by Rose Morgan

John Boehner’s Open Door session was at the Middletown City Building Conf. Rm. 2B at 1:30 p.m. yesterday. Rep. John Boehner is reaching out to any interested party in our community has a staff member to meet and record their concerns and opinions.

Photo: Erin Clemons

Ms. Erin Clemons, Field Representative for Speaker of the House, Boehner, met with interested citizens in the Middletown City Building Conference room. She reported on what has been recently accomplished in the House which is currently being led by Rep. Boehner.

--Three energy bills have been passed by the House to open up drilling for oil in the Gulf, or Alaska, or the Dakotas. The fly in the ointment comes when the bill goes to the Senate and is stonewalled there.
--The fiscal crisis of exceeding the debt limit - which may result in a shutdown of government offices on August 2 of this year – is a next huge battle our congress is facing. Many factions are demanding a reduction of the debt and curtailment of spending. (Current spending must nessarily mean greater future revenues needed by the government – that future money for spending programs comes from the taxpayers in whatever form.) Failure to meet the debts and mandatory expenses by not raising the debt ceiling would mean the President could mandate who would get paid in the discretionary (this includes the military!!) spending column.

Local citizen concerns…
The congressional raise generated by the last Congress is very unpopular.

Please stop the billions in foreign aid to countries who are unfriendly to our government.

Rep. Paul Ryan is an articulate proponent of reducing the debt.

Some politicians are disguising their political affiliation by claiming to be Tea Party members. The citizens are asked to do a bit of fact finding internet research on politicians.

Would the government shutdown force Senate compliance to pass some of the bills the House has already passed?