I want to wish all North Carolinians Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.
The past year has been filled with many highs and lows. I rang in 2011 with our troops in Afghanistan. North Carolina is the most military friendly state in the nation, and as the Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and a member of a military family myself, I am committed to ensuring our servicemembers and their families have the resources and support they deserve. I couldn’t be more pleased that we are ending the year welcoming our troops home from Iraq.
But just like so many other Americans, I am disappointed by the partisan game-playing that too often stalled progress on Capitol Hill this year. We can’t afford to let economic growth take a backseat to partisan bickering.
Jobs are my number one priority and I believe we need more practical, bipartisan solutions to get our economy back on track. That is why in 2011 I introduced legislation with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including the Hire a Hero Act, the AMERICA Works Act, and the Foreign Earnings Reinvestment Act. This past week I voted to extend a bipartisan middle class tax cut for 4.7 million North Carolinians.
Jobs will remain my number one priority in 2012 and I will continue to look for bipartisan solutions that will create a better business climate to allow our companies to expand and create jobs in our communities.
Thank you for allowing me to serve our great state of North Carolina.
Sincerely,
Kay R. Hagan
2011 Highlights
- Congress passed and the President signed the VOW To Hire Heroes Act, a bill similar to Hagan’s Hire a Hero bill that offers a tax credit for businesses that hire unemployed veterans.
- Senator Hagan included several key provisions to put our students first in the rewrite of No Child Left Behind, the federal education law.
- Senator Hagan led the successful effort to honor the Montford Point Marines, the first African-Americans to serve in the Marine Corps, with the Congressional Gold Medal
- The Trade Adjustment Assistance program was extended to help workers who have lost their jobs due to foreign trade.
- Senator Hagan joined her colleagues from NC delegation to host the Defense Trade Show in Fayetteville, where more than 600 businesses came to connect with senior leaders from Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, Forces Command, Army Reserve Command and North Carolina military bases.
- Max Cogburn was unanimously confirmed to serve as District Court Judge for the Western District of North Carolina and Thomas Walker was unanimously confirmed to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District.
- Senator Hagan hosted an Export-Import forum in Charlotte to help NC small businesses gain a competitive edge in foreign markets.
- Senator Hagan hosted 22 Conversations with Kay in communities around North Carolina. Check hagan.senate.gov to know when she will be in your town.
2012 Priorities
Jobs remain Senator Hagan’s number one priority for 2012. Thanks to North Carolina’s first-class universities, community colleges and work ethic, Senator Hagan knows that our workers can be well-prepared to fill the next-generation jobs coming to our state. She will continue her efforts to connect workforce development officers, educators, and out-of-work North Carolinians so that our workers are ready for the jobs that are coming available.
Senator Hagan is committed to strengthening the U.S. economy by fighting for comprehensive deficit reduction and fostering a robust business environment. As the deficit reduction debate continues, Senator Hagan will work to protect investments in education, infrastructure, and research and development.
As our brave servicemembers return from Iraq, Senator Hagan will continue fighting for the support and care these men and women and their families have earned. Whether it is timely and accessible health care, opportunities to further their education, or connecting their skill sets to civilian job opportunities, Senator Hagan will continue to make North Carolina the most military-friendly state in the nation for our veterans.