Dear Friend,
Thank you for reading another edition of my e-newsletter, the Carson Courier. For additional information on these and other topics, please visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov.
In this week's Carson Courier:
Congress Passes Financial Reform
4.5 Million New Jobs Created by the HIRE Act
President Obama Comes to the Aid of Veterans Suffering from PTSD
Indiana's Energy Future
Congress Passes Financial Reform
After nearly two years of hearings and negotiations, financial reform is almost a reality. The Senate finally passed financial reform this week, sending it to President Obama for his signature. Once signed into law, Wall Street Reform will work to address the countless causes that led our economy to the brink of collapse and prevent future taxpayer-funded bailouts of ‘too big to fail' financial institutions. Consumers protection will be enhanced by the establishment of an independent consumer watchdog-housed in the Federal Reserve-with the authority to halt the trade of fraudulent financial products. This independent watchdog will also ensure that people have access to clear and accurate information that they need to make critical investment decisions. This is a historic moment for Americans as the balance of power will now shift away from Wall Street and back to Main Street.
4.5 Million New Jobs Created by the HIRE Act
Legislative initiatives taken up by my Democratic colleagues and I in the House during this 111th Congress are taking effect and creating new jobs. A report released by the U.S. Department of the Treasury showed that from February to May 2010, American businesses hired an estimated 4.5 million new workers - each of whom had been unemployed for eight weeks or longer. This report demonstrates that the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act is working to create jobs all across the United States and in Indiana.
The purpose of the HIRE Act is to give small businesses the help they need to invest in new, well-paying jobs. The findings in this report are welcome news for our economy. But there is still much to do. I will continue to work with all my colleagues in the House to put more Hoosiers back to work, focusing our efforts on effective programs like the HIRE Act.
President Obama Comes to the Aid of Veterans Suffering from PTSD
Veterans have sacrificed so much to protect this great nation. For some, dealing with the after effects of war requires medical treatment and psychological counseling. But for far too long, our veterans were being denied benefits needed to treat the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD and mental depression affect nearly one in five veterans. Department of Veteran Affairs has announced a change in policy that will make it far easier for veterans of all military conflicts to get treatment for PTSD. The new reforms will simplify the process by only requiring a VA doctor's diagnosis for veterans who served in a combat zone. This overdue change will go a long way toward helping veterans of both current and past wars to receive VA health care and disability compensation.
Indiana's Energy Future
This week in a Letter to the Editor in the Indianapolis Star, the President of the Indiana Soybean Alliance agreed with a recent editorial that I authored regarding our nation's energy policy. Read what I wrote here and see how Indiana's farmers will be leading the way in a green economy by clicking here.
Thank you for reading the Carson Courier. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and concerns. For more information, please visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov and my new Congressional Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CongressmanAndreCarson. I value your views and your input which help me to better represent the people of Indiana's 7th District in Congress.