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Lou Barletta
RWon the General, 2016 Pennsylvania U.S. House District 11
Won the General, 2012 Pennsylvania U.S. House District 11
Former Mayor, City of Hazleton
To be claimed
Member, Bipartisan Small Business Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Adoption Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Boating Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, present
Member, Congressional Caucus on Public Private Partnerships, present
Member, Congressional Multiple Sclerosis Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Nursing Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Rare Diseases Caucus, present
Member, Lyme Disease Caucus, present
Member, Northeast/Midwest Congressional Coalition, present
Member, United Service Organization Congressional Caucus, present
Member, Wire and Wire Products Caucus, present
Member, Bipartisan Cystic Fibrosis Caucus
Member, Bipartisan Hurricane Irene Coalition
Member, Career and Technical Education Caucus
Member, Childhood Cancer Caucus
Member, Class Immigration Reform Caucus
Member, Coal Caucus
Member, Community College Caucus
Member, Congressional Caucus for National Heritage Areas
Member, Congressional Diabetes Caucus
Member, Congressional Fire Services Caucus
Member, Congressional Former Mayors Caucus
Member, Congressional Italian American Caucus
Member, Congressional Taiwan Caucus
Member, Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus
Member, Congressional Vision Caucus
Member, Congressional Wine Caucus
Member, Dairy Farmers Caucus
Former Member, Education and the Workforce Committee, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Homeland Security Committee, United States House of Representatives
Member, House Cancer Caucus
Member, House General Aviation Caucus
Member, House Military Depot and Industrial Facilities Caucus
Member, House Recycling Caucus
Member, House Small Brewers Caucus
Member, Immigration Reform Caucus
Member, Immigration Reform Caucus, 112th Congress
Member, Marcellus Shale Caucus
Member, Natural Gas Caucus
Member, Reclaim American Jobs Caucus
Member, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus
Member, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Caucus
Former Member, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, United States House of Representatives
Former Chair, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, United States House of Representatives
Representative, United States, United Nation Advisory Committee of Local Authorities
Member, Chair's Advisory Committee on Catholic Outreach, Republican National Committee, 2006
Member, Advisory Committee of Local Authorities, United Nations, 2004
Member, Bipartisan Small Business Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Adoption Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Boating Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, present
Member, Congressional Caucus on Public Private Partnerships, present
Member, Congressional Multiple Sclerosis Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Nursing Caucus, present
Member, Congressional Rare Diseases Caucus, present
Member, Lyme Disease Caucus, present
Member, Northeast/Midwest Congressional Coalition, present
Member, United Service Organization Congressional Caucus, present
Member, Wire and Wire Products Caucus, present
Member, Bipartisan Cystic Fibrosis Caucus
Member, Bipartisan Hurricane Irene Coalition
Member, Career and Technical Education Caucus
Member, Childhood Cancer Caucus
Member, Class Immigration Reform Caucus
Member, Coal Caucus
Member, Community College Caucus
Member, Congressional Caucus for National Heritage Areas
Member, Congressional Diabetes Caucus
Member, Congressional Fire Services Caucus
Member, Congressional Former Mayors Caucus
Member, Congressional Italian American Caucus
Member, Congressional Taiwan Caucus
Member, Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus
Member, Congressional Vision Caucus
Member, Congressional Wine Caucus
Member, Dairy Farmers Caucus
Former Member, Education and the Workforce Committee, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Homeland Security Committee, United States House of Representatives
Member, House Cancer Caucus
Member, House General Aviation Caucus
Member, House Military Depot and Industrial Facilities Caucus
Member, House Recycling Caucus
Member, House Small Brewers Caucus
Member, Immigration Reform Caucus
Member, Immigration Reform Caucus, 112th Congress
Member, Marcellus Shale Caucus
Member, Natural Gas Caucus
Member, Reclaim American Jobs Caucus
Member, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus
Member, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Caucus
Former Member, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, United States House of Representatives
Former Chair, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, United States House of Representatives
Former Member, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, United States House of Representatives
Representative, United States, United Nation Advisory Committee of Local Authorities
Member, Chair's Advisory Committee on Catholic Outreach, Republican National Committee, 2006
Member, Advisory Committee of Local Authorities, United Nations, 2004
Favorite Movie:
"The American President" and "It's a Wonderful Life."
Favorite TV Shows:
ESPN's "SportsCenter," The Discovery Channel, and various news programs.
Names of Grandchildren:
Gabriel Louis, Madeleine Grace, Julia Mae, Christopher Joseph, Reagan Marie, Jordan Louis, Anabelle Marie, Ryan Louis
1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life
1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No
2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- No
Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Unknown Position
1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No
2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes
Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- Unknown Position
1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes
2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No
Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No
Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes
1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- Yes
2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- Yes
Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Unknown Position
1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- Unknown Position
2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- Unknown Position
1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer
2. Abortions should always be legally available.
- No Answer
3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer
4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer
5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- X
6. Eliminate public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- X
7. Other or expanded principles
- X
1. Agricultural
- Maintain Funding Status
2. Arts
- Slightly Decrease Funding
3. Defense
- Greatly Increase Funding
4. Education
- Maintain Funding Status
5. Environmental
- Maintain Funding Status
6. International Aid
- Slightly Decrease Funding
7. Law Enforcement
- Slightly Increase Funding
8. Medical Research
- Maintain Funding Status
9. National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA)
- Maintain Funding Status
10. National Parks
- Maintain Funding Status
11. Public Health Services
- Maintain Funding Status
12. Scientific Research
- Maintain Funding Status
13. Terrorism Prevention
- Slightly Increase Funding
14. Transportation and Highway Infrastructure
- Slightly Increase Funding
15. Welfare
- Maintain Funding Status
16. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Armed Forces personnel training
- Slightly Increase Funding
2. Covert intelligence operations
- Slightly Increase Funding
3. Military hardware
- Slightly Increase Funding
4. Pay for active duty personnel
- Slightly Increase Funding
5. National Missile Defense Program
- Slightly Increase Funding
6. Programs to improve military retention rates
- Maintain Funding Status
7. Research and development of new weapons
- Maintain Funding Status
8. Troop and equipment readiness
- Slightly Increase Funding
9. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
1. Less than $25,000
- Maintain Status
2. $25,000 - $75,000
- Slightly Decrease
3. $75,000 - $150,000
- Slightly Decrease
4. Over $150,000
- Maintain Status
5. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer
6. Over $40, 000
- Slightly Decrease
7. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status
8. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Decrease
9. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status
10. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease
11. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status
12. Inheritance taxes
- Eliminate
13. Charitable deductions
- Slightly Increase
14. Medical expense deductions
- Maintain Status
15. Mortgage deductions
- Maintain Status
16. Child tax credit
- Slightly Increase
17. Earned income tax credit
- Maintain Status
18. Student loan tax credit
- Slightly Decrease
1. Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately?
- Yes
2. Would you use Social Security surpluses to balance the budget?
- No
3. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Support public taxpayer funding for congressional candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
- No Answer
2. Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
- X
3. Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
- No Answer
4. Provide free or low-cost television advertising to candidates who agree to voluntary campaign spending limits.
- X
5. Ban unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
- No Answer
6. Prohibit non-U.S. citizens from making soft money contributions to national parties or party committees.
- X
7. Require full disclosure of funding sources of issue advocacy commercials which appear within 60 days of an election.
- X
8. Remove all contribution limits to federal candidates and parties.
- No Answer
9. Require congressional candidates to raise over half of their campaign money from their home state.
- X
10. Require that unions give members the option of not having membership dues used for political purposes.
- X
11. Support the federal government mandate that creates national voting system standards.
- Yes
12. Do you support amending the Constitution to limit the number of terms that members of Congress can serve?
- No
13. Do you support voting on-line?
- Yes
14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
- No Answer
2. Increase spending to build more federal prisons.
- X
3. Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole.
- X
4. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- No Answer
5. Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
- X
6. Increase funding for community policing programs.
- X
7. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- No Answer
8. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
- No Answer
9. Enforcement of civil rights should primarily be the responsibility of the federal government.
- X
10. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- X
11. Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
- X
12. Other or expanded principles
- X
1. Increase penalties for selling illegal drugs.
- X
2. Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
- X
3. Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
- X
4. Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer
5. Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S.
- X
6. Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs."
- No Answer
7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- X
2. Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any publicly-funded school.
- X
3. Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious.
- X
4. Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- X
5. Increase funding for block grants to states to help them hire additional teachers.
- No Answer
6. Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- X
7. Increase funding for computers and computer training in public schools.
- X
8. Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- No Answer
9. Eliminate restrictions on federal education funding, giving educators or local school districts more flexibility to design and implement their programs.
- X
10. Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
- X
11. Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
- X
12. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X
2. Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X
3. Establish empowerment zones in areas with large numbers of unemployed people.
- X
4. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- X
5. Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
- X
6. Eliminate any federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
- No Answer
7. Increase the federal minimum wage.
- No Answer
8. Considering race and gender in government contracting decisions is appropriate for the federal government.
- No Answer
9. Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
- No Answer
10. Continue federal affirmative action programs.
- X
11. Discontinue federal affirmative action programs.
- No Answer
12. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
- X
2. Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
- X
3. Support opening a select portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
- X
4. Support the U.S. re-entering the current Kyoto treaty process to limit global warming.
- No Answer
5. Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately owned land.
- X
6. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- X
7. Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline or diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
- No Answer
8. Provide tax credits for state and local bonds to preserve open spaces, build parks, improve water quality and redevelop brownfields.
- X
9. Support the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act prohibiting commercial logging in our national forests.
- No Answer
10. Provide states and local communities with more flexibility to address their respective environmental problems.
- X
11. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- No Answer
2. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
3. Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
4. Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer
5. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- X
6. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- No Answer
7. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- No Answer
8. Require a license for gun possession.
- No Answer
9. Raise the minimum age for ownership of handguns from 18 to 21.
- No Answer
10. Other or expanded principles
- X
1. Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government.
- No Answer
2. Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
- No Answer
3. Support a Patient's Bill of Rights to define and enforce the rights of insured patients, including greater access to specialists and emergency rooms, wider choice of health care providers, and appeal mechanisms when claims are denied.
- X
4. Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied.
- X
5. Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X
6. Support legislation to provide prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
- X
7. Increase research funding of the human genome to find cures for diseases such as cancer, AIDS/HIV, Alzheimer's, and heart disease.
- No Answer
8. Increase federal funding for training health workers to recognize and respond to the release of biological agents.
- X
9. Prohibit the procedure of cloning human embryos.
- X
10. Other or expanded principles
- X
1. Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
- No Answer
2. Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social services.
- No Answer
3. Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services (medical care, education) to illegal immigrants or their children.
- No Answer
4. Increase the immigration quota for computer scientists and other information technology workers.
- No Answer
5. Establish English as the official U.S. language.
- X
6. Collect fingerprint data from all U.S. visa applicants which would be accessible to all federal immigration-related agencies.
- X
7. Allow legalization for certain illegal immigrants working in the U.S.
- No Answer
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
- X
2. Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the U. S.
- X
3. Aid should be granted to countries that are close allies of the U. S. and in need of financial/military assistance.
- X
4. Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
- X
5. Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated except for extraordinary circumstances.
- No Answer
6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. The U.S. should take military action against Iraq only as part of an international effort.
- No Answer
2. The U.S. should end the economic embargo against Iraq.
- No Answer
3. The U.S. should not continue to play a prominent leadership role in the peace process between Israel and the Palestine Authority.
- No Answer
4. The U.S. should support the formation of a Palestinian state.
- No Answer
5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
6. The U.S. should participate in United Nations peacekeeping missions only when vital U.S. interests are involved.
- No Answer
7. The U.S. should not commit military troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
- No Answer
8. The U.S. should withdraw completely from the United Nations.
- No Answer
9. Should the U.S. have full diplomatic relations with Cuba?
- No
10. Should the U.S. recognize and extend full diplomatic relations to Taiwan?
- Yes
11. Should the U.S. increase its financial support to Colombia for the "war on drugs?"
- Yes
12. Do you support the cooperative threat reduction programs with Russia to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons? ___ Yes ___ No ___ Undecided
- Yes
13. Do you support the recent withdrawal of the U.S. from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) treaty in order to deploy a national missile defense system?
- Yes
14. Should the U.S. hold nations accountable for terrorists who operate from their country?
- Yes
1. Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- No
2. Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
- No
3. Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
- Yes
4. Do you support China becoming a member of the World Trade Organization?
- No
5. Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) trading status with the United States? ___ Yes ___ No ___ Undecided
- Yes
6. Should the President have "fast-track" authority to negotiate trade agreements?
- Yes
7. Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
- Yes
8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Do you support the President using military tribunals to try terrorist suspects when the President deems ordinary civil courts to be inappropriate or impractical?
- Yes
2. Should the U.S. adopt higher qualification rules for student visa applications from nations known to sponsor terrorism?
- Yes
3. Should law enforcement agencies be granted greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
- Undecided
4. Should federal law enforcement agencies share intelligence data with local law enforcement agencies?
- Yes
5. Should the federal government provide states with funding for homeland security?
- Yes
6. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer
1. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
- No Answer
2. Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
- No Answer
3. The federal government should invest a portion of Social Security's assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of U.S. Treasury securities.
- No Answer
4. Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
- No Answer
5. Lower Social Security's annual cost-of-living increases.
- No Answer
6. Support a "lock box" measure, limiting Congress's ability to spend Social Security and Medicare surpluses on any other federal programs except Social Security and Medicare, until each program's long-term solvency is guaranteed.
- X
7. Other or expanded principles
- X
1. Continue the moratorium on Internet sales taxes.
- X
2. Implement regulation of Internet content by the federal government.
- No Answer
3. Regulation of the Internet should not be controlled by the federal government.
- X
4. Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
- No Answer
5. Other or expanded principles
- X
1. Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
- X
2. Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers they can use to defray the cost of an apartment.
- X
3. Continue to give states and local governments responsibility for welfare programs through TANF block grants.
- X
4. Maintain current welfare-to-work requirements in order for states to qualify for block grants.
- X
5. Restore food stamp programs to legal immigrants.
- No Answer
6. Transfer homeless housing programs to states through block grants.
- X
7. Provide continued Medicaid benefits for those welfare recipients who have moved from welfare to work.
- No Answer
8. Require states to return any unused welfare block grant funding to the federal government.
- X
9. Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations.
- X
10. Provide states with additional funding for Medicaid programs to alleviate increasing state budget deficits.
- No Answer
11. Other or expanded principles
- X
Latest Action: 01/14/2019 Became Public Law No: 115-438.
Tracker:Latest Action: 01/14/2019 Became Public Law No: 115-437.
Tracker:Latest Action: House - 10/24/2018 Referred to the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.
Tracker:By Rep. Lou Barletta and R. David Paulison Last fall, the United States was devastated by an unprecedented string of natural disasters: hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. These storms now account for three of our country's five most expensive hurricanes on record, causing a combined $265 billion in damages. Even worse, the storms tragically took the lives of countless Americans. With painful memories of these disasters still fresh, the Atlantic hurricane season is once again at its peak in 2018. Hurricane Florence made landfall in the Mid-Atlantic as a record-breaking storm, causing destruction like we have never seen in the region. While the communities affected by Florence will undoubtedly demonstrate American resolve and bounce back, they are serving as unfortunate reminders of the need to overhaul and improve our nation's disaster readiness. As we help those impacted by Florence continue to recover, it is more important than ever that we work to ensure that they are fully prepared for when the next disaster strikes. Over the course of our careers in and around emergency management, we have seen the direct impact pre-disaster mitigation can have on protecting local infrastructure, preserving property, and saving lives. Whether dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Katrina in 2005, or the increasingly costly storms from more recent years, the primary lesson from these events is that there is no substitute for pre-disaster mitigation and resilient infrastructure. It could not be clearer: America needs a better system that saves lives and taxpayer dollars by building smarter and stronger before disaster strikes. These life-saving efforts can also provide massive savings to taxpayers. Expert research has consistently supported this assertion, with one recent study finding that every $1 invested up front in mitigation efforts can save as much as $8 on future costs. With the cost of these storms in the hundreds of billions, the savings pre-disaster mitigation can provide are invaluable. But despite the devastation caused by previous storms and the ongoing havoc of Florence, the United States continues to drag its feet when it comes to disaster preparedness. Many states still do not incentivize the use of certain safety standards, and the federal government wastes billions on reactive post-disaster spending instead of focusing on proactive investment in disaster preparedness. Fortunately, there is already a solution on the table that would provide both much-needed relief for Americans and an investment in a stronger future. The Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA), which has passed the House twice and is currently under consideration in the Senate, would go a long way toward accomplishing the goals of investing in pre-disaster mitigation and creating a more resilient America. Importantly, this bill would increase the amount of money available for pre-disaster mitigation following major disasters. By arming communities with the necessary resources to strengthen their infrastructure against hurricanes and other disasters, those affected across the country will be better equipped for the next inevitable disaster. With the DRRA, Congress has an opportunity to enact real disaster reform. Encouragingly, there have been recent signs that our national approach to disaster response, recovery, and mitigation is trending in the right direction. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives included a cost share incentive provision designed to greatly enhance state resiliency in the Bipartisan Budget Reform Act that was signed into law by President Trump. FEMA, in addition to its extraordinary work done regularly in responding to disasters, is taking steps to ensure that this law is implemented effectively and efficiently. The Trump administration has provided strength in its response to those suffering from recent disasters, with Vice President Pence telling a community wracked by Hurricane Harvey that they would work to "[rebuild] all of Texas bigger and better than ever before." However, these actions are only the beginning of the required wholesale shift in our national disaster framework. It is up to Congress to continue this momentum and enact meaningful reforms that will save lives, property and taxpayer dollars. Including the record-breaking 2017 season, disaster spending continues to be an ever-expanding cost category for the United States. With another tumultuous hurricane season underway, it is time for lawmakers to act. Safer, stronger communities mean a safer, stronger country. If members of Congress are serious about serving their constituents, then senators must finish the important work the House started and pass the Disaster Recovery Reform Act now. Since 2013, Barletta has served as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's subcommittee overseeing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), examining ways to better prepare for disasters and working to develop a new federal and state partnership to limit the cost of their devastation. R. David Paulison was the FEMA administrator from 2005 to 2009. He is a senior advisor to the BuildStrong Coalition and served as the Miami-Dade County Fire Chief during Hurricane Andrew.
By Lou Barletta After the 2017 congressional baseball shooting, we instantly increased security to protect Congress. So why are we so slow when it comes to the safety of our students?As I go to work at the U.S. Capitol, I pass vehicle barricades, armed guards, metal detectors and police dogs. Yet, while my colleagues and I go to work every day without any fear of attacks, our teachers and students go to school hoping that nothing happens to them. It's embarrassing and unacceptable. If we as government officials can protect ourselves, we can do the same for our students. We can all recall stories from when we were in high school and remember the friends we made and experiences we had in elementary school and junior high. Our schools are a place of memories, and many of us cherish the days we spent there. Unfortunately, today's children don't share those kinds of memories because of the increased amount of violence in our schools. As the father of four daughters, two of whom are schoolteachers, and the grandfather of eight, this is an issue that hits very close to home for me. No student should ever go to school in fear, and no parent should have to send their child to school with the possibility of never seeing them again. Schools need to have the means to implement security measures that work best for their students, and the federal government needs to provide the guidance and support for them to do so. That's why I introduced the Protecting Our Kids Act, which would direct the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Education to work together to provide schools with security standards and guidelines within 60 days of becoming law, so that educators and administrators can have the tools they need to protect their students. If we can provide safety guidelines for federal buildings across the country, there is no reason why we can't do the same for our schools. There is no one-size-fits-all plan that will work for all schools across the country. That's why my bill would not mandate any blanket security protocols, but rather provide an additional tool for schools to use to determine what improvements can be made that best fit the unique needs of their students and teachers. Securing our schools and prioritizing the safety of our nation's children should not be a difficult decision for Washington. Responding to school violence is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. Yet we find ourselves in the same situation, tragedy after tragedy, failing to take action while conversations about long-term solutions take place. When a crazed gunman shot up the congressional baseball practice last year, threatening the lives of several of my colleagues, the response was instant. Republicans and Democrats alike came together and acted. There was an increase in security to protect members of Congress, an increase to protect our staff. More money started flowing to secure our district offices. We could even use the newly found money to secure our homes. The funding went out the door to help protect us immediately while other discussions continued to happen. People move fast here when they are worried about their safety, about the safety of their family and friends. Why can't we move at the same speed when it comes to the safety of our nation's students?My life is no more important than that of any parent's child across America. Teachers and students across our country go to school each day hoping that today is not the day, while I go to work without any fear, and that is inexcusable. If Congress can protect itself, there is no reason it can't do the same for America's schools. The sad reality is that our nation's schools are dangerously under-secured, and programs to increase school security are dangerously underfunded. That's why I have urged my colleagues in Congress to double the funding provided for grant programs that help schools purchase metal detectors, locks and other security enhancements, and implement anonymous reporting systems and school threat assessment protocols to deter violence before it occurs. I plan to continue fighting for this funding, and for the sake of our nation's children, I hope my colleagues listen. We must act now before more innocent lives are lost. Our children deserve to grow up in a safe learning environment free of fear and violence, where they are able to make memories like the ones we have that can still make us smile decades later. When it comes to school safety, we can't waste another day talking instead of acting.
By: Lou Barletta It seems like you can't turn on the TV without seeing some sort of disaster destroying communities, whether it's a hurricane, earthquake, or wildfire. When disasters hit, families across the country work hard to rebuild their communities and re-establish their businesses. But government regulations get in the way, costing billions of dollars and risking too many lives. Last year, 8 percent of the U.S. population was affected by at least one disaster. That's 25 million Americans. During that one year, tens of billions of taxpayer dollars were spent on helping those people recover from the damage done by disasters, including Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria, and the wildfires on the West Coast. This year, the Federal Emergency Management Agency received more disaster assistance registrations than for Hurricanes Rita, Wilma, Katrina, and Sandy combined. Our nation can't afford to continue on this path. It's not right to force future generations to foot the bill for our inability to fix our government's flawed disaster recovery process. America needs a better system that saves lives and taxpayer dollars by building smarter and stronger before a disaster strikes. This is something I have pushed for nearly six years as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee. Finally, people are listening. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives again passed my bill, the Disaster Recover Reform Act, as part of H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act. Back in December, the House realized the importance of the reforms in my bill, and included them in a larger measure to provide funding for 2017 disaster victims. Unfortunately, the Senate removed the majority of my disaster reforms during negotiations between the two chambers, and they were not included in the final bill signed into law by President Trump. Without my bill's commonsense approach to disaster spending in the U.S., current regulations will continue to promote a system where structures are rebuilt the exact same way after they are destroyed. If we know a community has a higher risk of being hit by a disaster again, why would we rebuild in the same way that failed in the first place? Unfortunately, the way disaster recovery regulations are written, this is exactly what families and businesses end up having to do. Shouldn't we rebuild a structure to resist high winds or elevate it out of a flood zone so that our communities are more likely to make it through a disaster unscathed, and taxpayers aren't on the hook for the repairs? My bill does just that by incentivizing states and local governments to take steps to improve their infrastructure and invest in mitigation activities before disaster strikes. This not only helps save lives but also helps save your tax dollars. Studies show that pre-disaster mitigation will help the federal government save $4 to $8 on the back end for every $1 spent on the front end. I've seen firsthand how mitigation projects can benefit a community. In my own congressional district, the Bloomsburg flood wall was built to protect a business employing 700 people, which was at risk of shutting down due to catastrophic flooding. The project has been such a success that plans are in place to expand the project to protect homes, schools, and the town's public works and fire department. I am proud to say that my disaster reform bill is a bipartisan effort. Many of my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee came to me with provisions based on the real-world experiences of their constituents, creating a bill that will truly help keep Americans safe. With the 2018 hurricane season fast approaching, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to realize the critical need for these disaster recovery reforms and bring my bill to floor for consideration. Let's work together to make sure another 25 million Americans aren't the victims of disasters this year by getting the Disaster Recovery Reform Act to President Trump's desk. As Ben Franklin once said, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
