2015 State of the Fifth Congressional District Address

Good morning. We are so fortunate and blessed to live and work in the most beautiful place in America. Each of us here is committed to do what we can to make this community a better place.

We stand poised to make incredible progress this year. Colorado Springs continues to rapidly expand in many different areas. We have seen new defense companies spin off in our direction, new nonprofit organizations and churches start up, property groups acquiring more land for business parks and major tourism projects, local hospitals, medical groups and surgery centers expanding to meet the demand, sports medicine on the rise to be the next center of excellence, technology incubators, medical device and advanced manufacturing companies becoming more prevalent, major new aircraft manufacturing on the horizon, and a steady stream of new highly-skilled veterans and military retirees coming into our community. I look around this room and see many of the leaders and innovators of these very key sectors of our regional economy. I want to see these opportunities and developments thrive in the Pikes Peak region. I will continue to advocate for you and strongly advance the pro-business policies that improve and sustain the economic foundation on which you all build.

People often tell me that they are frustrated with Washington. Guess what, I've been frustrated too. Unfortunately, Congress has not been able to accomplish much over the last few years. Legislative solutions, including several that I authored, to address many of our nation's challenges were prevented from becoming law by a handful of people who obstructed even the simplest and most basic items of business for partisan advantage. Because of the message the people of this country sent to Washington last November, we now have new majorities in the House and Senate. These new majorities are determined to produce measureable results that will improve our nation. I am very pleased to be entrusted with multiple leadership roles in the new majority that will ensure our Congressional district has solid standing in Washington and that will reinforce your efforts here at home.

In this new Congress, I will once again be serving on three important committees that have direct bearing on our community: Natural Resources, Armed Services, and Veterans Affairs. Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop asked me to continue my leadership on vital national energy policy as Chairman of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, responsible for overseeing offshore and onshore energy production on public lands. This Chairmanship will enable me to steer national policies to responsibly develop America's vast energy and mineral resources. This will expand our domestic energy supply, create new American jobs, lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy and minerals, and generate revenue for federal and state treasuries.

Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry asked me to serve as the Vice Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, which is a great honor and a significant opportunity. This position allows me to serve in a critical leadership role at the cutting edge of our missile defense, military space, and nuclear national security programs. I will work hard to protect our nation, ensure that our region continues to be an essential asset to our national security, and will expand the influence of Colorado's civilian and military defense industries. I am better placed than ever before to make sure that defense dollars are sufficient for our national defense, and for the missions in our region that contribute to that defense. I could spend hours telling you all the ways I am working to accomplish this, but rest assured that I view this as one of the most critical things I can do in Congress.

Chairman Thornberry also appointed me to the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee. This subcommittee oversees special operations forces, including our own 10th Special Forces Group, long-term research and technology efforts -- like directed energy in which I am very involved, -- and everything related to cybersecurity. It seems like every week now we learn of a new cyber attack on our government and commercial interests. .Like many of you, I know cyber is an area of potential growth for Colorado Springs.

Just a few weeks ago, I joined General Ed Anderson and Martin Wood at a ceremony announcing a new partnership between UCCS and the Army Reserve on cyber education. As I told Ed, I will do everything I can to support and advance that partnership because it is good for our country good for our local economy. -Last week I visited the 651st Network Operations Squadron at Peterson, where hundreds of airmen are on the frontlines of the cyber mission. This mission is vital, and Colorado Springs is the best place for it to grow. In fact, they told me they are bringing 40 airmen to this operation next year from other locations.

I will utilize my close relationship with Chairman Thornberry to continue serving as a steadfast advocate for our world class military installations, like Fort Carson. I brought the Chairman to town for a tour last summer and some of you helped demonstrate not only the local impact, but also the national significance of the installations here in the Fifth District. After reflecting on what he witnessed here, he described our community as "well-poised for years to come" because our military missions represent the direction our national defense systems need to go. He said we are "the future of warfare."

Let me take a moment to address any concerns about an anticipated base realignment and closing commission, also known as BRAC. It is true that Congress faces many difficult budget decisions. Even some of our military commanders have cited our national debt as one of the biggest threats to our national security. But military basing decisions should be made primarily on strategy, not finances. Congress is also aware that previous BRAC rounds have not produced the savings that were anticipated. So I can say with confidence that this Congress will not allow this president to conduct a BRAC, period.

I will continue to be a strong voice for our military facilities, for full funding of national defense, and for advancing our national security. I am proud of our shared success in this effort, the role I've been privileged to play, and the growth in active duty personnel here in the Pikes Peak region during my entire tenure in Congress. But we must not stand still. I am deeply grateful to all of your efforts to keep Colorado Springs as the most supportive community of the military in the country.

Thank you to Mark Volcheff and the Military Affairs Council, Andy Merritt and the tireless work of the Regional Business Alliance, and the strategic partnership of Bill Hybl, Joe Blake, Christian Anschutz, Dick Celeste, Hank Brown and Andy Love through, "Colorado Wants You."

Having the best military in the world is not enough. We need to keep our promises to those who have served. It is simply unacceptable that the VA made veterans wait too long for services, and then in some cases tried to cover that up. As the second most senior Republican on the Veterans Affairs Committee, I was deeply involved in last year's legislation and negotiations with the Senate to fix these abuses and prevent this grievous problem from ever happening again. Our veterans simply deserve better.

In the new Congress, I will continue to advance policies that protect veterans by advocating for whistleblower protection, information technology modernization, and improving the quality of care for female veterans. I am also particularly concerned about ensuring that service members leaving the military have a seamless transition to the VA, and I am planning to dive deeply into this issue.

Our veterans deserve the highest quality of health care we can provide them, and I will remain vigilant in addressing the challenges that may arise at our new VA clinic on Fillmore and Centennial. Last Friday, we had the opportunity to officially name this clinic after one of our own heroes: Private First Class Floyd K. Lindstrom -- a World War II Medal of Honor recipient and Colorado Springs resident. Brian Binn, Terrance McWilliams, Wes Clark and all the members of the naming committee were vital in helping me pass legislation naming our new clinic.

Foreseeing that our new VA clinic would quickly reach capacity, I inserted language into the defense authorization bill early last spring to study the feasibility of creating a DOD/VA Joint Venture facility along the northern I-25 corridor. This medical facility would significantly enhance the surgical capability of the 10th Medical Group and establish a full VA emergency room. Should it come to fruition, this collaborative effort has the strong potential of serving as a national model for future healthcare to veterans and retirees.

As the recent Fort Carson Listening Session at Centennial Hall proved, this community's overwhelming support of our local military and veterans is clearly among the best in the nation. This support includes community assets like legacy nonprofits Home Front Cares and Aspen Pointe, as well as pioneering centers of excellence like Jay Cimino's Mt. Carmel Center and UCCS's Lane Center. With support and resources like these, it is no wonder the Fifth Congressional District boasts the highest population of veterans west of the Mississippi River.

Our natural resources, military installations, and highly-trained veteran workforce are not the only drivers of our economy. Our community is well-served by sound banking institutions, innovative engineers, visionary builders and developers, skilled health providers and institutions of healing, top-rated educators, compassionate non-profits, and devout assemblies of faith. I carefully monitor the Federal government's proposals and regulations to assess the impact they will have on these engines of our local economy. I want to briefly mention a few additional, specific areas in which I will be active in the new Congress, because hard-working taxpayers deserve more results and accountability in Washington DC.

Taxes

One Washington-driven policy that affects everyone in this room is taxes. I am sick and tired of those in Congress who keep demanding higher taxes to support a spending appetite that avoids responsibility, lacks accountability, and refuses to be curbed. As I alluded to earlier, our national debt is an economic and national security problem. Addressing our national debt will require having serious conversations about the promises our nation offers to its citizens and then making some difficult decisions about spending priorities. Policies that promote economic freedom and prosperity within the private sector actually generate more revenue for government coffers than regressive policies that discourage the private sector. Both Ronald Reagan in the 80's and Bill Clinton in the 90's, after Republicans took the House, found this to be true.

I was proud to have authored the largest tax cut in Colorado history during my tenure in the State Senate. In my opinion, that was a key part of why Colorado was one of the best states in the country in which to do business in the early 2000's. That is also why I will not support the gas tax increase that some are currently proposing. If we concentrated our gas tax dollars on concrete and asphalt, rather than mass transit and bike paths, the gas tax revenue shortfall would largely be eliminated.

Infrastructure

Strong communities have a solid and well-rounded infrastructure. Good infrastructure attracts businesses. Many of you have spent your entire professional lives building up and planning out the infrastructure we have here in the Fifth Congressional District. One of the underutilized but vitally important pieces of infrastructure here in Colorado Springs is our airport. I want to commend everyone at the airport for their historic efforts to attract Sierra Nevada Corporation to our region. Over 2,000 high-paying jobs is an incredible achievement that will have a major economic impact in our region for years to come.

But in addition to more businesses and new jobs at the airport, we also need more planes flying in and out of our airport. That's why I've introduced bipartisan legislation to expand service at small and underserved airports. This legislation will allow the Colorado Springs Airport to compete for Small Community Air Service Development grants to pay for advertising and other startup costs associated with new airline routes. This will help the airport continue its transformation and add more air service to our region.

On the national level, I have proposed generating infrastructure funding through the leasing and revenue sharing of offshore and onshore energy development. As a principled and practical problem solver, I know that government tends to be lazy and uncreative with the solutions it comes up with. There are better ways to address our infrastructure needs in America than simply increasing the cost of doing business by raising taxes.

Small Businesses

One vital segment of America that feels the impact of these lazy decisions the most is small business. Small businesses make up the backbone of our economy by employing over 50 percent of American workers. America is one of the few countries where almost anyone can turn an idea or dream into a business that provides for their family and adds value to the economy.These hard-working taxpayers should be rewarded for driving our economy, not punished by a system that buries them in a blizzard of higher taxes, bureaucratic rules, and stifling regulations. Having run a small business, I know how difficult it can be to grow and plan for the future when you can't even predict your next tax bill.

In particular, thanks to Obamacare, health care expenses for small businesses will make it expensive to expand and difficult to plan well for the future. I will continue to work to repeal and replace that program with a patient-centered, market responsive approach to healthcare, although any meaningful reforms to Obamacare will probably have to wait for the next occupant of the White House.

Financial Policy

Before discussing regulatory burdens further, I want to acknowledge an important sector that ensures the growth and prosperity in the other sectors of our economy. I see many of our friends representing community banks and national financial institutions here today. Access to capital is the lifeblood of many small businesses who hope to grow into larger businesses. Businesses of all sizes have struggled because of flawed financial policies, such as Dodd-Frank. This bill may have targeted Wall Street, but its regulatory burdens have been extremely damaging to Main Street. Our new majorities in the House and Senate have begun to chip away with legislation like H.R. 37, The Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act, which reduces onerous regulations and makes it easier for small businesses to access the capital they need to grow. However, there is much work to be done to reverse or mitigate the damage done by Dodd-Frank and other policies causing harm to our financial services sector. Anytime we can roll back excessive regulations and rely more on the free market we must do so.

Regulatory Policy

One constant message I keep hearing from constituents is that regulatory burden, complexity, and uncertainty is undermining entrepreneurs' ability to successfully launch new businesses, expand, and create jobs. We all know of the direct cost that excessive regulation places on a small business. What is not immediately apparent is the insidious, indirect costs associated with enormous regulatory proposals being attempted by agencies like the EPA. I will use my new position on the Natural resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to rein in government regulation that is stifling energy production from federal lands in particular. Because of its anti-carbon bias, this administration is doing everything it can to throttle back hydrocarbon energy, even at the cost of, if they get their way, higher prices for working families and small business. Yet that is who benefits the most from lower energy prices.

But we need more than regulatory reform. We need to modernize our regulatory agencies that are still operating like typewriters in the age of smartphones. Agencies like the VA and the FDA are regulatory dinosaurs that cannot keep up with the health care innovators in our community. Who knows what improvements to our quality of life are stifled because the FDA is too slow to approve healing medications or to allow advanced manufactured medical devices?

Manufacturing

Many of these innovations and technologies are invented by manufacturers and entrepreneurs who turn visions into reality. Last week, I had the privilege of spending the afternoon with Kevin O'Neil and his leadership team to experience firsthand their exciting plans at the forthcoming Catalyst Campus in the old Homburg Building. Frank Backes demonstrated an amazing innovation that has cross-application purposes that could revolutionize how governments at all levels organize and employ community assets. I strongly believe that this campus will lead to significant growth, ideas, innovations, jobs, and dynamic collaboration. And while Kevin and Frank focus on acquiring companies and relocating them to Colorado Springs, other manufacturing leaders like Tom Neppel and Springs Fabrication manufacture high-end engineered metal products that are sold and shipped all over the world. America's manufacturers are second-to-none, and can out-compete anyone in the world, so long as they are competing on a level playing field. Trade policy, energy and other regulatory policy, and tax policy all have a big impact on U.S. manufacturing. I want these jobs to be done in the U.S, and in Colorado in particular.

Immigration

There are other regulatory policies that not only weaken our economy, but potentially weaken our national security. Abraham Lincoln is credited with saying, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." The genius of our founding fathers is that they did not want too much power to rest in the hands of one man or his pen. That is why they established three co-equal branches of government.

Recent actions by the President in the area of immigration have abused this constitutional arrangement, I believe. As demonstrated by the recent ruling by Federal District Judge Hanen, the president crossed the line when he asserted broad authority with regard to his immigration overhaul plans. I, and a majority of the Congress, do not support amnesty for illegal immigrants. That makes a mockery of our system of legal immigration. Real immigration reform must begin by ensuring our border is secure and that our immigration laws are being enforced at the border and within the United States. Until we accomplish that, other new measures won't be effective. Rather than a comprehensive bill with a multitude of moving parts, let's take an incremental approach on the issues for which there is broad consensus--guest worker visas for job areas that we are not meeting today, green cards for highly skilled and educated, or wealthy investor immigrants, and eliminating the worldwide, random visa lottery.

Religious Freedom

There are other regulatory actions that outright threaten the Constitutional protections of our own citizens. Whether it be for chaplains, men and women in uniform, national employers, or even Catholic nuns, religious liberty is in in the cross-hairs of over-zealous regulators and their enforcers in the executive branch. Religious freedom is an important part of our multi-faith community and country. I was pleased to have my amendment to the NDAA adopted, which required the Air Force in particular to rewrite its rules to give more leeway to the exercise of religious freedom. I will continue be a leading advocate for this right, particularly for our men and women in uniform.

Pro lifeand Family Values

I will also continue to be a strong advocate for a culture of life. Each life is a precious gift and when we devalue that creation, we run the risk of creating an ever more indifferent and callous society. I believe that new research and technological innovations mean that we are living in a generation of life. I will continue to support policies that support life.

When it comes to families, our Congressional District is one of the best places in America to raise a family. I will do everything in my power to continue supporting legislation designed to encourage and promote healthy and stable families.

Folks, these are some of the opportunities and challenges that Congress and I will address over the next two years. I truly believe that the new majority in Congress will make far more progress than we have seen in recent years.

It is heartwarming to see the positives advances being made by leaders and innovators in the Pikes Peak region. I want to commend the Mayor, the City Council, and the County Commissioners. Some of you, like Commissioner Sally Clark, bring bold national policy ideas to Washington and serve in national leadership roles. Others strongly advocate locally and in Denver for the unique needs of our region. From protecting our men and women in uniform heading for infectious disease hot zones, or coordinating resources to protect our friends and neighbors who live near fire and flood zones, your efforts truly make a difference.

I am truly impressed with this community's resilience, determination, and courage. Continue making incredible investments of your time, talent, and treasure to improve our region. Please know that you have a supportive and effective partner representing you in Washington DC. With a new Republican majority in the Senate and a bigger majority in the House, I am in the best position I ever have been to help change the culture in Washington and to serve as a leader and advocate for any idea or program that would benefit the Fifth Congressional District.

As we continue to work together to build up our community and strengthen our nation, your advice and counsel will be invaluable to my work to represent you in Congress. Please give me your input. Also, visit my website, Lamborn.house.gov, to sign up for my email newsletter and other important updates. Also, get to know my staff so we can build relationships. We are always eager to learn of your accomplishments and listen to your ideas, concerns, and feedback on issues important to you.

I truly appreciate your time and attention today. Thank you and may God Bless America.

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