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SUNDAY MARKED THE 10th ANNIVERSARY OF THE 9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS. A lot has happened in the ten years since.  Fortunately, we have stayed on offense all along—thanks to the nation’s civilian and military leadership, the intelligence community, law enforcement and the constant vigilance of the American people. 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, WAS A TURNING POINT FOR THE NATION. The threat of global terrorism took new form that day.  America’s national security structure, from our defense forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, to community police departments across the country, has been effective and continuously evolving.  There has not been an attack on American soil since 9/11—a testament to our success against a determined enemy. 

MILLIONS OF MILITARY FAMILIES HAVE DONE THEIR PART.  Soon after 9/11, I joined the Marine Corps and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  Throughout my time in uniform, I was fortunate to meet many great and unforgettable people who understood the complexities of our mission and were motivated by the same purpose.  These are the type of men and women who represent today’s military, across all service branches.  And standing behind them are their families, showing endless love and support.  To these men and women, and their families on the home front: THANK YOU.

COUNTER-ROADSIDE BOMB SOLUTION STILL NEEDED IN AFGHANISTAN.  Last week, my amendment to the National Intelligence Authorization Act, requiring a coordinated plan to reduce roadside bomb incidents in Afghanistan, passed the House.  Read more here.      

THERE IS A NEW JOBS PROPOSAL FROM THE PRESIDENT, outlined last week during an address to a joint session of Congress.  The President is in the process of transmitting draft legislation to Congress.  Once received, the plan will immediately go to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate.  In the process, lawmakers will start reviewing the particulars to determine what parts of the plan—if not the proposal in its entirety—will be debated and voted on by the House. 

GOOD PARTS, BAD PARTS.  Based on what the President said, certain aspects of the plan stand a far better chance of moving forward than others.  Promising pieces include tax relief for small business, regulatory reform and certain infrastructure spending.  Less attractive parts include initiatives that amplify deficit spending, project more government intervention and restrain private sector expansion.  Regardless, I’m eager to review the President’s plan.

HESITATION WITH THE PLAN IS BASED ON CONSISTENTLY LOW JOB GROWTH.  The Department of Labor’s latest employment figure was a disappointment.  For the month of August, the economy created ZERO net jobs.  This report is the latest in a string of consecutively low or underwhelming reports.  

TURNING AROUND THE ECONOMY IS ONLY POSSIBLE WITH A GROWING JOB MARKET.  Adding more government jobs won’t get us there.  The same goes for more spending.  A plan is desperately needed to encourage sustainable job growth—something that starts with breaking down costly regulations, which the President rightly cited in his speech, and providing the right combination of relief and incentives to private-sector job creators.    

REGULATION BY THE NUMBERS: There are currently 4,257 regulatory actions under development--more than 300 from the year before.  Of these, 219 are considered "major" and come at a cost of more than $100 million a year.  Since 2009, 47 "major" regulations have been added to the list.          

JOBS BY THE NUMBERS: The President can immediately save or create a minimum of 200,000 to 340,000 jobs by cutting back regulations.  Some examples: 1) 19,000 oil workers can return to work by lifting the moratorium on oil drilling leases in the Gulf.  Ten drilling platforms have already left the Gulf for other countries;  2) 60,000 to 200,000 jobs could be lost to the Environmental Protection Agency’s new Boiler MACT rules; 3) 100,000 jobs are set to be cut under the EPA’s rules on coal ash; 4) 20,000 jobs stand to be lost by new regulations on the cement industry; and 5) 2,000 jobs are at risk due to the National Labor Relations Board’s lawsuit against Boeing to stop plant construction because South Carolina is a "right-to-work" state.  
   
PUT BORDER SECURITY FIRST.  My latest commentary in Politico emphasizes the need to make border security a priority, before doing anything else on immigration.  Still, I’m opposed to amnesty in any form.  Reform should instead focus on implementing mandatory workplace verification, improvements to the visa entry system and approval process, and other things.  Read my commentary here.