Dear Friend,

Last week, President Obama announced the postponement of our complete withdrawal of ground forces from Afghanistan until 2016. This news comes as members of the Oregon National Guard are set to deploy to Afghanistan in the coming months. For many of these men and women, this will not be their first tour of duty. Their stories of heroism and sacrifice, experienced not only by those in uniform but their families as well, are an inspiration to us all.

I support our military’s efforts to engage our enemies wherever they may be, and the United States was right to take out the Taliban after 9/11. But now, almost 13 years later, we continue to play an active role in Afghanistan’s security operations. While I remain deeply committed to ensuring that our service members and their families continue to have all they need to fulfill their mission, the time has come for Afghanistan to assume full responsibility for their own security and for the United States to focus on our stagnant economy.

My work here in Washington has always been directed at putting Oregonians back to work. Passage of O & C lands legislation in the House last summer will help put folks back to work in the woods, and I am hopeful the Senate will follow suit. Earlier this year, Congress passed the 2014 Farm Bill, which will provide new opportunities for jobs and prosperity in our agriculture communities in Oregon where little hope existed before. I am also supportive of investing federal dollars into repairing our crumbling infrastructure. This would create good, family-wage jobs; and improving our roads, bridges and ports would also have a positive effect on our economy by allowing for the easy transportation of goods and services.

Most recently, I introduced legislation – called the BUILD Act – that would authorize the distribution of funds to local school districts to support and grow their Career and Technical Education programs. Ensuring that our young people have the skills they will need to compete in the global economy after graduation is part of my plan to build a 21^st century workforce in Oregon.

With millions still unemployed after the financial crisis, the national debt over $17 trillion, and an antiquated tax system that is creating economic uncertainty for our businesses, Congress has a lot on its plate. While we need to continue to take the fight to terrorists around the world, our central focus must be the home front. What better gift could we give our brave men and women overseas than to greet them upon their return with a booming economy and a VA health system that works? This will continue to be my focus, and I hope my colleagues in Congress and the President will join me.

As always, it is an honor to represent you in Congress, and I look forward to your feedback. For more frequent updates, I encourage you to like my Facebook page, follow my Twitter account and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Sincerely,

Kurt Schrader
Member of Congress