Category: Press Release
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: More Than Just Glitches – Obamacare Launch is Massive Failure
The bill that passed the Senate and House this week raised the debt ceiling and funded the government for another three months, but did nothing to address our nation’s spending problem or grant Americans any relief from the mandates in Obamacare. Because the bill included no spending cuts, or in any way tackled the devastating impact of Obamacare, I voted “no.” Below you can read the statement I released regarding my vote in its entirety. I also gave numerous interviews …
White House Weekly Address: Working Together on Behalf of the American People
In this week’s address, President Obama said that now that the federal government is reopened and the threat of default is lifted from the economy, there are three places Washington can take action to serve the American people. First, it’s time for a balanced, responsible approach to the budget that grows the economy and shrinks our long term deficits. Second, we must fix our broken immigration system. And finally, Congress should pass a farm bill to give rural communities the …
Kay Hagan: Congress Must Stop Manufacturing Crises and Instead Work to Grow Our Economy
This government shutdown was completely unnecessary. Congress should have never gotten to the point where the government was shut down and on the verge of a default crisis, and neither Republicans nor Democrats should attempt to take a victory lap after last night’s vote. However, I am glad the Senate passed a bipartisan plan to re-open the government and avert a default crisis that would have been disastrous for our economy and our middle class families. I wasn’t elected to …
White House: Reopening Our Government
Wednesday night, President Obama signed legislation to reopen our government and pay our bills. “Because Democrats and responsible Republicans came together, the first government shutdown in 17 years is now over,” he said today in the State Dining Room. “The first default in more than 200 years will not happen. These twin threats to our economy have been lifted.”
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Working to End the Shutdown
This week in the House we continued to pass appropriations bills to fund the government, while Senate Democrats continued to block funding for veterans’ benefits, pediatric cancer research, WIC, national parks, and more — just so they could give Congress and big businesses special breaks under Obamacare. Most disturbing was news this week that military death benefits were being withheld from the families of America’s fallen heroes. Below you will find a link to video of my speech on the …
White House Weekly Address: Let’s Get Back to the Work of the American People
In this week’s address, President Obama discussed his meetings with members of Congress of both parties and the ongoing effort to reopen the government and remove the danger of default from our economy. The President urged Congress to pass a budget, put people back to work, and end this shutdown. In his message, the President also called for paying our bills to prevent an economic shutdown. Welcome to your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, …
Raising Awareness of Domestic Violence
RALEIGH, N.C. – Legal Aid of North Carolina, a statewide nonprofit law firm for low-income people, is recognizing National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by participating in vigils, community outreach programs, advocate training sessions and other events throughout October (see the full list). Domestic violence is a pernicious problem in North Carolina. According to the state attorney general’s office, around 100 North Carolinians are murdered every year in domestic violence-related incidents, and domestic violence is responsible for half of all homicides …
White House: President Obama Explains the Shutdown
Yesterday, eight days into the Republican government shutdown, President Obama spoke from the White House about the need for Republicans in Congress to stop threatening another recession just to sabotage Obamacare, stop demanding ransom just for doing their jobs, and just vote to reopen the government. He talked about the toll this shutdown is already taking on our country and the economy, and warned against the dire consequences of a default if Congress doesn’t act to prevent an economic shutdown. …
Butterfield Applauds Greene Early College High School’s Receipt of National Blue Ribbon School Designation
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman G.K. Butterfield (NC-01) today applauded Greene Early College High School in Snow Hill, North Carolina for being honored as a 2013 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Greene Early College High School is one of only six schools in North Carolina, and the only school in eastern North Carolina, to receive the 2013 National Blue Ribbon School designation for academic excellence from the Department of Education. Greene Early College High School was …
White House: Just vote
We’re now three days into a shutdown of the federal government. Real Americans are being hurt, and our economy is paying the price. Reports have come out detailing how hundreds of thousands of people don’t know when their next paycheck will come. Millions of Americans, including veterans and seniors, are at risk of losing the benefits they’ve paid for, earned, and rely on. For all that, we’re exactly where we were Monday night: If Speaker Boehner dropped his demands to …
More Than 8,500 Residents Attended Butterfield’s Telephone Town Hall on Obamacare
WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) held a telephone town hall meeting to answer First District residents’ questions on the Affordable Care Act and on open enrollment in the new Health Insurance Marketplace, which began on October 1. The live telephone town hall started at 6:30 p.m. and lasted over an hour with more than 8,500 district residents joining the call. “The high number of participants shows that people are eager to get the information they …
Butterfield Blasts Republicans Over Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement regarding the Republican-imposed government shutdown: “In all my years of having a front row seat to their antics, today House Republicans have reached a new low. For the first time in 17 years the federal government has shutdown. Government buildings are closed. Federal employees will lose pay. Public servants will work without the guarantee of pay. And far too many Americans will experience unnecessary delays in services. …
Butterfield Applauds Justice Department Lawsuit Challenging NC Voter ID Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today applauded the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for filing suit against North Carolina over its restrictive new voting law that includes discriminatory provisions aimed at disenfranchising thousands of North Carolinians. The lawsuit follows Butterfield’s repeated requests to the DOJ to legally challenge the state law under the Voting Rights Act. “I applaud Attorney General Eric Holder for acting within his constitutional duty to protect the voting rights of North Carolinians,” said …
Attorney General Roy Cooper: As Obamacare Kickoff Nears, look out for scams
The first day of enrollment for the Affordable Care Act is October 1. On that day, people will be able to begin shopping for insurance plans on the newly created Health Insurance Marketplaces. Unfortunately, scammers are likely to use these changes as an opportunity to try to rip you off. While the scammers’ approaches may differ, their goal will be the same: to con you into paying money that you don’t need to pay, sell you a fake product, or …
White House: Applying for Health Insurance Just Got Easier
On October 1, millions of Americans will have a simple new way to get affordable health coverage: the Health Insurance Marketplace. With one application, you’ll be able to compare all your coverage options side-by-side, learn if you can get lower costs based on your income, and enroll in a plan that fits your needs and your budget. In fact, the new application is so simple, it’s 17 pages shorter than the current application you’d fill out to enroll in …
Butterfield to Host Town Hall on Affordable Care Act Open Enrollment on Tuesday
WASHINGTON, DC – On Tuesday, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) will host a telephone town hall for residents of the First Congressional District to provide an update on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act including enrolling in the health insurance marketplace, which begins on October 1. He will also answer questions posed directly by his constituents. “Many people have questions about how the Affordable Care Act will impact them and their families and whether or not they qualify for …
White House: Turning the lights off
If the United States government shuts down tonight and our economy takes a hit, it will be because House Republicans let it happen. Right now, there’s a bill sitting in the House that funds the government for a few more weeks. It doesn’t demand the repeal or delay of the health care law, or deny women access to birth control, or include any other failed, partisan proposals. It funds the government. That’s it. And if Republican leadership allowed a simple …
White House Weekly Address: Averting a Government Shutdown and Expanding Access to Affordable Healthcare
In this week’s address, President Obama says that on October 1st, a big part of the Affordable Care Act will go live and give uninsured Americans the chance to buy the same quality, affordable health care as everyone else. It is also the day when some Republicans in Congress might shut down the government just because they don’t like the law. The President urged Congress to both pass a budget by Monday and raise the nation’s debt ceiling so that …
Butterfield Outraged by Republican Investigation to Delay Enrollment in Healthcare Marketplace
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During an Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigation subcommittee hearing today, Congressman G. K. Butterfield again blasted Committee Republicans for launching an unwarranted investigation into 51 community organizations that received Navigator grants to help enroll people in health insurance plans made possible by the Affordable Care Act. “The chairman of this committee has abused his investigatory authority by launching a fishing expedition into Navigators who received federal funding solely for the purpose of discrediting the President,” said …