Category: NC Elected Officials

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today introduced bipartisan legislation that would make deserving World War II U.S. Merchant Mariners eligible for honorary veterans’ status and certain veterans’ benefits. H.R. 1288, the World War II Merchant Marine Service Act of 2013, would expand the list of documents accepted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to prove service and to grant honorary veterans status to a forgotten segment of the World War II Merchant Marine, the Coastwise Merchant …

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), a veteran of the U.S. Army, today sent a letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel urging him to reinstate the tuition assistance programs for members of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Marine Corps.  Earlier this month, these service branches announced the suspension of their tuition assistance programs as a result of sequester cuts, which will affect more than 250,000 servicemembers. In his letter, Butterfield wrote, “Our all-volunteer …

Last week, the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force announced they would suspend the Tuition Assistance program for servicemembers – a program that 300,000 of our brave men and women in uniform depend upon to advance their educations.   While I recognize that sequestration is forcing the Department of Defense to make tough budget decisions, denying educational opportunities to our servicemembers is the wrong way to find savings. We cannot put the burden of addressing our long-term fiscal challenges on the …

Governor McCrory Signs Bills Promoting Technology in Public Schools On March 15, Governor Pat McCrory acted on his commitment to transform North Carolina’s education system by signing two bills to help expand digital learning initiatives and promote technology in the classroom. “This legislation will help fundamentally transform the way our children learn in our schools through technology,” said Governor McCrory at Cuthbertson High School in Waxhaw. “I thank the bill sponsors as we continue to work together to empower our …

This week, the House passed the H.R. 803 the “Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act to cut red tape and help more Americans get back to work. I discussed the SKILLS Act on several local radio shows this week and spoke in favor of the bill on the floor of the House. Below you will find a link to my speech and to additional information about the bill. In Energy & Commerce subcommittee hearings this week, we …

While some in Washington seek to encroach on the Second Amendment rights of law-biding Americans, I will continue to fight to ensure these rights are honored and protected.  Yesterday, I introduced legislation that would end the arbitrary process through which the government strips veterans and other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries of their Second Amendment rights. This legislation would protect the rights of veterans and their families by ensuring that only a proper judicial authority is able to determine who …

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today applauded Duke University and East Carolina University (ECU) on its receipt of two distinct grants from the National Science Foundation in the amount of $302,103 and $358,656, respectively. Duke University will use the grant award to develop an automated coding system to produce near real-time political indicators on the characteristics and behaviors of world governments for the purpose of constructing information on interstate disputes among nations.  This system will significantly reduce …

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta urging him to do what he can to continue the FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Program at Kinston Regional Jetport at Stallings Field (ISO) and at Coastal Carolina Regional (EWN) Airport. Both the Kingston Regional Jetport and the Coastal Carolina Regional Airport have been notified by the FAA that they are among roughly 200 FCTs being considered for closure due to …

Governor McCrory Makes Largest Job Announcement in State’s Recent History Governor Pat McCrory’s recent announcement that MetLife, Inc. plans to create over 2,600 jobs in Charlotte and Cary is the largest jobs announcement in recent North Carolina history. The company also expects to invest $125.5 million into its new Mecklenburg and Wake County campuses.  “We’re proud that a strong corporate partner like MetLife has decided to invest in North Carolina,” said Governor McCrory. “These jobs will complement our financial services sector in Charlotte …

It was my honor to spend Monday morning with local farmers, members of the Fuquay-Varina and Wake Forest-Rolesville FFA, and others at the annual Wake County Farm Bureau breakfast before returning  to Washington for a busy week. In spite of the anticipated snow storm, my offices in Washington and the Second District were open for business all week, including offering tours of the U.S. Capitol. In this newsletter, you will find information about some of my activity in Washington this …

Learn about top consumer complaints to avoid trouble Last year, 23,205 consumers filed complaints with Attorney General Roy Cooper’s Consumer Protection Division.  Here is 2012’s list of top ten consumer complaints: Do Not Call Lending Telemarketing Fraud Health Care Home Repair Motor Vehicles Credit and Collections Television Services Internet/Computers Telecommunications Learn more about the top ten consumer complaints online at www.ncdoj.gov, and get our list of top ten consumer tips.   To file a complaint with our Consumer Protection Division, …

Because of Congressional inaction this week – and every week for the past two years, for that matter – sequestration, the automatic spending cuts put in place by the President, will go into effect today, March 1.  While I was hopeful we could reach an agreement that would make more prioritized spending cuts, the truth is Washington has a spending problem. We need to begin to cut the size and scope of the federal government.  I would prefer more targeted …

A constituent called my office this week to say his personal family budget has already been affected this year by higher gas prices and higher taxes leaving him with a smaller paycheck. He wanted to know why it is okay for him to have to cut his budget, when at the same time the president and Democrats say we cannot survive spending cuts to the federal government’s budget. He is absolutely right. Washington has a spending problem and as responsible …

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), a former civil rights attorney and judge, took to the House Floor to discuss the importance of preserving Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which is now being considered in Shelby County v Holder by the Supreme Court.  The full video and transcript follows. Mr. BUTTERFIELD. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and particularly thank the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus for her leadership in convening this special hour …

WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, February 22, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) will be joined by North Carolina Department of Revenue officials and community and industry leaders to urge eligible North Carolinians to use the Free File program to prepare and file their taxes for free. Butterfield will speak at a public briefing on the Free File program, which provides eligible taxpayers free use of name-brand tax software products through a partnership between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and tax …

Four years ago, President Obama addressed the state of our union. In 2009, our country was facing an economic crisis with trillions of dollars in debt, rising unemployment, and an uncertain future. Four years later, little has changed. We have a $16 trillion national debt, having added $5.8 trillion of it in the past four years. Yet some Democrats in Congress are still denying we have a spending problem. Below you will find my response to the president’s State of …

On Tuesday, the President delivered his State of the Union Address to the American people.  The address sounded a lot like rhetoric we have heard from him in years past, but as we have learned, actions speak louder than words.  Words alone will not turn our economy around and put America back on the right track.  I hope the President will work with Congress to reform our entitlement programs so they are viable for future generations of Americans and fix …

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, North Carolina Representatives G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), David Price (NC-04), and Mel Watt (NC-12) sent a letter to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory strongly urging that he veto House Bill 4, a bill that would block funding of federal emergency unemployment benefits to hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians. In their letter, the congressmen wrote, “As members of North Carolina’s Congressional Delegation, we do not routinely express our views on legislation presented to the Governor.  However, …