| Congressman Bright’s District Work Schedule |
| 8/4/09 | |
| MONTGOMERY, AL- Congressman Bright announced today his district schedule for August 4th through 6th. Congressman Bright will be in the Wiregrass to host a Small Business Survival Seminar in Dothan. Congressman Bright will also hold a meet and greet event in Pinckard, as well as events in Troy, Goshen, and Elba on Wednesday designed for constituents to meet personally with their Congressman. |
| Where I Stand on Health Care Legislation |
| 8/4/09 | |
As it currently stands, I am opposed to the House draft health care legislation. I am hopeful that when Congress returns in September, the process will be more bi-partisan and we will be able to produce something that works for the American people. I continue to believe that the current direction of health care reform relies too heavily on taxes on individuals and small businesses, and the overall cost of health care legislation remains too high. Moreover, though changes have been made to how the public option will work, the overall bill does not represent my belief in a free-market approach to health care reform. |
| Bright Votes for Defense Appropriations Bill |
| 7/30/09 | |
Bill funds the Department of Defense and overseas military operations; contains money for missile built in Troy WASHINGTON, DC- Congressman Bright voted for the Defense Department Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010, which funds the Department of Defense and military operations overseas. Many of the priorities funded by H.R. 3326 were authorized through the work that Congressman Bright and the Armed Services Committee completed in the National Defense Authorization Act. In addition, Congressman Bright was able to secure $5 million for the Javelin Missile, which is built in Troy. Moreover, the bill continues to bar funds for the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Defense Appropriations Act, which passed with a bi-partisan 400 – 30 vote, now heads to the Senate for further consideration. |
| Coming Soon! |
| Weekly Columns |
| 8/4/09 | |
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An Update from Washington Health care once again was a major topic of discussion on Capitol Hill last week. Late Friday night, the Energy and Commerce Committee passed the current health care bill which has been circulating the House. Though the changes made to the bill were a step in the right direction, I remain firmly opposed to the health care legislation in its present form. Specifically, the bill still relies too heavily on taxes on individuals and small businesses, and the overall cost of health care legislation remains too high. And though changes have been made to how the public option will work, it does not represent a free-market approach to health care reform, which must be a cornerstone of any legislation. However, I am pleased that my colleagues in the fiscally conservative Blue Dog coalition were able to slow down the process by delaying a vote on the bill until September. This will allow Members of Congress to fully consider the bill and discuss its provisions with constituents during August. I believe it is necessary that the American people have time to fully review this legislation and offer thoughtful comment. It’s much more important to get health care reform done right rather than on a timeline. Supporting the Troops On Thursday, I voted for the Defense Department Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010, which funds the Department of Defense and military operations overseas. Many of the priorities funded by the bill were authorized through the work that the Armed Services Committee completed in the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill passed with a bi-partisan 400 – 30 vote and now goes to the Senate for further consideration. The Defense Appropriations Act provides $636 billion for the Department of Defense. Included in that amount is $128 billion to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill gives soldiers a 3.4% pay raise for the military, which is .5% above the President’s request. Other provisions include nearly $30 billion for military medical care, with $500 million allocated for traumatic brain injury. Additionally, this bill bars funds from going to the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which I recently visited along with a bi-partisan delegation of other members of Congress. We can never do enough to fully compensate our soldiers, but a 3.4% pay increase is certainly a step in the right direction. I also am pleased that Congress continues to hold firm in withholding money for the closing Guantanamo Bay. After touring the facility and meeting with our military stationed there, I can say without hesitation that Guantanamo should remain open in order to keep those that wish us harm out of the mainland United States.As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call our offices in Montgomery at (334) 277-9113, Dothan at (334) 794-9680, Opp at (334) 493-9253, or Ozark at (334) 445-4600. You can also visit the website at www.bright.house.gov It is my great pleasure to serve you and the entire Second District of Alabama. to sign up for the e-newsletter. Click on the the links below to view Congressman Bright’s past Weekly Columns. |
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