Budget and Government Spending

Worked for innovative solutions to pay down the debt.  Congressman Forbes continues to explore innovative ways to pay down America's skyrocketing debt and has cosponsored H.R.1358, the Returned Exclusively for Unpaid National Debt (REFUND) Act.  This legislation would allow states to return unwanted federal dollars to be used toward paying down the national debt.  Current law allows these funds to be returned and then given to other states, but not to the federal government for the explicit purpose of paying down the debt.
Note: Although Congressman Forbes has signed up as a cosponsor of this bill, it can take the House Clerk's office up to a week to process and update the request online.

Armed Services

Encouraged new Secretary of Defense to audit DoD.  Congressman Forbes joined a bipartisan group of six members of the House in sending a letter to newly appointed Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.  The letter asks that Secretary Panetta adhere to the timeline for auditing the Department of Defense as required by law and that he make it a priority to meet this goal.

Supported making Fort Monroe a unit of the National Park Service.  Congressman Forbes co-sponsored the Fort Monroe National Park Establishment Act, H.R.2456, that would authorize the creation of Fort Monroe as a unit of the National Park Service.  Fort Monroe is scheduled for closing by the Army in September of 2011 but maintaining portions of the Fort as a national park will ensure the historic significance is not lost for future generations.

Education

Opposed a 'one-size' fits all approach in Higher Education and promoted distance learning.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R.2117, a bill that repeals two onerous U.S. Department of Education regulations that shrink the scope of educational opportunities and deter distance learning.  Specifically, this legislation would repeal current regulation creating a federal definition of the credit hour and would prohibit the Department of Education from imposing it in the future.  Many institutions offer a broad range of academic programs which serve different student populations.  A mid-career professional who is enrolled in a distance learning program may spend more time reading outside the classroom than an on-campus student who attends class discussions each week. A standard definition of a credit hour could discriminate against some of these non-traditional educational programs. In addition, H.R.2117 would halt the implementation of the state authorization regulation that requires an institution offering distance education to be approved in every state where a student is enrolled before the institution offers the coursework.  Forcing this approval could hurt students from less populous, rural states where online education programs can provide a wealth of course options that aren’t otherwise available.

Foreign Affairs

Stood in steadfast support of Israel.  Congressman Forbes voted to support H.Res.268, a resolution reaffirming the United States’ commitment to a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.  This resolution asserts that peace can only be achieved in the region when the Palestinians accept the right of Israel to exist and requires that Hamas, a known terrorist organization and member of the Palestinian unity government, must accept previous agreements to renounce violence and recognize the state of Israel.
This resolution passed by a vote of 407-6.

Signed a letter to the Chinese Ambassador urging the release of human rights activists.  Congressman Forbes, along with Congressmen Wolf, Pitts, and Wu, sent a letter to Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui urging China to release prominent human rights attorney and supporter of religious freedom, Fan Yafeng, who has been detained as part of China’s recent wide-reaching crackdown on political and cultural dissent.  Mr. Fan’s family has been harassed, intimidated, and subjected to house arrest.  The letter expressed the hope that China will release Mr. Fan and others who have only tried to improve and enrich the lives of the Chinese people.  The letter also urged the ruling Communist Party to hold accountable the police and government officials responsible for the torture and mistreatment of human rights activists.

Environment

Enhanced conservation easement efforts.  Congressman Forbes cosponsored H.R.1964, which would permanently allow tax deductions for charitable contributions by individuals and corporations of real property interests for conservation purposes.  Conservation easements are a vital tool in the fight to preserve open space and farmland.  They allow private landowners to permanently retire development rights to protect significant natural resources.  Conservation easements are also critical resources to help protect clean water supplies, fight air pollution, and conserve wildlife habits.

Family Values

Urged religious freedom protections for service members. Congressman Forbes led 30 other Members of Congress in sending a letter to President Obama, urging that specific religious freedom and conscience protections be adopted during implementation of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. The repeal of the policy implies official military support for the normalization of homosexual behavior, raising concerns that service members whose consciences or religious beliefs would conflict with that objective will face discrimination and disapproval.  The letter asks President Obama to ensure that religious freedom and conscience protections be implemented to formally assure all Americans that our citizens need not leave their faith at home when they volunteer to serve.

Strengthened the safety of young girls and their parents’ right to be involved in their daughters’ life-altering decisions. Congressman Forbes cosponsored the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, H.R.2299, which would make it a federal offense to transport a minor across state lines for an abortion in order to avoid parental involvement laws in the minor’s home state, and would require that a minor’s parents be notified before an abortion is conducted on the minor in another state. Although parental consent is required before minors pierce their ears or even take medication at school, some states allow minors to have abortions without parental notification. This bill would ensure that existing state laws are enforced, to allow parents the opportunity to contribute to the safety of their daughters.

Recognized the valuable role that responsible fatherhood plays in children’s lives. Congressman Forbes cosponsored the Father’s Day Resolution, H.Res.315, which recognizes the immeasurable contribution that fathers make to the healthy development of their children, and calls on fathers to rededicate themselves to being more involved in their children’s lives by devoting their time, energy, and resources. The resolution also calls on fathers to understand the significant level of responsibility that fatherhood requires, and commends the millions of fathers who serve as caring parents for their children.