Dateline: January 3, 2002

Thornberry pleased with Congress' record in '01 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) recently outlined what he thought were some of the key accomplishments in Washington this year.

“This has been a fairly productive year in Washington,” Thornberry said. “Some of the things I’ve been pushing for several years were passed in the House this year – things like tax relief, a comprehensive energy plan, and a new farm bill.

Thornberry noted that in response to the war on terrorism Congress passed legislation that will secure our Nation while giving proper support to our military.

Dealing with other national priorities, Congress has worked to:

• Provide Across the Board Tax Relief - The President has signed legislation that provides a permanent reduction of individual income tax rates. This relief repeals the marriage and death taxes, doubles the child tax credit to $1,000, and increases IRA contribution limits to $5,000.

• Provide a Balanced Energy Plan - The House passed the SAFE Act, which decreases our dependence on foreign oil, promotes conservation, and provides clean, affordable, and available energy to Americans.

• Provide a New Farm Bill - The House passed the Farm Security Act, a measure designed to strengthen the safety net for American agriculture producers while continuing to give them flexibility to plant what they want to plant.

• Strengthen Education - The House and Senate passed the No Child Left Behind Act, which would improve accountability, expand choices for parents, give state and local school districts more flexibility by reducing federal strings, and protect school prayer.

• Secure the Economy - The House passed an economic security bill aimed keeping the recession as brief and shallow as possible.