Rep. Eric Cantor's blog

During last week's colloquy, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) admitted on the House floor that Democrats have failed to create jobs, with unemployment reaching double-digits since the Democrats passed a $787 billion "stimulus" bill. You can view the video below. Subscribe to "EricCantor" on YouTube for the latest official YouTube videos from the House Republican Whip, including each week's colloquy.

 

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement in response to reports that the Obama Administration was negotiating and agreeing to potential plea bargains with Umar Farouk Abdul Mattallab, the terrorist who tried to blow up a Detroit-bound plane on Christmas Day:

 

"Many Americans are incensed to see that the Administration is treating Umar Abdul Mattallab as a common criminal with the rights of a U.S. citizen, including the right to remain silent, a lawyer at taxpayer expense and a civil trial, rather than an enemy combatant who committed an act of war. The Administration's treatment could afford a murderous terrorist the opportunity to negotiate a plea bargain and a lesser punishment - and that is not acceptable.

 

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy lost 263,000 jobs in September, raising the unemployment rate to an alarming 9.8%:

 

"Since President Obama signed his stimulus bill into law, millions of Americans have found themselves out of work. Every job lost represents a family in economic crisis. Continued job loss does not equal success despite claims to the contrary, and the American people deserve stronger economic leadership. Families across the country are struggling to cut costs and cope with a tough job market, and they see a massive disconnect between that reality and the President's claims of success and continued spending.

 

Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement after President Obama spoke in New York City about America's financial markets:

 

"It is important that our financial markets are sound, and it is clear that we need smarter regulation - not necessarily more regulation. The culture of bailouts must end, and instead of adding yet another layer to the current patchwork regulatory system, we need to bring stability and security back to the market so credit starts flowing again, the housing market is revitalized, and jobs are created.

 

In the five full months since President Obama signed his stimulus bill into law, the number of employed Americans has dropped by 2,261,000, causing the unemployment rate to climb to 9.4%. In January, Republicans devised a recovery plan focused on getting Americans back to work. Instead of working together, the president and his majority party in Congress chose to go it alone, and pushed through a $787 billion spending bill full of pork-barrel projects and low priority programs, paying for it by borrowing from your children and their children.

 

The mushrooming federal debt poses a grave danger to America's prosperity, threatening to plunge our economy and future generations into the abyss of stagnant growth and national decline. But given the reckless way the administration is spending your money, you'd never know that the debt is a cause for concern. Staggering sums of money have been tossed around so casually that the very notion of dishing out "trillions" of dollars is no longer a shock to many in Washington.

 

Republicans believe there are a number of potential areas for common ground to work with President Obama to improve health care for all Americans. Republicans are promoting commonsense reforms that make health care more affordable, reduce the number of uninsured Americans, and increase quality at a price our country can afford -- while making sure that Americans who like their health care coverage can keep it.

  

House Republicans are listening to the American people, talking to doctors and patients, collecting input, and studying and debating ideas. This process has resulted in the broad outline of a health care reform plan that we hope will receive bipartisan support. Our health care reforms are designed to:

 

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the U.S. economy lost nearly 247,000 jobs in July, continuing inexcusable job loss:

 

"The biggest problems that we're facing right now have to do with George Bush trying to bring more and more power into the executive branch and not go through Congress at all. And that's what I intend to reverse when I'm president of the United States." -- Sen. Barack Obama, March 31, 2008

 

To say President Obama failed to follow through on this promise is an understatement. By appointing a virtual army of "czars" -- each wholly unaccountable to Congress yet tasked with spearheading major policy efforts for the White House -- in his first six months, the president has embarked on an end-run around the legislative branch of historic proportions.

WASHINGTON, DC - House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) issued the following statement on the delay of the Administration's six-month report, as ordered by the President's executive order to close the Guantanamo Bay terrorist prison by January 2010:

 

"Closing the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay is a complex issue, and it is incumbent upon President Obama to outline a careful, clear and smart plan to the American people. The delay of the report makes clear that the Administration still has no answers for the millions of Americans that do not support closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and bringing terrorists to America's shores.

 

"And in fact, I know voters in Ohio, just like voters in my state, are now beginning to understand this economy is owned by Barack Obama. This is the prescription that the Obama administration brought forward in January. It was nearly $800 billion strong and frankly, it hasn't worked." - House Republican Whip Eric Cantor

 

Fox News' Heather Nauert: "What is your reaction to Vice President Biden? He's out there in Ohio. He's saying basically give this more time to kick in. Give the stimulus plan just a bit longer."

 

Today, to mark the 100th day since the passage of the "stimulus" bill, the Administration will release a report entitled "100 Days, 100 Projects," that will spotlight progress being made. However, as the "Morning Joe" crew reminded us, that's 100 days, just 100 projects, nearly $1 trillion spent and more than 1 million jobs lost since the "stimulus" passed. Just some numbers worth considering for the day ahead. As for today's schedule, the House is not in session. Now on to the news...

 

GITMO TROUBLES: Pentagon Releases Report Confirming That 14 Percent Of Detainees Return To Terrorist Activities...

 

Yesterday, House Republican Whip Eric Cantor spoke to the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond about the challenges confronting our country from abroad. Please find below his full remarks:

 

Thank you. It is an honor to be here.

The work of the World Affairs Council has always been important. But now, more than ever, the forum you provide for discussion and debate is essential.

 

Today our nation's gaze is focused almost entirely on the economy, and that is understandable. Growing unemployment in so many areas is on everybody's mind. Struggles with credit and housing, and the lack of business and consumer spending erode our sense of financial security and our national confidence.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today issued the following statement to announce that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has joined the National Council for a New America's (NCNA) panel of experts:

 

"I am thrilled to announce that Speaker Gingrich has joined the NCNA's panel of experts. Speaker Gingrich is a man of bold ideas and brings unparalleled expertise in creating real solutions designed to help Americans from all walks of life. As the NCNA continues to grow and develop, its leaders, working with a national panel of experts, will continue to make the case for common sense ideas, policies, and governance for all Americans through a series of forums and online events."

On Sunday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch ran an editorial praising the National Council for a New America. Check out the editorial below:

 

"The National Council for a New America sounded like a good idea. Listen up: It is a good idea."

Hear This
Editorial
Richmond Times-Dispatch
May 17, 2009

"Each time Republicans have tried to put forth a smart plan that includes critical entitlement reform, Speaker Pelosi and her allies in Congress proclaimed it dead on arrival, most recently last month."

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today released the following statement after the Trustees for Medicare and Social Security issued their annual report detailing the worsening financial condition of both entitlement programs:

 

Good morning folks -

 

If tonight's Poetry Jam at the White House features some verses about the Democrat Congress, it may go something like this: Blue Dogs barking, Pelosi interrogation controversy growing, the budget deficit is exploding, Murtha documents exposing and not much changing. As for today's schedule, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Now on to the news...

 

PONDERING PELOSI: What Did She Know And When Did She Know It (Continued)?...

The Pelosi interrogation controversy took another twist last night as the Speaker's team leaked that she did know about the use of waterboarding in 2003 but didn't protest.