President’s Budget Includes Collins’ Immigration Policy
Politics May 23, 2017
| May 23, 2017 |
President’s Budget Includes Collins’ Immigration Policy“I support the president’s strong response to illegal immigration and am pleased to see my legislation mirrored in his first full budget. American taxpayers deserve to see the fruits of their labor returned to their families rather than passed on to individuals who undermine our legal system.” WASHINGTON—President Trump’s FY 2018 budget incorporates a tax accountability policy that parallels legislation introduced by Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) this February. The president’s budget can include policy recommendations, and Collins’ Tax Credit Accountability Act would prevent individuals residing in the United States illegally from receiving the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Currently, Obama-era policies allow illegal immigrants to claim the EITC retroactively, even if they have not paid taxes on previous income. In fact, illegal immigrants who were granted de facto amnesty under the Obama Administration could receive refund checks larger than their original tax liabilities. This process has been made possible by the executive decision to award illegal aliens Social Security numbers as part of amnesty. Collins’ bill would correct this imbalance by preventing illegal residents from benefiting financially from breaking U.S. laws. “I support the president’s strong response to illegal immigration and am pleased to see my legislation mirrored in his first full budget. American taxpayers deserve to see the fruits of their labor returned to their families rather than passed on to individuals who undermine our legal system,” said Collins. This budget represents the first time the White House has considered the perspective of the taxpayer, rather than looking only at where the money is flowing, in drafting its budget requests. |
Gainesville Teacher to Campaign Against Ninth District Congressman Doug Collins
News April 24, 2017
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Qualifying is still a year away and there is the matter of paying the $5,000 qualifying fee, but Democrat Josh McCall says he will campaign for U.S. Congress in Georgia’s Ninth District during the 2018 election.
The 36-year-old McCall, a teacher at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, has never run for public office. His opponent will be veteran Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) who will be seeking his fourth term.
McCall does possess the wide-eyed optimism of a newcomer in the political arena.
“I actually do think I have a chance to win because the (political) winds are shifting faster than they ever have before,” McCall said during a sit-down interview with Fetch Your News.
“It has to do with the inequality in our financial structures. The way they are set up, certain of our financial institutions are international in scope. They hold a lot of the world’s capital and they’re hoarding it. Change is going to happen because the people at the bottom are going to keep getting fed up and may actually do something about it.”
McCall acknowledged that he is starting at a huge fundraising deficit.
“Mr. Collins has about $1.8 million in his coffers waiting to be spent but I don’t think money is having as big an influence anymore. There is social media, Twitter and Facebook,” McCall said. “We saw that Donald Trump didn’t spend nearly as much as Hillary Clinton did and her spending turned out to be a weakness for her.”
McCall admits the Democrat Party is in disarray “A lot of people have looked at the election of Donald Trump as a great disaster, and in a lot of ways it was for a lot of people,” he said. “But, in a different way, maybe it’s good that the Democratic Party was laid waste. Now, people who have real democratic principles, who actually believe in the equality of every single person can actually come up from the bottom. I believe that this is a really golden moment in history if the Democratic Party wants to become a party again.”
The following represents Mr. McCall’s views on a wide variety of issues, including Obamacare which he called a “complete disaster.”
On Obamacare, he said:
“I believe there was a ticking time bomb embedded in Obamacare from the beginning. Kaiser Permanente, one of the biggest donors to the Obama campaign wanted a return on their investment. Forcing Americans to pay into a for-profit system was always going to be a disaster. Government should not be telling you that you have to pay for insurance.”
On Government-Funded Universal Healthcare, he said:
“If we had a National American Health Service, and got rid of some of the middle men like the pharmaceutical companies who get to set their own rates that would be better. Healthcare companies that put a price tag on peoples’ lives are not only economically wrong, but morally wrong. I would work toward getting guaranteed universal access to life-saving healthcare for every single American man, woman and child without exception.”
On immigration, he said:
“There has to be reform, but it has to be humane and economical. We need to offer people who have worked here for five years in an honorable trade, have no criminal record, and have been good citizens, a path to citizenship. It is wrong to break up families who have been here for decades and committed no crimes. I believe the current system is unjust. You know they’re not going to stop people like you and I. They’re going to stop people with a different skin color or different accent.”
On sanctuary cities, he said:
“Nobody knows better the risks involved in those cities than those who run the cities. I do believe it is federal government overreach to threaten to withhold federal funding. So I would not support that.”
On jobs, he said:
“Government not only saves jobs, it creates jobs. One thing I would do is get rid of standardized testing. A lot of good technical programs are being cut because they don’t prepare students for the tests. I would offer students expanded technical and vocational programs based on the economy’s needs and we would need a federally-mandated program to do that. I would also increase infrastructure spending.”
On corporate taxes, he said:
“The 35 percent corporate tax rate is fiction. Most of the biggest companies don’t pay it. I would be fine with the 35 percent but they aren’t paying it like I do. They are hoarding the money overseas. I would work to write laws that keep people from hoarding it overseas.”
On Planned Parenthood, he said:
“I don’t believe in taxpayer funded abortion. The Hyde Amendment prohibits that. But only about 3 percent of Planned Parenthood services are abortions. I haven’t seen any evidence that federal tax money goes to pay for abortions. The part of Planned Parenthood we are funding is breast cancer screens, pregnancy testing and things like that. If we cut funding for Planned Parenthood, a lot of women will suffer.”
Georgia’s 9th Congressional District is located in the northeastern portion of the state and includes Banks, Dawson, Elbert, Fannin, Franklin, Gilmer, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White counties. Parts of Clarke, Forsyth, and Pickens counties also lie within the district.
Congressman Collins Honors Satterfield, Pichon
News October 2, 2017
Bill Kokaly presents award to Deputy Chief Tim Satterfield.
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – Dawson County Deputy Chief of Emergency Services Tim Satterfield and Gary Pichon, a member of the county’s Long Range Planning Committee and former county commissioner, were among those honored as Heroes by 9th District Congressman Doug Collins for going above and beyond the call of duty in service to their community.
“First responders represent some of the most selfless and skillful public servants I know,” said Collins. “As the son of a Georgia State Trooper, I have seen their commitment to their neighbors throughout my life, and Deputy Chief Satterfield is an example of humble service. I’m grateful that Northeast Georgia is home to such brave first responders.”
County Manager David Headley added, “Tim has risked his life and put himself in harm’s way so that others may live. He has minimized pain for others and given them comfort intheir time of need. Knowing Chief Satterfield both on the job and in his personal life, his hand is always stretched out to serve others. He is someone who has given his life to something other than himself and truly is a hero. A grateful community says congratulations and thanks to Chief Satterfield.”
Satterfield, a 41-year service veteran said he was both surprised and humbled by the honor. He began his fire service career with Clayton County in 1976. He also worked for the city of McDonough and the city of Clearwater (Florida) before coming on board with Dawson County in May 2005. Satterfield specializes in canine search and rescue and has taken part in more than 250 state- and federal-level missions. These include water search, arson, bomb disaster search and work with missing and abducted children. He is the state coordinator for the urban search and rescue team and was one of the first of 12 teams in the U.S. certified in child abduction response. His K9 unit received the Marguerite Brock Rescue Award from the Emergency Management Association of Georgia.
Bill Kokaly presents award to former county commissioner Gary Pichon.
Pichon, was presented a copy of the Congressional Record – an official copy of a speech recently given by Collins on the floor of the House of Representatives honoring Pichon’s 3,000-mile bicycle ride across the U.S. Pichon also was given the Record Certificate of the speech.
The men were recognized at the Dawson County Republican Party meeting on Sept. 19.
In a speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in May, Collins spoke of Pichon’s coast-to-coast ride, saying “Gary set out on a mission, not for the thrill of ride, but to see what he could learn about the landscape and people of our great nation. As he mapped a course across the states, Gary soaked up the beauty of America’s cityscapes and country sides.
“In the towns that he traveled through, people were kind and ready to work. He also noted the plight of rural Americans, who are resilient and strong and often underappreciated, Mr. Speaker, I echo Mr. Pichon’s respect for the hardworking Americans who give our nation enduring character. Mr. Pichon and I call northeast Georgia home and could not ask for better neighbors in a finer nation. Gary’s ride from coast to coast serves as a reminder of the diversity that makes our nation beautiful and the unassuming kindness that fuels our nation’s endurance.”
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
American Health Care Act – Dead! Tax Reform Stuck in Gridlock Trump Ready to Work with Democrats
Featured, Politics March 27, 2017
GA 9th District Congressman, Doug Collins, was the floor leader Friday for the American Health Care Act Debate. We asked Congressman Collins if the Health Care Bill was dead? Could they overcome Republican gridlock in the House to take on President Donald Trump’s Tax Reform Policy? You will be shocked to hear the Congressman’s answer! Collins goes on to talk about how this bill would have defunded planned parenthood. You will hear the Congressman’s frustration that that did not happen.
Collins Supports Protecting Second Amendment Rights for Veterans
Featured, Politics March 17, 2017
Jessica Andrews (202) 225-9893 [email protected] March 16, 2017 |
Collins Supports Protecting Second Amendment Rights for Veterans“It is odd that federal entities seem to find certain liberties—like the right to bear arms—less inalienable than others. I will continue to guard the constitutional rights of all Americans against groups that would undermine them, and I look forward to seeing due process restored in the question of veterans’ Second Amendment rights.” WASHINGTON—Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) voted today to support H.R. 1181, The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, to guard veterans’ right to bear arms and to due process under the law. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) labels veterans as “mentally defective” if they receive assistance from an appointed fiduciary. In the VA system, attaching this label to a veteran sends his or her name to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Inclusion on the NICS list prohibits an individual from buying or possessing a gun. Under the VA’s system, individuals can be added to the system without any judicial determination, meaning veterans are deprived of their Second Amendment rights without due process. “As a military chaplain, I find it disheartening that the VA allows bureaucrats to make determinations about a veteran’s constitutional right under the pretext of mental health care. Under the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, a judicial determination—rather than a bureaucratic label—would be necessary to report a veteran’s name to NICS,” said Collins. “It is odd that federal entities seem to find certain liberties—like the right to bear arms—less inalienable than others. I will continue to guard the constitutional rights of all Americans against groups that would undermine them, and I look forward to seeing due process restored in the question of veterans’ Second Amendment rights.” Collins also cosponsored a similar piece of legislation, H.J.Res. 40, a joint resolution of disapproval of the Social Security Administration’s implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, which effectively denied millions of Social Security recipients their Second and Fourth Amendment rights. President Trump signed this resolution into law last month. |
Remembering the Forgotten: Collins Statement on President’s Joint Session Address
Featured, Politics March 1, 2017
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OPEN BOOK ON EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT PASSES HOUSE
Featured, Politics February 28, 2017
OPEN BOOK ON EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE ACT PASSES HOUSE
02/27/17
WASHINGTON—Today, the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act, H.R. 1033, passed in the House with widespread bipartisan support. Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) sponsored the bill in order to increase transparency among federal agencies as they apply the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA).
EAJA enables Americans with limited resources to seek redress against the government by requiring agencies to reimburse plaintiffs for their legal fees if the agency is found to have pursued an unjustified position in the case. Because these agencies have not been required to keep records of EAJA disbursements for two decades, however, the public has been unable to access information about how the government has handled these suits.
“Americans have a right to be protected from abusive litigation tactics at the hands of their government, tactics that infringe on their basic liberties. The Equal Access to Justice Act remains a key tool in giving individual citizens recourse to address federal agency misconduct. The Open Book Act gives taxpayers access to information about federal agency payments and legal positions in EAJA cases, strengthening the original law by ensuring that federal agencies apply it transparently and effectively,” said Collins.
“The passing of the Open Book Act in the House represents a step toward greater government transparency and a victory for the American people, and I look forward to seeing this bill pass in the Senate.”
WATCH LIVE Congressman Doug Collins serving the 9th District of Georgia Town Hall Meeting
Featured, Politics August 9, 2017
Watch LIVE on FYNTV.com Click link below:
Click here to watch town hall meeting LIVE
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| Washington, D.C. Office: 1504 Longworth H.O.B. Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: (202) 225-9893 |
District Office: 210 Washington St. NW, Suite 202 Gainesville, GA 30501 Phone: (770) 297-3388 |
Congressman Collins Votes to Repeal Obamacare, Sending Health Bill to Senate
Featured, Politics May 4, 2017
WASHINGTON—The House today passed H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act(AHCA). The bill repeals the individual and employer mandates of 2010’s Affordable Care Act as well as $1 trillion in Obamacare taxes.
Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) released the following statement in response to the bill’s passage:
“For seven years, I have watched Obamacare afflict my neighbors with soaring insurance costs and narrowing health care options. Obamacare shattered the insurance market, and Americans now struggle first to afford insurance and then to find providers that accept it.
“Obamacare saddled businesses and individuals with mandates that robbed them of their freedom to choose health care options that make sense for them. Our families, our workers and our economy have born the weight of bureaucratized medicine for too long. The American Health Care Act removes that burden and demands compassion for both the healthy and vulnerable, the born and the unborn.
“I have seen the grief that Obamacare has brought to northeast Georgians and have worked for my entire tenure in Congress to repeal this destructive law. Republicans promised to repeal Obamacare, and the House voted to keep that promise today. I agree with the President’s call this week for us to repeal Obamacare now, and I look forward to the Senate’s getting to work on this crucial bill.”
Additionally, this legislation returns to states the flexibility they need to serve their communities. The AHCA provides more generous Medicaid reimbursements for elderly and disabled enrollees while Obamacare prioritized able-bodied individuals over disabled Americans by assigning proportionately more Medicaid dollars to the healthy. It establishes a federal invisible risk sharing program to stabilize insurance markets, lower premiums and protect individuals with pre-existing conditions.
The AHCA represents the first major entitlement reform in U.S. history by ending Medicaid’s expansion while shoring up the program for the disabled and elderly Americans it was meant to serve.
This legislation also defunds Planned Parenthood.
Collins Fights to Protect Due Process in Civil Asset Forfeiture Cases
Featured, Politics March 30, 2017
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Jessica Andrews March 30, 2017 |
Collins Fights to Protect Due Process in Civil Asset Forfeiture Cases“Our citizens and my neighbors deserve robust protections surrounding their property and due process rights. Government bureaucrats should not be allowed to seize privately held assets without meeting a higher burden of proof than the ‘preponderance of evidence’ statute currently in effect.” WASHINGTON—Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) is a co-sponsor of legislation introduced to increase the accountability and oversight of federal civil asset seizure and forfeiture cases. The Deterring Undue Enforcement by Protecting Rights of Citizens from Excessive Searches and Seizures Act of 2017 (DUE PROCESS Act) includes a variety of reforms to the status quo that would better protect citizens from undue government seizure. “Our citizens and my neighbors deserve robust protections surrounding their property and due process rights. Government bureaucrats should not be allowed to seize privately held assets without meeting a higher burden of proof than the ‘preponderance of evidence’ statute currently in effect,” says Collins. “Americans also deserve access to counsel in these cases, which can become difficult because civil asset forfeiture procedures inherently throw victims into a Catch-22 situation: Property owners need attorneys to recover their assets, but they are often unable to hire counsel because their assets have been frozen at the discretion of the Internal Revenue Service. The DUE PROCESS Act strengthens these and other legal protections that are necessary to guard innocent Americans from cases of destructive government overreach.” In addition, the bill would allow individuals to recover attorney fees in cases in which the court finds in the victim’s favor and would require the government to notify individuals within 30 days of seizing their property. Currently, the government has 60 days to inform property owners of civil asset forfeitures. |
COLLINS STATEMENT ON AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT
Featured, Politics March 8, 2017
COLLINS STATEMENT ON AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT
03/07/17
WASHINGTON—Congressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) has released the following statement in response to the introduction of the American Health Care Act:
“With the American Health Care Act, our unified government has begun the process of doing what we promised to do—repealing and replacing the disaster that is Obamacare. We’ve listened to the millions of Americans hurt by the misnamed Affordable Care Act and those whose hopes were dashed by its broken promises.
“The process of making quality health care affordable and accessible for every American starts with the repeal of Obamacare, with removing the government from the doctor/patient relationship and giving the insurance market the opportunity to rebuild from the havoc Obamacare has wrought on it. On this front, the repeal of the individual mandate is crucial. It means that people can have access to the health care that works best for them, instead of being forced by the government into expensive insurance plans that keep substantive health care out of reach. Moreover, Republicans are remembering both our neighbors and our future neighbors: The American Health Care Act prohibits federal money from flowing to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood.
“President Trump has a common-sense approach to health care reform and has said that this bill is the first step in that process. Our unified government has moved to stop the suffering caused by Obamacare, and I look forward to considering the American Health Care Act in the House.”
Collins Introduces Legislation to Increase Drug Pricing Transparency
Featured, Politics March 3, 2017
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Collins Advocates for Improved Neonatal VA Benefits
Featured, News February 8, 2017
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Collins Welcomes Neighbors to Town Hall
Politics August 7, 2017
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Washington, D.C. Office: |
District Office: 210 Washington St. NW, Suite 202 Gainesville, GA 30501 Phone: (770) 297-3388 |
Collins, Kilmer Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop the Outsourcing of American Jobs
Featured, Politics March 23, 2017
| Jessica Andrews (202) 225-9893 [email protected] March 23, 2017 |
Collins, Kilmer Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop the Outsourcing of American Jobs“We can’t allow the law to be exploited to displace American workers and send their jobs abroad. The Keeping American Jobs Act protects American workers by preventing bad actors from abusing the system in order to offshore jobs.” WASHINGTON—Today, Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Doug Collins (R-GA) reintroduced a bill to prevent employers from sending jobs overseas by abusing a temporary visa program. The legislation would stop employers that are awarded temporary visas through the H-1B program from using them to train workers in the United States then move those jobs to another country. H-1B visas allow American businesses to hire foreign professionals if skilled American workers are unavailable to fill job openings. The employees must have expertise in fields like science and technology and generally have college degrees. This week, 60 Minutes reported that unscrupulous employers have utilized the program to bring foreign workers in and displace American jobs. This follows reports last year that American workers were forced to train H1B visa holders to do their job so that the jobs could be permanently outsourced to foreign workers. “Our policies should promote jobs in America,” said Kilmer. “They shouldn’t be about sending jobs done by hard working Americans overseas. That’s why I’m continuing my push with Representative Collins to keep H-1B visas from ever being used to send any job to another country.” “Protecting American jobs is crucial in order for our economy to continue to gain strength and momentum,” said Collins. “Companies have the opportunity to bring workers from overseas on H-1B visas in the event that qualified Americans aren’t available, but we can’t allow the law to be exploited to displace American workers and send their jobs abroad. The Keeping American Jobs Act protects American workers by preventing bad actors from abusing the system in order to offshore jobs.” |
Stephens County and Flowery Branch Students Admitted to Service Academies
Featured March 10, 2017
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