July '10 Nevada Government—U.S. Congresswoman Dina Titus Column

Titus Joins House Democrats to Reaffirm Her Support for Strengthening Social Security and Protecting it from Privatization

July 28, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District joined House Democrats on the steps of the United States Capitol to discuss their commitment to strengthen Social Security and protect it from privatization. Below are her remarks as delivered.

“I am delighted to be here to reaffirm my strong commitment to protecting Social Security, an issue that is very important to many of the people who live in my district in Southern Nevada. I represent the most populous district in the country – one million people live there. It has been the fastest growing senior area in the country for the last decade so you can see why it’s so important that we save Social Security for these residents.

“I am here today to highlight the importance of strengthening Social Security. We need to protect it from the misguided attempts to privatize it. It has been a success for 75 years. Those monthly Social Security checks that seniors rely on provide a safety net from poverty and are a key component for a dignified retirement after a lifetime of hard work. Seniors contributed to Social Security. They paid into it, they earned it, they deserve it, and they depend on it.

“Yet as we celebrate 75 years of this very successful program, it is once again under attack by the Republicans. They want to dismantle it and spend trillions of dollars on a risky Wall Street scheme. This would gamble our seniors’ savings in something that is very uncertain and line the pockets at the same time of Wall Street.

“The Republicans have already tried this once. They tried it under the Bush administration and failed, but they have made it very clear that they want to do it again. It’s bad enough that the failed Bush policies got us into this economic mess, but now to add insult to injury they want to do it again. They have already seen their housing values plummet, their retirement savings disappear, and now just imagine what would have happened if the one benefit they rely on went up in smoke in the stock market.

“That is why on behalf of the many seniors in Southern Nevada who depend on Social Security, they can depend on me and on the Democrats to fight to save and strengthen it.”

Titus Congratulates Herculez Gomez on the House Floor for His World Cup Performance

July 28, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District spoke today on the House floor to congratulate Herculez Gomez on his performance at the World Cup. Below are her remarks as delivered. Click here to watch Titus’ speech.

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent and member of the United States men’s soccer World Cup Team, Herculez Gomez, on his performance at the World Cup.

“Herculez Gomez, a former soccer star at Las Vegas High School, was a standout forward for the United States at the World Cup. With team USA facing a 2–0 deficit in a match with Slovenia, Coach Bob Bradley turned to Gomez to come off the bench to provide a spark for the squad. Thanks to Gomez’s energy and playmaking abilities, Team USA rallied for a 2-2 tie.

“Although we didn’t prevail in the final competition, I want to congratulate Herculez and his teammates for their performance in the tournament. Their teamwork and passion inspired millions of fans throughout the United States and was just a preview of what USA soccer can do in the future.

“I wish the best of luck to Herculez Gomez and welcome him home to District Three where he is a local hero and a role model to many aspiring young soccer players.”

Spending Cut Working Group Claims First Victory, Welcomes New Member

Spending Cuts and Deficit Reduction Working Group’s First Budget Cut Advances, Rep. Dina Titus Becomes Group’s Fifth Member Group Now Targeting Appropriation Bills; Other Members Following Suit

July 27, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – The Spending Cut and Deficit Reduction Working Group today achieved action on the first of its proposed federal spending cuts in the U.S. House, just one week after the group’s formation was officially announced. Last week the group unveiled a package of legislative measures designed to cut over $72 billion from the federal budget, and today the House Financial Services committee passed one of the group’s provisions as an amendment to the Housing Preservation and Tenant Protection Act of 2010 (H.R. 4846). The amendment will save taxpayers over $2 billion by pegging housing subsidies for a single individual to the market rate of an efficiency apartment rather than a one-bedroom unit.

“I am proud to be a founding member of this working group and pleased we were able to achieve action on one of our proposals so quickly,” said Representative John Adler, the author of the housing amendment and member of the Spending Cuts and Deficit Reduction Working Group. “Washington can no longer afford to spend money it does not have. Like families and seniors in my district, Congress must cut spending and balance the budget. I will continue to work in a bipartisan way to pay down our debt.”
The working group also today announced the addition of its first new member, Representative Dina Titus (D-NV). The four founding members, Gary Peters (D-MI), founder and chairman of the new working group; Co-chair John Adler (D-NJ); and the groups’ other founding members, Peter Welch (D-VT) and Jim Himes (D-CT) invited all Members of Congress from both parties to join the working group, whose mission is to identify and fight to enact specific wasteful spending cuts to help reduce federal budget deficits.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to identify important spending cuts that will save taxpayers billions of dollars,” Representative Titus said. “It is not enough to just talk about the need to reduce our deficit. We must back up our words with action, and through this working group we will find specific cuts that will combat wasteful spending and allow us to invest our resources more wisely.”

The Spending Cuts and Deficit Reduction Working group is continuing to aggressively press to enact its budget cutting proposals unveiled last week, along with spending cuts as they are identified. Working group members plan to offer amendments to cut wasteful spending in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs budget—and other Members appear to be following in the working groups footsteps, with a slew of budget cutting amendments now being offered for these appropriations bills.

“After just one week, momentum to cut spending is building,” said Representative Gary Peters, chairman of the new working group. “Seven days after we announced our working group’s formation and unveiled our cost-cutting measures, our first spending cut was passed in committee and our first new member has joined. Now more members, both Democrats and Republicans, are following our lead and offering specific cuts to appropriations bills. We formed this working group precisely because we believed that once a few Members started putting specific spending cuts on the table, others would be willing to do the same.”

A number of amendments were presented to the House Rules Committee this evening for consideration when the Transportation, Housing & Urban Development bill is brought to the floor later this week. Amendments include across the board reductions and cuts to specific programs. Proposed cuts include items not requested by the president or programs funded above the president’s request. The Rules Committee earlier today accepted amendments to the MilCon/VA budget from Peters to re-obligate funding from federal contracts that no longer need to be fulfilled and by allowing veterans to take their prescription medications home with them from VA hospitals, rather than being forced to dispose of them and then refill the prescription.

The four founding members announced the formation of the new Spending Cuts and Deficit Reduction Working Group on July 20.

Titus Honors the Life of Former Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn

July 27, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District spoke today on the House floor in honor of the life of former Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn who passed away last week. Below are her remarks as delivered. Click here to watch Titus’ speech.

“Madam Speaker, today Nevada mourns the loss of a good man, former Governor Kenny Guinn, a true public servant who always put the interests of Nevadans first, ahead of party and above politics.

“I was honored to serve in the state legislature during Governor Guinn’s tenure there. As a former Clark County School Superintendant, Governor Guinn led efforts to improve Nevada’s system of education, and through our shared commitment to both teachers and students we became friends as well as colleagues. It was thanks to his leadership we created the Millennium Scholarship, which bears his name and has helped some 60,000 Nevadans fulfill the dream of a college education. That is his legacy.

“Kenny Guinn reached the state’s highest office but he never lost his special common touch for which he is so beloved by so many.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to his family today.”

Titus Celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

July 26, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District released the following statement today on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Today we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landmark legislation that reduced barriers, prohibited discrimination, and improved access for millions of Americans with disabilities.

“As a life-long advocate for people with disabilities, I believe that ADA helps all Americans reach their full potential, and has shown that when we focus on what people can do instead of focusing on their limitations, we all benefit. The ADA is about more than just protecting those with disabilities. It is about recognizing the contribution that all people make to our society, and breaking down the barriers that limit people’s ability to work and live in their community.

“Americans with disabilities continue to face challenges that make it more difficult to fully integrate into life in many communities across the country, and I am committed to removing those barriers. The Americans with Disabilities Act, however, has made our country more productive, more inclusive, and more fair. I am pleased to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the ADA today in recognition of the significant progress that we have made and as a symbol of our continued commitment to those with disabilities.”