The George Allen Record – Pro-Life Record – June 1, 2004

Jun 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As co-sponsor of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, on June 1, 2004, George Allen issued the following statement condemning a San Francisco federal district judge’s ruling that the ban on partial-birth abortion was unconstitutional. In 2007, the Supreme Court upheld the law passed by the people’s representatives in Congress.

“Late term, Partial Birth Abortion is a rare, gruesome procedure that the American Medical Association says is akin to infanticide.  It seems to be fairly typical that an unelected federal judge in San Francisco tries to stop a law that received such broad bipartisan support in Congress,” stated Allen. “The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act is a reasonable measure which reflects the sensibilities and will of most Virginians and Americans.”

George Allen has a proven record of standing up for families through supporting initiatives that protect innocent, unborn life.  As Governor, Allen made history by signing the first-ever parental notification bill in Virginia that required a physician to notify at least one parent or guardian before performing an abortion.  As Senator, Allen received a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee.  In addition to being a co-sponsor of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, he opposed federal funding for overseas organizations that fund abortions and empowered parents by co-sponsoring a bill prohibiting minors who travel across state lines to circumvent parental consent or notification laws.

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The George Allen Record – Energy – May 31, 2001

May 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As today’s gasoline prices edge close to $4 per gallon, Virginians may recall George Allen addressing the pressing need for a comprehensive national energy policy ten years ago.  At a press conference outside a local gas station in Richmond on May 31, 2001, Allen urged action in Washington on common-sense solutions for affordable energy – solutions that embrace conservation and innovation and increase domestic production to reduce dependence on foreign oil and protect our national security while encouraging economic growth.  Following the press conference, Allen took time to exchange ideas with fellow motorists concerning ways to fix America’s energy policy.

“The crisis has not come overnight,” Allen said of the nation’s growing dependence and rising energy costs.  “We need to take action. Demand for energy is at an all-time high.”

Today, even more of America’s resources have been put off limits and Americans are paying with higher prices for gasoline and for heating and cooling their homes.  George Allen is committed to reversing Washington’s counterproductive energy policies and ending over-reaching regulations to unleash America’s plentiful resources and creativity to produce American energy, American jobs, and American competitiveness.

 

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The George Allen Record – Taxes – May 26, 2001

May 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On May 26, 2001, George Allen commended Congress’ passage of a  broad-based tax relief for the American people, including a provision he sponsored to give parents a tax deduction to help pay for education expenses such as computers, educational software, and Internet access. Allen’s amendment marks a promise he made to the people of Virginia to work toward tax relief not only for higher education but all levels of education-related expenses.

“This is an important success in giving parents education-related tax relief for their K-12 school-age children.  It is unprecedented new ground gained for elementary and secondary school children in making home computers more affordable with such a tax deduction,” stated Allen.  “Over the next ten years, these computer and education savings accounts will represent over $6.5 billion in new education spending.  But instead of this new spending being controlled by Washington bureaucracies, it will be spending controlled by parents.  And with the passage of this provision, 5 million new computers can be placed in the homes of K-12 students.”

The legislation, signed into law eleven days later, expands annual contributions limits to Education Savings Accounts, previously capped at $500, to $2,000 while ensuring tax relief for parents purchasing essential educational supplies for their child. Furthermore, Allen applauded the legislation for giving relatives, who wish to help parents put money away for their child’s education, the opportunity to contribute to Education Savings Accounts allowing all family members the chance to forever shape their child’s future.

 

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The George Allen Record – Education Reform – May 24, 1994

May 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Declaring that “we will not experiment with our children any longer,” on May 24, 1994, George Allen announced the appointment of the Commission on Champion Schools to restore academic integrity and improve the academic performance of Virginia’s students. After traveling across the Commonwealth hearing first-hand the concerns of parents, Allen launched his signature education reform effort focused on implementing rigorous academic standards, ensuring accountability, increasing parental and community involvement, and ensuring safety in schools.

“For the past four years in Virginia, education reform efforts have been adrift, lacking a solid, academic vision. Instead, past efforts have focused on attitudinal outcomes and self-esteem,” stated Allen. “A solid and rigorous academic background will help our students as they enter the world of work far more than sensitivity training and self-esteem counseling…  We have a clear mandate for change, and education reform is a big part of it. The people of Virginia demand and deserve real reform. It’s now our responsibility to deliver it.”

Based on the Commission’s recommendations, Virginia adopted nationally recognized Standards of Learning (SOLs) to guide academic curriculum in the core subjects of English, math, science, and history combined with testing to ensure accountability and a School Performance Report Card that provides parents and students information on their school’s academic, attendance, and safety performances.

In fulfilling his major campaign promise to reform education, Allen helped give Virginia a top-rated public education system that today finds Virginia students ranking at or near the top on national tests while the percentage of schools achieving or exceeding test scores to qualify for full accreditation has risen dramatically from 2.7 percent in 1998 to 98 percent in 2010-2011.

 

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The George Allen Record – Government Reform – May 20, 1994

May 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In an Executive Memorandum issued May 20, 1994, George Allen directed all members of his Cabinet to identify and eliminate all non-essential uses of state-owned vehicles by executive agencies and employees. Allen’s action followed a preliminary report from the Secretary of Administration detailing the usage of state-owned vehicles over the previous year cost taxpayers nearly $9 million.

“This demonstrates the need for immediate action to assess the use of state-owned vehicles and to determine the need for additional restrictions,” stated Allen in the memorandum.  “Use of state-owned vehicles will be deemed essential only when it has been clearly demonstrated that such use will enhance efficiency in state government and result in greater economy for the taxpayers.”

Cracking down on use of state-owned vehicles was one of many ways George Allen made state government more efficient.  Aided by recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Strike Force he appointed his first day as Governor and additional reform initiatives, George Allen gave Virginians a smarter and leaner government with 10,000 fewer employees, saving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars while improving customer service satisfaction.

 

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The George Allen Record – Immigration – May 18, 2006

May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On May 18, 2006, George Allen supported an amendment that would ensure that illegal immigrants could not claim Social Security benefits for work done illegally in the United States.  The amendment failed in the Senate by a single vote.

“I have said throughout this debate that we should not reward illegal behavior and this includes allowing individuals who used fraudulent identification or Social Security information to then receive Social Security benefits,” Allen said in a statement. “I was supportive of [the amendment] and I will support other efforts in Congress to strengthen our security and ensure that only individuals with legal status receive Social Security benefits. If anyone who is here illegally desires the benefits of citizenship they should become citizens legally.”

George Allen went on to vote against the 2006 Immigration Reform Bill that would have extended amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.  Allen is strong believer that we are both a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws and both ideals can be achieved in a compassionate, appropriate and effective way.  The first priority is to secure the border — a country that cannot control its own borders cannot control its destiny; and second, the nation should never reward illegal behavior – rewarding illegal behavior through amnesty, citizenship or other benefits produces more illegal behavior.

 

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The George Allen Record – Breast Cancer Awareness – May 2, 2006

May 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On May 2, 2006, the National Breast Cancer Coalition recognized George Allen with a major award for outstanding leadership in the fight against breast cancer, particularly his long dedication to finding links between environmental factors and breast cancer. The coalition is a grass-roots advocacy group that brings together hundreds of organizations and tens of thousands of individuals, many of whom are breast cancer survivors.

For Allen, the fight against breast cancer is personal. “My mother is a two-time breast cancer survivor, so our family knows that early detection, research and better treatment approaches are important to so many families, who like my own, have confronted this prevalent disease,” stated Allen in accepting the award. “Both as Governor and now as Senator, breast cancer issues have been one of my top priorities.”

As Senator, Allen co-sponsored the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act, legislation designed to address development and operation of research centers focused on environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer. During his service as Governor of Virginia, both George and his wife Susan brought top-level attention and visibility to the fight against breast cancer. Mrs. Allen established the First Lady’s Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative, and has continued her tireless efforts with cancer-related issues, having served as Honorary Chair for the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure as well as the Pink Ribbon Classic and Relay for Life; she serves on the Ellen Shaw de Parades Advisory Board, chairing their annual fundraiser in 2010.

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The George Allen Record – Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act – April 26, 2001

Apr 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In an effort to keep the heavy hand of government from diminishing the bright promise of opportunity of the Internet, on April 26, 2001, George Allen introduced the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act, extending the ban on taxation of Internet access he first promoted as Governor.

“In my view, the Internet has the most profound liberating potential since Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, which allowed the mass distribution of ideas, thoughts and information,” said Allen.  “This legislation is a step forward to keeping the Internet free of unfair, discriminatory taxation policies that would impede its future growth as a source of commerce, education and information.”

As Senator, George Allen succeeded twice in extending the moratorium on Internet access taxes with Public Law 107-75 and 108-435. Allen’s bipartisan legislation garnered support from the Information Technology Association of America, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and Americans for Tax Reform for protecting the freedoms and economic opportunity that the Internet creates for the growing global economy. Allen’s determined efforts have helped keep the Internet a thriving hub for commerce with the moratorium he fought so hard to impose now in place through 2014.

 

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The George Allen Record – Government Reform – April 22, 1994

Apr 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On April 22, 1994, George Allen received preliminary reform recommendations from the Governor’s Commission on Government Reform otherwise known as the Blue Ribbon Strike Force.  In his first act as Governor, Allen created the strike force to root out wasteful spending and ensure that the state government would run more efficiently and effectively.  Allen responded immediately to the recommendations with actions to restrain regulations coming out of state agencies and cease unfunded mandates, as well as ordering a comprehensive review of regulations and mandates already on the books.  Allen also announced he would be enlisting the private sector to assist in identifying state government activities that could and should be privatized.

“By comprehensively reviewing existing regulations and establishing an improved process and standards for review of proposed regulations, we will attack head-on the problem of regulatory overload that is plaguing individuals and businesses throughout Virginia,” Allen said.   “After countless hours of committee work listening to Virginians from all walks of life, it is very clear that the need for an effort such as the Blue Ribbon Strike Force is critical… [to] bring a balance back to government that favors utilizing the forces of the free enterprise system over continued reliance on government intervention to solve problems.”

As a result of the Blue Ribbon Strike Force and additional government reform initiatives, George Allen gave Virginians a smarter and leaner government with 10,000 fewer employees, saving hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars while improving customer service satisfaction.  The regulatory review helped the Commonwealth shed decades of outdated, burdensome regulations that had been stifling innovation and smothering businesses.  Today, Governor Bob McDonnell has adopted George Allen’s model with his own Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring, whose recommendations have already produced legislation streamlining State Boards and Commissions, removing unfunded mandates on localities, and establishing an Inspector General to investigate waste in state government.

 

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The George Allen Record – Energy Independence – April 21, 2006

Apr 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Five years ago today, with gasoline prices at $3-a-gallon, George Allen issued a call for a full-scale effort to achieve American energy independence, an effort which begins with using America’s own resources. A member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Allen championed a comprehensive energy strategy designed to unleash American energy resources and American creativity, including bills that would allow individual States to determine for themselves if they want to explore for natural gas and oil in the deepest waters off the outer continental shelf and to allow the use of oil reserves on the barren north slope of Alaska.

“If Americans don’t want to see skyrocketing gas prices we must make the decision to explore for and use domestic oil,” Allen said.  “Some of us in the Senate have been working in the face of great criticism for our energy independence, to lower gasoline prices and provide adequate supplies through energy production, innovation, and diversity…  For our own energy security and to bring those prices down we must make the sustained commitment to create, produce and grow more of our own energy here in America for America’s jobs, America’s economy and American security.”

Today, $4-a-gallon gas is imposing a greater burden than ever on the families and businesses of Virginia, while America is no closer than it was five years ago to controlling our own energy destiny.  It is time for Washington to stop throwing up roadblocks to achievable energy solutions that encourage conservation and innovation and utilize all of our plentiful resources including clean coal technology, natural gas and oil.

 

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