WASHINGTON—House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today announced his candidacy for the position of Republican Whip in the 110th Congress and issued the following statement:

“Yesterday’s election results were a directive from the American people for Republicans to act like Republicans again. We must seize this opportunity to reaffirm our conservative principles, return to Republican unity, and restore faith in the American people in our agenda and ability to tackle the tough issues on their behalf. The Whip will be an integral part of the effort to secure a Republican majority in 2008, and I look forward to fighting that daily fight on behalf of the conservative cause and the American people.”

Blunt will deliver a major policy address at 2:00 pm tomorrow, Thursday, November 9, 2006, at the Heritage Foundation’s Lehrman Auditorium entitled: “The New Way Forward: Refocusing the Conservative Agenda.”

Excerpts of the speech follow:

“We came here to cut spending; instead we have too often allowed it to increase. We came here to reform entitlements; instead too often we have expanded them. We came here to shrink the federal government; instead too often we’ve enlarged it. We came here to promote traditional American values; instead too often we have become accustomed to the values of the elite.”
 

“We need a cultural change in Washington. We need to establish a culture of limited government to replace our current culture of excess.”

“As conservatives we have to summon the will not just to be critical of what is, but to do the hard work of proposing what can be, and nowhere is that more true than in the area of limiting federal spending.”
 
“We have made tremendous gains with our tax policies, for example, reducing taxes on both income and investments and promoting economic growth. We have enacted multiple lawsuit abuse reform bills, curbing class action lawsuits and protecting manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits. And we have begun the tremendous task of securing our borders. In fact, the strong economy and our efforts to defend the country are both proof of the difference between us and them.”

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