FroshUpdate: Rep. Diane Black Encounters 'Cantankerous' Town Hall
Freshmen continue to pump gas for constituents, while Rep. Diane Black experienced her first town hall since taking office, calling it ‘cantankerous’. Meanwhile, Rep. Chris Gibson introduced a bill that would issue an award to children of those killed serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Scott Desjarlais proposes $500,000 in federal funding to support a facility where meth labs can be destroyed.
This is FroshUpdate for May 19, 2011.
FULL SERVICE FRESHMEN: A freshman has gone full-service for the fourth time this week by our count, as Rep. Todd Young (IN-09) joined Reps. Allen West (FL-22), Billy Long (MS-07) and Jeff Duncan (SC-03) in pumping gas for the citizens of their district. The freshmen are using the opportunity to talk and listen to their constituents about high gas prices, a GOP theme for the month of May. http://bit.ly/lQu6d4 // UPDATE: Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-05) too! http://bit.ly/j1GcYW
CANTANKEROUS TOWN HALL: Rep. Diane Black (TN-06) held her first town hall meeting since taking office on Monday. The meeting, which grew "cantankerous," in her own words, focused primarily on the federal fiscal situation and proposed changes to Medicare. http://bit.ly/lDbKsx
GIBSON REMEMBERS: Rep. Chris Gibson is one of three Congressmen who have introduced the bipartisan ‘Gold Medal of Remembrance for the Sons and Daughters of Our Fallen Act of 2011’ (H.R. 1926). This bill would award children of those who were killed while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Gibson: “As a 24-year Army veteran, I saw firsthand the impact that the death of an American service member has on their family, particularly the children. While we can never fully repay these children for their loss, this ‘Gold Medal of Remembrance’ will help to make clear how grateful our nation is for their parent’s sacrifice in defense of our country." http://bit.ly/kYtVJh
DESJARLAIS FIGHTS METH LABS: Law enforcement in Rep. Scott Desjarlais' (TN-04) district are stuck in the unenviable position of having no funds with which to clean up the dangerous meth labs which plague rural and small-town America. Without that money, the labs, which can cost thousands of dollars or more to clean, sit boarded up and quarantined. Desjarlais has proposed $500,000 in federal funding to pay for a multi-county disposal facility where meth labs can be transported, stored, and destroyed. http://bit.ly/mxIib6
FroshUpdate is a regular look at how the freshman class is making news. Add us on twitter @freshmenFF, or tell others to join our mailing list by emailing frosh@frumforum.com with ’subscribe’ in the subject line.
WALBERG CONNECTS: VIDEO: Rep. Tim Walberg wants small businesses in his community to discuss how they are affected by government regulation. In a YouTube video, he asks constituents to visit a website where they can talk about the government’s impact on their business: http://bit.ly/mwaU93
HAYWORTH: CAN’T TAX WAY OUT OF FISCAL HOLE: Rep. Nan Hayworth (NY-19) went before the editorial board of her district's Journal News to talk about her tenure so far in the Congress. Hayworth asserted that while the US government could not possibly tax its way out of its fiscal hole, there are "savings to be found in every department. [...] It has to be done with a scalpel, not a machete." http://bit.ly/kNrov3
FRESHMEN PROFILED: A piece from the USA Today checks in with several members of the freshman class as they work to learn the ropes of life in the legislature. Reps. Kristi Noem (SD-01) and David McKinley (WV-01) look like they're taking it all in stride. There are also the disillusioned - Reps. Blake Farenthold (TX-27), Jeff Landry (LA-03), and Diane Black (TN-06) - and the merely inconvenienced, like Rep. Dennis Ross (AR-04). http://usat.ly/k1zo62
BERG RUNS ON SENATE CHANGE: Rep. Rick Berg views the Senate as a "roadblock" to getting things done. He is running for Senate to change its culture. Berg: “The bottom line from my perspective is to change that culture in Washington, we have to change the Senate. That’s why I’m running because I think that’s where we need to change it. We need to change it with North Dakota ways and North Dakota philosophy.” http://bit.ly/lSHXmp