WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) today released the following statement on “A Pledge to America,” a new governing agenda focused on addressing the American people’s top priorities. The pledge is the culmination of a months-long engagement with the American people in which House Republicans sought their ideas and priorities for Congress:
“I am very pleased that House Minority Leader John Boehner and his team have taken a bold step forward and outlined the Republican plan for the change Americans are demanding. For the past two years, the voices of the American people have been ignored. Our president and the Democrats have been on the stump talking about change, but statistics show that they have been in a bunker when it comes to creating jobs, stimulating the economy, and improving the quality of life for families across the country.
“The only issue Democrats haven’t been in the bunker on is spending. Over the past two years our national debt increased by almost $4 trillion while Democrats passed a $2 trillion health care bill and a stimulus bill now estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to cost $860 billion. We borrow more than 41 cents of every dollar we spend, but in spite of all this people are still asking, ‘Where are the jobs?’
“Things are more challenging now for our nation than at any point in my lifetime. Americans are worried about our nation’s future and their own personal well being – and this uncertainty reveals itself in the answers to two questions I often ask when I speak to citizens. The first question is, ‘Do you have a better standard of living than your parents had?’ I almost always hear yes. I then ask whether they believe their children will have a better standard of living than the one they have. Most say no.
“As Ronald Reagan said, America is a shining city upon a hill, and the Republican Party refuses to let our light extinguish. It is time to tackle our massive national debt which threatens the prosperity of our children. It is time to support proposals such as a paid-for, multi-year highway bill – a proven job creator – rather than continuing to throw borrowed money at special interests. It is time to honor the will of the people and protect the American health care system. And, it is time to tackle tax and entitlement reform – something I have supported for more than a decade and will continue to fight for even after I leave the Senate.
“Americans are paying attention, and they cannot endure any more of Washington’s misguided agenda. Having heard the voices of the American people, Republicans are well-prepared to move America forward and champion the principles of our Founding Fathers. ‘A Pledge to America’ demonstrates that John Boehner will make a distinguished Speaker of the House – a leader that offers concrete solutions to our nation’s problems, and turns challenges into opportunities.”
P.S. I am thrilled that I will not be here to have to answer to this conservative agenda...
