EC From DC - August 3, 2012

Please join me this Wednesday, August 8th, at 10:00 AM for a Tele-Townhall on critical issues facing seniors. I will be there and available to you to answer any questions you may have on Social Security, Medicare, identity theft, health care, jobs, the economy or anything else. We are in this together and I want to hear from you! It's a wonderful opportunity that will afford us the chance to talk one-on-one about issues you are concerned about, have questions about, or need help with.

To find out more about how to register to participate in this free event, please visit: /about/events

This week the House of Representatives voted to adjourn and go home for the August District Work Period. I want you to know that I voted against it. Of course, I always love coming home, but it is not a time for that right now, because there is too much important work to be done. We need to pass a Farm Bill, work on tax relief for hard-working, middle class families and continue our fight to create more jobs.

Farm programs expire in just weeks. While lawmakers are putting a band-aid on the problem, I believe we need to pass a long-term, five-year farm bill that will work to strengthen farm, ranch and producing families. To continue to stall risks losing investments in our local, farming communities and continues to weaken rural America, and undermine job growth. We are in the middle of one of the worst droughts in 70 years in this country, and Missouri's Fifth District has been hit hard. There is no relief in sight on this anytime soon. While I have been pleased with our efforts to move disaster designations forward and get emergency assistance for Fifth District families, it is not enough. Continuing to fight with each other in Washington, while people in Missouri's Fifth District suffer, is unconscionable.

Missouri families need tax relief now. There should be no new tax hikes on middle class families. Military families should not live in fear of paying more taxes, while the very wealthy look at the possibility of paying less. Small businesses need to know we are fighting for them, not against. Congress must work together, in a bipartisan spirit, to make sure there is an end to economic unfairness and a fair playing field for all.

The issues that need attention are many. That is why I voted to stay in Washington and work during the upcoming recess. But I can assure you, I will continue to work on all of these issues, whether Congress is in session or not. We must keep our focus on job creation, economic growth and moving forward as a country at a time when so many families in my District are working hard, yet facing so much uncertainty. I want to do the job I was elected to do, for you, in a fair, balanced and bipartisan way.

We continue to see progress in our economy, but sadly, not enough. The Department of Labor announced this week that the economy has grown by 163,000 jobs and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 8.3 percent. Private businesses have added 172,000 jobs, marking the 29th consecutive month of private sector job growth. We must do more. We must work together in Washington, instead of fighting and stonewalling, to keep our country moving forward. There are too many families in Missouri's Fifth District still out of work. The last thing we need right now is higher taxes on working families and small businesses. I will continue to fight against this.

Over the past two years almost 4.5 million new private sector jobs have been created. Three years ago this month, our economy lost 296,000 private sector jobs. We are slowly moving forward, but must stay vigilant and focused on this critical issue. To view the Department of Labor's Jobs report: July 2012 Jobs Report.

We called it Boot Camp. It was a unique look behind the scenes to show how Congress really works. But it was also a learning opportunity for myself and my colleague Representative Kevin Yoder. We got the chance to join dozens of young adults from throughout the Kansas City Metropolitan area to answer questions about politics, internal workings of Congress, and how things really get done. Or, sadly in some cases, how things don't get done. Almost 100 participants attended the Boot Camp, called "We The People: A Look Inside Congress." We talked about everything from the budget and taxes to internships and careers in public service. It truly warms my heart to see so many young people interested in making a difference in their communities and in the world. I look forward to holding another Boot Camp very soon.

As you may know, I don't have a vehicle for my private use—instead, I lease a vehicle for constituent service and assistance. Unlike most other Members, I have a mobile office that brings our office and all its capabilities to you, in your neighborhood, at schools, businesses, nursing homes, libraries, fairs, and more. Because the expense of a mobile office is considerably less than the rent for another district office, it saves taxpayers money.

Would you like to see the Mobile Office come to your neighborhood? Please feel free to call the office at (816) 842-4545 to request a visit or go to: /contact/email-me.

The grizzly is, without a doubt, the most powerful animal in North America. With one full swing of its lethal 12 inch claw, it can maim just about any animal in the wilderness. Even wolf packs are nervous about challenging a single grizzly. There is, however, one animal this predator will not attack and is, in many ways, deferential to this animal.

The animal of which I speak is the 15 pound skunk. The grizzly, which can weigh as much as 1800 pounds and, on its hind legs, can stand as tall as 12 feet, will avoid any conflict with the pint-sized skunk.

Why fight with a skunk and risk creating a stink? No matter how powerful you or your argument, you should approach the opposition with caution that you don't walk away with the same level of despicableness. You may have heard in the past, "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." But I say unto you, a skunky strike for a skunky strike will only make the whole Congress smell.

Emanuel Cleaver, II Member of Congress