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Randy
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June 14, 2013
On May 29, 2013 Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Shuanghui International Holdings Limited announced that they have entered into a merger agreement. Smithfield Foods is a $13 billion company and the world’s largest pork processor and pig producer, while Shuanghui International and its subsidiaries are the majority shareholders of China’s largest meat processing enterprise.
This $4.7 billion transaction, if approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, will be the largest to date of a U.S. corporation by a Chinese Enterprise. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is an interagency organization that oversees the national security implications of foreign investment in the U.S. economy. Under current law, CFIUS has 30 days to conduct a review, 45 days to conduct an investigation, and then the President has 15 days to make his ultimate determination of whether a deal threatens to impair the national security. The President is the only officer with the authority to suspend or prohibit mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers. As the largest takeover of a U.S. company by a Chinese buyer, I formally requested a briefing from CFIUS regarding the potential impacts of this merger on national security, the economic market, and international trade, as well as the review and investigative process CFIUS would undertake in such a case. Question of the week: Do you believe that this purchase necessitates CFIUS review and investigation to ensure the safety and security of America’s citizens, as well as the preservation of national economic interests, food safety, and environmental standards? ( ) Yes. ( ) No. ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other (leave your comments below). Take the instaPoll here. Find the results of last week’s instaPoll here
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Randy
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June 14, 2013
Yesterday, I led the charge in defeating an amendment, which would have potentially diminished the capacity of our carrier fleet, as reported by Politico:
Forbes staves off carrier challenge: The House overwhelmingly rejected an amendment that would have reduced the required number of operational aircraft carriers in the Navy from 11 to 10…And Rep. Randy Forbes, chairman of the HASC’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, led the successful charge to defeat the amendment. –Politico 6/13/13 As Chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, I see it as my personal duty to defend our Navy from the powers that wish to see it reduced to a second class sea power. Our carrier fleet is a symbol for freedom the world over, providing not only a military deterrent to the enemies of liberty, but also offering humanitarian services in the face of disaster. Whether it’s an attempt at a single carrier, or an effort to dismantle the entire fleet, I am honored to stand with my colleagues who wish to preserve the greatest Navy in the history of the world. Watch my floor speech to defeat the amendment here:
PS - See these articles on yesterday’s successful defeat of an amendment to reduce our career fleet:
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Randy
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June 07, 2013
Last month, the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Justice released a report on the Department's mismanagement of the Witness Security Program. It found that that the number of known or suspected terrorists admitted to the program is unknown, that DOJ has lost track of two suspected terrorists in the program, and that critical national security information is not being shared with other agencies.
The report contained sixteen recommendations “to assist the Department in its efforts to include national security considerations when identifying, admitting, monitoring and terminating Witness Protection Program participants who are known or suspected terrorists.” On Tuesday, the Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing on the Department of Justice’s handling of known or suspected terrorists admitted into the Witness Security Program, which is designed to protect witnesses and their dependents that are in danger as a result of their agreement to testify for the government in a variety of cases. Question of the week: Do you believe that a systematic lack of information sharing directly affects our national security? ( ) Yes. ( ) No. ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other (leave your thoughts below). Take the instaPoll here. Find the results of last week’s instaPoll here.
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Randy
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June 07, 2013
Last week, I appeared on Fox News to discuss the allegation that Attorney General Eric Holder lied under oath. On May 15th, during a House Judiciary Committee hearing, Mr. Holder said under oath, “With regard to the potential prosecution of the press for the disclosure of material, that is not something that I've ever been involved in, heard of, or would think would be a wise policy.” Soon after, it was revealed that three years prior, Mr. Holder had been in discussions regarding a search warrant for Fox News correspondent James Rosen’s emails and phone records. Since then, I believed, as I do now, that Eric Holder has not been forthright with his testimony. Now, when asked to explain his divergence from the truth, the Attorney General has ignored the requests of Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte and directed a subordinate to speak on his behalf. This is not acceptable – not for a government official and certainly not for the office Mr. Holder occupies.
As the top law enforcement officer of the United States, Mr. Holder owes it to the people he serves to answer the questions posed by their voice in government. Yesterday, I joined all Republican members of the Judiciary Committee in signing a letter to Mr. Holder requesting that he appear in-person before the Committee and directly offer an explanation for the discrepancies in his earlier testimony. I look forward to Mr. Holder’s personal response.
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Randy
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June 05, 2013
I wanted to share an article with you that I wrote for The Hill on the need to revitalize American Seapower, as well as additional articles on sexual assault in the military and AirSea Battle. I wrote on and discussed these topics in anticipation of today’s House Armed Services Committee mark up of the National Defense Authorization Act, as I expect that all of these issues will be at the forefront of today’s debate.
What other policies and programs do you feel should be prioritized in the annual defense bill, as we prepare for consideration in the House next week?
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Randy
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May 31, 2013
I wanted to share with you a recent article from The Heritage Foundation’s blog, showing that since February, the federal debt has increased by $300 billion, bringing the total to $16.7 trillion. The article notes this trend in Washington:
We cannot sustain this path. Congress must make it a priority to reign in federal spending and restore America to fiscal prosperity. Read more about what I’m doing to reduce spending here.
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Randy
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May 31, 2013
Last week, leading up to Memorial Day, the House passed three measures supporting our nation’s veterans:
I also sent a letter to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Shinseki, expressing my continued concern regarding the disability claims backlog. I met with the Secretary last year, and will continue working to ensure that these claims are processed, and veterans are afforded the benefits they deserve.
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Randy
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May 31, 2013
This week, news reports surfaced indicating that designs of some of our military’s most advanced weapons systems were compromised by a sustained strategy of Chinese cyber espionage. More than two dozen major weapons systems, critical to U.S. regional missile defense for Asia, Europe and the Persian Gulf, as well as combat aircraft and ships, were the targets of these attacks.
In January, the Defense Science Board warned that U.S. “security practices have not kept up with the cyber adversary tactics and capabilities.” While China has worked diligently to build a sophisticated military over the past decade, these breaches will only serve to accelerate the development of their growing capabilities. These cyber intrusions follow reports of an attack last week that hackers from Iran infiltrated software that controls U.S. oil and gas pipelines. As one report noted, “The developments show that while Chinese hackers pose widespread intellectual-property-theft and espionage concerns, the Iranian assaults have emerged as far more worrisome because of their apparent hostile intent and potential for damage or sabotage.” Question of the week: What should the response by the U.S. government be to these cyber attacks? ( ) Invest more in technology to counter these attacks ( ) Encourage more information sharing within industry and the government ( ) Increase penalties for hackers that steal intellectual property from U.S. companies ( ) Create a security clearance system for employees of private sector companies for cyber security threat sharing ( ) Increase penalties against those who cause or attempt to cause damage to a computer that powers critical infrastructure, such as energy and water and food supply systems ( ) Enact a federal data breach law ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other (leave your comments below). Take the instaPoll here. Find the results of last week’s instaPoll here.
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Randy
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May 30, 2013
I wanted to share an article with you that I recently wrote for Politico, discussing a $4 billion shortfall between what the Navy has actually spent in recent years on shipbuilding and what it will need to spend just to meet its minimal goals in the future.
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Randy
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May 23, 2013
On May 13, 2013, Gary Pruitt, President and CEO of the Associated Press, sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, upon learning that the Department of Justice had obtained telephone records for over twenty phone lines of AP journalists – spanning a two-month timeframe – related to leaks of national security information.
The Code of Federal Regulations requires that “all reasonable alternative investigative steps should be taken before considering issuing a subpoena for telephone toll records of any member of the news media.” Additionally, the Code requires that the Justice Department negotiate in advance of a subpoena with members of the media, unless that negotiation would undermine the integrity of the investigation. On May 14th, Deputy Attorney General James Cole replied to Mr. Pruitt’s letter saying, “the subpoenas were limited in both time and scope,” and the records were “closely held and reviewed solely for the purposes of this ongoing criminal investigation.” As Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, “The burden is always on the government when they go after private information – especially information regarding the press or its confidential sources.” Question of the week: Do you believe the scope of the subpoenas strikes the proper balance between the freedom of the press and the need to protect the American people? ( ) Yes. ( ) No. ( ) I don’t know. ( ) Other (leave your comments below). Take the instaPoll here. Find the results of last week’s instaPoll here. |
SEARCH BLOGRECENT POSTS06/14/2013 - Question of the week: Do you believe the purchase of Smithfield Foods, Inc. necessitates CFIUS review and investigation to ensure the safety and security of America’s citizens?06/14/2013 - Dismantling Our Greatest Asset 06/07/2013 - Question of the week: Do you believe that a systematic lack of information sharing directly affects our national security? 06/07/2013 - House Judiciary to Holder: Explain Discrepancies Before Committee 06/05/2013 - Issues at the forefront of debate on defense policy bill 05/31/2013 - Since February, Government Racked up $300 Billion of New Debt ARCHIVESBy YearBy Issue
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