Pete Hoekstra wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post titled, "The Democrats' Baghdad Two-Step." Rep. Hoekstra writes, “Our country cannot be led by naysayers who slide from issue to issue. The responsibilities of leadership go far beyond what Democrats in Congress are demonstrating today.” Click here to read more!

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Adrian Smith penned an op-ed entitled, "The Other Costs of High Fuel Prices" for the York News-Times. Full of the article is below.

While the recent surge in gasoline prices has impacted nearly every aspect of American life, there are far reaching impacts beyond the car at the pump or even the increased cost of groceries at the corner market.
Senior citizens, especially those who live on low- or fixed-incomes, have found themselves particularly threatened by the rise in fuel costs.
A Los Angeles Time/Bloomberg poll conducted last month found, among those 65 and over, more than two-thirds (67 percent) said the recent rise in gas prices has caused them or their family a great deal of financial hardship.
What’s more, a June 2008 Quinnipiac poll found 65 percent of households with income less than $30,000 a year have cut back significantly on household spending.
Even seniors who do not drive are being impacted by high gas prices. Millions of seniors rely on programs like Meals-on-Wheels to deliver food, support and assistance straight to their door.
These programs in turn rely on thousands of volunteers to make deliveries – and a willingness (and ability) on the part of those volunteers to travel to and from seniors’ homes. With skyrocketing gas prices, however, many volunteers can no longer afford to participate in these programs -- and, as a result, programs have been forced to reduce services to seniors.
The Meals on Wheels Association of America conducted a survey of its members at the end of May 2008, discovering:
58 percent respondents had “lost volunteers due to gas prices”
48.3 of programs indicated increases in gas prices had forced them to eliminate meal delivery routs or to consolidate their meal services.
Several Meals on Wheels providers in the Third District have pointed to high gas prices as a significant strain on their organizations.
Our first responders – those who keep up safe on a daily basis and who are the first on the scene during an emergency – are also being affected.
Police officers and ambulances can’t stop driving and they can’t stop answering emergency calls. Most areas of the country have already instituted steps to conserve gas, such as rigid maintenance schedules, driving slower or cutting other areas of the budget.
Still other cities have mandated patrol cars and ambulances run with their air conditioners off and their windows rolled up when traveling at high speeds to reduce drag. But these are just short-term patches, and if gas prices continue to rise, those who protect and serve our communities may find their options running out.
Despite posturing by those on all sides of the political spectrum, there is no magic bullet to solve our energy problems.
I have long advocated for a diverse American energy portfolio – one in which everything is on the table.
In a few days I, along with House Republican Leader John Boehner and nine other Members of Congress, will travel to Colorado and Alaska to visit facilities on the forefront of efforts to reduce America’s reliance on foreign sources of energy.
Simply put, every source of energy – solar, wind, nuclear, clean coal, hydropower, domestic exploration – should be on the table as we craft America’s energy portfolio. We are learning too well the repercussions of putting all of our energy eggs into one basket. Instead, we need to take an ‘all of the above’ approach if we are to effectively combat high gas prices.

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Paul Ryan released a new YouTube video discussing the urgency for a comprehensive and coherent energy plan. Click here to watch.

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Check out these Member organizations the Policy Committee is currently working with...

The Tuesday Group (Rep. Charlie Dent, Chairman)

The Suburban Caucus (Rep. Mark Kirk, Chairman)

Theme Team (Rep. Jack Kingston, Chairman)

Conservative Opportunity Society (Rep. Steve King, Chairman)

Values Action Team (Rep. Joe Pitts, Chairman)

Immigration Reform Caucus (Rep. Brian Bilbray, Chairman)

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U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland has challenged all 435 members of the House to sign a pledge that reads "I will vote to increase U.S. oil production to lower gas prices for Americans."

Below are the members who have signed:

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.)
Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii)
Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.)
Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.)
Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-La.)
Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.)
Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.)
Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.)
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas)
Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.)
Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.)
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.)
Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah)
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)
Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio)
Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.)
Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.)
Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.)
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas)
Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.)
Rep. Henry Brown (R-S.C.)
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.)
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.)
Rep. Mike Burgess (R-Texas)
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.)
Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.)
Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.)
Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.)
Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah)
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.)
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.)
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas)
Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.)
Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-La.)
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio)
Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.)
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas)
Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.)
Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-Wyo.)
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas)
Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas)
Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn.)
Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.)
Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.)
Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.)
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.)
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.)
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.)
Rep. Thelma Drake (R-Va.)
Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.)
Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.)
Rep. John Duncan (R-Tenn.)
Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Mich.)
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.)
Rep. Phil English (R-Pa.)
Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.)
Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.)
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.)
Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.)
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.)
Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.)
Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.)
Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.)
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.)
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.)
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.)
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas)
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.)
Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Texas)
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.)
Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.)
Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.)
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas)
Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.)
Rep. Dave Hobson (R-Ohio)
Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.)
Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.)
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.)
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas)
Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.)
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)
Rep. Ric Keller (R-Fla.)
Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa)
Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.)
Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.)
Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.)
Rep. Randy Kuhl (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.)
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.)
Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa)
Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio)
Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.)
Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Ky.)
Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.)
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.)
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.)
Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.)
Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.)
Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.)
Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Texas)
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas)
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.)
Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.)
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.)
Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.)
Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-La.)
Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.)
Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.)
Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.)
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.)
Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.)
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.)
Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.)
Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.)
Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas)
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.)
Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas)
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.)
Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.)
Rep. John Peterson (R-Pa.)
Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.)
Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.)
Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.)
Rep. Todd Platts (R-Pa.)
Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas)
Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.)
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.)
Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio)
Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.)
Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.)
Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio)
Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-Mont.)
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.)
Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.)
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.)
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.)
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.)
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.)
Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.)
Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.)
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)
Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho)
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio)
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.)
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas)
Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.)
Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.)
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.)
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho)
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.)
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas)
Rep. Mark Souder (R-Ind.)
Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.)
Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.)
Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.)
Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.)
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas)
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.)
Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio)
Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio)
Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.)
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.)
Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.)
Rep. Jim Walsh (R-N.Y.)
Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.)
Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.)
Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.)
Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.)
Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.)
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.)
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.)
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.)
Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.)
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)

Members who said "No" to the petition:

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.)
Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.)
Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky.)
Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.)
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.)
Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.)
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.)
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.)
Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.)
Rep. Tim Johnson (R-Ill.)
Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas)
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.)
Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.)
Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.)
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.)
Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.)
Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.)
Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.)
Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.)
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.)

NOTE: If your member is not listed, his or her office has been contacted but has not responded.

Post about the petition on The Hill Blog:

http://blog.thehill.com/2008/06/18/congressmen-should-sign-petition-to-increase-oil-supply-rep-lynn-westmoreland/

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Rep. John Boehner discussed the “American Energy Tour” in an op-ed in today’s New York Post: ‘All of the Above:’ A Road to Energy Independence, and during an appearance on Fox and Friends.

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Rep. John Carter has a great op-ed in the Round Rock Leader regarding the need for energy exploration.  Click here to read the full text. 

He writes, "In order to develop a real, commonsense energy policy for the American people, we need to focus on a number of issues.  More than anything, we need to focus our attention on exploring new American energy through drilling, technology and new development.   Congress needs to understand that the path to lowering prices lies not in windfall taxes or gas-tax holidays.  It lies in opening up the vast, untapped reserves that are under our lands and oceans." 

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Reps. Greg Walden and Mike Pence wrote an op-ed for Human Events today.  It is in reference to Speaker Pelosi's "Fairness Doctrine."

They write, "Make no mistake: a return of the Fairness Doctrine would end talk radio as we know it, for religious broadcasters, the right, the left, and everywhere in between. And that’s just what the left wants."

Democratic leaders have not been shy about their desire to stifle free speech on the airwaves. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer, and House Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter, to name a few, are all interested in seeing the Fairness Doctrine revived."
 

Click here to read the full article.

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Rep. David Davis wrote an op-ed regarding the current energy crisis.  It is entitled, "So Close, Yet So Far Away."  Click here to read the entire piece.

He writes,  "When it comes to energy prices, it seems as though we are not a free nation anymore because of our reliance on oil from foreign countries who hate America and hate our freedoms.  The leadership in Washington should stop making excuses for the high energy prices and actually do something!  That is why, I, along with my Republican colleagues in the House, introduced a comprehensive, balanced plan that addresses our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and seeks to curb our sky-rocketing gas prices."

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We Have Moved!

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This week, Chairman McCotter joined fellow GOP leaders in sending a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding the high price of gasoline.  The full text of the letter is below.  Also, click here for an article in The Hill about the letter.

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
H-232, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.  20515

Dear Speaker Pelosi:

Two years ago this week, you stated that House Democrats had a “commonsense plan” to “lower gas prices.”  In light of the skyrocketing gasoline prices affecting working families and every sector of our struggling economy, we are writing today to respectfully request that you reveal this “commonsense plan” so we can begin work on responsible solutions to help ease this strain.

Today, the national average for regular unleaded now stands at $3.51 per gallon, according to AAA, which is $1.18 higher than it was at the start of the 110th Congress – a more than 50 percent increase. In fact, gas prices rose more in the last 15 months than they did in the six years prior to Democrats taking control of both Houses of Congress in January 2007.

In the midst of a slowing economy, falling home values and soaring costs of living, this is a heavy premium for working families to bear.

Americans, particularly those in suburban and rural communities, are paying more simply to commute to work each day. America’s truckers, faced with the prospect of paying $1,200 to fill up a tank that just a few years ago cost $600, must now consider taking less work or going out of business altogether.  We have seen reports of school districts where filling up buses is already costing as much as $70,000 more than originally budgeted.

Once a nightmare scenario, $4 gasoline is now a very real possibility of becoming a summer staple.  In some cities, including San Francisco and Chicago, it is already a startling reality.

We noted with great interest, then, that on several occasions you have announced the existence of a Democratic plan to lower gas prices. In fact, it was two years ago this week, on April 24, 2006, when you pledged that “Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices.”   Just two weeks after that, you stated that Democrats had “real solutions” that would “lower the price at the pump.”

Yet 15 months into the 110th Congress, you have yet to reveal this “commonsense plan.”

House Republicans stand ready to work with you and our Democratic colleagues in a bipartisan fashion to address America’s energy crisis.  As part of that effort, we respectfully request that you reveal the “commonsense plan” to lower gas prices you promised two years ago.  The ability to fully consider its provisions, details and costs – including any proposed new taxes on gasoline or energy as we have seen in the past – is critical if we are to effectively serve our constituents facing ever-increasing prices at the pump.

We appreciate your timely reply to this request.

Sincerely,

John Boehner                                               Roy Blunt
Republican Leader                                      Republican Whip

Adam Putnam                                               Thaddeus McCotter
Conference Chairman                                 Policy Committee Chairman

Kay Granger                                                 John Carter
Conference Vice-Chair                              Conference Secretary

Tom Cole                                                       Eric Cantor
NRCC Chairman                                         Chief Deputy Whip

David Dreier
Rules Committee Ranking Republican

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On Saturday, House Republican Policy Chairman Thaddeus McCotter was a guest on "Meet the New Press" radio program out of New Hampshire. The show is hosted by three bloggers, Doug Lambert, Skip Murphy, and Pat Hynes of http://granitegrok.com/

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Last Friday, House Republican leaders sent Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) a letter calling on her to join House Republicans in endorsing an immediate moratorium on earmarks and to appoint a bipartisan, bicameral joint committee to reform the earmark process and eliminate wasteful spending. The GOP leaders asked Speaker Pelosi to respond to the request by February 1, 2008 – the end of the House Democratic Caucus retreat. In the letter, House Republicans also outlined a series of earmark reform standards they will adopt immediately, including:

• No more “monuments to me.” Lawmakers should not use taxpayer money to fund projects named after themselves.
• No more “airdrops.” The process by which Congress spends the American people's money should be completely transparent. Members of Congress should not circumvent transparency by airdropping earmarks into bills in conference at the last minute.
• No “fronts” (no pass-through entities). Taxpayer funds should not be laundered through “front” operations that mask their true recipients. Members of Congress who request earmarks should put forth a plan detailing exactly how the money will be spent and why they believe the use of taxpayer funding is justified.
• Members of Congress who “secure” earmarks should place these plans in the Congressional Record well in advance of floor votes on those earmarks.
• To improve accountability, Members of Congress should require outside earmark recipients to put up “matching funds” where applicable so that American taxpayers do not bear all the risk for such expenditures.
• The Executive Branch should be held accountable for its own earmark practices. The Executive Branch asks for earmarks, too, and has done so under administrations Democratic and Republican alike. Members of Congress should hold present and future Administrations accountable for the way in which taxpayer-funded earmarks are used.

January 25, 2008

    The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

    Speaker of the House

    H-132, the Capitol

    Washington, D.C. 20515

    Dear Speaker Pelosi:

    The earmark process in Congress has become a symbol of a broken

Washington. Wasteful pork-barrel spending has outraged American families

and eroded public confidence in our institution. Both of our parties bear

responsibility for this failure.

    We write tonight to notify you that House Republicans believe that the

earmark system should be brought to an immediate halt, and a bipartisan

select committee should immediately be established for the purpose of

identifying ways to bring fundamental change to the way in which Washington

spends taxpayers' money.

    In the spirit of bipartisan cooperation fostered by our recent

cooperation on a short-term economic growth package, we offer our hope that

you and the members of the House Democratic Caucus will join House

Republicans in supporting these steps, which are urgently needed to begin

the process of fixing Washington's broken spending practices and restoring

trust between the American people and their elected leaders. We

respectfully ask that you and your Caucus consider these urgently-needed

actions and join us in supporting them by the conclusion of your Caucus

retreat next week.

    In the interim, until a complete earmark moratorium is in place and a

bipartisan panel is formed to identify ways to fix Washington's wasteful

pork-barrel spending habits, House Republicans will proceed with the

adoption of a series of earmark reform standards we will insist that all

House Republican members honor. These earmark reform standards include:

    -- No more "monuments to me." Lawmakers should not use taxpayer money

to fund projects named after themselves.

    -- No more "airdrops." The process by which Congress spends the

American people's money should be completely transparent. Members of

Congress should not circumvent transparency by airdropping earmarks into

bills in conference at the last minute.

    -- No more "fronts" or "pass-through" entities. Taxpayer funds should

not be laundered through "front" operations that mask their true

recipients.

    -- Members of Congress who request earmarks should put forth a plan

detailing exactly how the money will be spent and why they believe the use

of taxpayer funding is justified. Members of Congress who "secure" earmarks

should place these plans in the Congressional Record well in advance of

floor votes on those earmarks.

    -- To improve accountability, Members of Congress should require

outside earmark recipients to put up "matching funds" where applicable so

that American taxpayers do not bear all the risk for such expenditures.

    -- The Executive Branch should be held accountable for its own earmark

practices. The Executive Branch asks for earmarks, too, and has done so

under administrations Democratic and Republican alike. Members of Congress

should hold present and future Administrations accountable for the way in

which taxpayer-funded earmarks are used.

    It is our hope that you and your members will discuss and move quickly

to adopt similar standards during your Caucus retreat.

    The American people believe Washington is broken. Bold action must be

taken to show them we can fix it. We believe the actions House Republicans

are taking today can be a starting point for this kind of change. We hope

that by the end of your own Caucus retreat next week, you and all House

Democrats will join us in supporting an immediate moratorium on all

earmarks and the immediate formation of a bipartisan panel for the purpose

of identifying ways to end wasteful pork-barrel spending in Washington and

bring needed change to the way in which Congress spends taxpayers'

hard-earned money.

    Sincerely,

    John A. Boehner

    Republican Leader

    Roy Blunt

    Republican Whip

    Adam Putnam

    Chairman, Republican Conference

    Kay Granger

    Vice-Chair, Republican Conference

    Tom Cole

    Chairman, National Republican Congressional Committee

    David Dreier

    Ranking Republican, Committee on Rules

    Thaddeus McCotter

    Chairman, Republican Policy Committee

    John Carter

    Secretary, Republican Conference

    Eric Cantor

    Chief Deputy Whip

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Today, US Representative Scott Garrett (NJ-5) once again stood on behalf of our nation's veterans, offering two pieces of legislation, one to expand the federal burial benefit to assist veterans buried in state veteran’s cemeteries and one to allow veterans to have prescriptions from their private doctors filled by the Veterans Health Administration.

The veteran's cemetery legislation enables veterans to receive burial benefits to cover the veteran's spouse and other eligible dependents when buried in state veteran's cemeteries.  Currently, burial benefits are available for a veteran when he or she is buried in either a federal or state veteran's cemetery.  A veterans’ spouse and dependents are eligible for benefits only when they are buried with the veteran in a federal cemetery.  This disparity forces the veterans’ family to bear the burden of financing the burial on its own if they want to keep the family together in a state cemetery. Given that state veterans cemetery space is more abundant than federal veterans cemetery space and that federal cemeteries are often more regional and less convenient to remote areas of the country, families are frequently left without real options.

In introducing this legislation, Rep. Garrett stated:

"In the coming year, our nation will lay to rest millions of military personnel who have risked their lives for our nation and beliefs. The families of these brave individuals should be able to choose their burial based on location, convenience, and peace of mind, not economics. This legislation is a commonsense approach to supporting our veterans and providing them with the best burial options possible."

Rep. Garrett's second bill enables veterans to have their medical prescriptions from their private doctors filled by the Veterans Health Administration.  "After all the sacrifices our veterans have made, we shouldn't make them wind through a maze to get the medical care they need,” said Garrett.  “If a private doctor prescribes medication for a veteran, that vet should be able to fill it using the veterans benefits he or she has earned."

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Senator Barack Obama (Illinois) wrote an Op/Ed piece in this morning's Miami Herald that talks about his hope for a Cuba free from the dictatorial tyranny of Fidel Castro.  While the goal of a democratic Cuba with free elections is an important step towards liberating the Cuban people, Senator Obama's call to ease the embargo against Cuba is not the way to go.

He writes, "We need a clear strategy to achieve it -- one that takes some limited steps now to spread the message of freedom on the island, but preserves our ability to bargain on behalf of democracy with a post-Fidel government."  The idea that the U.S. is in a position to "bargain" for the freedom of the Cuban people is offensive to the fundamental principles of Democracy. 

We as Republicans firmly believe that Liberty is the basis for all of the aspects that lead to American Exceptionalism.  Liberty is not something given to an individual by his or her government, but it is a property that is inherent to all men and women.  Anyone who truly values Liberty and understands what it means to a person could not think of bargaining for that.

Excercising one's Liberty is a zero-sum game: you either have the ability to do so or you don't.  The U.S. should make no concessions to Castro's Cuba until he allows the Cuban people whom he has enslaved for decades to behave as free people without fear of punishment.

Recently, the House Republican Policy Committee hosted author Humberto Fontova to talk about his latest book about Che Guevarra (check out our video links to watch the program).  Mr. Fontova spoke to Members and staff about the brutality Fidel Castro has exerted on the people of Cuba for generations.  Policy Committee Members Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, and Mario Diaz-Balart have been instrumental in drawing the attention of Congress to the United States' savage neighbor who lives just miles off the coast of Florida.

Let us know what you think.  Is easing the embargo with Cuba the right way to go?  Has Castro's treatment of the Cuban people changed in a way that would demonstrate that we could trust him?

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Immigration Activist Deported to Mexico

The Associated Press has a story this morning with a dateline from Los Angeles, California, detailing the deportation of a Mexican citizen who

has been living illegally in the U.S. for several years.  According to the story, she first broke the laws of the U.S. when she entered the country

illegally in 1997.  Having been deported, she then re-entered the country, again illegally, in 2000.  She was arrested again in 2002 and was

"convicted of working under a false Social Security number."  She was supposed to surrender but has been evading the authorities by living in

a church since August of 2006.  She has finally been deported a year later.

The story states that the woman has become "an activist and a national symbol for illegal immigrant parents as she defied her deportation

order and spoke out from her religious sanctuary."  It should be of great concern to the open borders movement that one of their great icons has

repeatedly violated the laws of the U.S.  The issue that should be at the forefront of everyone's mind when discussing illegal immigration is the

fact that those citizens of foreign countries who are here without the permission of the U.S. government and the American people have broken

the law.

A key Republican principle is the sovereignty of the American citizen.  This sovereignty has been invested in the U.S. government which makes

laws on behalf of the sovereign men and women of the U.S. who elect their representatives.  Individuals who enter this country illegally do so

in defiance of the sovereignty of our nation and her people.

This fundamental issue is clouded by the fact that the woman who has been deported had a child while living illegally in the U.S.  Having made

this decision she believes that it is her right to remain in this country with her child.  While family life is the cornerstone of our society it is also

true that we must live with the consequences of our actions.

An interesting bit of the AP story:

 "We are sad, but at the same time we are angry," said Javier Rodriguez, a Chicago immigration activist who worked with Arellano.   

"How dare they arrest this woman?"

Unfortunately, enforcing the law is not an option and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement simply did its part to uphold the

sovereignty of our nation.

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Income-Tax Foes Regroup
Alliance for National Sales Levy Gains With Some Conservatives
Monday, August 20, 2007

The Wall Street Journal has an article about the Fair Tax, a proposal for a national sales tax to replace the complicated and often unintelligible tax code currently in place. 

Fundamental tax reform is a key Republican policy to advance the prosperity of the American people.  Earlier this year the House Republican Policy Committee had some discussions about the different routes to reforming the tax system.  Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (now Chairman of FreedomWorks) who is an advocate of the Flat Tax, which is a proposal for a standard tax rate applied to all individuals, spoke with members during a Policy Committee dinner.

In the House, Congressman Michael C. Burgess (TX-26) has led Flat Tax supporters since he was elected in 2002.  The Freedom Flat Tax (H.R. 1040) would provide taxpayers the ability to chose a flat tax alternative to the current income tax system.  Several House Republican Policy Committee members are all co-sponsors of this legislation.  The Flat Tax aims to treat all taxpayers with equality because there will be a constant rate for everyone.  Additionally, this proposal eliminates forever the death tax, the capital gains tax, the double tax on saving, and the double tax on dividends.  Finally, the Flat Tax reduces the burden on families by eliminating their tax burden until they reach a certain level of income, based on family size.

Following the discussion of the Flat Tax with Mr. Armey, the Policy Committee hosted Denis Calabrese, Founder and Principal of the Patriot Group in Houston, Texas.  Mr. Calabrese is an advocate for the Fair Tax and is Mr. Armey's former chief-of-staff. 

Congressman John Linder (GA-7) has long been an advocate of the Fair Tax proposal and is the principal sponsor of H.R. 25, the Fair Tax Act, which would repeal the income tax and other taxes, abolish the IRS, and enact a national sales tax to be administered by the States.  A number of Policy Committee members support this proposal, which has 63 co-sponsors in the House. 

As the article points out, the Fair Tax would replace the current income tax with a 23% national sales tax on goods and services.  Some critics point out that the Fair Tax would burden low-income families and individuals who spend most of their money on necessities like food and housing, but supporters of the Fair Tax include a proposal that would provide a "prebate" that eliminates their tax burden up to a certain point.  This means that there would be no need to determine whether a good was tax-free or other classification issues that would complicate the system.

Both of these options are consumption based taxes, but they differ in how they are collected.  The Flat Tax is collected when income is earned and the Fair Tax is collected when income is spent.  These discussions were productive and we learned that the approaches to fundamental tax reform vary within the House Republican Conference, but the one thing that everyone could agree on, regardless of whether you support the Flat Tax, the Fair Tax, or something else entirely is that something needs to be done because the current system is broken.

We'd like to know what you think about this issue, so please leave your comments.  Do you support the Fair Tax, the Flat Tax, something else, or leave it as it is now?  What's the best way to present these alternatives to the American people?

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Congressman McCotter receives recognition from a prominent Cuban American blog for his stance on the Cuban embargo issue.

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The Veterans' Affairs Task Force of the House Republican Policy Committee, under the leadership of Congressman Gus Bilirakis, held a briefing today by representatives of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and SOCOM on programs available for wounded service members and their families.  

L-R Colonel Mary Cartensen (U.S. Army), Mr. John Beckett (USAF), Rear Admiral Michael LeFever (USN), Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Mr. James Lorraine (SOCOM), Colonel Gregory A. Boyle (USMC)

As the Global War on Terror continues, the number of wounded service men and women returning home is increasing.  Many of our wounded soldiers are unaware of the numerous programs offered by all branches of the military.  Representatives of the various branches of the military briefed Members of Congress, Legislative Directors, Military Legislative Assistants, and Veterans' Affairs Legislative Assistants on these programs to help them better serve their constituents.

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Congressman Stevan Pearce expressed deep concerns over legislation that seeks to restrict America’s domestic energy production.  The bill, sponsored by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall, would create new and bizarre regulations that would paralyze the country’s energy supply and drive up costs for consumers.

“There is so much wrong with this bill it is hard to see solutions that are workable,” said Rep. Pearce, Ranking Member of the Energy and Minerals Subcommittee on the Committee on Natural Resources.  “Far beyond missing an opportunity to address increasing energy costs, this legislation actively makes the situation worse.  It creates indefensible conditions that would drastically limit our ability to retrieve our own domestic supply and drive us to seek additional foreign sources of energy.” 

For example, many existing energy transmission lines are currently at maximum capacity.  The existing infrastructure can no longer support the growing energy needs of many communities.  To solve this problem, in 2005, Congress directed federal agencies to research and recommend areas to designate “energy right-of-way corridors” to increase the transportation of electricity to communities in need.  In particular, alternative forms of energy, such as wind, solar and geo-thermal, were expected to benefit.

However, the proposed legislation repeals the “energy right-of-way corridors” in favor of additional and indefensibly duplicative studies.  It would delay energy production by an additional 18 months while the same federal agencies conduct the same studies all over again. 

“The bill does everything it can to limit supply, freeze production, raise costs, and prevent efforts to provide alternative and renewable energy,” said Rep. Pearce. “It’s not just oil and gas.  Wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and all other types of energy are restricted in this bill.”

“The legislation exacerbates all the concerns Americans have about high gas prices, reliance on oil, and our growing dependence on foreign energy,” Pearce added.

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Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4

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Congressman Stevan Pearce (NM-02), House Republican Policy Committee Vice-Chairman for Communications, speaks in favor of the Republican Motion to Recommit that would protect Americans who report suspicious behavior.

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See a video of House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter's speech on the Democrats' Budget.

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Check out this post to see a video of House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter's floor speech against the Iraq Withdrawal Resolution.


Part I




 Part II

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Check out this post to see a video of what House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter had to say  about the "Democratic Party's Tax Increase Plan."

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Welcome to the new House Republican Policy Committee blog!  Check back soon for updates.

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