[StBernard] eupdate 3 30 10

[Westley Annis]

e-update
3.30.10 

Last week saw the passage of the massive government takeover of health care
that we've been fighting against for more than a year.  While this was
obviously a disappointment, I'm determined to keep fighting to repeal this
unconstitutional government intrusion into the lives of Americans.  In fact,
as soon as the Senate convened after President Obama signed the bill, I
filed a measure to repeal Obamacare and introduced amendments to improve
access to prescription drugs and mammograms. 

Last week, I also pushed back against new proposed financial regulations
that would benefit the biggest banks by keeping alive the "too big to fail"
bailout approach to regulation.  I also signed a letter to the heads of FEMA
and the Army Corps of Engineers to fight for greater transparency as new
flood maps are developed. 

Read below to find out about how I'm fighting for you on these and other
critical issues.   

  

 David Vitter
  

REPEALING OBAMACARE
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=a9aeaded-b5f7-8c3f-0327-de8ee0e2879b&Region_id=&Issue_id=

>  


Against the will of the American people, President Obama and his liberal
allies in Congress passed legislation that will compromise the quality of
our health care, raise premiums, drastically cut Medicare, increase
job-killing taxes, allow for the federal funding of abortions and create a
new entitlement program that adds to our increasing deficit.  This partisan
bill was passed using procedural tricks that disrespected the legislative
process, and I believe it represents an unconstitutional violation of the
rights of Americans to make their own health care decisions.  I immediately
filed a bill to repeal this terrible mistake, and you can watch me speak
about it on the floor of the Senate here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Multimedia.Video&Video
_id=87d7b432-9c5f-e101-93be-d6f1962f38d6&PageNum=1> . 

FIGHTING UNTIL THE END
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=a5c7bfc8-911e-9383-e487-9677914c8615&Region_id=&Issue_id=

>  


The best way to lower unemployment rates is to make it easier for businesses
to create jobs.  We can do this by using our existing domestic energy
supplies instead of spending billions upon billions more taxpayer dollars.
My No-Cost Stimulus plan, cosponsored by 13 of my Senate colleagues, would
save or create more than two million long-term, sustainable and well paying
jobs by tapping our vast oil and natural gas reserves here at home.  In
addition to growing our economy, my plan would cut energy costs for families
in Louisiana and would reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil.  You
can learn more about the No-Cost Stimulus Act here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=IssuesLegislation.NoCo
stStimulusAct> . 

ENDING BAILOUTS
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.Articles&Con
tentRecord_id=aa3358f4-bc07-2119-528a-603e6f8b4470&Region_id=&Issue_id=>  

The "too big to fail" approach to bank regulation, which ensures that the
largest banks receive government bailouts in spite of reckless lending
decisions, is an approach we must end.  The Obama administration is pushing
for a new regulatory reform bill that would extend these policies and
essentially create a "too big to fail" club consisting of the largest and
riskiest banks.  These banks would receive government bailouts while smaller
firms would be left to fend for themselves.  This is an approach that would
put us in danger of the same mistakes that led us to the last financial
crisis, and I will continue to fight against it. You can read a recent op-ed
that I wrote on the subject here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.Articles&Con
tentRecord_id=90447e94-9736-683e-2bd1-73e702ee2ecc> . 

PUSHING FOR TRANSPARENCY IN FEMA'S FLOOD MAP PROCESS
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.Articles&Con
tentRecord_id=aa3358f4-bc07-2119-528a-603e6f8b4470&Region_id=&Issue_id=>  

Last week I joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in calling on FEMA and
the Army Corps of Engineers to address growing concerns regarding efforts to
update Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs), which determine flood insurance
rates for many Louisiana residents.  There are several key areas of concern
with the process being undertaken by FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers,
including poor communication with local stakeholders about levee
certification and a failure to account for local flood control efforts
currently under way.  My Community Protection During Levee Recertification
Act would prevent changes to the current FIRMs from being implemented in
areas where there is an active effort under way to fix levees.  You can read
the letter I signed with my Senate colleagues here
<http://vitter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressRelease
s&ContentRecord_id=8d0fde70-e4fa-8b0f-663e-033737362fa4> .