Todd Young
Indiana Congressman, 9th District

> SOUTHERN INDIANA — U.S. Rep. Todd Young said Wednesday he has “serious concerns about the possibility of free speech being stifled” through Internet piracy protection bills being considered by Congress.

Two companion bills are being proposed to combat online piracy of American products and services with a focus on battling overseas operations that are selling copyright protected material without permission. The House version of the legislation is dubbed the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. The Senate measure is called the Protect Intellectual Property Act, or PIPA.

But there’s been an uproar led by online companies such as Wikipedia, Facebook and Google over the legislation, as those opposed to the measures say the federal government would overstep its boundaries and limit free speech by passing the bills.

Young, a Republican representing Indiana’s 9th District, said he was encouraged that a portion of the act allowing Domain Name System blocking on suspected piracy websites was agreed to be removed from SOPA last week. That provision would have allowed copyright-holders to get a court order to force Internet service providers to modify the offending website’s Domain Name System record to prevent customers from being able to reach the sites, according to an article from Eweek.com.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on PIPA on Tuesday, with the House to act on SOPA likely in February.

There needs to be a compromise to protect copyrighted material without hurting legitimate websites, Young added.

“I won’t support any piece of legislation that infringes on free speech or the free market” aspects of the Internet, he said.

Tara DiJulio, communications director for Sen. Dan Coats, said the Indiana Republican “is examining this bill closely and the potential impacts it could have on Hoosiers and legal online content.”

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., hadn’t released a statement on PIPA or responded to an email seeking comment on the bill as of press time.

Wikipedia remonstrated the congressional legislation by shutting down its English-language version of the site Tuesday, as other online companies also reacted to the bills. Google’s website featured a blacked-out self logo, and once a viewer clicked on the icon, they were routed to a petition rallying people against PIPA and SOPA.

Yahoo, Facebook and AOL also have announced their opposition to the legislation.

One objection raised by Wikipedia is that websites could potentially be shut down by hosting copyrighted material, whereas currently law mandates sites remove such content only if it is brought to their attention.

In protest, Google’s site still remained operational, as did the popular social networking site Twitter.

“Closing a global business in reaction to single-issue national politics is foolish,” Twitter CEO Dick Costolo tweeted.

Costolo is opposed to the legislation, but didn’t consider shutting down Twitter in protest, the Associated Press reported.

> SOUTHERN INDIANA Iran is a state sponsor of international terrorism and must be stopped from possessing nuclear weapons, U.S. Rep. Todd Young said Wednesday, about a week after he returned from a congressional delegation to the Middle East.

Within a year, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon giving the country the ability to intimidate U.S. allies in the region, Young said. While he said he favors negotiations and sanctions, Young added the U.S. should be prepared to impede on Irans nuclear program through more aggressive means.

Im not optimistic that we will succeed absent military action in keeping Iran from continuing to develop the bomb, said Young, who is a Republican representing Indianas 9th District.

He is on the House Armed Services Committee, and joined eight fellow Congress members on the bipartisan trip that included stops in Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and France.

The purpose of the mission was to assemble a group of countries that would stand behind the U.S. if it must arrest the development of nuclear weapons by Iran, Young said.

The French are considering economic sanctions similar to what the U.S. implemented last year on Iran by disrupting bank transactions tied to oil purchases, Young said. Irans nuclear program is a global issue because the country could sell its technology to terrorist groups or enemies of the U.S. such as Fidel Castro in Cuba and Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, Young continued.

Also the development of a nuclear weapon by Iran could force its neighboring countries into similar pursuits, he said.

If Iran got a nuclear weapon, that could also and is very likely to set off a broader arms race, Young said.

Among those that joined Young on trip were House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., who said Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia strongly share concerns about the threat posed by Iran, as well as the strategic goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability.

It is a matter of finding the best means to that end, and coordinating our efforts with our partners in the region, Cantor stated in a news release.

Young said he favors tightening the economic noose around Iran until it cedes its nuclear interests as opposed to military action. But he added the U.S. must prepare for every contingency.

No one wants to see military action right now. My constituents and the American people more broadly, they want us to focus on jobs and the economy and that has been our focus for this Congress, Young said.

At the same time, the most fundamental purpose of our federal government is to keep our people safe.

YOUNG: REINS Act provides smarter regulation, better environment for jobs

> SOUTHERN INDIANA Recently, I visited with a manufacturing business in New Albany on the verge of a major expansion. This expansion will allow them to create a few hundred new jobs directly, and help grow a support industry that will pump even more money into the local economy.

Theyre poised to be the largest business of their type in the world.

This is exactly the sort of success story that Southern Indiana needs in order to get Hoosiers back to work. But theres a serious problem with costly federal regulations.

The company needs a $3 million bridge loan to bring everything online and begin production. On paper, they are a dream client for any bank: Theyve landed a world-renowned entrepreneur and billionaire investor, already secured a new facility, purchased millions of dollars in new capital equipment and have several high-profile commercial clients with purchase orders ready who are patiently [for now] waiting on production. And still, thanks to new federal banking regulations, the business is having trouble getting the final piece of bank financing in place.

Unfortunately, such problems with regulatory roadblocks are neither confined to bank financing, nor unique to manufacturing businesses.

For example, the Wall Street Journal recently noted 175 diverse businesses in Indiana appealed to the Environmental Protection Agency to ditch just one of its new regulations because of the cost. Even the EPA admits the regulation will burden our economy with at least $90 billion in annual compliance costs by 2020.

Such regulatory compliance costs stack up, and are major impediments to American job creation. In fact, the Small Business Administration recently found American businesses are saddled with more than $1.75 trillion in compliance costs annually. And that number grows at an alarming rate each year as unelected government employees pile on new regulations, including 100 in 2010 and a whopping 218 in 2011 that each have an economic impact in excess of $100 million.

So what can Congress do?

For starters, we must realize that while some government regulation is necessary, government edicts oftentimes have unintended consequences, especially where jobs are concerned. While nobody wants to return to an era where the 2008 financial meltdown can be repeated, or where businesses can dump their waste in whatever river they please, Washington needs to restore a sense of balance to its rulemaking.

President Barack Obama, to his credit, ordered a regulatory review earlier this year to root out job-crushing regulations. He also reaffirmed his commitment to repealing such measures in his recent address to Congress. But we must do more than just identifying bad regulations after theyve already sent American jobs overseas. We need to ensure such regulations never become finalized in the first place.

Thats why Im a co-sponsor of the REINS Act, a bill that would require any executive regulation with an economic impact of $100 million or more to come before Congress for an up or down vote.

The Act would ensure a jobs-focused cost-benefit analysis is performed before new regulations take effect, and would also give individuals and businesses the opportunity to weigh in with their elected representatives.

New regulatory proposals could be improved in the process. And, by requiring Congress to take a stand on difficult issues, the REINS Act would discourage elected representatives from giving unelected federal bureaucrats the discretion to implement such a wide range of new regulations in the first place.

Its this sort of bipartisan, common-sense bill that Washington must embrace if we are serious about turning around this stalled economy. For Hoosiers looking for work and the businesses hoping to hire them, regulatory relief cant come soon enough.

Todd Young represents Indianas 9th District, which includes Clark and Floyd counties. Visit his website at toddyoung.house.gov.

As you already know, President Obama is addressing the nation tonight to unveil his so called "jobs agenda." His two and a half years in office have been marked by speech after speech with little action afterwards. I hope tonight will be different and he will finally work with House Republicans to get our economy moving again.

Unfortunately, early reports indicate that his approach will be the same tired policy that has failed repeatedly in the past: More government spending. You and I know that government cannot spend our way out of a recession. Thus far, the President has acted as though he is unaware that the last time he spent $1 trillion of taxpayer money and called it a "stimulus" we actually ended up with fewer jobs.

Sometimes, though, early reports can be wrong. If the President truly wants to do more than just give a speech tonight, then I hope he takes a cue from the southern Indiana business owners I've talked with and proposes some of the following in order to create an atmosphere where jobs can flourish:

Control Spending: Simply put, businesses know that our current levels of unsustainable spending will lead to future tax increases. That makes them hesitate to add jobs now.

Reduce tax complexity: We have the second highest corporate tax rate in the world. By removing credits and deductions that benefit only a handful of special interests, we can lower overall tax rates in order compete globally and bring jobs back to America.

Require smarter regulations: Some regulations are necessary, but last year alone, the federal government imposed 100 new regulations on businesses with an economic impact of $100 million or more each. We have to stop strangling the economy with new and burdensome rules if they make it prohibitive to grow and prosper.

Open foreign markets to American products: If we want to produce more goods in this country, we need to increase demand for our products around the world. The President has three free trade agreements sitting on his desk that are left over from the Bush administration. If he wants to help our manufacturers and farmers, he should send those to Congress immediately.

These are just some of the topics I consistently hear about from Hoosier business owners as I travel around Indiana's 9th Congressional District. I stand ready to work with the President to address these issues and create more Hoosier jobs. Tonight, I hope he shows he's willing to do what it takes to put Hoosiers back to work, too.

In Service,
Todd

A Hoosier jobs agenda

by TODD YOUNG

My first eight months in office have coincided with the worst national economy since the Great Depression. It’s not surprising, then, that most Hoosiers see job creation as the area Congress should give the most attention.

Accordingly, my top priority this Congress has been to advance policies that will enable Americans to create more private sector jobs.

I figure out what those policies should look like, in part, by extensive travel around our southern Indiana district to learn first-hand about the challenges and opportunities facing Hoosier businesses.

From small business to factory floor to corporate board room, I hear constituents voice a number of recurring ideas about how our federal government can support job creation. As my colleagues and I consider how to kick start this sluggish economy, here are some top priorities of the “Hoosier Jobs Agenda” I will be fighting to implement.

Control spending. Business people know they can’t sustainably allow expenditures to exceed revenues, and they understand that Washington can’t do this either.

As Don Hickman, owner of computer services company ProsLink in Bloomington recently told me, “We know what’s coming. Government continues to borrow-and-spend, then taxpayers get stuck with a bill. That kills investment and job creation.”

Reduce tax complexity. Small businesses, in particular, are punished by our mind-numbing federal tax code. The code has become larded with so many special carve-outs that compliance costs are prohibitive. Too often, we find politicians rather than consumers picking winners and losers. Jeffersonville architect Wayne Estopinal asked me, “Why all the papers? Why so many rules? Why doesn’t Washington reduce special handouts, and allow businesses to spend time on serving customers rather than serving federal agencies? That will make America a better place to start and grow businesses.”

Require smarter regulation. Federal regulation has gotten out of control, and we should strike a responsible balance between important priorities like environmental protection and workplace safety on the one hand, and economic growth on the other. Ken Rush, a longstanding provider of southern Indiana stone and gravel in Sellersburg, told me that, “the feds can’t continue to pile on additional costs through endless paperwork, inspections, and new rules. The economy is already in the tank. We have to restore a sense of balance.”

Open foreign markets for American products. Domestic demand for goods and services is down, but Americans can win new customers overseas. “It’s a no-brainer, especially during a down economy. Washington needs to gain access to foreign markets for Indiana crops,” says Jackson County farmer Brian Thompson.

Exactly.

Washington will, and must, continue to debate particular aspects of our economic policy. But along the way, elected leaders must remember how much agreement exists among those whom we represent: Our fellow citizens who actually create the good-paying jobs that keep America running. Fortunately, I see the chance for bipartisan agreement on some of these commonsense solutions. But if any old Washington hands need a refresher course on job creation, I’ll suggest they listen to the people of southern Indiana.

————

Todd Young, a Republican from Bloomington, is Indiana’s 9th District representative in Congress.

Debt plan is first step to conquer deficit

Last week I cast my vote in support of the debt limit package, the so-called Budget Control Act. It wasn't an easy decision, but I believe that the hindsight of history, as it so often does, will prove that a controversial choice was the right one.

Ronald Reagan's leadership in the final decade of the Cold War serves as an appropriate example.

At the time, Americans were losing faith in Washington, and they had placed their confidence in Reagan, a Washington outsider who wouldn't settle for a business-as-usual foreign policy. He promised to confront the Communist menace -- and put it on a path to extinction.

So when he sent Marines into Grenada in 1983 to stop the Soviet Union from militarizing the small Caribbean island, many Americans were initially unimpressed. The stakes were high, and for many citizens nothing short of total victory would do.

So how does this relate to today?

Many of us would like to see Washington confront our spending and debt problems and eliminate them as quickly as possible. Yes, the Budget Control Act immediately cuts billions from Washington's spending, averts a job-crushing national default, and enacts serious spending controls to impede further recklessness. Yes, it advances the cause of a Balanced Budget Amendment by requiring Congress to vote on the measure. And yes, it does all of this without stifling job creation by imposing new taxes.

But the package is only a fiscal Grenada, so to speak. It is not the bold solution to our fiscal crisis that many of us were hoping for, but a meaningful start -- a single beachhead in a much larger struggle.

For months, I have supported measures in Congress to address our fiscal situation, including an ambitious budget which I helped draft and which earned majority support in the House. The bill would have tamed our national debt and created millions of new private sector jobs. It died in the Senate, but supporters of the plan showed Americans that many of us are prepared to make difficult decisions.

With the Budget Control Act, we have now established that Washington, like every American family and business, must begin to set priorities. We have shifted the terms of our political debate, recognizing we cannot tax our way to prosperity but must find ways to spend less. And we have created the conditions for bolder measures to restore our economic health in the near future.

Soon after Reagan left office, the Berlin Wall came down. His incremental strategy to defeat Communism was vindicated. It wasn't long before all of us were neatly weaving Grenada and other early Reagan-era skirmishes into a larger narrative, a story filled with small wins and modest compromises that ended triumphantly for the American people.

Today, Americans must remain vigilant in this fight to rescue our economy from over-spending. We have taken the beachhead. More battles lie ahead. We must keep our eyes trained on the horizon in the faith that our Wall of Debt will come down.

Young represents Indiana's 9th congressional district.

YOUNG AMENDMENT PASSES

U.S. Rep. Todd Young offered his first floor amendment on the floor of the House, which was adopted by voice vote.

The amendment was to the FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill. It would cut 10 percent from part of the USDA's budget used for "general administration and miscellaneous supplies." In essence, it's non-specific money that federal employees in Washington can use as a sort of gift card or blank check.

In his remarks about the amendment, Young said, "If we want job creators to put Americans back to work, we have to let them know we're serious about cutting unnecessary spending in Washington wherever we can find it." The full bill should be voted on later this week.

Rep. Todd Young joins bipartisan delegation to inspect terrorist detention facilities in Guantanamo Bay

Rep. Todd Young (R-IN), who serves as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, joined a bipartisan delegation on a fact-finding mission to inspect the terrorist detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on Monday.

The trip, led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA), allowed Young to learn more about issues that may come before the committee, to inspect the conditions in which terrorists are housed and to develop relationships with military leaders who may testify before the committee.

There is no better way to collect information and to learn about issues than to immerse yourself in them and to ask questions directly of the leaders most knowledgeable of the subject, said Young. I was very impressed by the professionalism of our troops stationed in Guantanamo Bay, specifically, and with the entire operation in general. It was informative and will greatly help me as our committee begins our work.

While on the trip, Young visited several different camps housing terrorists, each with varying levels of securityincluding the maximum security camp which detains 9/11 mastermind Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed and several other top-level terrorist operatives.

No matter which camp they are being held at, I was struck by the incredible attention to humane treatment these prisoners receive, said Young. Many of them have exceeded the life spans they might be expected to have in their home countries. Even as we collect valuable and vital intelligence from these prisoners that continues to be used to protect Americans and prevent attacks on our homeland, its a testament to both our military and the decency of the American people that they are provided such exceptional care.

Note: Photos from the trip will be available shortly, once our office receives them from the House Armed Services Committee. Media outlets interested in pictures from the trip should contact Trevor Foughty in Rep. Youngs office at trevor.foughty@mail.house.gov or 202-226-6856.

Statement from Rep. Todd Young on health care repeal vote

Rep. Todd Young (R-IN) released the following statement today ahead of the vote in the U.S. House on H.R. 2 to repeal last years health care legislation, and on a resolution instructing Congress to begin working on reform legislation to replace the current law. A video version of this statement is also available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhPsarmwmtI.

Today, I will vote to repeal the health care law, and I have signed on as a co-sponsor of the repeal bill. However, I do not believe that a blanket repeal is the only solution.

My constituents want health care reform, but they strongly support replacing the current legislation with new reforms: Reforms that will lead to economic growth and job creation while respecting the right of Americans to choose coverage that best suits their families needs. Thats why I also plan to vote today for a resolution instructing Congress to begin exploring new options to ensure high-quality and lost-cost health care for all Americans.

Like all Americans, I want to lower the cost of health care and expand the number of Americans who have health insurance. But we must make sure our health care system maintains a patient-centered model of care.

The best course of action moving forward is to repeal the current law and begin anew the discussions to implement meaningful reform. Those discussions should be open and transparent, inclusive of members of both parties, and focused on lowering costs and expanding coverage. The majority of people in Indianas 9th District want the same thing, and Im proud to represent them with my vote today. Rep. Todd Young on health care repeal vote

YOUNG: We must not let Arizona shootings limit input that Congress receives from Hoosiers

> SOUTHERN INDIANA When times are tough, Americans come together. In the wake of the tragic shootings in Arizona, Hoosiers across Southern Indiana have extended our sympathies and prayers to victims and their families.

It is during times like these that our diverse country characteristically unites as one nation, under God.

Just days before the Arizona tragedy, I was sworn in as your new Congressman. It certainly gave me pause to learn that one of my new colleagues, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, had been shot while fulfilling her most important duty as a U.S. Representative: hearing from the very constituents she represents. In short order, that pause gave way to a resolve that my constituents will continue to be heard.

To that end, all 9th District residents should know that my staff and I have been consulting with Capitol Police and local law enforcement to ensure the safety and protection of our southern Indiana congressional offices. It is essential that Hoosiers know they can safely speak their minds as we roll up our sleeves to address pressing national challenges, from job creation to national security.

As our office determines what additional precautions we might take, I keep coming back to one central goal: We cannot and will not let the actions of recent days limit your ability to freely access your government, to provide valuable feedback on the services you receive, or to offer input on the issues most important to you. It is my objective to ensure that, whether you are visiting our offices, attending our town hall meetings, or stopping by one of our meet-and-greets, you will always feel comfortable sharing your thoughts, concerns and questions with me and members of my staff.

The strength of our constitutional republic depends upon the continued existence of a dynamic and free society one where the people themselves directly choose, inform and petition our political leaders. Thanks to regular citizens engaging in the democratic process, this tradition has endured and evolved for 235 years. Along the way, we Americans have overcome many contentious debates, a Civil War, several assassinations and countless economic recessions. But, at every turn, our national character has been proven exceptional precisely because of the direct contributions of engaged individual citizens, who ultimately determine the actions of our government.

The violent acts of one disturbed individual are unlikely to undermine all that makes our country great. Though many of us were shaken by the recent shootings, it would be easy but fundamentally wrong for elected leaders to scale back on public appearances, or to only correspond with constituents by mail, e-mail or telephone. Such actions would unnecessarily constrain one of the unique characteristics of our representative government that makes it truly representative: personal interaction. During tough times like these, we must not shut down the very voices that animate our public debates and inform public servants at all levels of government.

In coming weeks and months, I look forward to seeing and hearing from many of those whom I am fortunate to serve in Congress. In the wake of the Arizona shootings, let us remember that those who were victimized were, in the finest American tradition, nobly participating in our political process. In my view, we can best honor those victims by rededicating ourselves to actively participate in the political process, too.

Todd Young is a Republican representing Indianas 9th District.

Rep. Todd Young signs on as co-sponsor to health care repeal bills

Rep. Todd Young signed on as an original cosponsor to Rep. Dan Lungrens (R-CA) Small Business Paperwork Relief Act (H.R. 4), a bill introduced Wednesday afternoon to eliminate an onerous expansion of tax reporting requirements for small businesses in the health care law passed in 2010.

Congress should do everything in its power to lower the cost of doing businessespecially during an economic recessionso that businesses are able to start putting Hoosiers back to work, said Young. Ive heard from a lot of small business owners who are concerned about the resources that will be required to comply with these new reporting requirements, and Im happy to fight for them by signing on to this bill. By freeing up those resources, we give them more freedom to begin hiring again.

Under current law businesses must report services performed by non-corporate entities, such as independent contractors, on 1099 reporting forms. The new law will require businesses to file the form for every single business-to-business transaction that totals more than $600 in a given year, including basic business expenses such as phone and internet service, shipping costs and office supplies.

Young previously has signed on as a co-sponsor to Majority Leader Eric Cantors (R-VA) the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act (H.R. 2), a bill aimed at repealing the health care law in its entirety in order to replace it with legislation that is built around a patient-centered model.

Additionally, Young has been added as a co-sponsor to the following bills:

Reclaiming Individual Liberty Act (H.R. 21) A bill to repeal the individual mandate of the Democrats health care law

Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act (H.R. 217): A bill introduced by Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) to to prohibit family planning grants from being awarded to any entity that performs abortions