The Change America Deserves by Rep. John Boehner Washington is broken. You need look no further than $4 per gallon for gas to see how political gamesmanship in Washington is impacting your life. Two years ago, congressional Democrats promised “change” but what we’ve seen instead is business-as-usual.
Just recently, lawmakers in the U.S. House killed an effort to remove from the Farm Bill three special provisions that would benefit a ski resort in Vermont , the San Francisco salmon industry and forest fish in Montana . And congressional Democrats have just introduced yet another tax hike -- $54 billion on small businesses – to bankroll more Washington spending.
I don’t believe this was the change the American people were expecting, and it’s become increasingly clear that the promises made two years ago have been broken. The renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow once said, “Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions.” Middle class families are tired of political rhetoric, tired of politicians talking about what they’re going do and tired of seeing promise after promise broken for political expediency.
Seventeen months ago, House Republicans embarked on a new journey to revive the common-sense conservative principles that built our party up after years in the wilderness. These principles speak to families struggling to make ends meet after filling up their cars, workers concerned about their jobs remaining here and to those who believe that their elected officials just aren’t listening.
We are listening. And we’re responding with an agenda that addresses those concerns.
Health Care: We have to make high-quality health care affordable for middle-class families, and we can do that by offering greater choice and control. We can improve health care quality by expanding the use of health information technology and electronic medical records. And we can give Americans more control over their health care by expanding the availability of tax-free health savings accounts. What we cannot do – and what would result in lower quality health care – is expand government-run health care so it’s run by bureaucrats. Economy: Among the first steps we can take toward a stronger economy is to reject the largest tax increase in American history while offering new tax breaks, eliminating the unfair Alternative Minimum Tax and making the Internet permanently tax free. We also have to level the playing field for our workers by creating incentives and offering tax credits to American industries and businesses. We should strengthen home ownership through reforms that stabilize home values, restore fiscal responsibility in Washington by reining in spending, passing meaningful entitlement reform so that programs like Social Security remain viable and reduce the size of the federal government making it efficient and transparent. Energy: We cannot tax our way to energy independence. We have to be able to produce our own energy here at home, and that begins with getting away from the extreme regulations that prevent us from drilling. But we can’t rely on oil-based energy alone and expect that will solve our problems. We must put in place policies to increase production of American-made energy to include natural gas and coal and renewable sources such as hydro and wind while protecting our natural resources. Nuclear energy has come a long way since the late 1970s, and we should increase our investment in this energy source that is safe, carbon-free and environmentally friendly. The investments we make in American-based energy will create jobs here at home, further strengthening our economy. Security: Security threats don’t just come from foreign terrorists. While we must remain vigilant against radical groups that want to destroy us, we must also focus on threats here at home. We have to crack down on gangs in our communities and protect our children by combating the drug epidemic. In addition to imposing tougher penalties on drug traffickers, we must combine state-of-the-art technologies with old-fashioned American muscle to secure our borders and ports to stop the flow of both drugs and illegal immigrants into our nation. House Republicans have already offered legislation to provide for environmentally-safe energy exploration here at home, reduce the tax burden of middle-class families and stop the public funding of lawmakers’ pet projects. We will continue to offer the American people the kind of changes they want. We are offering real solutions – not slogans – for the challenges our families face every day. Together, we can deliver the change American families deserve.
Boehner represents Ohio ’s 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County . He was first elected to Congress in 1990.
