in business by requiring such steep regulatory demands, resulting in domestic job loss, higher gasoline prices and companies being discouraged from manufacturing domestically. Next week, the House will focus on getting government out of the way of job creation and allowing America to gain energy independence. To get the most up-to-date information on our efforts, please follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Have a good weekend.

Sincerely,

Pete Sessions

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