Students have until September 13, 2013, to apply for a U.S. Service Academy Nomination! The U.S. Service Academies, including the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy, offer opportunities for motivated young men and women to serve their country while receiving an excellent education and developing valuable leadership skills.  Applicants to the academies are required to obtain a nomination for admission to these schools.  To learn more about the nomination process, students can click here or call my Cincinnati office at 513-474-7777.  If you know a high school student who may be interested in attending a U.S. Service Academy, please let them know about this opportunity!

Coffee with your Congressman Since taking office, I have held eight town hall meetings.  These meetings were a way to update you on what has happened since I took office seven months ago and to hear your feedback.  I am happy to announce that in the months ahead I will be holding "Coffees with your Congressman" throughout the district.  These public events will be a more relaxed way for you to learn more about what is happening in Washington, D.C., ask questions, or provide your opinions and feedback. For those of you in Highland and Scioto counties, learn more about having Coffee with your Congressman at www.Wenstrup.House.gov/calendar!    Future dates and times will be shared through local media, emails and social media.

                                           

                                                                             
Small Towns, Big Government

This summer, the House passed the Stop Government Abuse Act, H.R. 2879. This bill has a number of important provisions that prevent federal bureaucrats from abusing their positions and misusing your tax dollars, and specifically addresses abuses by the IRS and its targeting of Americans for political beliefs. Some of the specific provisions include:

• The Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which lays out ten specific protections for you when dealing with the IRS, including the right to privacy and confidentiality.
• The Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act, which prevents the IRS from implementing any portion of Obamacare. Right now, they have a role in 50 different aspects of the health care law.
• The Government Employee Accountability Act, which allows federal agencies to place employees on unpaid leave when they are under investigation for certain serious offenses.  

I am also a cosponsor of the recently passed REINS Act, H.R. 367, which stands for the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act. This bill is a check on unaccountable bureaucrats in the executive branch, who often issue regulations with no thought about how the new federal rules affect the economy, business owners, and families. It increases accountability for and transparency in the federal regulatory process by requiring Congress to approve all new major regulations.

Energy Update

Energy costs are often the biggest variable in our monthly budget. The House of Representatives is working towards smart solutions to domestically meet our energy needs in an environmentally responsible way. This summer, the House passed a number of bills to lower energy costs and secure North American energy independence.

Offshore Energy and Jobs Act (H.R. 2231)
Our nation has an abundance of natural energy sources, yet 85 percent of America’s

coast is closed to development under the Obama Administration. Opening up a greater area for offshore drilling under H.R. 2231 has the potential to create 250,000 short-term, and over a million long-term, domestic jobs.

Northern Route Approval Act (H.R. 3)
I co-sponsored and voted for the Northern Route Approval Act which, if the bill becomes law, clears the way to finally build the Keystone XL Pipeline after more than 1,700 days of delay from the Obama Administration. It’s a common sense step that will create over 13,000 jobs and bring in over 800,000 barrels of oil a day. Now it is up to the Senate and President Obama to allow construction to begin.