Boehner Column: "August Break May Provide Cooling Period"

Congressional approval ratings are at an all-time low, and if I was outside this esteemed body watching recent events, I would be inclined to agree. Massive tax increases on working families and that threaten good jobs. Benefits that should only go to American citizens given to illegal immigrants. Slashing Medicare for our seniors to expand government-run health care that limits freedom and quality for those forced to use it.

The list goes on and on. What’s been clear in the past few weeks is that the majority is putting politics ahead of policy and seeking every opportunity to raise taxes on working families. I’m proud that Republicans have stood united against the tax increases in the Farm Bill that threaten jobs in Ohio and against legislation that expands government-run healthcare and slashes Medicare benefits to our seniors.

Our unity has led to the House re-instating Republican earmark reforms that require lawmaker-requested projects in spending bills be disclosed and made available for challenge on the House Floor. Republicans have also passed 15 Motions to Recommit (a technical, legislative term that means a bill will be sent back to the committee of jurisdiction to make changes) to strengthen legislation to, for example, affirm the authority of local school boards and to set up an automated system to screen people entering the country.

We’re keeping our promises; the new majority isn’t.

The House erupted in a melee late last week over a measure that would grant taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal immigrants in the bill authorizing federal agriculture spending. Money that could be going to help our farmers and provide nutrition assistance to low-income American families would be siphoned off to provide welfare for illegal immigrants. I don’t agree with this. And I think it’s just one of many bad ideas that have been presented to the House this year.

Republicans won a very close vote that would send the agriculture appropriations bill back to committee to rewrite it to prohibit taxpayer-funded benefits from going to illegal immigrants. But confusion arose when the majority party ignored the results of the vote and declared that our measure had been defeated. In the aftermath of this situation, Democratic leaders agreed to a Republican proposal to establish a special bipartisan committee to investigate what happened.

Aside from the heavy-handed tactics used to silence the minority in the House, I was pleased that we approved legislation closing a loophole in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) so that we can listen to terrorists in foreign countries plotting against us. This legislation that the President has already signed into law will modernize FISA to keep up with ever-advancing technology to ensure our continued safety. This fix lasts for only 180 days, though, and Republicans will fight to make this solution permanent when Congress returns from the August break.

There are devastating consequences for American families, small business and seniors because of the legislation pushed through the House over the past seven months. Our freedom and security are at risk, subjected to death by a thousand cuts by a legislature that believes the answers to our problems lie in bigger government and higher taxes.

We know that we can’t solve our challenges in healthcare, retirement security and education by taking more money from hard-working Americans and limiting their freedoms. The size and scope of the federal government is being expanded by reaching into the pockets of these hard-working families.

It is my hope when we return from the District Work Period that some of the tension that boiled over in the House last week have cooled down, and we can work together to keep America safe, stop tax increases on working families and continue to see progress in winning the Global War on Terror.

It is my hope that when we return from the August break some of the tension that boiled over in the House last week have cooled down, and we can work together to keep America safe, stop tax increases on working families and that we will continue to see progress in winning the Global War on Terror.