WASHINGTON, DC – Earlier today the North Carolina General Assembly voted to override Governor Perdue’s veto of SB 416, a bill that would repeal the Racial Justice Act by no longer allowing the use of statistics to demonstrate racial bias in North Carolina’s capital punishment system. Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) released the following statement in response to the legislature’s overhaul of the Racial Justice Act: “While I am not particularly surprised that the Republican-led General Assembly was successful in …
Category: NC Elected Officials
Senator Richard Burr Updates
Supreme Court decision on the President’s health care law – individual mandate is a tax While this was a busy week legislatively in Washington, the biggest news of the week came from the Supreme Court. On Thursday, the Supreme Court decided to uphold the President’s health care law claiming that the individual mandate included in the law is, in fact, a tax. While the Court has been reviewing this law for months, American families and businesses have been reviewing it …
Butterfield Applauds Fourth Circuit Judge James A. Wynn, Jr. As First Federal Judge to Uphold Affordable Care Act Under Congress’s Taxing Power
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today applauded Judge James A. Wynn, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, for his concurring opinion in Liberty University v. Geithner, 671 F.3d 391 (4th Cir. 2011) (Wynn, J., concurring), wherein Judge Wynn became the first federal judge to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) under Congress’s taxing power, laying the groundwork for the Supreme Court’s momentous decision. “Our federal circuit courts and judges often work in …
Statement from NC School Leaders Regarding Governor’s Budget Decision
STATEMENT FROM STATE SUPERINTENDENT JUNE ATKINSON REGARDING GOVERNOR’S BUDGET DECISION “Come this August, almost 1.5 million students will enter North Carolina public schools, an increase of nearly 12,000 students from last year. The budget the Governor vetoed needs to include more resources for principals, teachers and other support staff to meet the needs of these students. If we are going to increase our graduation rate from its current all-time high and prepare all students for college and a career, the …
Gov. Perdue Vetoes Budget that Falls Short
The General Assembly passed a budget that leaves too many needs unmet, like the fact that schools in North Carolina would receive $190 million less next year than they received this year. It also has too many misplaced priorities, like giving $336 million in tax breaks to lawyers, lobbyists, and other wealthy individuals. To learn more about the shortcomings in their budget, here’s a list of the top 20 flaws with the legislature’s budget: Click Here Despite the flaws in …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers
To say this has been an eventful week would be an understatement! In this newsletter you will find my comments on the Supreme Court ruling on Obamacare and the failure of the Senate to address the jobs bills we have passed in the House. You will also find information and links to press releases, video and photos from press conferences and interviews I have given this week on the Obamacare ruling, the economy and jobs, and the contempt vote on …
Butterfield Joins Democratic Colleagues in Walking Out of Vote to Hold Attorney General in Contempt of Congress
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), Second Vice-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, today joined his Democratic colleagues in walking off the House Floor to oppose a Republican-led vote holding Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. “Never in our nation’s history has the U.S. House of Representatives voted to hold a sitting attorney general in contempt of Congress,” said Butterfield. “The Republican vote to hold Attorney General Holder in contempt is not about ‘gunwalking,’ the Justice …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: Feds Aren’t Going to Pay Your Utility Bills
Watch out for a new scam that touts a federal program that will supposedly pay your utility bills. The program isn’t real. Instead, it’s a ploy by scammers to steal your personal financial information and your money. The scammers tell you that to participate in the program, you need to provide your Social Security Number and bank account information. In return, they give you a bank account number that they claim will pay your utility bills—but the information is false …
McCaul-Butterfield ‘Creating Hope Act’ Goes to the President for Approval
WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Senate sent a bipartisan provision, authored by Congressmen G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) and Michael McCaul (R-TX), to the President for his signature into law. H.R. 3059, The Creating Hope Act of 2011, will incentivize pharmaceutical companies to develop new drugs for children with rare pediatric diseases, such as childhood cancers and sickle cell. The Creating Hope Act was passed as Section 908 of S. 3187, which reauthorizes various Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee …
Senator Richard Burr Updates
Farm Bill This week, the Senate voted on the Farm Bill and related amendments. I opposed the bill because it shortchanged both taxpayers and southeastern farmers. Veterans Employment Bill Our nation is experiencing record levels of sustained, high unemployment, and unfortunately, the veterans who courageously served our country are bearing the brunt of this as they return from war and struggle to find jobs in a hurting economy. By enabling employers to post jobs targeted to specific military occupations on …
Congress Woman Renee Ellmers: Protecting Access to Our Seashores
This week, the House passed H.R. 4094, the “Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act” as part of the larger Conservation and Economic Growth Act. This legislation will restore reasonable pedestrian and motorized access to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area and I am happy to have joined Congressman Walter Jones as a co-sponsor. Below you will find more information about this legislation. On Bill LuMaye’s radio show this week, I talked about President Obama’s recent …
Representative Michael H. Wray’s Raleigh Report
The House and Senate approved a budget Thursday that keeps North Carolina moving backwards. A year after losing 6,000 public school educators – including 3,000 teachers and teacher assistants – this budget leaves schools with $190 million less than they had last year. The total funding reduction for K-12 education over two years will reach $650 million dollars. Financial aid for UNC system students has been cut by $22 million dollars. The budget also continues the attack on women’s health …
Butterfield Applauds Havelock’s Receipt of Two EPA Brownfield Grants
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for awarding two brownfield grants to the city of Havelock. The grants, valued at $200,000 each, will be used for environmental site assessments, community outreach activities, and to support cleanup planning. “The testing and cleanup of brownfield sites allow for the expansion, redevelopment, and reuse of these lands, which can potentially benefit local economies,” said Butterfield. “I thank the EPA for assisting the city …
Representative Michael H. Wray’s Raleigh Report
The General Assembly considered bills this week that weaken protections against racial bias in our courts and that open up North Carolina to a controversial form of energy exploration. We also learned more about the Senate’s budget plan for our state. The plan is particularly harmful for education, even more so than the House proposal in many ways. It cuts $250 million more from the public schools, eliminates the Teaching Fellows program and cuts deeper into funding for the community …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers Newsletter
We learned this week that American families are poorer today than they were 23 years ago and 40% poorer than in 2007. The drop in American families’ wealth and news this week about a drop in retail sales is more evidence that middle class Americans and Main Street businesses are still struggling. Republicans in the House will continue to focus on legislation that cuts regulations and spending and promotes job creation. You can track the progress of jobs legislation on …
Butterfield to Receive NADO Congressional Award for Commitment to Rural Communities
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congressman G. K. Butterfield today announced that the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) will present Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) with the 2012 Congressional Partnership Award. NADO is recognizing Butterfield’s longstanding commitment to federal programs that support investments in infrastructure, job creation, and economic development. “I am pleased to be recognized by NADO for my commitment to increase development of rural communities,” said Butterfield. “Rural communities, like those you find in North Carolina’s …
Gov. Perdue’s Statement on the Override of House Bill 7
“Today the Republican-led General Assembly secured their place as the most anti-public education legislature in North Carolina history. After cutting school funding and forcing the layoffs of more than 900 teachers and 2,000 teacher assistants, after punishing teachers for daring to oppose education cuts, after pushing a reform plan based on more requirements and less money and after proposing to raid the funds available for public schools in order to shell out a tax cut to corporations that give money …
Representative Michael H. Wray’s Raleigh Report
The Governor’s Office has done some additional analysis of the House education budget. They conclude that the money available to K-12 schools last year through state funding and the EduJobs program was $7.72 billion. The current House budget is $7.69 billion with no EduJobs money now available. The governor’s proposed budget would have given public schools $8.01 billion. To say that this budget increases the funding for education, as budget supporters argue, is false. The schools will have $30 million …
Representative Michael H. Wray’s Raleigh Report
The General Assembly moved through a great deal of important legislation this week, including a landmark effort to compensate people who, some years ago, were forcibly sterilized through the state’s eugenics program. We also approved legislation to modernize the state’s Emergency Management Act. The majority again passed a bill preventing criminal defendants from seeking relief from the courts if they could prove that their prosecution or sentencing was tainted by racism. The Senate is now considering the state budget. We …
Legislative Update from Senator Richard Burr
CBO’s Long-Term Budget Outlook On Tuesday, CBO released its annual Long-Term Budget Outlook that gives Americans an idea of what to expect if our federal government does not rein in its out of control spending. This year’s report underscored that the policies being put forth by the Administration are hurting, not helping, our economy and will leave our nation in a very dangerous place for future generations if we fail to make the tough choices now to put our economy …