1

MEMORANDUM
TO: HouseRepublicans
FR: EricCantor
DT: Friday,May25,2012
RE: SummerLegislativeAgenda

Inlinewithourunderlyingprinciplesforlegislation,theHousewillmoveforwardthis
summerwithanumberofproposalsaimedataddressingjobcreationandtheeconomy,
reducingspending,andshrinkingthesizeofthefederalgovernmentwhileprotectingand
expandingliberty.Aboveall,wemustcontinuetofocusoneconomicgrowthandsmall
businessproducingresultsthatgetAmericansbacktowork.Thesummerlegislative
scheduleisdetailedbelowforyourreview.

MEMURIAL DAY TU FATHERS DAY

Nearly7,000AmericanservicemenandwomenhavelosttheirlivesinOperationEnduring
Freedomand0peiation Iiaqi Fieeuom Theies no question that these tragiclosseshave
madeourcountrysafer.EverydaythatgoesbyquietlyonAmericansoilisyetanother
silentreminderofthecourageousblanketoffreedomthatourmenandwomeninuniform
haveselflesslyprovidedforus.

AsweobserveMemorialDay,itiscriticalthatweensureforthecareandsupportofour
returningheroes.Tothatend,theHousewilltakeuptheMilitaryConstructionand
veteians Affaiis AppiopiiationsbillonThursdayMay31,andFriday,June1.This yeais
billmaintainsfundingattheFY12appropriatedlevel,takingintoaccountourcommitment
toourArmedForcesandveteransandtheieality of touays fiscalchallenge.ChairmanHal
RogersandSubcommitteeChairmanJohnCulbersonshouldbecommendedfortheirwork.

Wewillalsopassourthirdauthoiization of the nations intelligencecommunityandits

activitiessincetakingthemajority.IexpectChaiiman Nike Rogeis bill(H.R.5743)tobe
broughtforthandpassedonThursday,May31,inabipartisanmanner.TheIntelligence
Committees woik this Congiess has been tiuly impiessive in iestoiing both the iole of
congressionaloversightandbipartisanship,aswellasneededpolicysolutionsinrising
threatareaslikecybersecurity.

MembersshouldbepreparedtovoteonChaiiman Fieu 0ptons FDAuserfeereformbill

(H.R.5651)onWednesday,May30.Chaiiman 0ptons bipartisanbillbringsneededreform
tothefederaldrugandmedicaldeviceapprovalprocess,enhancingtheenvironmentfor
Americaninnovationandjobgrowth.Thoughtheseprogramsexpireattheendof
September,theEnergyandCommerceCommitteehopestocompletenegotiationswiththe
SenateonafinalbillbyJuly4th.

Relatedtothemedicaldeviceindustryisthedraconiantaxthatisscheduledtogointo
effectunderObamaCare.Thistax,tofundaflawedlaw,willhaveanegativeimpactonjobs
inthemedicaldeviceindustry.ChairmanDaveCampandtheWaysandMeansCommittee
2

havedoneanexcellentjobhighlightingthisissue as well as 0bamaCaies ban on the use of
HealthSavingsAccounts(HSAs),FlexibleSpendingAccounts(FSAs),andotheraccountsto
purchaseover-the-counter(OTC)drugs.Regaiuless of the outcome of the Supieme Couits
decisionontheconstitutionalityofObamaCare,weshouldallbeabletoagreeonErik
Paulsens bill to repealthemedicaldevicetax(H.R.436)anu Lynn }enkins bill to iepeal the
OTCban(H.R.5842).IexpectavoteonthePaulsenandJenkinsbillsasearlyastheweek
ofJune4.

Theremainderofourpre-Fatheis Bay legislative agenua will be spent consiueiing

additionalappropriationsbills.ThoughwecontinuetoworkwiththeCommitteeonan
exactschedule,possiblebillsincludeEnergyandWaterAppropriations,HomelandSecurity
Appropriations,andLegislativeBranchAppropriations.Eachbillconformstotheoverall
levelofdiscretionary spenuing authoiizeu unuei the Bouses FY buuget iesolution anu
deservesoursupport.

AstheSpeakerhascommitted,thesebillswillbeconsideredunderanopenand
deliberativeprocess,allowingallMemberstoofferamendments.Inordertoconsideras
manybillsandamendmentsaspossible,Membersshouldbejudiciousintheissuesthey
choosetoraise,andexpeditiousintheirremarksduringconsideration.

FATHERS DAY TU INDEPENDENCE DAY

When we ietuin fiom Fatheis Bay the Bouse will tuin its attention on the flooi to
Americanjobsandout-of-pocketexpensesaffectedbydomesticenergyproduction.
AccordingtoAAA,theaveragenationalpriceofagallonofgasolinewas$1.84when
PresidentObamatookoffice.Theaveragetodayisroughlydoublethatlevel.That
additionalcostactsasadragonthealready-sluggisheconomyandataxonstruggling
Americanconsumers,especiallysmallbusinessesandthemiddleclass.

SomeDemocratsarguethatincreasingdomesticoilandnaturalgasleasesandregulatory
reformwont affect the piice at the pumptoday.Thisisthesameargumenttheymade10
yearsagothathaspreventedproductiontodayandcontributedtodomesticrefinery
closures.

The ieal tiageuy is that thousanus of jobs go uniealizeu as a iesult of the Piesiuents energy
policiesjobsthatcouldbolsteroursloweconomicrecovery.Itiscriticallyimportantthat
we piomote anu invest in Ameiicas eneigy iesouices,encouragingnotdiscouraging
stateslikeNorthDakota,Ohio,andPennsylvaniatoleadadomesticenergyboom.

Therefore,ChairmanDocHastingsandChairmanUptonwillbebringingforwardaseriesof
billsfromtheirrespectivecommitteesduringtheweekofJune18toencourageproduction
onfederallandsandlessentheburdenofjob-inhibitingredtape.MikeCoffman,Cory
Gardner,BillJohnson,DougLamborn,ScottTipton,andEdWhitfield,aswellastheentire
HouseEnergyActionTeam(HEAT),willbeinstrumentalinthisdebate.

3

Jobcreationoftenstartsatthelocallevelwithsmallbusinessesbutalltoooftenfederal
policiesstandinthewayofeconomicgrowth.Byemployingsound,scientificmanagement,
governmentcanplayaroleinfosteringgrowthatnocosttothetaxpayer.Where
appropriate,throughreducingbureaucraticdelays,transferringorsellingland,and
modifyingrestrictivelandusedesignations,wecangiveagreenlighttoneeded
infrastructure.Membersonbothsidesoftheaislehavelocally-tailoredbillssuchasthese
andChairmanHastingsandtheNaturalResourcesCommitteehavedoneanexcellentjobin
bringingthemforward.Iexpectanumberofthesebillstocometothefloortheweekof
June18.

Finally,wewillcloseoutthemonthofJunewiththeconsiderationofadditional
appropriationsbillsandstop-gapmeasures.

INDEPENDENCEDAYTOAUGUST

Americanswillrightlybefocuseu on the effects of the Supieme Couits ObamaCare

decisionwhenwereturnfromJulyFourth.AlthoughwedonotknowhowtheCourtwill
rule,wearepreparedtomoveforwardtoensurethatthewholeunworkablelawisfully
repealed.

Ofcourse,wewillalsobefocusedoneconomicgrowthduringthemonthofJuly.Its too
haiu to be a small business ownei in Ameiica iight now anu weve got to tuin that aiounu
Fiist among oui effoits will be passing Tim uiiffinsbill(H.R.4078)aimedatcutting
governmentredtapetomakeiteasierforsmallbusinessestocreatejobs.UndertheGriffin
bill,therewillbeamoratoriumimposedonanynewregulation,saveforhealthand
emergency,untilunemploymentdropsbelowsixpercentnationally.

AdditionalMembers,likeReidRibbleandBenQuayle,havelegislationtogetgovernment
regulationsoffthebackofourjobcreators.TheRibblebill(H.R.4607)curtailsso-called
midnightregulations, whiletheQuaylebill(H.R.3862)shinesalightonthe
pieponueiance of sue-and-settle agieements We will be woiking withChairmanLamar
SmithandtheJudiciaryCommitteetoscheduleasmanyoftheseproposalsaspossible
throughoutJuly.

Themusicindustryandsmallbusinessownersacrossthecountrywatchednervouslyas
thefederalgovernmentrecentlyraidedGibsonGuitar.Whetherintendedornot,a2008
lawamendingtheover100-yearoldLaceyActresultedintheraid.JustasfastasCongress
cancreateunintendedconsequences,wecanalsofixthem.JimCooperandMarsha
Blackburnhaveintroducedabill(H.R.3210)thathelpsprotectsmallbusinessjobsfrom
governmentcriminalization.TheNaturalResourcesCommitteeiscurrentlyworkingto
advancethebipartisanCooperbillsothatitcanbeconsideredonthefloorinJuly.

Ourconstituentshavebeenorwillsoonbeimpactedbytheclosureandhoursof
operationchangestoU.S.PostalService(USPS)facilitiesacrossthecountry.Thisisthe
resultofyetanothergovernmentbackedentitythatcannotmeetitsfinancialobligations
andisinneedofvastreformstoitsbusinessplanandoperations.ChairmanDarrellIssa,
4

SubcommitteeChairmanDennisRoss,andtheOversightandGovernmentReform
Committeehavepassedaresponsibleproposal(H.R.2309)toreformtheUSPS,andwewill
beworkingtobringtheirbilltothefloor.

In }uly we will also be voting on Ron Pauls bill authoiizing an auditoftheFederalReserve

andreporttoCongress(H.R.459).

Verylittleofwhatwedothissummerwillbeabletooffsettheharmtosmallbusinessesif
thelargesttaxincreaseinAmericanhistoryisallowedtogointoeffectonJanuary1,2013.
Infact,theCongressionalBudgetOffice(CBO)warnedusearlierthisweekthatthismassive
taxincreasewilllikely contiibute to what woulu piobably be juugeu to be a iecession

Workingfamiliesandsmallbusinessshouldnotbesaddledwiththeuncertaintyofa
loomingtaxincreaseastheyattempttoinvestandgrowfortheremainderofthisyear.
Thats why ChairmanCampandtheWaysandMeansCommitteehavebeenworkingon
pro-growthreformtosimplifythetaxcode.

Knowingthatcomprehensivereformwilltaketime,wemustensurethatwhileCongressis
workingtobringaboutcompetitivechange,governmentdoesnotincreasethecostof
business.Therefore,beforeweleaveforAugust,Iexpecttoscheduleavoteonlegislation
preventingthelargesttaxincreaseinhistory.TheSenateshouldjoinusinprovidingthis
verybasiclevelofcertaintypriortoNovember.

CONCLUSION

Wehaveabusylegislativeagendaplannedthissummerandourschedulewillundoubtedly
requirefurtheradditions.Ihopethismemoprovidesyouandyourconstituentswithan
outlineofourpro-growthplanforthemonthsahead.HaveasafeandblessedMemorial
Day.

Sincerely,
Eric