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Service Academy Nominations

October 16, 2015
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Service Academy Nominations

I would like to remind my constituents that Wednesday, October 21 will be this year's deadline to apply for a service academy nomination through my congressional office.

Applicants to the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and United States Coast Guard Academy must be:

• U.S. Citizens
• Legal Residents of the 25th Congressional District of Texas
• At least 17 years of age, but not yet 23 years of age by July 1 of the year of admission
• Unmarried with no dependents

By law, graduates of the service academies are appointed to active duty as commissioned officers and serve in the appropriate branch of the military for a minimum of five years.

For more information, the nomination packet request forms, please visit my website: /services/military-academy-nominations.

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Three weeks ago, when Speaker of the House John Boehner declared his intention to resign, I wrote that his announcement is "an opportunity for conservatives." I feel the same way today, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to nominate a candidate who will promote a conservative agenda and lead our party with a firm and guiding voice.

Image removed.Rep. Roger Williams: An Opportunity for Conservatives

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/09/27/house-speaker-john-boehner-resigns-congress-conservatives-editorials-debates/72939672/

The following column, by Congressman Roger Williams, appeared in USA Today on September 27, 2015.

Last week, when Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, announced his resignation, I thanked him for his devotion to public service and wished him and his family the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Speaker Boehner's decision to step down has been met with feelings of surprise, worry and even relief. On one hand, some believe that his acts of bipartisanship make him an ideal leader of an institution where deals must be made to achieve results. On the other, there are those who think Speaker Boehner compromises too much for too little gain.
I welcome the speaker's resignation as an opportunity for Republicans to pass the torch on to new management. I see this as our opportunity to advance a strong conservative agenda.

As chairman of the House Conservatives Fund, I work to help elect the next generation of conservative leaders to Congress — leaders who will push back against President Obama's liberal agenda. These are leaders who will fight for pro-business, pro-growth initiatives to encourage opportunity. This is where Republicans stand united. Under this administration, these priorities have taken a back seat to an expansion of government.

One of the biggest problems in Washington is the lack of business experience. There are men and women in power who have never had to meet payrolls, have never counted inventory and have never put people to work. Businesses have to balance their budgets, and there is no reason why our federal government shouldn't have that same obligation.

As a representative for Fort Hood, the most populous U.S. military installation in the world, I have seen firsthand what happens when Washington tries to make our brave men and women in uniform pay for its out-of-control spending. It's not right. It's not fair.

It's time for us to go back to basics. As members of Congress, we must look out for the people who sent us here. I believe we should learn from our past and look to the future. As my father would tell me, our windshield is always bigger than our rearview mirror.

Roger Williams, R-Tex., chairs the House Conservatives Fund.

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Roger Williams Statement on Afghanistan Troop Withdraw

On Thursday, President Obama announced 5,500 troops will remain in Afghanistan beyond 2016 – a reversal of his pledge to bring nearly all troops home before leaving office.

President Obama is slowly learning that his delusional campaign promises are just out of touch with the realities of the world.

From the destabilization of Iraq, lawlessness in Syria and resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, this president is responsible for back-tracking the gains America and our allies had spent more than a decade working so hard to achieve.

If it isn't bad enough that President Obama is publicly announcing our military intentions to our enemies, his capitulation to Iran, coddling of Russia and turning his back on our best friend in the Middle East hopefully provides lessons for future presidents in how not to conduct foreign policy.

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Roger Williams in the News

Burleson Star:Now is the time to mourn for victims

Glen Rose Reporter:Rep. Roger Williams votes against CR, reiterates importance of Jumpstart America

Lampasas Dispatch Record:Congressman Opposes Funding Measure

Fox Business Network: Funding Bill is a ‘Continuation of Problems'

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A lesson in poor leadership

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/a-lesson-in-poor-leadership/article/2573730

The following column, by Congressman Roger Williams, appeared in Washington Examiner on October 9, 2015.

Last week, just four hours after a gunman opened fire inside a western Oregon community college, the networks suspended their news coverage to give the president the airwaves.

The nation, looking for answers, was glued to radios and television screens as new details poured in. President Obama's audience was set. He would have their undivided attention. This was the president's chance to offer guidance and deliver concrete solutions to the American people.

It was his chance to lead. But he took a different path.

"When you decide to vote for somebody, you are making a determination as to whether this cause of continuing death for innocent people should be a relevant factor in your decision," the president said.

As a Texan and chair of the House Conservatives Fund, no one supports the rights of fellow lawful gun owners more than I do.

As a Christian, I am highly offended that the president would suggest that I, or those whom I help elect to Congress, would cower to the wishes of a special interest group at the cost of innocent American lives.

I am offended that the president would place blame on me and my party because I oppose ineffective knee-jerk responses to horrific events. Yes, I disagree with the logic: Make laws first and hope their outcomes work out later.

Instead of ordering a thorough investigation and using those findings to work with Congress to pass realistic and effective reforms, President Obama used this as an opportunity to profit from people's emotions and shove his badly bruised anti-gun agenda back into the ring for another round.

Never mind that an expansion of background checks would not have prevented the shooting in Newtown. Never mind that a ban on the broad definition of assault rifles — which to many antigun supporters, is a firearm that looks scary — would not have stopped the shootings at Virginia Tech, Tucson or the African American church in Charleston.

These realities do not matter to the president. In his eyes, a horrific tragedy involving a gun sets the stage for him to promote his policies.

Reactionary responses fuel passions, but when it comes down to it they are oftentimes nothing more than talking points without substance. As we saw, the most specific idea President Obama put forward was that "we're going to have to change our laws."

Instead of addressing the common theme for all of these catastrophes — mental health — expanding government was his top priority.

President Obama took advantage of a highly anticipated press conference to talk down to his political opponents and prop up the image of his moral compass. It was shameful.

He even admitted, "This is something we should politicize." Well I disagree, and if the president truly wants the help of Congress as he said he did, then he should be working to bridge the divide, not separate us further.

One of the more public criticisms of this president is that he dislikes meeting with members of Congress — even those within his own party. As the executive, it is his responsibility to find common ground with lawmakers to ensure the proper functioning of our government.

If President Obama would take the time to sit down with those of us who are constitutionally tasked with passing the laws, he would discover, regardless of party or NRA rating, that we oppose criminal acts of violence and destruction so blatantly demonstrated last week.

Time and again President Obama has missed opportunities to take the high ground, bring us together and work to produce results that we can all get behind.

Instead this president prefers to point fingers, divide the nation and shift blame for the inexcusable action of an obviously troubled young man.

He would prefer to mock from his bully pulpit in front of the cameras and the microphones in a demonstration of passive aggressiveness that is not suited for any leader, let alone the president of the United States.

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Sincerely,
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Roger Williams
Member of Congress