WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, today applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the first voucher made available under legislation he successfully included in the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). The voucher was issued for Vimizim, a pharmaceutical drug that will be used to treat a rare childhood disorder called “Mucopolysaccharidosis” that leads to problems with bone development, growth, and movement. …
Category: Press Release
White House: An adorable “focus group”
Let’s Move! — First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative to end childhood obesity within a generation — just turned 4. We’re celebrating all week, and we want you to join us. The First Lady wants you to share how you’re moving by using the hashtag #LetsMove on social media to share a photo of your favorite activity or healthy snack. If enough people get involved, President Obama and Vice President Biden will share how they get moving, too. To kick off …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Opening the Discussion on Immigration
There is a lot to report from the Second District this week, but first I would like to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the families of the paratroopers that were killed and wounded in a training accident in Ft. Bragg Friday morning. We owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces, both at home and abroad, for the sacrifices they make every day. In this newsletter, you will find information and …
White House Weekly Address: Time to Lift the Minimum Wage and Give America a Raise
President Obama says this is a year of action, and he will do everything he can to restore opportunity for all. The President already lifted the wages for federal contract workers, and he calls on the American people to tell Congress to finish the job by boosting the federal minimum wage for all workers to $10.10 and give America a raise. This week, the President traveled to the North American Leaders Summit in Toluca, Mexico, to California to address the …
Butterfield Announces D.C. Office Staff Changes
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today announced the following staffing updates: Administrative Department Reggie McCrimmon, who has served as Staff Assistant since July, has been promoted to Special Assistant. As Special Assistant, Reggie will manage all special administrative, communications, legislative, and outreach projects; in addition to serving as the internship coordinator. Reggie is a 2013 graduate of North Carolina Central University, where he served two terms as Student Body President. Previously, Reggie interned in the offices of …
Butterfield Congratulates Dr. Victor Dzau on New Position at Institute of Medicine
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) released the following statement regarding Duke University Health System CEO Dr. Victor J. Dzau being named as the next president of the Institute of Medicine: “I congratulate Dr. Victor Dzau on being named the new president of the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academies. For decades, Dr. Dzau has been recognized as a world-renowned pioneer in scientific and medical research. As Duke University’s Chancellor of Health Affairs, President …
Legislative Update from Senator Richard Burr
Last week’s legislative activity in the Senate was cut short by the same storm that wreaked havoc across North Carolina. On Wednesday, the Senate voted on a one year suspension of the debt limit, which passed 55-43. I voted against the legislation. As I have said many times, Washington must curb its out of control spending, and it must do so before we are in an even worse situation than we are today. We are limiting the opportunities of our …
Butterfield’s District Work Period to Focus on Economic Development and Black History Month
WASHINGTON, DC – During next week’s District Work Period, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) will crisscross the district to highlight tax season, economic development, and Black History Month. On Tuesday, Congressman Butterfield will be joined by federal and state officials at events in Greenville and Louisburg to promote awareness of a Free File tax program North Carolinians can access to prepare and file their taxes for free. The Free File program is a partnership between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Voting to Restore Veterans’ Retirement, Against Raising the Debt Limit
A winter storm brought many parts of the East Coast to a standstill this week, but we were still able to get some important work done in the House. On Tuesday, I voted against a debt limit increase that failed to cut spending. Currently our federal government has accrued a 17.3 trillion dollar debt, and raising our debt limit to pay for out-of-control spending only perpetuates our nation’s spending problem. We need to get our priorities straight by making decisions that …
White House Weekly Address: Calling on Congress to Raise the Minimum Wage
This week, President Obama took action to lift more workers’ wages by requiring that federal contractors pay their employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour. In this week’s address, he highlights that executive action and calls on Congress to pass a bill to raise the federal minimum wage for all workers. This week, the President hosted the first state visit for the French President in 20 years, signed the farm bill, and raised the minimum wage for …
State Leaders Announce Plan to Raise Starting Teacher Pay
Raleigh, N.C. – Governor Pat McCrory, Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest, Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Thom Tillis announced on Monday a unified strategy to make North Carolina’s starting teacher salaries among the highest in the Southeast. This is the first step in their shared commitment to improve teacher and state employee salaries. “There’s no greater investment we can make than in preparing our kids for the future, and there’s no question that high-quality teachers lead to better student …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: A Bad Week for Obamacare
I hope you are enjoying cheering on Team USA in the 2014 Winter Olympics this weekend. Best wishes to our wonderful athletes who have devoted so much time and effort to training, and who have sacrificed so much to represent America on the world stage. I am happy to relay information on a great bill that originated in the House this week for our veterans. I was proud to join my colleagues in passing the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act …
Legislative Update from Senator Richard Burr
On Tuesday, I voted against final passage of the Farm Bill. Not only does it carry a nearly $1 trillion price tag but most of the funding has nothing to do with farming, let alone providing any certainty to farmers. It also fails to include relief to farmers on burdensome GIPSA Restrictions and Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) rules. While I appreciate the efforts of the bill’s authors, its failure to address the crucial needs of North Carolina farmers prevented …
An Open Letter to the Raleigh News & Observer from Senator Richard Burr
Last week, the Raleigh News & Observer ran an editorial attacking the Patient CARE Act, my proposal to repeal Obamacare and replace it with patient-centered reforms of our health care system that are actually affordable. Throughout the editorial, they mischaracterized the proposal, and mislead their readers about the plan and its contents. In an attempt to set the record straight, I prepared a response—a response the News & Observer said they would be happy to run, if the length was …
White House Weekly Address: Expanding Opportunity for the American People
In this week’s address, President Obama says he will do everything he can to make a difference for the middle class and those working to get into the middle class, so that we can expand opportunity for all and build an economy that works for the American people. Good Luck, Team USA! As Team USA represents us on the world stage and goes for the gold, folks here at home will be cheering them on every step of the way. …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: What issues do you want Congress to address in 2014?
I want to know which issues are most important to you! Jobs. Economy. Healthcare. Education. Budget. Taxes. Immigration. Energy. Defense. National Security. Veterans. Second Amendment. Please take a minute to complete this brief survey. Knowing what is important to you helps me to better serve you in Congress. http://ellmers.congressnewsletter.net/mail/util.cfm?gpiv=2100112599.38927.389&gen=1
White House First Lady Michelle Obama: “I’m First”
The White House is releasing a special video message from the First Lady in which she talks about being the first in her family to attend college. This video is part of the “I’m First” storytelling project, which lifts up the stories of first-generation college students in order to inspire future generations. As the First Lady says in her video, “no matter where you come from or how much money your family has, I want you to know that you …
Butterfield Is Optimistic that Duke Energy Progress’s Move to Purchase NCEMPA Ownership Interest Will Result in Lower Utility Costs
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement concerning Duke Energy Progress’s announcement that it is in discussions to buy the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency’s (NCEMPA) partial ownership of its plants: “I’m pleased to learn that Duke Energy Progress is considering the purchase of a partial ownership interest in plants that provide energy to my congressional district. The ratepayers in the cities served by NCEMPA have been burdened with high utility costs and trapped …
Senator Richard Burr Newsletter
On Monday, I unveiled, along with Senators Coburn and Hatch The Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, a legislative proposal that would repeal Obamacare and then replace it with common-sense, patient-centered reforms that reduce health care costs and increase access to affordable, high-quality care. Unlike Obamacare, which is centered around government mandates and regulations, the Patient CARE Act empowers the American people to make their own decisions about their health care needs, and includes adopting common-sense consumer protections …
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Failed Leadership and Empty Rhetoric — My Response to the President’s SOTU Speech
This week, much of the second district was covered in a beautiful blanket of snow. As the snow began falling in North Carolina Tuesday night, the president headed to Capitol Hill to try and explain away the failures of his legislative agenda during his annual State of the Union address. Even more disturbing than his attempt to rewrite the story of his policy failures, is the president’s determination to bypass Congress and force his policies on the American people. Instead of …