Senator Richard Burr Message


It’s been a busy week in Washington.  Below is a summary of what I’ve been up to since I left NC last Monday.

HELP COMMITTEE

On Tuesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families held a hearing on the importance of ensuring that children are free from abuse and neglect.  As Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, I delivered opening remarks on the issue.  To truly ensure our children are safe, both children and adults must break the silence of abuse. However, since children who are being abused live a life of fear and shame and are thus least able and likely to come forward, adults must be responsible for breaking the silence of abuse.  As one of our witnesses said, ‘child…abuse is a grown-up problem.’

It is important for us to remember that most instances of abuse against kids, sexual or physical, occurs not across state lines or on the Internet but in our own neighborhoods and communities and by folks we know. Since the vast majority of abuse is occurring so close to home, it is critical that we train and empower adults to know the signs of abuse and to know what to do when they see it or suspect it.  You may watch the video of my statement or read my full remarks here.

This was a busy week for the Senate HELP Committee, and I was pleased that the Committee voted to strengthen our ability to respond to an attack or emergency by reauthorizing the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act on Wednesday.  With reports that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is actively trying to produce toxic weapons, countries like Iran seeking weapons-grade nuclear technology, and potential homegrown terror threats, this bill is absolutely vital to America’s national security.  Since Congress passed the original PAHPA law in 2006, we have made great strides in getting our nation better prepared to handle a bioterror attack or public health emergency, but there is still much work to be done.  This bill will enhance existing programs through improvements based on the lessons we have learned over the past five years, including from the H1N1 pandemic and disasters at home and abroad.  In addition, the bill will strengthen medical countermeasures by ensuring that the FDA has the tools it needs to respond to modern day threats.  You can read more about the bill in this press release.

VETERANS AFFAIRS

On Wednesday, 40 Marine veterans and surviving family members sent a letter to President Obama urging him to help gain passage of the Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act (S. 277).  I introduced this bill to provide health care to veterans and their family members who have experienced adverse health effects as a result of exposure to well-water contaminated by human carcinogens at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.  This legislation, which will provide care to those who have endured tremendous pain through no fault of their own, passed out of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in June with bipartisan support.
 
The authors of this letter have two things in common: male breast cancer and service at Camp Lejeune.  The discovery of this unusually high instance of this disease among those who served at Camp Lejeune underscores the severity of the water contamination decades ago.  Thousands of veterans and their family members who lived and served on the base are now fighting cancers and other diseases that have left them unable to lead full lives, and many others have died.  Providing the survivors with targeted VA health care will send a strong signal of Congressional support for their care and welfare and ensure they are not forgotten.  You can read the full text of the letter the Marines sent to President Obama here.

REDUCING GOVERNMENT SPENDING, BALANCING THE BUDGET & RESTORING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

This week, I was proud to cosponsor the No Budget No Pay Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Senator Dean Heller that would stop congressional pay if Congress refuses to pass a budget by the beginning of a fiscal year.  Despite being one of the primary responsibilities of Congress, it has been over two years since we have passed a budget.  That is inexcusable.  A fiscally responsible budget is absolutely vital to our economic recovery, to reining in spending, and to restoring fiscal sanity to the federal government.  This bill would prohibit members of Congress from being paid if they do not pass a budget on time.  Paychecks have to be earned, and just like North Carolinians and Americans across the country agree, if you don’t do your job, you don’t deserve to be paid – it is as simple as that.   

SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS

I also joined Senators Hutchison (R-TX) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and introduced S. 1954, which would direct the Transportation Security Administration to develop and implement a plan providing expedited screening through the country’s airports for U.S. Armed Forces personnel and their accompanying family members.   I am proud that this bill won passage on Monday night.

Our servicemen and women chose service over self when they volunteered to defend our nation.  This sacrifice requires they and their families travel wherever duty calls, whether that means to a different state or overseas.  We ask so much of our military, and with the difficult tasks they perform and all they have on their minds, it makes sense to ensure their journeys are a little bit easier.  You can read more about the bill here or on my website.

In addition, I joined Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (ID – CT), Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME), and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) on Wednesday in introducing legislation to provide employment protections to Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who are called up for active military duty.  The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, commonly known as USERRA, guarantees that when employees in both the private and public sector, who are also members of the National Guard, reservists, or veterans, are called to active duty, they can return to their civilian jobs when their service is complete.

There is no reason that TSA should not adhere to the same guidelines under USERRA that virtually all government agencies and businesses have to follow.  We owe it to our nation’s National Guard members and Reservists to ensure that their jobs are protected when they sign on to sacrifice in defense of our safety and freedoms, and this bill represents a step in that direction.  Click here to learn more about the bill.

MEDIA ROUNDUP

I also had the opportunity to chat with Bill LuMaye about the payroll tax, government waste and accountability, and more on News Radio 680 WPTF this week.  In case you missed it, be sure to listen to the interview or read the full transcript.

Last night, I had the chance to join Larry Kudlow on CNBC’s “The Kudlow  Report.” Watch the video to hear our discussion about the payroll tax, Keystone XL Pipeline and economic recovery.