Washington, D.C., Sep 10 -

By Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)

As I prepare to go back to Washington after a month listening to folks here in the District, I keep reflecting on the one word I heard the most during my travels and visits with many of you: “uncertainty.” And during my District travels, I came across a quote from President Ronald Reagan that seems to fit the times: “The American spirit is there, ready to blaze into life if you and I are willing to do what has to be done.”

Many of you have expressed uncertainty about the direction of our economy and are yearning for a new approach that will bring stability and growth to our economy, while unfettering the entrepreneurial spirit that makes our country great. You understand that government does not create jobs and sometimes stifles our entrepreneurial spirit. Government can lay the groundwork that fosters entrepreneurial job growth, but it cannot create jobs.

You told me that the continued taxation and regulation forced on our small business people by the leadership in Washington is generating uncertainty. Your businesses want to expand, but the threat of huge tax increases and new regulations are keeping you from doing just that.

You also made it clear that we have to get our fiscal house in order to ensure that we do not leave a legacy of unsustainable debt for our children and grandchildren. Folks across the District understand that the debt explosion fueled by a dangerous spending spree has a personal impact on all of us.  According to the Congressional Budget Office and Census Bureau long-term estimates, the amount of debt placed on the backs of children born today is about to explode.  Over the next 40 years, estimates predict that spending will cause the debt held by the public to increase by 859 percent for every U.S. citizen. Children born today start off live with a personal share of our nation’s public debt equaling $29,178.

As part of my ongoing efforts to limit government spending and growth, I will continue to be an advocate for a balanced budget amendment, support efforts to stop raising the debt ceiling and work to significantly reform the earmark process. I have not requested earmarks because the process is broken and taxpayers like you need to see upfront who is requesting earmarks and for what purpose.

President Reagan is right that the American spirit is there and ready to help grow our economy. As your voice in Washington, I will take all that I’ve heard from folks across the District over the last month and work with members on both sides of the aisle on policies that will unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of our great country. I will continue to work to balance our nation’s budget, keep spending down and do my best to get the government out of the way of real, lasting economic growth.