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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>
<DIV align=center>
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=700>
  <TBODY>
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    <TD align=left><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">
      <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>