Dear Friend,

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 112th Congress. I trust this finds you and your family well.

For daily updates, please take a moment to "Like" my Facebook page by clicking here: .

This Week (Dec. 2 - Dec. 8)

This week, Congress considered a bill to authorize Coast Guard funding, and other legislation. As the so-called “fiscal cliff” discussions continue, be assured that I continue to support solutions that attack the root of Washington’s fiscal crisis: spending and debt. As you hear rhetoric about the fiscal cliff in the days and weeks ahead, remember that the problem in Washington is not that taxes are too low, it’s that we spend too much, and we’ll never solve it  by simply confiscating more of the property of American taxpayers than we already do. For example, according to the president's own budget, raising rates on the top two brackets of taxpayers would increase revenue enough to fund the government for only five days in 2013, a total of $53 billion. We cannot tax our way out of our spending mess.

For a full list of all legislation considered this week, you can review the Majority Leader’s Weekly Schedule.

Key Votes on the House Floor Last Week:
Authorization for FY2013 U.S. Coast Guard Funding
This bill, H.Res.825, authorizes spending for the United States Coast Guard for the coming Fiscal Year. 

Passed by voice vote.

In the District:
On Friday, I served as a guest judge for a chili cookoff at St. Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital to benefit their Salvation Army Angel Tree Fund. Click here for more photos and more details about the event . 

I also hosted a roundtable discussion with small business owners in Lafayette to talk about the possible implications of the fiscal cliff. Many of these hard-working Hoosiers are the very people that President Obama calls “rich” as he talks about raising their taxes – exactly the wrong way to go about addressing our spending crisis. Our massive debt, complex tax code, and the onset of Obamacare are creating tremendous uncertainty that hurts their ability to grow and invest in their businesses and hire more Hoosiers, and I was glad to hear their ideas about how to find pro-growth solutions to the problems in Washington.  Learn more or see additional photos by visiting my Facebook page.

In Case You Missed It

Tribune-Star - 'Fiscal cliff' ahead: Indiana's Members of Congress hopeful agreement will be made

Fox59 - As clock ticks down, Hoosier pleads for life of Afghan man who helped U.S. forces 

IndyStar – Rokita Op-Ed: The real facts about debt, entitlements

Rokita Readings
A clickable offering of books and articles that I've read recently and highly recommend, as we strive together to "Keep the Republic."

Many Rokita Report readers will recall my strong belief and continual referral to "American Exceptionalism," the notion that America is the best country on the planet and "the last, best hope for mankind."  I still believe that and so should you.

In a recent column titled, "Liberal Exceptionalism," Bret Stephens cautioned the President's seeming "American arrogance" as it relates to our debt and spending.  

While I don't intend this as an attack on the President, I do believe that there are many who have arrogantly ignored the warning signs regarding our debt, and continue to do so.  Worse yet, many loyal supporters seem willing to blindly, almost like lemmings, follow that arrogance off the cliff.  

Simply put, we must "Stop the Spending."

Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts in Washington. Take care. 

Sincerely, 

Todd Rokita