WASHINGTON – On Friday (June 26th), the U.S. House passed a military budget bill for FY2010, which included increases in funding amounts for the National Guard. The bill also extends health care coverage and increases pay for guardsmen and reservists.

“The Tennessee National Guard has contributed substantially to our nation’s military efforts over the last 8 years,” said Congressman Bart Gordon. “The military budget we passed will allow us to increase funding and benefits for guardsmen who have courageously served our country alongside active-duty soldiers.”

On Wednesday (June 25th), 140 Tennessee Guard members left for Iraq. Since 2001, nearly every member of Tennessee’s National Guard, which is made up of 14,300 members, has been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Some have been deployed multiple times.

The House-passed military budget for FY2010, provides a 3.4% pay raise for military personnel, including guardsmen and reservists. It also extends military health care coverage, known as TRICARE, for guardsmen and their families. The bill would extend TRICARE coverage prior to deployment from 3 months to 6 months.

“These soldiers willingly leave their everyday lives to defend our country,” added Gordon. “In November, 5,000 Tennessee Guard members are expected to be deployed – leading up to their deployment, they deserve quality health care, which will help to ensure they are physically prepared and healthy when they serve our nation abroad.”

The bill also increases the size of our country’s active-duty military, which could reduce the number of redeployments for Guard and Reserve units. The Senate is expected to pass their version of the bill in July.

WASHINGTON – Today (June 26th), the U.S. House passed an energy bill that will create jobs in new industries and put the United States on a clear path toward energy independence.

“I have given this legislation a lot of thought, and I am convinced it will not only benefit working families in Middle Tennessee, but is essential to our region’s economic future,” said Congressman Bart Gordon. “Jobs have been leaving our country and most of them aren’t coming back. This bill will create new industries in the energy sector for blue-collar workers. These new industries will have a ripple effect, creating new additional businesses that will supply parts and create even more jobs.”

The House-passed bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, will regulate carbon dioxide pollution, invest in developing a 21st Century energy grid, and most importantly, provide incentives for the development of renewable energy industries.

“Nissan’s Smyrna plant and the new solar-technology plants in Clarksville and Cleveland, Tennessee are examples of the new energy industries this bill will bring about,” said Gordon. “Each plant will create thousands of new direct and indirect jobs. Nissan is a great example. Its new electric car plant will employee 1,300 people, but supply companies – the primary metal, electrical equipment, and plastics companies – will open up shop in the surrounding communities, and they are estimated to create more than 9,000 additional jobs.”

During the last few months, numerous statistics have been used and misused to describe the cost of the bill’s provisions. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analyzed the bill passed by the House today, and concluded it would cost $175 a year for families at its height in 2020, or about $15 a month. These estimates did not include savings that will come from upgrades to the energy grid, more efficient homes, and advanced appliance efficiency standards. As stated in the CBO report, “Households would bear costs but ultimately would receive equivalent benefits.”

“Other countries are developing these clean energy industries right now – solar, wind, hydro, and others,” added Gordon. “They recognize current energy sources are limited – they are going to run out. If we don’t act now, years down the line, our foreign dependency will just switch from petroleum-based products to new energy resources that we could have created right here in our country. This bill will put us on track to finally declare our energy independence.”

The House-passed energy bill is supported by a wide coalition of organizations that includes energy companies, business (small and large), labor groups, as well as conservation groups. It will now move to the Senate for consideration.

This summer, President Obama and Change That Works will fight to ensure Americans receive much-needed health care reform in 2009. Community service is a critical piece of our health care campaign and our National Health Care Day of Service on June 27, 2009 will highlight its importance.

Change that Works will hold a canvass to distribute flyers and provide education to the community on the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as our National Health Care Day of Service event in Murfreesboro.

One of President Obama’s first actions was expanding access to the Children’s Health Insurance Program. By passing health care reform, we will extend the access afforded through CHIP to adults across America. Currently, millions of eligible CHIP participants are unaware of how to sign up and receive the services they need. By providing state-specific education to parents, volunteers can help these children gain access to health care.

Saturday June 27th
12 Noon to 4:00 PM
Outside Patterson Park Community Center
521 Mercury Blvd
SHIFT 1: Noon to 12:00 PM
SHIFT 2: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
SHIFT 3: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

To volunteer or for more information, contact Darrell Bouldin at: darrellbouldin@gmail.com or 931-409-0320 or Ashley Newton at: anewton@tnchange.org or 615.513.3657.

MURFREESBORO - On Monday, June 22, Republican Election Commission Chairman Tom Walker, even after being told it was illegal, attempted to violate state Sunshine Laws by locking out the public from this month’s meeting of the Election Commission. He even called police to escort our local press from the premises. Michelle Willard of the Murfreesboro Post and Doug Davis of the Daily News Journal were told to leave but refused, at which point Republican Chairman Tom Walker called Murfreesboro police. Ms. Willard reports:

Walker asked everyone, except commission members, to leave the Election Commission’s office on the Square. The Daily News Journal’s Doug Davis and Post Staff Writer Michelle Willard remained and confronted Walker on his request.

Walker was informed it is against state law to close a public meeting. He was then offered a copy of the Sunshine Law (T.C.A. 8-44-101), which he declined, claiming he does not care what the law is and is just trying to protect the applicants by closing the meeting.

State law says, “the formation of public policy and decisions is public business and shall not be conducted in secret.”

“We’ve got some crazy laws in this country,” Republican Commissioner Doris Jones said.

Walker was indignant in defense of his point, saying he didn’t think it was a violation of state laws to conduct public meetings in private. He said his concern was not protecting the rights of voters, but the privacy of the job applicants.

Walker then asked Davis and Willard to leave again. When they refused, he appeared to call the Murfreesboro Police Department (who never showed).

Post Publisher Mike Pirtle and DNJ Editor Jimmy Hart arrived on the scene with Pirtle informing Walker of the law and asking him to call county attorney Jim Cope for an opinion.

Walker pulled out his cell phone and made a call, while walking to the back of the building.

“If we can’t get this resolved tonight, then the meeting is adjourned,” he said.

He emerged several minutes later and said, “Meeting adjourned,” and stormed out the door without a backward glance.

What are Republicans attempting to do? Why are they knowingly violating state law? With Sen. Bill Ketron sponsoring bills to gut the State Ethics Commission and repeal the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act, what are they plotting to do behind closed doors?