Op-Eds

Like those in the community, I understand how important of a facility Fort Knox is to the region, the Commonwealth, the Army, and the country. Taxpayers have invested a quarter of a billion dollars over the last decade into Fort Knox and the surrounding region. Those infrastructure investments have only further strengthened Fort Knox's prominence as a first-class installation with state of the art training facilities, access to road, rail and air transportation, and energy efficiency upgrades never before seen on a defense installation. Fort Knox also holds a special place in my heart personally, as I trained there as a cadet in the Army.

For the last five years, I have been a champion of reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)and have highlighted the critical role these programs play in lifting workers into the middle class. This week the House is planning to vote on a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to reauthorize WIA. This will be the first re-authorization of these important programs in more than 15 years.

The REBUILD Act is essentially a "top-10 list" that highlights a few key items that could be done to stimulate the manufacturing industry and increase our competitiveness with foreign manufacturers. Provisions included in the bill seek to: redesign workforce training, make the R&D; tax credit permanent, achieve comprehensive tax reform, expand access to our federal oil and gas resources, prevent costly and unnecessary EPA regulations, repeal Obamacare, make health insurance portable, renew Trade Promotion Authority, reform export control policy and open up more spectrum to industry to encourage innovation.

It's really that simple.

To prevent this train wreck from hitting families and small businesses, I have joined with my colleagues in the House to support two pieces of legislation that would delay these crushing mandates.

Our great nation is facing some tough challenges. My friend and colleague Congressman Paul Ryan (WI-01) often says we have a choice of two futures. I could not agree more. We can continue the disastrous policies the current Administration is pursuing, suc

Friday, July 27 is Stop the Tax Hike Day, a day dedicated to preventing tax hikes and highlighting the larger need for comprehensive tax reform. Having worked at my family's small business, I understand the challenges that other small businesses and j

Contrary to some people's thought, this expansion is not free money. In a few short years, the state's share will grow to 10 percent of the total cost for these newly eligible beneficiaries. Other provisions in the health care law will already c

Sequestration spending cuts went into effect March 1 and with them came concerns about the future of our military.

In 1982, I was a senior in high school and can vividly remember coming home to see my dad and several of our family friends around our kitchen table. It was a memory that would stick with me for life, but for all the wrong reasons. They had all just been

As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee, I have voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and participated in dozens of hearings that revealed astronomical costs, billion-dollar slush funds, and countl

There seems to be a huge disconnect between rural, hard-working Kentuckians and the bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA.)

Congress has an opportunity this week to make a historic decision that would permanently change the culture of spending in Washington. Our nearly $15 trillion of accumulated debt is a threat to our nation's economic recovery, our national security and

I watch the work of our service men and women with admiration, and I am continually grateful for their bravery. Our country is fortunate to have such exceptional individuals.

Sadly, our nation is facing a spending-driven debt crisis that was entirely preventable. Our $14 trillion deficit is a national security risk that holds our entire economy, as well as the health and welfare of future generations, hostage. We must put our

Last week the Department of Labor announced that Kentucky's unemployment rate fell below 10%. While there were mixed reactions to this news, I stand firm that we must do a better job to get our economy back on track.

Every two years, Members of Congress take a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution, and we are reminded of our responsibility to protect the future of our nation, no matter how difficult the decisions.

As my first term in Congress comes to a close, I have become all too familiar with the gridlock, political games and "gotcha" politics that have become commonplace on Capitol Hill. Fortunately, the American people are now more aware of the broken, "busin

I have been in office for 18 months, and since then all Washington has done is spend trillions of dollars expanding the federal government, all while millions of Americans have lost their jobs, and our unemployment rate has reached nearly 10 percent.

We are facing real problems in our country right now. While other countries are saving, investing and building, the United States is spending, borrowing and patching.

The debate in Congress and at town hall meetings across the country is over how best to find new, real-world solutions that will again make America competitive in the global economy.

We are facing real problems in our country right now. While other countries are saving, investing and building, the United States is spending, borrowing and patching.

One month ago was Tax Day - the day that hardworking Americans sent their money to Washington. And since taxes claim almost 27 percent of the average American's income, most individuals worked the first three months of this year just to pay them.

Last week, President Obama signed into law a health care reform bill that was trumpeted by some as the cure for our country's ills.

It was clear from watching President Obama's Health Care Summit on Thursday that while the American people strongly oppose the comprehensive plans the president and Congressional leadership have proposed, there are numerous areas where nearly every me

Fiscal sanity needs to start today. Americans around the country have been forced to make tough decisions. It is time we do the same in Congress. After hearing President Obama's speeches last week, I was hopeful that his words would be met with si

Happy New Year! This is the time of year when many of us make New Year's resolutions. I hope the majority in Congress makes a resolution to begin working together on behalf of the American people.

The National Mall in Washington, D.C. receives 24 million visitors from all over the world who come to view the monuments that represent America's history.

‘Dramatically increasing the role of the federal government in controlling waters on private property would produce dire consequences for Americans'

In June, I visited Guantanamo Bay and saw firsthand how this facility operates. The individuals held there are directly linked to al-Qaeda and pose a great threat to the United States.

While many are focused on fighting the government takeover of the health care system, a lesser-known bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week that paved the way for a government takeover of the student loan industry.

As you know, spending in Washington is out of control. Many people joke that economists shouldn't tell the majority leadership what comes after a trillion because they will find a way to spend it. The American people are tightening their belts durin

During a recent telephone town hall, a constituent from Bowling Green told me, "Being a two-time cancer survivor, and possibly having it for a third time, I'm very concerned about health care reform. I know money is tight for everyone right now, but

As the cost of gas and home utility bills rise, Kentucky families are dealt an even greater economic hardship than they are already facing. We must be committed to a plan that leads to energy independence, more jobs here at home, and a cleaner environmen

Over the past year, millions of Americans have watched the value of their 401(k)s, college savings plans, and other vital savings accounts plummet. In fact, a poll commissioned by National Public Radio last week found that the number-one economic issue o

America is in the middle of a serious recession that is hurting working families and small businesses. Now, more than ever before, we need to work across party lines to put our country back on a path toward economic growth.