Boehner's Weekly Column: "Congress Is On Spring Break After Denying Troops Resources"

Congress is on spring break. Unfortunately, the House recessed without providing our troops on the ground in Iraq the resources they need to stay safe and win the war on terror. The House did, however, approve a budget that contains a tax increase that’s even larger than the one Democrats approved during the Clinton administration.

To be sure, we did accomplish a shared-goal of caring for our men and women in uniform by passing with strong bipartisan support the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act that is a first step to improve oversight within the military healthcare system. We’re all concerned for the well-being of our troops, and we want to make sure they receive the finest care we’re able to provide. The Wounded Warrior Assistance Act makes clear that we take seriously our responsibility to fix problems that exist in the military healthcare system and provide the highest care.

While the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act is a great step for us to take, we’ve unfortunately taken missteps in not delivering to our troops and generals on the ground the support they need to fight and win in Iraq. The President has vowed to veto the war spending bill passed by the House and Senate with timelines for withdrawal, and now that we’ve gone on break, it’s not likely we’ll have a chance to revisit that legislation in the immediate future.

Although nearly 200 Members voted against adjournment, too many more wanted to get out of town for the district work period, which is typically a time to spend bragging about what hard work has been done in the U.S. House. I don’t see how we can boast about denying our troops resources and approving a tax increase that reverses 12 years of Republican tax cuts and pro-growth policies. As I travel through the 8th District this week, I will be talking about the hard work we all have ahead for us.

The last time we saw such a tax hike, coincidentally, was the last time Democrats held a majority in the U.S House. This time around, their budget would raise the tax bills of every working American an average of $1,795. If you’re married, have children or own a small business, you should start saving your pennies now – you’re going to need them come tax day.

As if that weren’t bad enough, one of the first steps the new Democratic majority took in January was to defeat a Republican proposal that would have required a two-thirds vote in the House to raise the family tax burden. The 2001 and 2003 Republican tax cuts have given us months of uninterrupted employment gains; the 2007 Democrat tax increase will put a stop to that.

I remain firm in my belief that we can balance the budget without resorting to tax increases. We must have the wherewithal to put an end to the excessive waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government and start spending our dollars wisely. We also must keep taxes low and promote economic growth. Our continued success in the global economy starts at home – families live within a budget; we should expect nothing less from our government.