Guest blogging: Matthew Robinson
I have been highly critical of Rep. Foxx for her votes in Congress and for not responding to my open letters published in the local press and sent to her office. Recently, I did receive a response directly from her, and I wanted to publicly thank her for answering.
In my letters (see them here: http://www.justiceblind.com/lettertofoxx.html and http://www.justiceblind.com/lettertofoxx2.html) to Rep. Foxx, I asked for an explanation for why she keeps voting for funding for the Iraq war, even though it is not accountable to the American people (especially after voting against spending for Hurricane Katrina reconstruction). I quoted from the Iraq Study Group Report which read: "The public interest is not well served by the government's preparation, presentation, and review of the budget for the war in
And I quoted from David Walker, head of the auditing arm of Congress, who said: "There is no accountability. Organizations charged with overseeing contracts are not held accountable. Contractors are not held accountable. The individuals responsible are not held accountable."
Rep. Foxx responded to my concerns with this (taken directly from her letter to me): "We are in agreement that there should be accountability for all spending by our government, including the military. The number one role of the federal government is the defense of this nation. However, there are differences in the funding for our military and the Hurricane Katrina funding. There are plans for the military funding and there was no plan for the Katrina funding. I have never stated that every dollar spent by the Department of Defense or other department is spent as wisely as it can be spent. However, while I would like to see better accountability, I cannot vote against funding for the volunteers who are fighting every day to allow you and me to live in freedom in this country. One of my main reasons for running for Congress was to use my time and talents to reduce federal spending in all areas. I will continue those efforts as opportunities arise."
In fairness to Rep. Foxx, I wanted others to know that she has responded to my letters. At the same time, I would like to reiterate that I disagree with her stance on
They are fighting in a country that never attacked us, never threatened our freedom, and was led by a dictator long supported by the
Our presence in
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