Porter defends record to Sun City Anthem Republicans

Congressman Jon Porter headlined a caucus-training event for residents of Sun City Anthem Saturday, the Las Vegas area’s second-largest age-restricted community.  Porter spoke for about an hour before the training began and used the time to both defend his record and attack the record of “the Pelosi Congress.”

 “There’s only eleven percent support for the Nancy Pelosi Congress,” said Porter.  “Doesn’t surprise me, when all we’re doing is renaming post offices.  What are we accomplishing?  Nothing.”

Porter discussed a number of important issues that had come before Congress, including comprehensive immigration reform, which had died in the Senate, a minimum wage increase which Porter said he “voted against the first time” and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program or SCHIP, which Porter had opposed until “significant improvements” were made.

Porter’s biggest complaint against the current Congress was in the area of tax policy, where Porter accused Pelosi of already passing the “largest tax increase in the history of our country.”

“A $300 or $400 billion tax increase was passed in April.  I voted against it.  I put in amendments to try to save some of the tax incentives, the tax breaks.  This Congress today, their goal is take away many of the tax breaks that the Bush administration and the Republican Congress put in place.”

Porter’s speech was at a meeting of the Sun City Anthem Republican Special Interest Group or SIG.  Sun City Anthem is an age-restricted retirement community of well over 6,500 households in the southern portion of Porter’s district. 

This was the third Republican caucus-training event Porter has attended.  After his speech, the congressman was unwilling to estimate Republican turnout for the Jan. 19 caucus, but said he expected it to be “better than average.”

“I think it’s a little bit early to tell,” said Porter.  “We’re really organized right now.  We were behind the Democrats and I think we’re catching up real fast.  By the way, I applaud the Democrats for starting this.  It’s been a good thing for Nevada.”