(Rep. Cresent Hardy) – Happy Nevada Day! I hope you and your family are having a wonderful time celebrating the day Nevada officially gained statehood. Thank you for taking the time to read about all that went on this week for our nation and Nevada's 4th Congressional District. This has been a very busy week in Washington D.C. Below you will find information on what I’ve been working on, and my views on the Budget Deal vote and the election for Speaker of the House.
Be sure to reach out to me at my District Office at (702) 912-1634 or my Washington D.C. office at (202) 225-9894 if you have any questions, issues or concerns. I’m always happy to hear from you and assist you with navigating any trouble you may have with a federal agency.
Lastly, don’t forget to keep up with me on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, where you can find the latest news about how I’m serving you.
Budget Deal Vote
We have been kicking the can down the road on America’s debt for far too long. Our nation’s financial security is nearing a breaking point that we ignore at the endangerment of our future. This week’s so-called “Bipartisan Budget Act” breaks current spending caps by $80 billion and does nothing to rein in long-term spending. Washington needs to take a long look in the mirror and make some difficult decisions based in reality.
Some proponents of this deal have tried to say it helps protects our most important social programs. The reality is that our federal debt is equal to ten years of our current combined spending in Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, or 30 years of our current spending on defense. If we want to save our most important programs, simply borrowing more money will only delay and increase the problem for those who come after us. This deal continues down the wrong path.
I will continue to fight for responsible spending that strengthens the economy, respects our social safety programs, and preserves America’s way of life for generations to come.
Speaker of the House Election
Another important event this week was the election for Speaker of the House. Washington needs a change from “business as usual,” and I believe Paul Ryan is prepared to help bring about some of the changes our nation so desperately needs. Time and time again, he has proven himself to be a leader willing to unite others for the benefit of America. Though I am sure there will come times when I disagree with one or more of his views, I look forward to working towards common sense solutions to our biggest problems with this change in House leadership.
Connecting with my Constituents
I heard from constituents and took their questions on various federal issues during a district-wide tele-town hall on Monday night. Over the course of our phone call, we discussed facing our federal debt, taking care of our veterans, and much more.
Connecting with you is very important to me. Listening to your questions and concerns helps me to make more informed decisions on how to represent you in Washington D.C. I look forward to hosting more tele-town halls, but let’s keep the conversation going in the meantime. Always feel free to call my office or send me an email.
Helping Small Businesses Grow
As a former contractor, I know how important it is to have proper guidance when trying to grow a business. In the House Small Business Committee, we investigated federal Mentor-Protégé programs that are intended to connect established business leaders with growing small businesses in order to help the latter better understand how to win and successfully fulfill federal contracts.
We looked into the performance of these programs at the Small Business Administration and the Department of Defense to ensure that these agencies are actually being helpful to growing small businesses. These agencies have a responsibility to be more inclusive of qualified small businesses and have a system in place that helps them succeed.
Improving Recreation Access to our Federal Lands
In the Natural Resources Committee this week, we discussed possible improvements to federal land access through a new bill called the Federal Lands Recreation Modernization Act of 2015. These changes would serve to improve consistency, accountability and transparency in the collection and use of federal recreation fees charged for using our national parks, national forests and other federal lands.
Federal agencies need to be held accountable on how well they manage our federal lands, including their processes on charging and putting to work recreation fees. Nevadans and all Americans should have a fair opportunity to enjoy our beautiful federal lands.
Congressman Cresent Hardy represents Nevada’s 4th Congressional District. He serves on the House Committee on Natural Resources, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the House Small Business Committee. For more information about him, visit Hardy.House.gov.
