Richard Burr Works for North Carolina | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    North Carolinians elected Richard Burr to fight for their interests in Washington, a task he has taken seriously. Richard Burr has made Washington work for North Carolina, here's how:

    Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act

    In 2013, when the government was set to double interest rates on student loans, Senator Burr worked with a group of his colleagues to write the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act. This bill, which is now law, tied student loan rates to the market, dramatically reducing interest rates for students who have school loans.

    Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act

    Senator Burr worked with a bipartisan group of members to write and pass the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act into law in 2014. This landmark law lets families who have a child with a disability save for their lifelong expenses through 529-style savings accounts.

    Funding for K-12 Schools

    In 2015, Senator Burr was the leading advocate in Congress to fix a longstanding inequality in how federal education dollars for teacher salaries are allocated to schools. Because of his work, North Carolina now will receive $24 million more in federal funding to hire more, and better-trained, teachers.

    Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA)

    PAHPA created the framework for ensuring the federal government is prepared to respond to emerging health threats that could jeopardize our national security, whether that threat is from a naturally-occurring source like Ebola, or is man-made, such as a terrorist attack with a biological weapon.

    Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act

    Senator Burr wrote the 2012 law, the Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act, that requires the VA to provide health care to veterans and their family members who have been sickened by devastating diseases as a result of exposure to contaminated well-water at Camp Lejeune.

    Funding for the National Institutes of Health

    In the House of Representatives, Senator Burr supported the successful effort to double the NIH budget in five years. In the Senate, Burr has annually led a bipartisan effort to advocate for strong funding for the NIH. Their advocacy has resulted in a $2 billion increase in funding for the NIH in Fiscal Year 2016 - the largest increase in the NIH budget in six years.

    Bringing new VA Medical Facilities to North Carolina

    Senator Burr has worked to bring 19 VA medical facilities to communities all across North Carolina so that veterans could have better access to the health care they were promised.

    Veterans Choice Act

    Senator Burr joined with Senators John McCain and Tom Coburn to author the Veterans Choice Act which allows veterans to see a private doctor of their choice if they are facing a long wait at the VA or have to drive far to get to a VA medical facility.

    Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

    Senator Burr's Military Spouses Residency Relief Act gave military spouses the same residency rights that are granted to active-duty service members.

    Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act

    Senator Burr crafted legislation to strengthen support for caregivers and attendants of veterans and to help ensure veterans in need of institutional care have the choice of receiving care from a family member at home.

    Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act

    Senator Burr's bipartisan Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 helps protect Americans' personal privacy by taking steps to stop future cyber-attacks before they happen.

    Haqqani Network Terrorist Designation Act

    Senator Burr introduced the Haqqani Network Terrorist Designation Act to require the Secretary of State to report to Congress on whether the Haqqani Network met the criteria for designation as a terrorist organization. After Senator Burr's bill was signed into law, the Secretary of State designated the Haqqani Network as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2012.

    Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016

    The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 continued funding for the U.S. intelligence community so that it has the resources it needs to thwart terrorism, while also making sure there is vigorous congressional oversight of intelligence activities.

    Child Care and Development Block Grant Act

    The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 expands access to child care for low-income parents so that they can go to work and also have peace of mind that their children are in safe care. This law requires that child care providers undergo criminal background checks to ensure our children are in safe hands, and it sets high standards for the quality of care overall.

    Military Sex Offender Reporting Act

    In 2015, Congress passed Senator Burr's legislation, the Military Sex Offender Reporting Act, which closed a legal loophole that had allowed sex offenders who had been convicted under the military justice system to evade registration with the National Sex Offender Registry when they were released from prison.

    Preserving the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)

    Thanks to Senator Burr's advocacy, Congress extended the LWCF for three years. Conservation advocates cite Burr's unwavering commitment and leadership to LWCF as a key factor in this success, stating that Burr "played a crucial leadership role in securing this victory."

    Expanded Tax Deduction for Teachers

    In 2015, Senator Burr offered an amendment that extended and expanded the Teacher Deduction for classroom expenses.

    Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act

    This bipartisan law, which Senator Burr helped write, continues critical programs for seniors, like Meals on Wheels, that help older Americans stay in their homes and local communities longer.

    Advancing Breakthrough Therapies for Patients Act

    The Advancing Breakthrough Therapies for Patients Act expedites the development and approval of breakthrough drugs for Americans who are battling serious or life-threatening diseases.

    Kilah Davenport Child Protection Act

    The Kilah Davenport Act was signed into law in 2014 and required the U.S. Department of Justice to issue a report detailing penalties for child abuse in each state. Additionally, this law increases federal penalties against those convicted of child abuse multiple times in areas of federal jurisdiction.

    Child Protection Compact Act

    The Child Protection Compact Act seeks to protect and rescue children from trafficking by creating "Child Protection Compacts" between the United States and countries with significant numbers of children in human trafficking.

    North Korean Refugee Adoption Act

    In 2011, Senator Burr introduced the North Korean Refugee Adoption Act, which tasks the State Department with developing a strategy for assisting these stateless North Korean children.

    Chimp Haven is Home Act

    Working with Dr. Jane Goodall in 2007, Senator Burr authored a bill called the Chimp Haven is Home Act. This legislation took steps to protect medically-retired chimpanzees living at the Chimp Haven in Keithville, Louisiana.

    Animal Crush Prohibition Act

    The Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act criminalized the creation, sale, distribution, advertising, marketing, and exchange of animal crush videos. Animal "crush" videos are violent, obscene depictions of animal cruelty - often involving young women torturing small animals to death.

    Poison Control Centers

    The Poison Center Network Act of 2013, which became law, continued critical support for poison control centers, including Carolinas Poison Control Center in Charlotte.

    Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act

    The Preserving Public Access to Cape Hatteras Beaches Act helps ensure that North Carolinians can continue to enjoy access to our scenic beaches, while also making sure our coastal wildlife are protected.

    Master Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities

    In 2008, Senator Burr was the lead author of a law that established the Master Degree Programs for HBCUs under Title III of the Higher Education Act.

    Museum and Library Services Act

    The Museum and Library Services Act of 2010 funds services that support museums and libraries in fulfilling their public service and educational missions in our local towns and communities.

    Drug Supply Chain Security Act

    The Drug Supply Chain Security Act strengthened and improved the supply chain for prescription medications in order to better safeguard Americans from counterfeit or contaminated drugs.

    Funding for the Ryan White CARE Act

    Senator Burr has been a strong advocate for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, a program that provides funding for the treatment and care of HIV patients who are in the greatest need of assistance. Senator Burr successfully fought to fix a disparity in the Ryan White program that was shortchanging rural and minority patients who live in the South.

    Elimination of the Residency Requirement for ABLE Accounts

    In 2015, Senator Burr offered an amendment that eliminated the state residency requirement in the ABLE Act. This amendment, now law, ensures ABLE accounts are treated just like traditional 529 accounts, which allow a student or family to have an account in any state rather than be limited to their state of residence.

    Gold Star Wives

    Since 2010, Senator Burr has led the annual effort in the United States Senate to recognize Gold Star Wives Day.

    Honoring the Veterans of the Korean War

    In 2010, Congress passed and the President signed a resolution introduced by Senator Burr that recognized the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War and honored the war's veterans.

    Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007

    Senator Burr worked with Senator Sherrod Brown to introduce and pass legislation to continue the Healthy Start program. Signed into law by President Bush in 2008, the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007 supports programs that partner with health care providers, mothers, and families to improve health outcomes for babies in their first year of life.

    Veterans Dental Insurance and the VA Dental Reauthorization Act of 2016

    In 2016, the President signed into law Senator Burr's bipartisan bill to expand eligibility for that dental program to all veterans who do not currently receive dental benefits from the VA.

• Contact: Jesse Hunt
•     jhunt@burrforsenate.com