Price supports payroll tax cut extension

Rep. David Price (NC-04) issued the following statement Friday, Feb. 17, after voting in favor of legislation to extend the Obama Administration’s payroll tax holiday and unemployment benefits for millions of Americans who have lost their jobs as a result of the recession. The measure—which will add an average of $1,000 to the paychecks of 160 million working Americans and inject $100 billion into the economy—also avoids an impending cut in Medicare payments to doctors, ensuring that millions of seniors will not lose access to affordable health care.
Although Price expressed strong support for the payroll tax cut, unemployment insurance and Medicare doctors provisions, he also criticized congressional Republicans’ insistence on offsetting the cost of these measures by increasing federal employees’ contributions to their pension funds, reducing Medicare payments to hospitals and laboratory service providers, and rescinding funding from a key provision of the Affordable Care Act.
“I am proud to stand with the President and working Americans today by supporting this measure, which will add an average of $1,000 to the paychecks of working North Carolinians this year, extend unemployment benefits for Americans who have lost jobs through no fault of their own and ensure seniors on Medicare will be able to see their doctors," Price said. "After a year in which Republicans in Congress took the country from one manufactured crisis to the next, this bipartisan agreement is a step in the right direction—and at a time when so many families are still struggling to make ends meet, it may be our last chance to help revive the economy as we head into an election year.
“... I cannot in good conscience oppose a measure that puts money in the pockets of American workers, protects our fragile economic recovery and maintains the safety net for unemployed workers and health care for seniors. But we simply must do better if we are to maintain the promise of expanding opportunity for working and middle class Americans.”

Price filed for re-election

Rep. David Price, D-N.C., who represents North Carolina’s 4th District, filed for re-election to Congress on Monday, Feb. 13, and issued the following statement:
“Today I filed for re-election in the Fourth Congressional District
“For the last four years, it has been my great honor to stand with President Obama to take on some of the greatest challenges of our generation. Together, we have reformed the health insurance system, reined in the excesses of Wall Street, expanded access to higher education through student loan reforms and—most importantly—begun a recovery that has seen the economy create 3.2 million new jobs. These are major accomplishments, but we still have unfinished business. This election is a make-or-break moment for our middle class and those trying to reach it.
“I am running to continue the fight for what’s right: to put Americans back to work, to build a sustainable fiscal future and to make the investments necessary for renewed prosperity and expanded opportunity for all—not just the wealthy few. The federal budget must reflect both our nation’s commitment to working people and common sense. We can protect special tax treatment for millionaires and billionaires, or we can invest in renewing our middle class, but we cannot do both—and we shouldn’t. As a matter of fundamental fairness, millionaires and billionaires should not pay a lower effective tax rate than middle class Americans, or students, or seniors. These policies don’t create jobs; they exacerbate income inequality.
“That’s why expanding access to education has been one of my top priorities in Congress. Public education is the bedrock of our democracy and our economy. It is the means by which people from all walks of life are able to help their children achieve the American dream, and we must continue to invest in it. I’ve authored laws that make interest on college loan payments tax deductible, bolster the capacity of community colleges to offer 21st-century workforce training and help ensure every classroom has a trained, highly-qualified teacher. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I also fought for Recovery Act funding to prevent massive teacher layoffs in North Carolina. We must roll back the penny-wise and pound foolish cuts the Republican House has made to key education programs.
“The Tea Party Congress has not shared these priorities. In fact, Republicans in Congress don’t appear to be terribly concerned about doing what’s best for the country. If they were, why would they manufacture crises like the debt ceiling fiasco and threaten shutdowns that only further threaten our economic recovery? They’ve put party and political advantage ahead of everything else to the detriment of all. That is not what representative government is all about.
“My goal is to provide the most effective representation I can for the people of the Fourth District. That means knowing your views and concerns on the issues before Congress and working hard to address them on Capitol Hill. For the last six months, I’ve been traveling the redrawn Fourth to get to know folks in the new areas of the district—like Burlington, Lillington and Fayetteville—and to reconnect with old friends in parts of Raleigh and Chatham County that are rejoining the district. I am heartened by the warm reception I’ve gotten, and I am determined to use the coming campaign to reach out widely, exchange good ideas and chart a course that enables North Carolina and our country to realize their full potential.”
Rep. Price is seeking his 13th term in Congress. He is the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and a member of the House Democracy Assistance Commission. A Morehead Scholar, Price graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and then earned a bachelor’s degree in divinity and a Ph.D. in political science from Yale. He was a Senate aide, a political science and public policy professor at Yale and Duke, and Chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party before entering Congress in 1986.

Price to hold two town hall meetings Monday, Feb. 20

On Monday, Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) will hold two town hall meetings in Fourth District communities. All Fourth District residents are invited to attend the Q&A sessions. Rep. Price will open both discussions with a brief outline of his work in the 112th Congress. Space is limited at both locations, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Orange County town hall meeting
When: Monday, February 20, 2012 from 7:30 PM – 8:45 PM

Where: Southern Human Services Center Board Room

Wake County town hall meeting
When: Monday, February 20, 2012 from 5:15 PM – 6:30 PM

Where: The Gov. James Martin Building at the NC Fairgrounds

Price, Holt, Capps lead 64 members of Congress in urging Secretary Salazar to protect Arctic waters from hazardous drilling

Reps. David Price (N.C.-04), Rush Holt (N.J.-12), and Lois Capps (Calif.-23) led a group of 64 members of Congress Wednesday, Feb. 8, in sending a letter to Interior Secretary Salazar thanking the administration for excluding new oil and gas development in the Atlantic or Pacific and urging caution against too quickly moving forward with additional leasing in the Arctic. The Members have joined a groundswell of voices building over recent months to protect the Arctic.
During the public comment period that ended Wednesday, Feb. 8, on the Obama administration’s proposed Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing program for 2012-2017, more than 250,000 people have urged Obama to remove the two Arctic lease sales proposed in the draft plan. In addition, more than 500 distinguished U.S. and international scientists signed an open letter asking the Obama administration to follow through on its stated commitment to science in managing resource extraction in the Arctic.
The administration’s proposal would open the Arctic to new oil and gas development even though there is no viable method to clean up an oil spill in the Arctic’s extreme conditions and scientists lack basic information about the Arctic’s fragile marine environment.
“Last summer, a report from the nation’s leading scientists identified major gaps in scientific knowledge about the Arctic ecosystem and the impacts of drilling in the region,” Price said. “There are also serious questions about our ability to respond effectively to a spill in Arctic conditions. America has already learned the pitfalls of allowing risky oil and gas drilling to proceed without the proper safeguards in place to protect the environment and ensure quick spill containment. We should listen to the scientists, and not repeat our mistakes.”
“The Arctic is among the most challenging places on Earth to drill for oil—frigid, remote, dark and underdeveloped,” said Holt. “It is bizarre for oil companies to suggest that, despite their failure to contain the Deepwater Horizon spill under much kinder conditions, they are fully prepared to manage an Arctic disaster. Secretary Salazar should ensure that Arctic waters are managed as public trust, enforcing strong protections for public health and the environment.”
“While I’m pleased Secretary Salazar is committed to preventing new oil and gas drilling off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, I remain concerned with any proposal that would allow new drilling in the Arctic Ocean,” Capps said. “Despite assurances from the oil industry that it’s safe and some recent steps taken by the Interior Department to improve safety and environmental requirements, offshore drilling is a dirty and dangerous business. My constituents know firsthand that oil spills can and do happen and how hard they are to clean up. They can tell you that if it was that hard to clean-up the spill in the relatively calm conditions off Santa Barbara, it’s going to be near-impossible to respond to and contain any spill in the Arctic Ocean.”
The members’ letter notes that there are significant hurdles to resource extraction in the unique Arctic environment and outlines a series of strategies that should be in place prior to including any new leasing in the region.

Annual Agricultural Summit to be held at Big Barn

Agriculture makes a major contribution to the well-being of Orange County residents, both those living within and outside the county. In addition to direct contributions to the local economy in the form of product sale receipts and expenditures on farm services and inputs, along with employment on farms and farm support businesses, farmers also make significant contributions as stewards of the remaining amounts of undeveloped land—often called open-space—in the county. Their stewardship protects the county’s soil and water resources, recharges groundwater and abates storm water runoff, connects wildlife habitat, and safeguards the scenic and historic vistas that have defined Orange County’s character.
“It is in the county’s best interest to safeguard, promote and maintain the local agricultural industry and protect farmland,” Board of Orange County Commissioners chair Bernadette Pelissier said. “Enabling farmers who want to continue to farm is a cost-effective way of maintaining the quality of life of everyone in Orange County.”
To better understand key issues affecting the local agricultural industry, Orange County sponsors an annual Agricultural Summit to address geography, economic trends and regulations governing farming.
“It is critical for all of us in Orange County to understand the values and concerns of the farmers themselves, and this annual summit helps all of us accomplish this,” Pelissier said.
The annual Orange County Agricultural Summit will be held Monday, Feb. 13, at the Big Barn Convention Center in the Daniel Boone Village at 388 Ja-Max Drive off S. Churton Street. The day-long event runs 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including afternoon tours.
Speakers include North Carolina 4th District U.S. Congressman David Price discussing the Farm Bill and other agricultural issues, local farmers and experts in farm diversification, soil and water as well as apicultural experts. Also on hand will be Orange County planning and economic development staff who will address new rules for farm enterprises in Orange County.
Additionally, Jack Tapp of Busy Bee Apiaries will speak about his fruit-flavored creamed honey business, Vintage Bee Honey, and how it got to where it is today.
Afternoon tours include the new Piedmont Food and Agricultural Processing Center in Hillsborough and Walters Unlimited at Carls-Beth Farm in Efland.
The summit fee is $10, which includes a catered lunch by Bob Compton. On-site registration at the Big Barn will take place from 8 to 8:30 a.m.
To register for the summit, contact the Orange County Cooperative Extension office at (919) 245-2050. For more information—including the agenda and driving directions—visit http://orange.ces.ncsu.edu/ or www.orangecountyfarms.org.

Price: Congress should use reprieve on USPS closures to reform service

On Tuesday, Dec. 13, the United States Postal Service announced it will delay all closures or consolidations of its offices and facilities nationwide until May 15, 2012, due to pressure from Congress. Rep. David Price (NC-04) is calling for Congress to use this opportunity to reform the Postal Service to ensure its long-term viability. At the heart of the Postal Service’s current financial crisis is a backbreaking pension mandate that has led the Postal Service to consider closing thousands of post offices and hundreds of mail processing centers, including many in North Carolina.
The USPS’s proposed closure plan would eliminate 120,000 jobs nationwide by 2015. Two Fayetteville mail processing centers, which employ more than 400 people, are being considered for closure and consolidation under the plan in addition to the East Durham and Raleigh Five Points offices in the Triangle. Last week, Price wrote to Postmaster Donahue opposing the proposed closure and consolidation of the Fayetteville facilities and expressed his opposition at a public meeting held with Postal officials in Fayetteville regarding the proposal. The Postal Service has also recommended eliminating six-day delivery and overnight delivery of first class mail in order to cut costs.
“Congress should seize the opportunity presented by the Postal Service’s decision to delay the closure and consolidation of its offices and facilities,” Price said. “We can reform the Postal Service and preserve its independence from taxpayer funding without drastic cuts that will cost thousands of jobs in our communities and lead to significant reductions of service, but we need to act before it’s too late.”
Price is currently a cosponsor of legislation that would provide immediate relief to pension obligations imposed on USPS by a 2006 law. Under current law, the Postal Service is required to pre-pay $5.5 billion a year (until 2016) into a fund for future retiree health care costs. The legislation would also reimburse the Postal Service for overpayments it made into the Federal Employee Retirement System for employees who earned federal government retirement benefits while the service was still a government agency. Under the bill, the reimbursement amount would be determined by an Office of Personnel Management study.
“My colleagues should view this six month reprieve on post office and facility closures as a call to action. We must act with a sense of urgency to pass common-sense legislation pending before both the House and Senate to reform the Postal Service pension prepayment mandate before the Postal Service takes unnecessary draconian action.” Price said. “Congressional leadership should get to work on this right away. Congress imposed this backbreaking mandate on the Postal Service, and Congress should reform it before we talk about massive closures and layoffs.”

Price co-sponsors bills to protect voting rights

Rep. David Price (NC-04) on Nov. 30 co-sponsored three bills designed to stop efforts in North Carolina and other states to obstruct voting rights and disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters.
“Half a million North Carolina residents—including many minorities, seniors, women and young people—do not have a photo ID,” Rep. Price said. “The General Assembly is trying to make it harder for these citizens to vote. It is an attack on voting rights, plain and simple.”
The bills Rep. Price is co-sponsoring would prohibit photo identification requirements to register to vote or cast a ballot, require same-day registration and protect “no excuses” absentee voting by mail. This summer, General Assembly Republicans passed legislation instituting a voter ID requirement in North Carolina. The legislation was vetoed by Governor Perdue, but Republicans have continued to push for passage of the measure in a series of short, abruptly-called sessions this fall.
“The right to vote is the very bedrock of democracy," Price said. "We must reject any attempt to restrict the ability of law-abiding citizens to exercise that right, especially when the clear motivation is political gain.”
Proponents of voter ID have raised the specter of voter fraud, but voter fraud is already a felony offense. That penalty appears to have a significant deterrent effect. According to Democracy North Carolina, between 2004 and 2008—a period encompassing multiple national, state and local elections—the State Board of Elections found only five votes per million cast were fraudulent.
The bills Price is co-sponsoring are:
• H.R. 3316 (Rep. Keith Ellison-MN)—prohibiting election officials from requiring photo identification to register to vote or cast a ballot.
• H.R. 3317 (Rep. Keith Ellison-MN)—requiring states with a voter registration requirement to make same-day voter registration available at the polling place on the election days (or on the day of voting for early voting)
• H.R. 2084 (Rep. Susan Davis-CA)—prohibiting a state from imposing additional conditions or requirements on the eligibility of and individual to cast a vote in federal elections by mail, except to the extent that it imposes a deadline for requesting the ballot and returning it to the appropriate state or local election official.