Our thoughts and prayers are with the citizens of Haiti whose lives have been devastated by the earthquake. I appreciate the immediate response to this tragedy Americans have shown and the outpouring of help.

If you are looking for information about U.S. citizens in Haiti email the State Department at haiti-earthquake@state.gov

Here are some other links you may find helpful.

The American Red Cross 

AmeriCares

Catholic Relief Services

The Salvation Army

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Lawmakers must create policies that keep the citizens of our country safe. With the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas Day it is clear America is still a target for terrorists. Terrorist actions are an act of war and need to be punished accordingly. I am however, concerned with the actions President Obama is taking in regards to 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed. 

Instead of a military tribunal, Khalid Sheik Mohammed has been granted a civilian court in New York City. This sets a dangerous precedent as well as jeopardizes the safety and security of American citizens. I find this decision to be unacceptable. That is why I signed onto a petition by Human Events to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urging him to move the Khalid Sheik Mohammed trial from New York City. I have also cosponsored H.R. 4127, introduced by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), which would require illegal enemy combatants to be tried in military tribunals.

 The following is text of the petition: 

The Hon. Eric Holder
Attorney General of the United States
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. Holder:

We, the editors of HUMAN EVENTS, RedState.com, and the many Americans who have attached our names to this petition hereby request that you try al-Qaeda’s confessed 9/11 terrorist mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four al-Qaeda cohorts in a military tribunal, reversing your precedent-changing decision to try them in a civilian court in New York City.

There is no reason, much less a requirement, under U.S. Constitutional or statutory law to grant KSM and the others the right to a trial in civilian courts, nor to offer them any of the corresponding Constitutional rights afforded U.S. citizens.  Logic, reason, and justice demand that the terrorists who planned the 9/11 attacks be treated as enemy combatants in a war against the United States, not as common civilian criminals.

Our reasons for urging you to reverse your decision include:

1.    Trying these terrorists in a civilian court would be a break with 200+ years of American jurisprudence.  From British spies during the War of Independence to Nazi saboteurs caught on U.S. soil during World War II, we have tried those who make war against America in military, not civilian, courts.  This change in policy sets a potentially catastrophic precedent.  This would not happen with a military tribunal;

2.    The very real possibility exists that if tried in a civilian court, KSM and the others could be acquitted on a technicality, such as their not having been informed of their Miranda rights, or having been denied a speedy trial.  This would not happen with a military tribunal;

3.    KSM and the others should not be allowed to hijack our courts, using them as a media circus to promulgate their hate-filled, extremist views.  This would not happen with a military tribunal;

4.    A civilian trial would send the dangerous message to our enemies that the United States has reverted to its ineffective, pre-9/11 crime-fighting approach to terrorism.  This would not happen with a military tribunal;

5.    In a civilian trial, valuable intelligence about interrogation techniques and other classified information will be revealed to America’s enemies, giving them a huge advantage in successfully carrying out terrorist plots in the future.  This would not happen with a military tribunal;

6.    Americans are willing to pay to ensure justice is served.  However, the estimated security cost of $200 million for the KSM trial is completely avoidable and a total waste of taxpayer money.  This would not happen with a military tribunal; and

7.    While Americans are willing and able to stand up to protect themselves and their property, trying KSM and the others in New York invites a terrorist attack, creating a huge, unnecessary risk to our court workers, jurors, and everyone in the New York City area. This would not happen with a military tribunal;

Our final words are from David Beamer, father of Todd Beamer, one of the heroes of United Flight 93:  “Our enemies must be thrilled” he wrote of your decision to give KSM and the others a civilian trial in Manhattan.  “We are willingly handing them an opportunity to inflict economic harm on New York City, keep their cause in the headlines, gather new intelligence, create new terror strategies, stimulate recruiting, celebrate new found rights, and foist a fresh round of pain and suffering upon their victims.”

Mr. Holder, as Attorney General of the United States, it was within your power to move the trial of KSM from a military tribunal to a civilian court.  It is equally within your power to reverse that dangerous decision. We request that you do so forthwith.

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Due to votes expected in the U.S. Senate over the weekend, the town hall with Senators John McCain of Arizona and John Barrasso of Wyoming at Har-Ber High School in Springdale, this Sunday, December 13, has been canceled.

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We owe a great deal to our veterans for their service and sacrifice to our country. As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee I am committed to providing these men and women the benefits they deserve, which is why I am a proud cosponsor of the “Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements (BRAVE) Act of 2009.”  

This legislation helps disabled veterans cut through the red tape and access the federal benefits they deserve. This will amend title II and XVI of the Social Security Act to allow veterans with 100% service-connected disability to receive social security benefits directly through the Veterans Affairs Office, reducing unnecessary paperwork and hassle in order to receive social security benefits. 

If a veteran is rated 100% disabled by the VA, there is no reason for us to waste the time of the Social Security Administration, but more importantly that disabled veteran, by making them go through that bureaucratic process again.  This is a commonsense solution to addressing the needs of our disabled veterans and it would make a big impact in the lives of so many who have sacrificed to protect our freedoms.

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Many times in recent months I have stated that our top priorities as a nation must be job creation, job retention, and the protection of retirement savings and pensions.  I am concerned that the existing “Stimulus” bill isn’t working as intended. Unemployment remains high with the national unemployment level at a 26-year high of 10.2 percent. The Obama administration is now planning to hold a “job summit” in December that will aim at syncing job growth with the massive government deficit spending. 

According to the White House website on the “Stimulus” bill, Arkansas’ Third Congressional District has received more than $221,000,000 in contracts, grants, and loans.  So far, recipients of this funding have reported 298 jobs. In other words, according to the Administration’s own data, $743,000 has been spent for each job created locally.  To put it another way, the “Stimulus” bill has spent the equivalent of $760 per household in the Third District, and only 298 new jobs have been reported.

Let me be clear, each job created is good news for the individual or family that benefits, but the “Stimulus” bill is not performing its intended function. I had reservations when this bill was being pushed through Congress and I am happy to say that I opposed creating an additional $787 billion in deficit spending when I voted against it. While worthy projects have received funding, the “Stimulus” bill is harming our country overall by increasing our deficit and weakening the dollar.

I feel our country should improve our policies to help get the economy back on track by encouraging private-sector job opportunities. My first priority would be tax incentives for job creation, and I would support commonsense policies that encourage investment and entrepreneurship. Tax breaks targeted to encourage entrepreneurship and competition while promoting job growth would strengthen our economy, boost GDP, and grow the retirement savings on which so many people depend.

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20 years ago, the world’s democracies celebrated as the Berlin Wall was torn down and the people of Eastern Europe began to claim a new freedom. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) played a major role in helping to bring down the Wall.  Now the NATO alliance is united to protect Afghans and the U.S. interests in Afghanistan.

This weekend, I will participate in a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. 340 parliamentarians from 28 NATO member countries will come together to discuss challenges such as Afghanistan, military defenses, and the economy. I will voice my support for the NATO mission in Afghanistan. I will also support shifting NATO’s focus away from Cold War-era issues and toward current challenges like terrorism and violent extremism. 

I believe continued support and cooperation within the NATO alliance is crucial for success in Afghanistan, and success in Afghanistan is crucial for the long-term interests and security of our country. In Afghanistan, we are trying to prevent Al Qaeda or similar terrorist groups from using the region as a safe haven. A failure in Afghanistan would be especially dangerous, because it could destabilize nuclear-armed Pakistan and increase the risk that Pakistani nuclear weapons or materials could fall into the hands of terrorists.

On March 27, 2009, President Obama announced a counterinsurgency strategy for Afghanistan, including an increase of about 20,000 troops. The President named a former Green Beret, General Stanley McChrystal, as our top commander in Afghanistan. General McChrystal is one of our nation’s top experts on counterinsurgency operations, with years of experience leading the Joint Special Operations Command. Last month, NATO defense ministers voiced united support for McChrystal’s proposed strategy. By endorsing McChrystal’s recommendations and deploying the forces necessary to carry out the counterinsurgency strategy, President Obama would have a steadfast policy to match his campaign rhetoric and would demonstrate that the United States is thankful for the support of our NATO partners.

Afghanistan is a challenge, one that the NATO alliance can and must work together on. All NATO members should do their part by sharing the burden of troop deployments, combat operations, and aid. Our goal should be limited to stabilizing Afghanistan, preventing its wide scale use by terrorists, and reducing the risk that Pakistani nuclear weapons and materials will become available to violent extremists.

NATO PA provides a link between parliamentarians from NATO countries, especially when we face shared challenges, much like we’re experiencing in Afghanistan. When I go to Edinburgh this week, one of my main goals will be to promote consensus on the importance of our shared mission in Afghanistan. Despite the challenges our county faces at home, we must not forget our troops who are fighting on the frontlines in Afghanistan. We have an obligation to do the right thing for our country and that means giving our servicemembers the resources and support the commander on the ground says is needed to make this a successful mission.

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Americans are voicing their opinions, thoughts and concerns to their congressional representatives on H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act.

I have received several emails today from Third District residents telling me they have had a tough time getting through to me on the phone. The House switchboard is being flooded with calls from all over the country. If you can’t reach my office by calling, you can always contact me by email on my website.

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 The crowd on the west front lawn of the Capitol for the House Call to Congress and line to get into the Cannon House Office Building to talk with representatives.

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