Rep. Jordan Op-Ed: A Conservative Majority
National Review,
Dec 1 -
By Congressman Jim Jordan
Second chances are rare in life. They are even rarer in politics.
When the American people soundly rejected the big government liberalism of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi at the polls, they cast a cautious eye on Republicans and gave us one more chance to do what we promised.
The American people have never been more ready for the fiscally responsible measures needed to get our economy back on track. When 242 House Republicans take office in January, it is critical that we immediately show the American people that we listened to the message they sent in November.
Our first priority must be to undo any tax hikes that Democrats allow in the lame-duck session. These tax hikes will rob prosperity from American families, shutter small businesses, and kill jobs.
Second, we must immediately begin working to repeal Obamacare. If a full repeal falls victim to a presidential veto or Senate inactivity, House Republicans must be committed to dismantling and defunding it piece by piece until we have a Senate and a president committed to full repeal.
The House must then cut federal spending, balance the budget, and begin paying down the debt in order to restore American prosperity. I have offered the Republican Study Committee’s balanced-budget bill for the past two years, and I believe the new group of incoming House Republicans will be receptive to our efforts to rein in out-of-control federal spending once and for all.
President Obama recently said that he would be willing to entertain Republican spending ideas that he deems to be “responsible.” But to the president’s dismay, most Americans would say the only “responsible” approach to governance is to not spend more money than you take in.
Out-of-control federal spending robs private-sector prosperity. It squeezes private sector entrepreneurism and innovation, threatening to shackle future generations with an America that is less prosperous and free. Voters have given us Republicans one more chance to right the ship, and the time to act is now.
Dick Armey has a great line. He says, “When we act like us, we win … and when we act like them, we lose.” He is absolutely right. Republicans must keep their promises, and the American people must hold us accountable, to ensure that our new Republican majority governs as a conservative majority.
Online: National Review
|
