The year that was

by U.S. Congressman Sam Graves

Once again as we prepare to flip the calendar ahead, I find myself wondering where the last year has gone. As we enter the final days of 2005, I thought I’d tell you what Congress accomplished this year. Despite the partisan bickering that seems to dominate the news, Congress passed and the President signed some pretty meaningful legislation.

Our economic policies of letting people spend more of their money seem to be paying off, 50,000 jobs were created nationwide in October and September. Overall 4.2 million new jobs have been created since May of 2003. Despite high gas prices, hurricanes and the uncertainty of international events our economy continues to grow.

We finally have an energy policy to address this country’s dependence on foreign sources of oil. We increased the amount of renewable fuels, like ethanol and bio-diesel, which our produced right here in Missouri. For me the increased use of renewable fuels was a triple hit: it’s good for consumers, it’s good for producers and it’s good for the environment.

We finally got relief to Missouri’s roads and bridges in the form of the Highway bill. Missouri’s share of funding increased by $200 million per year. This summer you will notice more concrete being poured and that is good news.

We have more work to do, but I am hopeful that the New Year will be as productive as the last. I want to wish you a Happy New Year and my sincere hope that 2006 is both good to you and your family.