This online news website is owned and operated by Becky Watts. The Editor can be reached at 770-468-7583 or at editor(at)PikeCountyTimes(dot)com. Pike County Times is a website for citizens to keep up with local events and stay informed about Pike County government. It began on November 13, 2006 as a watchdog on county government and has turned into an online newspaper.
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By Editor Becky Watts
3rd District Representative Lynn Westmoreland met with Pike County Times Editor Becky Watts to discuss Washington D.C. and how it affects people here in Georgia. Rep. Westmoreland was elected for a sixth term of office in the Primary this summer and is currently home while the House of Representatives is on summer break. However, just because he is not in Washington D.C. does not mean that he is not working! Here are some items of interest for members of the 3rd District.
The House of Representatives passed the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (H.R. 3086) on July 15. This bipartisan legislation would prevent local and state governments from taxing access to the internet. Rep. Westmoreland co-sponsored this legislation. Click here to read this legislation. If this is not signed by the November 1st deadline--when the Internet Tax Freedom Act of 1998 expires—the internet may not remain tax free. Click here to read more about this bill. [Note from the Editor: We can contact Senators Chambliss and Isakson at 1-202-224-3121 or by going to click here.]
Illegal immigration is an issue that hits close to home here in Georgia with Governor Nathan Deal issuing a statement last month condemning the federal government for sending 1,154 unaccompanied children to the state without notifying the state. Click here to read this press release. The House of Representatives has passed two bills that deal with illegal immigration.
The first is H.R. 5230 is the Border Security Bill. Rep. Westmoreland advised that this bill is partially paid for with money left over from programs that have expired or was unused by federal agencies including $240 million from Farm Aid. $40 million of this is specific toward Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The total amount for this bill is $694 million dollars and far less than the $3.7 billion that the President has asked for and $2.7 billion that the Senate has proposed. Some of the changes that have been proposed are a “last in, first out” policy which means that families paying thousands of dollars for drug dealers, coyotes and other criminals to bring their unaccompanied children into the United States will find their children back at home with them in about two weeks. Westmoreland said that word is getting out about changes in policies here in the United States and said that there has been a decrease in unaccompanied minors coming across the border in the past week. He also said that the sponsor for these unaccompanied children cannot be illegal, and they cannot receive federal benefits for unaccompanied minors.
Westmoreland said that other changes include: the 2008 Trafficking Law, which addresses sex trafficking and human trafficking, has been amended because those who were brought here for criminal use are probably already here which is different from children who are coming across the border and surrendering to authorities, and there is a requirement in this legislation that unaccompanied minor children from countries such as Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala will go before a judge within 14 days of arrival and they will need credible evidence for asylum in the United States. A second bill, H.R. 5272, freezes the President’s ability to use executive orders to allow illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. Click here to read more about these bills.
The bi-partisan Veterans’ Access to Care Through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act, H.R. 3230, affects veterans in our area and reforms the quality of care that veterans receive through the Veterans Administration. Rep. Westmoreland advised that this allows veterans to receive shorter wait times if they live more than 40 miles away from a VA facility. Click here and here to read more about this legislation that passed both the House and Senate and was presented to the President for signature on August 1, 2014.
Congressman Westmoreland advised that the President signed a bill for $300 million to Israel for restocking the Iron Dome as part of the H.J.Res.76 - Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Resolution, 2014. Click here here to read a statement issued on July 15th about Israel with the passage of H. Resolution 657.
Rep. Westmoreland has been very supportive of our military and their families. To those who are serving in Afghanistan now, Rep. Westmoreland said, “I want to thank them. It’s because of their great sacrifice that we have been able to keep America safe...” During a short discussion of the status of Iraq and Afghanistan today, he said that he doesn’t want to see the sacrifices paid by our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan to be for naught.
In closing, Rep. Westmoreland said thank you to voters for electing him back into office. “I consider it a blessing to be able to do what I do," he said. "I am doing the best I can to represent the people here, and I understand that even though I belong to the Republican Party, I don’t just represent Republicans. I represent everybody. While they may not agree with some of my political views, I think they would have to say that our office has given everybody the best service they can regardless of Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, Independent, or whatever. I appreciate them giving me the opportunity.”
To find out more about Congressman Lynn Westmoreland and his representation for our district, click here.