Dr. Boozman's Check-up
Calling it "entirely smart and compassionate", the Southwest Times-Record throws its support behind a proposal to extend additional tax relief to Arkansans who were affected by this spring's violent storms.
I am an original cosponsor of the bill, Southeastern Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2011, which extends approximately twenty tax credits and incentives to those affected by recent tornadoes, severe storms and/or flooding that swept through Arkansas and neighboring southeastern states in April and May.
The Fort Smith-based paper notes that residents in 30 Arkansas counties are eligible for individual assistance and 51 counties are eligible for public assistance. They could receive additional benefits if this bill becomes law.
My Flag Day Message
Jun 14 2011
The Stars and Stripes are a symbol of national pride. We salute it, display it and pledge to it. Today we celebrate our flag and all it stands for. National Flag Day is a day that honors the adoption of this symbol.
In 1777, the Continental Congress established an official flag for our country. Congress required that "the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation." The design has changed since then as more states have been added to the union. President Truman officially declared Flag Day a national holiday in 1949; however, Americans had been celebrating the unofficial holiday since the late 1800s.
Although Flag Day is recognized one day each year, we honor it every day. Each day before the Senate begins business in the chamber, we honor our heritage by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. If you travel to Washington D.C. and visit the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, you can see the symbol that inspired Francis Scott Key to write our National Anthem and our athletes wear an American flag emblem on their uniforms.
I encourage all Arkansans to recognize the importance of this national symbol. If you’re interested in getting an American flag, my office is happy to help. We can arrange to have a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol. With your flag, you will receive a certificate to commemorate the event that can be customized with a person’s name, the occasion for which the flag is being flown, as well as the specific date it was flown.
Our flag is a way to show our patriotism and is an important reminder of the men and women who have paved the path for the country we know today.
Yesterday I took to the Senate floor to push my colleagues to support a myraid of bills that will help create jobs in Arkansas. These commonsense bills would create the conditions for job growth, instead of perpetuating the uncertainty that is stifling job creation.
Unfortunately as noted in this Washington Post story, "quorum calls have taken up about a third of its [the Senate's] time since January, according to C-SPAN statistics: more than 17 eight-hour days’ worth of dead air."
The Hill's Floor Action Blog noted the crux of my speech--that this is unacceptable.
There is no excuse to why this chamber fails to work on legislation and programs that will provide relief for the unemployed. The Senate majority and President Obama have failed to show that job creation is at the top of their agenda.
Let's drop the quorum calls and starting calling the roll for votes on bills that put Americans back to work.
Working to Undo the Flawed Health Care Law
Jun 09 2011
We’ve made some progress that will prove to be critical on the health care front in the form of repealing this flawed legislation this Congress, and our courts are also playing a role. Earlier this week a federal appeals court heard oral arguments regarding a recent Florida ruling that declared the health care law unconstitutional. I applaud state officials leading the effort to stop this intrusive law from being fully implemented.
26 states joined forces to challenge the law requiring every American to have insurance. Back in February, Florida District Court Judge Roger Vinson ruled that because the individual mandate was unconstitutional, the entire law was unconstitutional. The hearing will decide whether or not Judge Vinson’s ruling still stands.
Passed in 2010, the health care law requires every American to have health insurance and sets up state-based insurance exchanges from which to purchase insurance. While several minor provisions, such as the provision to allow children under 26 to stay on their parents’ insurance plan, have been enacted since the law’s passage, the state exchanges will not be put into full force until 2014.
As an optometrist, I understand the importance of a quality health care system. Before coming to Capitol Hill, I volunteered at a clinic serving low-income families. However, the new law places too many burdens on individuals and small businesses for it to produce the results touted by its proponents. What we need are common sense solutions to lower the cost of health care that do not reach deep into the pockets of average Arkansans, many of whom are struggling to afford rising gas prices and find jobs.
This week’s hearing is part of a drawn out legal process that will no doubt take time to climb through the nation’s legal system. I remain optimistic that the individual mandate will ultimately be deemed unconstitutional. As a U.S. Senator, I have voted to defund this flawed law. Although the measure failed I will continue to do my part to oppose any measure that furthers the implementation of the health care law.