Archive for the ‘John Campbell’ Category

From Congressman John Campbell

Offshore Drilling Moratorium: One of the committees on which I serve is the Joint Economic Committee.  This committee is primarily tasked with studying the U.S. economy, and consider factors which affect it.  Last week, we had a hearing on the subject of energy. One of the witnesses was a professor from Texas A&M University. He made a very interesting point about the Obama Administration’s moratorium on offshore drilling. Ostensibly, the purpose of this moratorium is to reduce the risk of another oil spill until such time as acceptable oil spill prevention activities are in place, if ever. Interestingly however, this professor challenged that supposition. He pointed out that if the moratorium continues, 150,000 very high paying American jobs will be lost to Brazil, India, and other places for a period of at least 2 years. But in addition to that, the US will be forced to import more oil because of the domestic oil production that will be lost. That imported oil will come into the Gulf of Mexico and other ports, in ships. The professor estimated that it will take 1,500 additional tankers full of oil (roughly equivalent to 269 million barrels of oil) to make up for the oil not extracted from existing oil fields. Statistically, the risk of an oil spill is much greater from a tanker than it is from an offshore drilling rig.  Therefore, the U.S. is actually now at GREATER risk of an oil spill because of the Obama administration’s drilling moratorium due to the massive increase of oil being imported on ships. It’s something to think about.

On another note, isn’t it interesting that the Obama administration chose to challenge the State of Arizona for its attempts to enforce immigration laws, when that same administration has taken no action against the so-called “sanctuary cities” that have statutes which specifically prohibit their (local) law enforcement officials from noting or pursuing KNOWN violations of federal immigration laws.

On still another note, lest you thought things had changed on Washington’s spending culture, the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development spending bill passed by the House last week represents an increase of 38.1% over the FY 2008 level. What’s more, it contains 461 earmarks. Because most Republicans have accepted a no earmark moratorium for this year, 455 of those earmarks were offered by Democrats and 6 by Republicans. But what’s the problem? It’s not like we have a deficit or owe a bunch of money or anything…………. (heavy sigh).

For more on this, tune in tomorrow!

Until then, I remain respectfully,

Congressman John Campbell
Member of Congress

Congressman John Campbell represents California’s 48th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. He is a fourth generation Californian, and has lived in Irvine, California for over 30 years.

John has quickly earned the reputation as a dedicated fiscal conservative, and he continues to be a vocal advocate for sensible public policy, lower taxes, and more freedom. As a member of the House Committee on Financial Services, he has taken an active part in addressing the country’s top economic issues, including mortgage lending, corporate governance, banking reform, and insurance regulation.

In September 2008, he was an active participant on the Economic Rescue Plan Working Group. In January 2009, he has been an active member of the House Economic Stimulus Working Group led by Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), where he helped craft policy alternatives designed to help more Americans keep their homes, businesses, and jobs.

John brings a quarter century of business experience to Washington. As a former Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he was a natural choice for the bipartisan and bicameral Joint Economic Committee. By serving on the JEC, he is tasked with reviewing economic conditions and to recommend improvements in economic policy.

Congressman Campbell also serves as a member of the House Committee on the Budget, where he has had a hand in writing legislation to protect American families from some of the most excessive taxes including the death tax, marriage tax, and capital gains tax. He is a leading author of the Taxpayer Choice Act, which would make America’s tax system simpler and fairer by providing the opportunity to take advantage of an optional flat tax, in addition to repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). During his tenure in California’s state legislature, Campbell was known as a voice for fiscal responsibility and responsible budgetary measures, and he continues that legacy in the Congress of the United States.

As an active member of the House Immigration Reform Caucus, Campbell has taken a rigid stand against illegal immigration. Campbell has introduced and co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to secure the border, make English the national language, and punish “Sanctuary Cities.”

In 2007, Campbell spearheaded an effort to restrain federal spending by garnering the support of 146 of his colleagues in a letter to the President sustaining a veto on increased spending above requested levels. In doing so, Campbell saved taxpayer’s approximately $23 billion dollars.

A proven leader in the fight against wasteful spending and earmarks, Campbell isn’t afraid to lead by example. He was the primary author and the first to sign the Earmark Reform Pledge and is joined by over 40 of his colleagues in abstaining earmark requests.

Campbell’s economic expertise is in high demand, and he has been asked to appear on various television networks including MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business, & Bloomberg TV. Campbell has also contributed editorials for the Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Washington Times, and the Orange County Register.

Congressman Campbell holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles, and a Masters Degree in Business Taxation from the University of Southern California. For nearly 25 years, Campbell worked in the automotive industry. He spent a majority of his career representing several automobile franchises, including Nissan, Mazda, Ford, Saturn, and Saab.

Campbell was elected to the California State Assembly in 2000 and the California State Senate in 2004. He continues a proud family tradition of public service and community involvement in California. His great-grandfather was elected to the California State Assembly in 1860 as part of Abraham Lincoln’s Republican ticket. John serves on numerous community boards, and is a member of the Irvine Presbyterian Church. John and his childhood sweetheart Catherine have been married for 30 years and are the proud parents of two sons, Taylor and Logan, both of whom graduated from the University of Southern California.

Congressman Campbell represents California’s 48th Congressional District which encompasses Newport Beach, Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Laguna