Group of supporters with Patricia Phillips and me at event last night.
First Ladies Lunch Loudoun Womens Club – Janet Clark, Patricia Phillips
Mar 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The George Allen Record – Energy – March 16, 2005
Mar 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
On March 16, 2005, George Allen voted in favor of developing our Nation’s energy resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The 51-49 vote in the Senate was to be the first step in allowing the United States to start drilling for the estimated 17 billion barrels of oil and 34 trillion cubic feet of natural gas believed to be beneath ANWR. George Allen praised the vote saying:
“This vote is a great victory for the people of America. The high prices of gasoline and natural gas are negatively affecting our transportation costs and the costs for people to heat their homes.
“There are three reasons why developing energy resources on the North Slope of Alaska will be good for the American people. Number one is security. We are overly dependent on foreign sources of energy…Second, oil and gas extraction in ANWR will provide new jobs…Thirdly, we must improve our competitiveness. This country needs to have a reliable, affordable source of energy, whether that is oil or natural gas.”
Despite the Senate’s action, ANWR drilling remains blocked today. George Allen continues to believe that for American jobs, competitiveness and our national security we must unleash our plentiful resources and creativity. Drilling in ANWR is a key component to a diverse American energy plan that encourages conservation and innovation; and utilizes all of our plentiful resources including clean coal technology, natural gas, and oil.
The George Allen Record – Jobs – March 15, 1995
Mar 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Today in 1995, George Allen announced the location of a new customer service operation center in the Newport News area. The center, leased by the United Parcel Service, brought more than $15 million in initial investment and over 800 jobs for Virginians in a 24-month period.
“The fact is that United Parcel Service’s decision to lease the site in Virginia sends a clear message that Newport News and the Commonwealth provide the business-friendly environment necessary for companies to prosper,” said George Allen.
Today the facility is run by APAC Customer Services and is one of the largest employers in Newport News at what is reported to be UPS’s most productive customer service center. With the combination of more prompt permitting, lower taxes and personal recruitment, by the end of Allen’s term, Virginia had added 310,000 net new jobs and attracted a staggering $14 billion in private capital investment.
George Allen Applauds Legislation To Repeal EPA Authority
Mar 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The proposal from Senator Inhofe and Representatives Upton and Whitfield to permanently repeal EPA authority over greenhouse gases is the right way to stop President Obama and unelected bureaucrats from forcing a costly cap-and-trade scheme on American families and businesses. This bill would stop EPA bureaucrats from imposing policies that would make our electricity, gasoline and food more expensive and amount to a massive tax increase on American consumers. It’s time to regulate the regulators and stop unelected bureaucrats from destroying American jobs, harming employers and hurting Virginia families.
McConnell seeks Senate showdown on EPA climate rules
The Hill
By Andrew Restuccia
March 15, 2011
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) moved Tuesday to force a political showdown over Environmental Protection Agency climate change regulations on the floor of the Senate.
McConnell introduced an amendment to a small business bill that would permanently block the EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources like power plants and refineries. The small business bill is currently on the Senate floor.
“These new regulations would destroy jobs at a time when Americans need them most,” McConnell said in a floor statement Tuesday. “And they’d be especially devastating for states like Kentucky and other coal states.”
“They’re attempting to do through regulation what they couldn’t do through legislation, regardless of whether the American people want it or not,” McConnell said. “This is an insult to the millions of Americans who are already struggling to make ends meet or find a job.”
McConnell added that it was his hope “that we will vote to stop this power grab in its tracks.”
The amendment language mirrors a bill introduced in the Senate by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and in the House by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.).
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The George Allen Record – Early Reading Initiative – March 14, 1997
Mar 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
On March 14, 1997, George Allen announced the approval by the General Assembly of his education budget, which included funds for his Early Reading Initiative, class-size reduction, and funding for instructional materials.
The Early Reading Initiative was created to identify children who are struggling to learn how to read in kindergarten and first grade using a reading diagnostic test, and provide special instruction before they fall too far behind to catch up.
“Reading opens all the doors of learning and is the key to life-long success. A child who can’t read will fall behind not just in English, but in math and science and social studies,” Allen said, reflecting on the initiative in 2006. “We need to find out early who is having trouble — not wait until they’re hopelessly behind their peers and are ready to drop out or start acting up and disrupting the classroom”
The reading initiative offers an additional 2.5 hours of instructional time per week at a ratio of one teacher for every five students. In addition to the Early Reading Initiative, Allen’s education budget proposal included $6.2 million funding for instructional material, $9.6 million for class size reduction and $7.8 million to reduce diversions from the Local School Construction Fund (Literary Fund) and restore integrity to it.
The George Allen Record – Unemployment Tax Cut – March 13, 1997
Mar 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
With unemployment at an eight-year low, George Allen called for an unemployment tax cut in his 1997 State of the Commonwealth Address. On March 13, 1997, Allen signed legislation that put more than $154 million into the hands of Virginia businesses where it could be used for additional investments and to create more jobs.
“The lower taxes will help to improve businesses’ bottom line, create more jobs for Virginians and strengthen our economic competitiveness,” said Allen. “It doesn’t make any sense to collect excessive taxes from business when reserves are more than adequate to pay out four years of benefits… That’s real money that can be used to purchase new office equipment, buy more advertising, invest in new methods of production and create more jobs.”
The legislation provided a more accurate calculation for funding the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. As a result, the tax was eliminated entirely for 89,000 mostly small businesses (nearly 60 percent of Virginia’s job creators) for four years, while benefits increased. Overall George Allen reduced taxes on families and businesses by more than $600 million during his term as Governor.
Take action on deficit problem
Mar 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The national debt is endangering our ability to control our destiny. This editorial from the Daily Progress is right on the mark. We must rein in the overspending, overreaching federal government.
Take action on deficit problem
By The Daily Progress
March 10, 2011
As Republicans and Democrats scrap over the budget — with a possible government shutdown in the offing — there is one thing they must keep first in mind: The deficit skid has to be halted, now. Otherwise, we are sending our country deeper and deeper in danger.
“Our threat is that our destiny will not be controlled by us,” warns Sen. Tim Coburn, R-Okla., in the Wall Street Journal (March 8).
It will be controlled by whoever holds our debt — chiefly China. Such a march into thralldom makes no logic.
Here’s the picture as laid out in “As Budget Battle Rages on, a Quiet Cancer Grows”:
Already, the U.S. will spend more than $200 billion this year to service our existing debt. That’s nearly as much as will be spent on health care for the poor through Medicaid.
In 10 years, the U.S. will spend $928 billion just to pay interest on the national debt — significantly more than it will pay out in health care for the elderly through Medicare.
Don’t miss the relevance of these figures: With that money, Washington could fund entire new programs or expand existing ones.
Not that we necessarily advocate growing the government. But proponents of government aid programs often argue that it is worth the cost to keep borrowing year after year in order to keep those services afloat.
Are they sure? Have they looked at the future? Do they understand that the billions gone to pay debt service is money that could have been spent to help people who need it? Money “lost” to debt service is also a measure of lost opportunities.
Strategic budget cuts now could keep programs afloat for the long term.
Instead, with the demands of heavy debt repayment, the long term can only get worse. By not running a balanced budget, Washington keeps borrowing money — including paying interest on debt already incurred. And then it must pay interest on that money. And so on, and so on. This snowball effect becomes more frightening the longer it continues.
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The George Allen Record – Cyber Champion Award – March 10, 2004
Mar 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
For his “outstanding leadership and commitment to policies that promote a safe and legal digital world”, on March 10, 2004, George Allen received the 2003 Cyber Champion Award from the Business Software Alliance. As Chair of the Senate High Tech Task Force, Allen focused on reviving a struggling tech economy through sound policy initiatives such as broadband development, international trade, cyber security, and electronic commerce.
“Sen. Allen has been a tireless advocate in the Senate for issues critical to advancing the growth and innovation in the high tech sector, and the economy as a whole,” said Robert Holleyman, president and CEO of the BSA. “BSA members unanimously chose to honor Allen for his hard work to advance sound policies on everything from cyber security to broadband development, international trade and electronic commerce.”
Allen continues to be committed to promoting high tech policy initiatives to advance the quality of life, create an environment for competitive economic growth and strengthen our international trade relations.
George Allen Announces Campaign Manager
Mar 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 10, 2011
George Allen Announces Campaign Manager
Mount Vernon, VA – The George Allen for U.S. Senate campaign announced today that Mike Thomas will serve as Campaign Manager. Thomas has a long history with Allen, having run his insurgent campaign for Governor as well as serving as Chief of Staff and State Director during Allen’s service in the U.S. Senate.
“Susan and I are thrilled to have Mike Thomas on board to lead our campaign. Mike understands campaigns are won with principles and ideas advocated at the local level, home by home,” George Allen stated. “Mike is a trusted friend who Susan and I feel blessed to have once again as a proven leader of our team. Mike has the necessary experience and personal knowledge of Virginia, its people, and our values to lead our grassroots insurgency. His addition makes our team even stronger, and together we will build a campaign focused on bringing Virginia’s voices, views and values back to the U.S. Senate.”
To re-join the Allen team, Thomas will be leaving McGuireWoods Consulting, which he joined after serving as State Director and Chief of Staff for George Allen in the U.S. Senate. Prior to that Thomas served in two Governors’ administrations as both the Secretary of Administration to the Commonwealth and Director of the Virginia Department of Information Technology. For the past 15 years, Thomas has served as First Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia.
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ICYMI: Allen: Obama is Pumping Pain
Mar 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 10, 2011
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Allen: Obama is Pumping Pain
Poor policies lead to predictably high fuel prices
From The Washington Times
By George Allen
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Each morning over the past several weeks, Americans have watched gasoline and diesel prices skyrocket, igniting worries about the potential for a record-setting spring and summer of high fuel and food costs. Prices have not spiked this quickly since Hurricane Katrina in 2005; in fact, we are experiencing the second highest weekly spike in prices since 1990, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Several factors are behind the turbulence in the oil markets. The global market has responded to the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa with speculative higher prices. Growing demand from China and India for oil, gas and coal has changed the dynamics of world energy needs.
But the roots of our energy woes are largely of our own making. The price of crude oil as a global commodity is pegged to the U.S. dollar, and America’s huge budget deficit and massive trade deficit have devalued our currency.
Worse, the regulatory assault on American fossil fuels by the Obama administration and the past Congress has had a significant effect on today’s fuel prices. These counterproductive energy policies have decreased domestic production and left us more vulnerable than ever to the whims and designs of hostile dictators, oligarchs and cartels.
Consider this economic signal from the Gulf of Mexico. In 2008, the Department of the Interior received more than $68 million in revenues from royalties and lease sales under the Gulf of Mexico Energy and Security Act. In 2010, revenues plummeted to $2.3 million. Our economy lost billions in economic activity and thousands of jobs because of the terrible Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the subsequent self-inflicted moratorium by the Obama administration that closed down drilling.
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