Are Republicans Out of Touch?

I recently wrote to my representative (Congressman Jeff Denham (R)CA19, to let him know my feelings on the high-speed rail planned to pass through California's central valley. I emphasized that I believe that the project is important to the infrastructure of California and will bring many new jobs to the valley. My hometown of Merced has the highest unemployment rate in the United States last time I checked. He has been trying to divert the high speed rail funding to improving CA highway 99. I mainly wrote to him to let him know that this constituent supports the high speed rail project.
Here is the reply I received:

From: "Jeff Denham"
To: "Kathy Northup"
Subject: Reply from Congressman Jeff Denham
Date: Monday, February 28, 2011 5:46 AM
February 28, 2011

Dear Ms. Northup,

Thank you for contacting me regarding Department of the Interior budget for FY2011. I appreciate hearing your thoughts on how we can responsibly cut spending and reduce government while providing for the legitimate needs of our nation.

Congress and the President have not completed action on any of the FY2011 appropriations acts to fund the federal government through the rest of this year. To provide more time to resolve differences in the budgets for all federal departments and agencies, a Continuing Resolution (CR) was enacted in the previous 111th Congress to fund government operations through March 4, 2011. In order for federal departments and agencies to continue operating past this date, a new CR must be passed by March 4th. To this end, my colleagues and I in the House of Representatives spent over 90 hours deliberating H.R. 1 before it passed in the House on February 19, 2011 with my support.

H.R. 1 is a monumental accomplishment in that it marks the first CR in American history to cut spending. This bill eliminates $100 billion in spending compared to what President Obama requested last year, because we made the difficult choices and cuts that he and the previous Congressional majority were unwilling to make. Of the $100 billion cut, $81 billion was cut from non-security programs, and security-related programs have been reduced by $19 billion. These cuts are not ambiguous, across-the-board reductions, but are thoughtful, line-by-line reductions in specific programs, determined through careful and fair analysis and open debate. The House passage of the CR sets a precedent for future fiscal responsibility, which we must achieve so that our economy can grow and businesses can create jobs. In addition to significant spending cuts, H.R. 1 also contains measures to stop harmful regulations, misguided laws, and over-reaching bureaucracies which hinder and paralyze business growth and certainty which is necessary for a thriving economy and job market.

Within H.R. 1, $27.8 billion is provided for Department of Interior programs, which is $4.4 billion below FY10 levels, and $4.5 billion below President Obama's FY11 request. This year's reduction follows several years of increases; since 2008, an additional $5.7 billion in spending has been allocated to the Department of Interior, as well as an additional $10.9 billion in stimulus funds. The CR cuts the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by $3 billion from FY10 levels. The cuts to EPA alone represent 69 percent of the bill's reduction compared to FY10 funding. In addition, the bill cuts climate change funding by $107 million from FY10 appropriations levels. Funding for operation accounts was sustained in this bill to prevent layoffs and the closure of national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, Smithsonian museums, and other public sites. H.R. 1 also includes a funding limitation for the duration of the CR on EPA's ability to prohibit or restrict the emission of carbon dioxide or methane from any stationary source, as well as limits the use of funds to implement the Bureau of Land Management's "Wild Lands" policy issued in December 2010 by the Agency Secretary.

H.R. 1 is now awaiting a Senate vote. If the CR is amended or not passed by the Senate before March 4th, Congress will risk a government-wide shut down. This is not in the best interest of any American, and we must avoid this consequence. Rest assured, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that our government programs and agencies receive the funds they need to operate for the good of all Americans.

Finally, I encourage you to visit my website at www.denham.house.gov to get the most current information on my work in Congress. Once again, thank you for contacting me. Please keep in touch.

Sincerely,



JEFF DENHAM
United States Representative