Blog: The Webster Wire: Join the Conversation Taking Place in Your Neighborhood

Statement

Dear Friend,

Last week, I attended public events in all three counties within our Congressional District, including:

-North Lake Community Town Hall in Mount Dora, which was part of the Lakeside Inn's 2013 town hall series
-"Conversation with your Congressman" in Auburndale
-Sunrise Breakfast with the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce
-Regions Bank Roundtable in Orlando
-Leesburg Sunrise Rotary Breakfast
-Royal Highlands Gathering at the Recreation Center in Leesburg
-Home at Last flag raising and dedication in Oakland
-105th Anniversary of New Bethel AME Church in Winter Haven
-125th Anniversary of First Baptist Church of Winter Garden

Almost everywhere I go, I provide information about the constituent services my office provides, and share success stories where we have been able to help solve problems that constituents have with the Federal Government.

If you were not able to participate in these events, I encourage you to join us in Groveland for another Coffee with your Congressman on Wednesday, and participate in the conversation by following me on Twitter or Facebook.

On Saturday, I had the privilege of welcoming U.S. Marine Corporal Ronald Clayton "C J" Barnes, his wife Katy, and their son Alex, to our community. It was my privilege to present them with a flag we flew over the Capitol on July 4th in their honor. The Barnes' are new residents of an Oakland home built especially for them by the West Orange County Habitat for Humanity's "Home at Last" project. As a wounded warrior, Cpl. Barnes' sacrifice for our nation is inspiring and deserving of this gracious gesture from the West Orange community.

Helping veterans lead fulfilling lives and apply their skills in the workforce is good for our communities, the economy, and most importantly, the right thing to do for those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. To this purpose, I also hosted the Florida Association of Veteran Owned Businesses at my Winter Garden office in order to discuss ways to empower and support former service members in our small business community.

It was an honor to receive the Grange Champion of Seniors award in recognition of my efforts on behalf of seniors. The Grange is a national, nonpartisan grassroots organization that advocates on behalf of America's seniors. I was thrilled with their award and have already displayed it prominently in my office.

America's economy is built on the foundation of small business ventures, and this week, I had the pleasure of visiting a Pizza Hut franchise in Ocoee. We discussed issues affecting the business environment while I created my own pizza and saw the operations of a fast food kitchen. Community businesses like these are increasingly forgotten in Washington's game of picking winners and losers.

In conjunction with this firsthand experience, I visited Workforce Central Florida's JobVantage Center in South Orange County. I was updated on their successful model of collaboration between industry, community colleges and Workforce Development Boards. This partnership ensures that workforce investments are responsive to the jobs being created and provide local employers with the trained workers they need to succeed. I also received feedback from job seekers about their experience with the Center's job training and placement tools.

I also continued my visits to other businesses and healthcare-related facilities that serve the district:

-Central Florida Development Council in Polk County
-Buckhead Beef in Auburndale
-Calpine Corporation in Auburndale
-Comcar industries in Auburndale
-Munroe Regional Medical Center in Lake County
-Lake Medical Imaging in Leesburg
-Leesburg Regional Medical Center
-Good Shepherd Hospice in Auburndale

As your representative, I consider it an honor to hear your input, visit local businesses, and meet so many dedicated men and women who work hard to enhance our lives and communities.

Your servant,
Daniel Webster
Member of Congress

Constituent Corner:

A constituent contacted our office after being notified by the IRS that she owed more than $2,000 in penalties and interest charges due to taxes on her deceased mother's estate. Our office worked with the Taxpayer Advocate Service to request that the assessments be put on hold and be reviewed by the IRS. Shortly thereafter, the IRS reversed the additional assessments against the constituent. If you ever need assistance cutting through the red tape at a federal agency, contact our office at one of the numbers below. We are here to serve you.

Share Your View:

President Obama already gave a waiver to large companies so that they would not be forced to comply with Obamacare's employer mandate. Now, he has announced that insurance companies will have more time before they must comply with Obamacare's maximum limits on consumer's out-of-pocket expenses for their medical care.

If large businesses and insurance companies get waivers from Obamacare, do you believe that families, individuals and small businesses deserve equal treatment?

Response to last week's survey question; "Do you agree the House of Representatives should continue working to repeal Obamacare?" No -- 96% Yes -- 3%

Legislative Update:

Last week, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius invited HHS employees to learn about basic components of the President's health care law over brown-bag lunches.

Obamacare is scheduled to go into effect in five short weeks, and even bureaucrats at the department charged with forcing Americans to comply with the law are unclear about how it works.

I have heard the concerns from health care providers, small businesses, individuals and families who are scrambling to prepare for the coming Obamacare train wreck. President Obama himself acknowledged problems with the law when he extended large businesses waivers from the employer mandate and delayed the cap on out-of-pocket expenses in recent weeks. In fact, of the 82 major provisions in Obamacare, 41 of them have been delayed, waived or otherwise done away with.

President Obama has already signed seven bills, passed by the House of Representatives and Senate, repealing parts of his signature law. I will continue supporting legislation to repeal and dismantle this unworkable, confusing and costly law, which is harming our economy and making it harder for Central Floridians to access the care they need from the doctor they choose at a price they can afford.

Source