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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=md07ima@mail.house.gov href="mailto:md07ima@mail.house.gov">Congressman
Elijah Cummings</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=kenneth.chrane@verizon.net
href="mailto:kenneth.chrane@verizon.net">kenneth.chrane@verizon.net</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 03, 2013 3:51 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: Website Contact Form Submission From Kenneth
Chrane</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<CENTER><IMG
src="http://cummings.house.gov/sites/cummings.house.gov/files/images/cummings.jpg"></CENTER>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">January 3,
2013</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Mr. Kenneth
Chrane</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">6839 Parsons
Avenue</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Gwynn Oak,
Maryland 21207</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Dear </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Mr.
Chrane</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">:</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Thank you for
your recent correspondence regarding H.R. 8, legislation enacted by the
Congress to address the "fiscal cliff." I appreciate hearing from my
constituents regarding the issues of concern to them.</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The
legislation brought before the House was the result of a bi-partisan
compromise reached through the efforts of Vice President Biden and Senate
Minority Leader McConnell. As the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Congressman John Boehner, essentially removed the House
from the discussions that developed the compromise, House Members had
little formal input into the development of H.R. 8. Instead, we were
asked to vote on the evening of January 1, 2013 – after the country had
already fallen off the so-called "cliff" – on the measure that had already
been negotiated and that had already passed the U.S. Senate.</SPAN></SPAN>
</P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">While I
certainly do not support all of the provisions of the measure brought
before the House, I recognize that this measure was the product of
compromises made by both sides of the aisle, and I believe
that</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">,</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> given the circumstances we faced, the enactment
of H.R. 8 was necessary to ensure the continued recovery of our nation's
economy. In particular, by raising tax rates on millionaires and
billionaires to the levels in place when President Clinton was in office
while ensuring that rates on middle-class Americans will not rise, H.R. 8
enshrines the principle that budget reductions must be achieved through a
balanced approach that requires the wealthiest among us </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">to </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">pay a
fair share. </SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">H.R. 8 also
extends tax breaks critical to working families, including tax credits for
college tuition as well as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child
Dependent Care Tax Credit. Further, it extends unemployment benefits
for the long-term unemployed and it included the so-called "Doc Fix" to
prevent steep cuts in reimbursements to physicians who treat Medicare
patients. </SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Critically,
H.R. 8 does not reduce Social Security benefits, and does not alter the
formula utilized to calculate cost-of-living adjustments for Social
Security recipients.</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The enactment
of H.R. 8 is just one step in our ongoing eff</SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">ort to strengthen our economy. </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Our debt levels are clearly unsustainable and I
believe additional cuts must be made – but they must be made with the
precision of a surgeon to ensure </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">that </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">they do not undermine our continued growth.
H.R. 8 delays the steep across-the-board spending cuts known as
"sequestration" for only two months. Such thoughtless cuts as would
be required under sequestration have the potential to do irrevocable harm
to our nation and indeed to the state of Maryland and, as we turn now to
address these pending cuts, please know that I will fight to ensure that
we continue to take a balanced approach that includes appropriate revenue
measures as well as careful cuts that will not harm our nation's
progress. I will also continue to oppose any reductions to Social
Security as this is an inviolable commitment we have made to our
citizens.</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Thank you
again for your correspondence and please do not hesitate to contact me
whenever I may be of assistance.</SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=Normal-P><SPAN class=Normal-H><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></SPAN> </P><BR>Sincerely,<BR><IMG
src="http://cummings.house.gov/sites/cummings.house.gov/files/images/signature_cummings.jpg">
<BR>Elijah E. Cummings<BR>Member of
Congress<BR></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV> </BODY></HTML>