Committee On

Oversight & Government Reform

OP-EDs


November 28, 2012
New STEM visa law could transform U.S. economy

For years, foreign students have come to the United States seeking the benefits of the first-class, world-class higher-education systems we offer. They receive the STEM skills they need to revolutionize industries, transform economies and create an untold number of jobs.
Yet our broken visa system has exported those skills and jobs out of the United States allowing other nations to benefit from the education these students received here. Continue reading

November 14, 2012
Making Government Suck Less

My job as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is to innovate government and hold it accountable to taxpayers. Reform is inherently disruptive, and often demands speaking unpleasant truths to the powerful in Washington. That’s why, just before taking the stage at the PDF, I announced contempt charges against Attorney General Eric Holder for stonewalling the investigation of Operation Fast and Furious. A shocking contrast? To some in the crowd, probably. But since joining the fight to stop SOPA in Congress, I’ve had many head-spinning days like this. Continue reading

September 20, 2012
Crafting 21st Century Information Technology Reform

The federal government currently spends $81 billion each year on information technology, yet its use and deployment of IT is full of duplication and failure. At a time when we are facing record deficits and our national debt has exceeded GDP, it has never been more important for government IT acquisition to maximize the American taxpayer’s return on investment, reduce operational risk and provide value to citizens. Yet, because of the antiquated way the government defines its requirements and acquires IT, we are wasting billions of taxpayer dollars each year on failed programs. Continue reading

September 18, 2012
Declaration of Internet Freedom

The Internet is essential to life in the 21st century. The way we do business, communicate and live our lives now largely depends on being able to get online. Ensuring the freedom to access and use the Internet has become a bipartisan priority. Continue reading

July 23, 2012
New NRC chairman can learn from predecessor’s mistakes

Last week marked the end of Gregory Jaczko’s controversial reign as Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This departure is woefully overdue. For far too long, his misconduct undermined the credibility of the NRC and distracted from the agency’s important work. Continue reading

June 15, 2012
It’s time to unburden business owners of federal regulations

It has been said before and it remains true: Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Yet the Obama administration continues to bury American job creators with more and more red tape, and businesses are struggling to keep up. Continue reading

March 23, 2012
Job Creators Brace for ObamaCare Impact

The reality is that the president’s partisan health care overhaul, passed without any Republican votes, is directly contributing to the nation’s unemployment problem. As regulators busily codify rules, employers are scrambling to figure out how to survive the plethora of mandates and taxes sprinkled throughout the nearly 3,000-page law. And its worst provisions have yet to be enacted. Continue reading

March 5, 2012
Distorting The Debate Of Religious Freedom

Let’s make something perfectly clear: I support a woman’s right to use contraceptives. I don’t question whether women and men have a right to use contraception — I believe they do. This is not about religious freedom versus contraception but about religious freedom versus unconstitutional mandates. Continue reading

March 1, 2012
Obama Hasn’t Learned on Spending

Three years later, it’s time to declare President Barack Obama’s $800 billion stimulus a failure. The stimulus may have the distinction of being the most money wasted by a piece of legislation in history. The question now is: How did this administration get it so wrong, and what have they learned from their mistakes? Continue reading

February 3, 2012
Common Sense Can Win the Day with Bipartisan Repeal of CLASS

This week, the House of Representatives moved further towards repealing the largest gimmick in President Obama’s health care law, the…