U.S. Representative Phil Roe from Johnson City plans to meet with republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney this week in Nashville. Roe believes Romney’s campaign has gained momentum and is headed in the right direction with an excellent chance to win. Roe has ideas for the veterans department saying that annual funding cycles make long term planning difficult. He thinks a multi-year cycle instead would eliminate inefficiencies pointing to the Farm Bill and the Transportation Bill which are funded through a multi-year process. He also feels that the idea has bi-partisan support saying that the Bush Tax cuts, the payroll tax cut and a mandated reduction in government services which take effect in January would remove over 600-billion dollars from the economy. These cuts must come from the military, education, energy and other departments that make up about 40 percent of the federal budget not from Medicare and Medicaid. (bg)