We must renew the fight for accountable government (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Washington,
Nov 16 -
The challenges facing our great nation today are significant and arguably unprecedented. To date, Washington has failed to adequately respond to these challenges.
President-elect Barack Obama's election symbolizes the hunger for change the American people so deeply feel with respect to national politics - a hunger that transcends party and ideological lines.
At the same time, America remains a center-right country. Americans voted to change the party that controls the White House; they didn't vote to change their principles.
I've urged my Republican colleagues to work with me to renew the fight for smaller, more accountable government, and renew it we must. The election was not a referendum on conservative policies, and its results were neither a repudiation of conservative policies nor a validation of big government. And on many issues, Obama has sketched a troubling policy road map that will be run through a Congress that has been purchased by powerful left-leaning special interests.
Congress' upcoming lame duck session is likely to showcase the fundamental differences that continue to exist between the two major parties. Democratic leaders have proposed spending billions of federal dollars on an auto industry bailout with no promises to address the root causes crippling automakers' competitiveness around the world. This is neither fair to taxpayers nor sound fiscal policy.
Still, having spoken with him, I believe Obama is sincere in his desire to govern from the center and to be a president for all Americans. His party won't always make it easy for him to do this. But when he extends his hand across the aisle in good faith, Republicans will extend ours in return.
There are areas in which I believe significant potential exists for cooperation among Republicans and Democrats. The president-elect has identified middle-class tax relief and enactment of comprehensive energy reform as top goals for his administration. Republicans share these priorities. The president-elect is also an advocate for charter schools and performance pay initiatives that encourage states and local school districts to reward excellent teachers, education reforms supported by many Republicans.
At the same time, there is a danger that the potential for cooperation could be poisoned by divisive actions by Democrats - such as depriving workers of their right to secret ballots for unionizing, or censoring conservative dissent through reinstatement of the so-called "fairness doctrine," or reviving the destructive ban on domestic oil and gas drilling, or nullifying state laws that protect the sanctity of unborn human life - that would be viewed as attempts by the president-elect's party to consolidate power by rewarding its political benefactors, rather than focusing on the priorities of a clear majority of Americans.
Considerable power has been entrusted to the Democratic Party, which now controls two of the three branches of American government. The pressure to overreach will be ever-present. The degree to which Obama succeeds in rising above such pressure will shape his presidency and define his legacy.
Disagreement between the parties on important matters is inevitable and desirable in a democracy. But despite our differences, I believe there is hope for cooperation in the months ahead.
Republicans stand ready to work with Obama for reforms that address the concerns of the American people and reflect their center-right priorities.
John Boehner is the Republican leader in the U.S. House. He is also congressman for Ohio's 8th Congressional 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.
