US Rep Frank Guinta - Frank's Footnotes: My Fight Against Rising Gas Prices

Getting The Gas We Need: My fight to keep fuel costs low
Whether you filled your car’s gas tank this week, or are a senior citizen trying to come up with the cash to heat your home, we’re all getting stung as gas and oil prices keep moving sharply upward. Be assured I’m paying close attention to these rising prices that are hitting you hard right in your wallet. I’ve actively supported legislation that embraces an “all of the above” approach to energy production since I came to Congress last year. On Thursday, I voted for H.R. 3408 – the Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security (PIONEERS) Act. This legislation is a bipartisan plan to expand offshore energy production, safely open small parts of ANWR for oil and natural gas production, encourage the development of 1.5 trillion barrels of oil shale in the West, and approve the much-needed Keystone XL pipeline. It would create over 1.2 million jobs, raise over $4.3 billion in new federal revenues and lower gas prices. Although I was the only Representative from New England to support this bill, I was glad it passed with a bipartisan vote of 237-187. I’m also fighting to fully fund fuel assistance for thousands of seniors and low-income Granite Staters. A more limited government requires setting priorities, and fully funding LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) should be one of them. I recently joined my House colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama, asking him to at least maintain LIHEAP’s current funding level. Sadly though, that isn’t reflected in his new budget proposal I will discuss later. In fact, he’s trying to cut it by $452 million next year. That would cause hardship for thousands of Granite Staters who rely on LIHEAP to keep warm during our long New England winters. I will continue to keep you updated on my efforts to lower fuel costs and to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

	Shining The Job Spotlight On Portsmouth: Ready for my next Job Fair on Wednesday
	Click image above to watch a video announcement Final preparations are underway for the special job fair I’m hosting in Portsmouth next Wednesday, February 22. Representatives from nearly 40 employers will be on hand from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. at Great Bay Community College, located at 320 Corporate Drive. A total of 650 attendees attended the three job fairs I held last year in Derry, Rochester and Manchester, and I’m expecting next week’s event to be just as successful as they were. Click here to learn more about next week's job fair. People often tell me one of the things they enjoy most about these Job Fairs is they return the human connection to job seeking. If you’ve looked for work recently, you know most employers require you to apply for jobs online. Your resume and application are tossed into a giant electronic pile… and then you wait. Things are different at these job fairs. Employers and would-be employees meet face to face, and job seekers get to pitch skills and talents that aren’t often easily apparent from reading a resume. Be sure to tell your relatives, neighbors and friends about this job fair and I look forward to seeing you in Portsmouth on Wednesday. The Portsmouth Job Fair is a part of my ongoing "Getting Granite Staters Back to Work" initiative.  Click here to learn more about it!

	President Obama's New Budget Proposal: Like A Bad Movie You’ve Seen Too Many Times Before
	As I mentioned earlier, President Obama released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2013 on Monday. Regrettably, it’s like a bad movie you’ve seen too many times before. It’s just more of the same: more spending, more deficits, more taxes. It projects $3.8 trillion in spending, including billions for yet another round of short-term, stimulus-style spending instead of a serious plan for long-term job creation, a deficit of nearly $1 trillion, and seeks to impose at least $1.5 trillion in new taxes on small businesses and families over the next decade. President Obama told us the deficit would be cut in half by the end of his first term. Instead, his policies produced multiple trillion dollar deficits and the largest debt we’ve ever had (as a percentage of our economy) since World War II. As a member of the House Budget Committee, I’m already helping write a budget for FY 2013 that will focus on cutting wasteful spending and creating an environment where job creation flourishes. I look forward to updating you on our budget process, and progress, in the coming weeks.

	Keeping In Touch: Nearly 7,500 Granite Staters participate in Tele-Town Hall call
	For one hour Thursday evening, I talked with almost 7,500 fellow Granite Staters during a Tele-Town Hall conference call. I answered a wide range of questions covering everything from medical care for military veterans to the outlook for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s future. They also wanted to know what steps Congress can take to help our economy recover and grow jobs. Tele-Town Hall calls let me stay in touch with the people I serve while I’m working in Washington. I get to tell callers about the latest developments in Congress, and have the opportunity to go into greater detail than the typical twenty second TV news sound bite covers. Best of all, it keeps Granite Staters informed without leaving the comfort of their home, and gives me the opportunity to connect with thousands of people at the same time. I hope you’ll join me for my next Tele-Town Hall call in the near future.

U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta statement on Pres. Obama's budget proposal - "Like a bad movie you've seen too many times"

GUINTA STATEMENT ON OBAMA AMINISTRATION’S

FY 2013 BUDGET PROPOSAL

It’s “like a bad movie you’ve seen too many times”

(Washington, DC – February 13, 2012)    Representative Frank Guinta (R, NH-01) issued the following statement today in response to the Obama Administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2013.  Congressman Guinta serves on the House Budget Committee.

“President Obama’s budget proposal is like a bad movie you’ve seen too many times.  It’s just more of the same: more spending, more deficits, more taxes.  If this sounds familiar, it’s because you heard it in the budgets he proposed in 2009, 2010 and 2011.  This new one projects $3.8 trillion in spending, including billions for yet another round of short-term Stimulus-style spending instead of a serious plan for long-term job creation, a deficit of nearly $1 trillion, and seeks to impose at least $1.5 trillion in new taxes on small businesses and families over the next decade.” 

Frank's Footnotes: Another Victory in the Fight to Fix the Broken Culture of Washington

Another Victory in the Fight to Fix the Broken Culture of Washington: The STOCK Act Passes the House
I’m pleased to tell you about another important piece of legislation that will reform the way Washington does business. Last Thursday, the House passed S. 2038 the STOCK (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act in a strong bipartisan vote of 417-2. I was an early cosponsor of the House’s version of the STOCK Act, H.R. 1148, too. This bill would prohibit Members of Congress, the Executive Branch and their staffs from using nonpublic information for personal benefit. These individuals are privy to sensitive information on a daily basis. We must ensure this knowledge serves our nation’s best interests, not personal gain. When Granite Staters sent me to Capitol Hill, they told me to convey the message that they will no longer stand for the status quo. In the past year, I’ve been delivering on that. I’ve voted to freeze my own pay, cosponsored legislation to get rid of automatic pay raises for Members of Congress, worked to reform the pension system and have cut my own office’s budget twice – yielding an 11.4% total reduction. As an early cosponsor of the STOCK Act, I’m pleased to see the passage of another necessary reform. You can be assured I will continue fighting to change the broken culture of Washington at every turn.

	Helping the Seacoast Find Work: Portsmouth Job Fair Planned for February 22
	As the economy struggles to recover, it’s often hard to find good, middle class jobs. That’s why I’m hosting a special job fair in Portsmouth on Wednesday, February 22. More than 30 employers will be there to talk face-to-face with job seekers. The fair is also an excellent opportunity for those who are under-employed, or who are interested in making a career change, to explore new options. The Portsmouth Job Fair will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Great Bay Community College, located at 320 Corporate Drive. It’s free and open to everyone. Please CLICK HERE to learn more about the event and those participating employers and organizations. This is the fourth job fair I have hosted as part of my ongoing Getting Granite Staters Back To Work jobs initiative. The first three (held in Derry, Rochester and Manchester) successfully united employers and job seekers, and I’m confident this one will, too.

	Another Week, Another Two Budget Reform Bills Pass the House
	Two more pieces of legislation aimed at fixing Washington’s broken budget process passed the House last week. H.R. 3581, the Budget and Accounting Transparency Act was approved on Tuesday and H.R. 3521, the Expedited Legislative Line-Item Veto and Rescissions Act passed the House on Wednesday. They join two additional budget reform bills the House passed earlier this month (H.R. 3578, the Baseline Reform Act and H.R. 3582, the Pro-Growth Budgeting Act). Although some of these budget reform bills have received bipartisan support in the House, they keep piling up on the steps of the Senate. Increased transparency, oversight, and accountability should not be partisan issues. However, Senate Majority Leader Reid continues to block such reforms. Just as he bears full responsibility for the Senate’s refusal to pass a budget in over 1,000 days, our inability to reform Washington’s broken budget process rests at his feet as well. Regardless, I will continue to fight for legislation that will change the status quo in Washington. CLICK HERE to learn more about the four House-passed budget reform bills, as well as six others that we on the Budget Committee will be fighting for in the coming weeks.

	Welcoming Special Olympics NH and Best Buddies to Capitol Hill
	I sat down last Wednesday afternoon with representatives from two important Granite State groups. I met board members and participants from Special Olympics NH and Best Buddies and truly enjoyed hearing about the many positive, uplifting activities they sponsor. My thanks to the following people for the important work they do and for making the time to meet with me: Mary Conroy President, Special Olympics NH Mark Duggan Chair, Special Olympics NH Board Mike Dennehy Chair-elect, Special Olympics NH Board/Parent Martha Boddy, Athlete Marcia Gardner, Parent Susan Zimmerman, Best Buddies Advisory Board Member/Parent Peter Fleming, Best Buddies Ambassador

	Our Normal Schedule Resumes this Friday
	Usual readers of “Frank’s Footnotes” may be wondering why you’re receiving this e-newsletter on Monday rather than Friday afternoon. Technical difficulties delayed us from sending this out last week as planned. But rest assured, “Frank’s Footnotes” will resume its regular schedule this Friday afternoon. Thanks for understanding!

February 22, 2012 Rep. Frank Guinta to Host Job Fair in Portsmouth Location: Great Bay Community College 320 Corporate Drive Portsmouth, New Hampshire Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. February 28, 2012 Open Office Hour with Rep. Guinta's Staff Location: Conway Town Hall 1634 East Main Street Center Conway, New Hampshire Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. February 28, 2012 Open Office Hour with Rep. Guinta's Staff in Jackson Location: Jackson Town Hall 54 Main Street Jackson, New Hampshire Time: 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

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NHDP -- Corporate Money Can’t Hide Guinta’s Questionable Past or Vote to End Medicare

Concord, NH - Yesterday, the US Chamber of Commerce released a New Hampshire television ad that attempts to hide Congressman Guinta's questionable barfighting scandal-ridden past and his vote to end Medicare as we know it.  The Chamber will spend more on the ads - over $400,000 - than Guinta raised over the last six months.

"Guinta's questionable bar fighting and scandal-ridden past as one of the most corrupt members of Congress can't be hidden by any amount of out of state television ads. This November, voters will hold him accountable for his numerous votes to destroy the Medicare New Hampshire seniors citizens rely on," said Harrell Kirstein, press secretary for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. 

"The fact is, Guinta voted for the hugely controversial Paul Ryan budget last year that would have ended Medicare as we know it and turned it into a private voucher system," continued Kirstein.

FACTS

Guinta didn't believe the reckless Ryan plan to end Medicare went far enough. Earlier this year, Guinta voted for the Republican Study Committee budget, "a radical plan that annihilates the social contract in America by putting the GOP budget on steroids. Deeper tax cuts for the wealthy, more severe entitlement rollbacks." [Vote; TPM, 4/15/2011]

Frank Guinta, Republican Candidate In NH, Fled Scene Of Friend's Bar Brawl Reportedly Stepping Over Victim's Body On His Way Out The Door. [The victim's] leg was broken in multiple places and would require a three-hour surgery...What Guinta considers to be a resolved situation sent English to the hospital for three days. They left before an ambulance arrived. The police were not called to the scene." [HuffingtonPost, 10/11/2010]

Frank Guinta was named one of the "most corrupt" members of Congress. The non-partisan Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Guinta one of the most corrupt members of Congress, because he "'fudged the numbers and cooked the books to buy a seat in Congress.' That references controversy over the funding of Guinta's 2010 election campaign." [Nashua Telegraph, 9/21/2011]

NH Democrats want Guinta fundraising answers. "Democrats on Monday asked the Federal Election Commission to investigate a news report about Guinta's fundraising published last month. The report in the New Hampshire Union Leader said 1st District Rep. Guinta tried to get the Republican Governors Association to donate $100,000 to the state Republican Party, but was rebuffed over concerns about former GOP chair Jack Kimball's management of party affairs." [Union Leader, 9/27/2011]  

U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta applauds passage of STOCK ACT, banning insider trading

“It’s another victory in the fight to fix the broken culture of Washington”

(Washington – February 9, 2012)    Representative Frank Guinta (R, NH-01) issued the following statement after the House passage of S. 2038, the STOCK (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act.   It was approved this morning in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 417 to 2.   Rep. Guinta was an early cosponsor of the House’s version, H.R. 1148.    

In short, the STOCK Act would prohibit Members of Congress, employees of Congress and the Executive Branch, and all federal employees from using any nonpublic information derived from the individual's position or gained from performance of the individual's duties, for personal benefit.

“The men and women who serve their country by working in Washington must be held to a higher standard,” Guinta said after the vote.  “I demonstrated that by cosponsoring the House version of the bill, HR 1148.

“When Granite Staters sent me to Capitol Hill, they told me to convey the message that they will no longer stand for the status quo.  Members of Congress and the Executive Branch, as well as their staffers, are often privy to sensitive information on a daily basis.  We must ensure that this information is used to serve our nation’s best interests, and not for personal gain.

“In the past year, I’ve fought to get rid of automatic pay raises for Members of Congress, voted to reform the pension system and have cut my own office’s budget twice – yielding an 11.4% total reduction.  As an early cosponsor of the STOCK Act, I’m pleased to see the passage of another necessary reform. Granite Staters can be assured I will continue fighting to change the broken culture of Washington at every turn.”