Sixth District Perspectives with Congressman Ben Cline – November 27, 2019

It is great to be home preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving. As we gather with family and friends this week, let us be mindful of the blessings each of us has been granted. May we also remember those defending our nation in known and unknown places who are away from their families standing watch during this holiday season.

Unfortunately, last week the House was once again wrapped up in impeachment despite the fact that we still have no budget deal beyond December 20, have no resolution to securing our southern border, and have yet to pass the USMCA trade agreement nearly a year after it was reached.

Impeachment:
The Majority’s three-year obsession with impeaching President Trump is distracting Congress from the real work we should be doing for Americans: improving our Nation’s infrastructure and highways such as I-81, fully funding our Nation’s military and veterans’ programs, securing our border and preventing the flood of gangs, drugs, and human trafficking that has flowed across it, and supporting our farmers and manufacturers by approving the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA).
Since the very beginning, the Majority has taken an impeachment at all costs strategy in an attempt to undo the 2016 election and undermine the votes of nearly 63 million Americans. It is time to move on from this inquiry and get back to work for the American people.

 Click to watch comments from Congressman Ben Cline. WSET 11/13/19

Continuing Resolution:
Our nation is on the edge of a fiscal cliff, and our government avoided a shutdown last week by passing yet another Continuing Resolution. These sorts of stopgap funding deals do nothing but push our problems off to another day, while harming our military and jeopardizing our national security. Legislation like this is nothing more than a band-aid on our broken budget process, and Congress has yet to send a single appropriations bill to the President’s desk. We must return to regular order in our appropriations process to ensure a stable fiscal future for the American people.

USMCA:
This week will mark one year since the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement was sent to Congress for ratification. It has been nearly 365 days, and this Chamber has yet to take any action toward passing this critical agreement. Canada and Mexico are vital agricultural trade partners for the United States, and our farmers export nearly $40 billion in goods to our neighbors to the north and south annually. Further, independent studies show that the USMCA trade agreement would add $68 billion to the U.S. economy and spur 176,000 new jobs. There is no reason why the House should continue to stall the implementation of a deal that will have a profoundly beneficial impact on the American workforce. Congress must put partisan politics aside and pass this deal for the betterment of our constituents.

JMU Washington Semester Program:
The Sixth District is fortunate to be home to more than 20 institutions of higher education, including James Madison University in Harrisonburg. JMU is known for providing its students with exceptional opportunities, one of which is its Washington Semester Program. This program allows JMU students to study and work in Washington, D.C., while taking advantage of everything the city has to offer. Last week, I was thrilled to be one of the program’s guest speakers and spent nearly two hours engaging with students and hearing their concerns. We discussed not only the hot button issues of the day, but also what it takes to be successful after graduation. Many students were participating in internships here on Capitol Hill, which offer a front row seat to the legislative process. If you or someone you know is interested in an internship with my office, please click here.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Congressman. If my office can ever be of assistance, please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-5431.

For the latest updates from Washington, please follow my social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.