A Message From US Congressman John Carney

More than 100 days have passed since I was sworn in as Delaware’s lone voice in the House of Representatives. During that time, Congress has debated dozens of important issues, and I’ve learned that bringing Democrats and Republicans together is more challenging than I expected. But I’ve begun to forge relationships with members on both sides of the aisle -- and I’m committed to working with Democrats and Republicans to find solutions to the challenges we face as a nation.

I want to take this opportunity to fill you in on some of the highlights from my time so far in Congress:

• My main focus is on job creation. I co-sponsored the Build America Bonds bill which will put people to work by making it easier for states and municipalities to build roads and bridges and other infrastructure projects. I’m also fighting for a portion of $2.4 billion in high-speed rail funding that was allocated in 2009 for the Northeast Corridor. Upgrading our rail infrastructure will create jobs in our area and relieve congestion on I-95. In addition, I co-sponsored legislation to repeal the onerous 1099 reporting requirement included in the Affordable Health Care Act. I’m proud to say the President has signed the repeal into law, which will remove a burden for small businesses.
  
• I’m using my position on the House Financial Services Committee to work to strengthen Delaware's financial and corporate services industries and to protect consumers and investors through smarter, more efficient regulatory reforms. A better regulated Wall Street will mean stronger and more reliable job creation on Main Street while protecting the retirement accounts of investors across the country.
  
• Addressing the budget deficit and rising national debt is critically important for the future of our country and long term strength of the nation's economy. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had also called it the biggest threat to our national security. The federal budget is also a reflection of the nation’s priorities and values. My approach has been to support smart spending cuts that don’t undermine our long-term economic growth. In our ongoing budget debate, I have supported numerous measures that cut federal spending by tens of billions of dollars. I also introduced a bill that would force an up-or-down vote on $20 billion in cuts to programs that have been determined to be duplicative or ineffective. With a $1.7 trillion deficit this year alone, it’s all the more important than ever that both parties work together to address it – especially because both Democrats and Republicans are responsible for the situation we’re in.
  
• Finally, I’m meeting with Delawareans every day. Over the past 100 days, my office has held more than 250 meetings with businesses, non-profit organizations and veterans groups. In addition, my office is committed to responding to every constituent who reaches out to my office by letter, phone or email. Please feel free to contact my office if we can assist you in any way.

I believe that we've made some progress over the past three months -- but there is still so much more work to do. I will continue to work hard each day to meet these challenges to help create jobs and get our budget deficits under control.

Thank you for your interest and involvement. I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,
John Carney
Member of Congress