Dear Friends,
With so much going on at home and abroad, I am constantly looking for ways stay in touch with the citizens of the 12th District of Texas. Today I'm sending out my first online newsletter to stay better connected with my online constituents. This weekly newsletter is designed as a quick and informative report on my legislative activities on Capitol Hill and back in Texas. I hope you find it useful. Obviously, we're all concerned about the safety of our troops fighting in Iraq. On Thursday night, I was proud to vote in favor of a resolution expressing the support and appreciation of the nation for the president and the members of the armed forces who are participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom. You can be sure I will do my best to ensure that our brave men and women in uniform have all the resources they need to complete this conflict as quickly, safely, and decisively as possible. While our troops are battling to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction, Congress has a responsibility to continue to work to strengthen our ability to prevent future terrorist attacks. This week, I was appointed to a top leadership post on the Select Committee on Homeland Security. Chairman Chris Cox has asked me to serve as Vice-Chair on the Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Border Security. In my new position, I'll help efforts to address vulnerabilities at ports, borders, nuclear facilities, dams, airports and all other potential terrorist targets in the United States. As the Subcommittee begins its work, I encourage you to visit https://kaygranger.house.gov/ for updated information. Despite the onset of war, the House of Representatives kept a busy schedule this week to ensure our domestic needs are not forgotten. We passed a budget framework that controls spending, calls for a job-creating economic growth plan, and provides funding for a Medicare prescription drug benefit. We reaffirmed the Pledge of Allegiance and called on the President to appeal any court ruling that found it unconstitutional. We voted for important reforms to our nation's bankruptcy laws. And we unanimously approved a bill that levels the playing field for members of the military by enacting several tax fairness provisions, such as ensuring that members of the military can benefit from the present-law capital gains exclusion on the sale of a home. What's on Tap for Next Week? Next week, the House of Representatives will turn to legislation to create a nationwide Amber Alert system to better respond to child abductions and begin consideration of a measure to make sure our servicemembers are fully supported.
With kind regards,
Kay Granger