Like many of you I am concerned with the proposals the Obama Administration  made earlier this week in regards to Veterans Healthcare. I very much oppose the idea of charging veterans for the services they receive at VA clinics and hospitals. We have an obligation to care for the men and women who make sacrifices to serve and protect our country. I have heard the concerns of many of you and you are right. This would raise insurance premiums and make it harder for our disabled veterans to pay for private health insurance and private companies would be discouraged from hiring our servicemembers because of the costs associated with the high cost of insurance. Fortunately today the White House says it will back off its proposal, but we need to be vigilant and make sure it doesn’t reappear.

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I have received many emails and phone calls from Arkansans concerned over a new Department of Defense policy that would end the sale of used brass for remanufacturing of ammunition. In an email from a Defense Logistics Agency official, we have been informed that small arms cartridge cases will continue to be sold.

During the past two years, the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), an entity within the Defense Logistics Agency, has revised its internal processes to ensure that only appropriate items that pose no threat to national security are made available for sale to the public. During that time, it was decided that small arms cartridge cases will continue to be identified as a Sensitive Munitions List item and therefore will remain in a category of government property allowing for their release for sale to the public. DRMS sales contractors have been notified of this decision and have begun the processes of reoffering any cases that have been held during the investigation.

I am a proud supporter of the Second Amendment. Last year I received an A rating from the National Rifle Association and I continue to work closely with that organization and Gun Owners of America to preserve and strengthen gun-owners rights.

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I authored language in the 110th Congress to create a Vision Center of Excellence so our troops suffering from eye related injuries can get the care they need. The project has been slow getting off of the ground.

Today I was invited to participate in the VA Oversight Hearing on the Vision Center of Excellence and I was disheartened to see that no progress was made since the last hearing in April of 2008 despite several repeated attempts and meetings to make sure this important project was moving along and questions of funding were at the center of discussions. USA Today had a good story about the issue.

I am pleased to learn that in a letter last week to Chairman Mitchell, $3 million is allocated to the establishment and operation of the Vision Center of Excellence.

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I have received several letters in the last few days about the Parental Rights Amendment.
In the 110th Congress Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) introduced H. J. Res. 97 which sought to amend the U.S. Constitution to establish the ability of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children as a fundamental right. This amendment would prohibit the government from passing any laws or adopting and treaties that may infringe upon this right.

I believe that parents should be able to raise and educate their children however best they see fit. Although the legislation hasn’t been introduced in the 111th Congress, I have agreed to be an original co-sponsor.

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