| Agriculture Reform, Food, And Jobs Act Of 2013—Continued |
May 21, 2013 |
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John Thune, R-SD
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"This growth is driven by spending, not revenue. The CBO report confirms that revenues are projected to grow by 45.9 percent in the 8 years after the year 2015, while overall spending will grow at 55 percent during that time period, despite the fact that inflation will be 19.5 percent and economic growth 24.9 percent during that time period. Those are CBO estimates about economic growth, inflation, spending, and debt over the course of the next decade."
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| Recognition Of Cameroon’S National Day |
May 20, 2013 |
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Bobby Rush, D-IL
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"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Republic of Cameroon as it celebrates its National Day today, May 20th. Known by many as “Africa in Miniature,” Cameroon represents within its borders the whole of Africa’s wondrous geographic diversity. This Central African nation, a strong ally of the United States, has made important strides both politically and economically over the past year. For example, last month, on April 14th, Cameroon held its first Senatorial elections, fulfilling its Constitutional requirement to sit an upper house of its National Assembly. This new legislative body, which commenced its first session last week, reinforces the steps Cameroon has taken on its path to a full and vibrant democracy. On the economic front, Cameroon has also made important strides on its road toward responsible development by joining the Kimberley Process and working toward validation under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. In January of this year, the Government approved the establishment of two new financial institutions to strengthen the financing of small and medium rural enterprises in Cameroon. Mr. Speaker, it must also be noted that Cameroon also represents the collective African desire to enhance bilateral trade with the United States and last month, I cosponsored legislation that would do just that. Among other things, H.R. 1777 would create jobs in the United States by increasing U.S. exports to Africa by at least 200 percent in real dollar value within 10 years. This legislation complements the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a system that reinforces African reform efforts and provides improved U.S. market access for African countries. African countries such as Cameroon benefit from AGOA in part because it helps build an economic foundation upon which a broader bilateral relationship can be built, and I urge my colleagues to support renewal of this important legislation before it expires in 2015. While Cameroon continues to make measured progress, challenges remain. Nevertheless, I am encouraged by the engagement that exists between our two nations, as it will help the Government of Cameroon consolidate its democratic gains and economic growth, both of which create a brighter future for the people of Cameroon. Once again, Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my best wishes to the people of Cameroon as they celebrate their National Day."
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| The Veterans Advisory Committee On Education Improvement Act Of 2012 |
May 16, 2013 |
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John Delaney, D-MD
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"Among the most critical of these benefits are access to educational opportunities and workforce training. To make sure that the current programs are working, our veterans need a voice at the VA. For that reason, I am honored to introduce the Veterans Advisory Committee on Education Improvement Act. This bipartisan legislation extends the Veterans Advisory Committee on Education through 2015 and includes veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. The committee advises the VA on how to improve educational and job training programs."
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| Iran Sanctions Implementation Act |
May 16, 2013 |
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James Inhofe, R-OK
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"What do they do with their revenue? First of all, we recognize something that people do not like to talk about; that is, our own intelligence says, and has said since 2007, by 2015 Iran will have a weapon and the delivery system for that weapon."
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