Frankly Speaking
An Anniversary to Forget
Jun 29, 2010June 23rd marked the three month anniversary of the enactment of ObamaCare. As Speaker Pelosi stated in March of this year, we would “have to pass this bill” so we could “find out what is in it.” And we certainly have. Over the last three months, we have found out all kinds of things about this bill – and none of them have been very good. In fact, over the last three months it has become clear that seniors will be forced to bear the majority of the burden of this bill through dramatic cuts to Medicare; that the bill is going to cost more than originally expect, topping $1.2 trillion; an
Filed under: Health CareElena Kagan Confirmation Hearing
Jun 29, 2010Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings for President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States. Elena Kagan is the former Solicitor General for President Obama as well as the former Dean of Harvard Law School, and is the president’s second nominee to the high court. While Ms. Kagan is politically experienced and clearly well-connected, she has never once served as a judge and has had very little substantive legal experience.
Filed under: GeneralPresident Obama Must Not Waive Iran Sanctions
Jun 24, 2010The extremist regime in Iran oppresses their people, supports terrorists and terror organizations, and poses a daily threat to the safety and security of the American people. For these reasons, and many more, the United States cannot stand idly by and allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
Filed under: Foreign AffairsNational Tragedy Should Not Be Exploited to Pass Harmful Cap-and-Tax Legislation
Jun 23, 2010On April 20, 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico that set off a chain of events leading to one of the worst environmental disasters – if not the worst – our country has ever faced. The explosion caused three leaks in an underwater oil well, spilling tens of thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico on a daily basis. In fact, at its worst, the government estimates that the well was leaking between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels of oil each day before BP’s latest effort to contain it.
Filed under: AgricultureDrowning in Red Ink
Jun 11, 2010This month, our country reached a staggering milestone – the national debt topped $13 trillion. To put that in perspective, if you were to spend $1 per second, it would take you about 412,000 years to rack up $13 trillion in debt. While the median income per person in 2004 was $23,535, each American taxpayer’s share of the national debt is $118,500.
Filed under: EconomyAmerica Speaking Out: Your Voice Matters
May 27, 2010I am proud to join my Republican colleagues to announce the creation of America Speaking Out. America Speaking Out is a project to create a new set of policies to generate real solutions for the problems our country is current facing – and it gives every American the opportunity to take part in the discussion of exactly how to do that.
Filed under: GeneralTo Budget or Not to Budget That Is the Question
May 21, 2010In 1974, Congress passed the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act. This legislation established procedures for how Congress creates and adopts the annual budget for the federal government. This process allows the American people to see the spending priorities of Congress and also helps to hold Congress to a spending limit. For the first time since this bill was drafted, it appears as though we may not draft and pass a budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
Filed under: EconomyTown Hall Recap: Your Voice Is Important
Apr 16, 2010Earlier this month, I wrapped up another 18 town hall meetings, including stops in Beckham, Custer, Canadian, Lincoln, Logan, Kingfisher, Garfield, Major, Alfalfa, Dewey, Woods, and Blaine counties, and am proud to report I am now more than half way through my annual 50 town hall tour of Oklahoma’s Third Congressional District.
Filed under: EconomyExecutive Orders Cant Change Statutory Law
Mar 24, 2010As they did in the Senate with the ‘Cornhusker Kickback’ and the ‘Louisiana Purchase,’ backroom promises were made to some members in the House of Representatives in exchange for a yes vote on the recently passed health care bill. One of the most controversial was President Obama’s promise to sign an executive order he claims would reinforce a ban within the bill on the use of federal funds for abortions in a last minute effort to assuage pro-life Democrats to abandon their constituency and their core beliefs.
Filed under: Health CareThe American People Deserve Better Than Costly, Flawed Government Takeover of Health Care
Mar 22, 2010The debate in Washington this month reached a level of intensity that I have never seen. People took to the streets and to the halls of Congress to loudly declare in one united voice their strong opposition to the government takeover of health care. And, after fifteen months of ignoring the political minority and the will of the American people, the House of Representatives passed a final version of the legislation. I joined the entire Oklahoma delegation opposing this costly and flawed legislation.
Filed under: Health Care
