Dave's Weekly Wrap: March 8, 2015

Statement

Hello,

Here's a rundown of some important things that happened in Congress this week and a look at some events ahead.

Department of Homeland Security Funding

In November, President Obama bypassed Congress and issued an executive action on immigration.

As I was then, I remain opposed to this Presidential overreach and thus I voted against legislation that would enable the President's executive amnesty to go into effect.

Taking Care of Our Veterans

On Monday the House passed two important bills aimed at solving problems for our veterans.

The first bill, H.R. 294, the Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act, authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements or contracts with a certified medical foster home to pay for long-term care for 900 eligible veterans.

For veterans who want a smaller, more familial and community oriented setting, medical foster home care is a long-term alternative. The VA, however, does not have the authority to pay for this option. That puts veterans who want to go this route into a bind and often forces the VA to move veterans into nursing homes, which ends up costing the VA more money.

This bill changes that problem by expanding health care choices for our veterans, giving them more freedom and more options in their health care decisions.

The second bill we passed helps pay for this change. When we learned about the scandals at the VA last year, we also learned that over $380,000 in bonuses had been paid to top executives at hospitals that were falsifying wait times for our veterans.

I think everyone would agree that if you receive a bonus under false pretenses, you should have to give the money back. I certainly think that's the case.

But, in typical Washington fashion, the VA Secretary doesn't have the authority to recoup those bonuses. So we passed H.R. 280, which gives the VA Secretary the authority to recoup those bonuses.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's Speech

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came and spoke before a joint meeting of Congress. It was an honor to hear directly from him how grave the threats are in the Middle East, and the importance of ensuring a nuclear free Iran. Now, more than ever, we need real leadership. So it was a no brainer for me to attend the speech to see a true leader speak and show my support for our greatest friend and ally, Israel.

School Tours

On Wednesday, I had the chance to meet with students from Gilmour Academy's Constitutional Law class who were visiting DC. Our office helped coordinate a tour of the U.S. Capitol and I presented them with a flag that had been flown over the United States Capitol. If you know that students from a local school will be coming to Washington, don't hesitate to reach out to Ken in our office and we'll be happy to help set up a tour for them.

Small Business Seminar

On Thursday, I will be hosting a Small Business Seminar in Brecksville. We will present an overview of U.S. Small Business Administration, Ohio Small Business Development Center, SCORE and the U.S. Export Assistance Center programs and services.The event will include such topics as selling to the federal government, SBA loan programs, municipal economic development, exporting, and technical assistance.

A panel of lenders will also discuss credit decision variables and the session will end with a question and answer period.

The details are below and I hope to see you there.

It is an honor to serve you,

Dave

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