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As Congress returns from the Memorial Day recess, there remains much to be done on behalf of the American people. While some of these challenges may be difficult, I hope my fellow colleagues and I can come to a consensus on the importance of advancing legislation that is vital to American prosperity and safety.
First and foremost, Congress must immediately pass a clean emergency supplemental funding bill to ensure our troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan have the resources they need. Further delay threatens the military's ability to pay the brave men and women in uniform as well as to continue protecting American families. Unfortunately, some chose to attach billions in unrelated spending to the supplemental bill that was brought to the floor two weeks ago. This bill had no chance of becoming law, and it cost us valuable time. I look forward to passing a clean troop funding bill as soon as possible. While there are immediate concerns with the rise in energy prices, I am calling on my colleagues to join many of us in advancing energy legislation that have realistic short-term and long-term strategic goals. When prices rise due to increasing demand and limited resources, there are really only two solutions: either increase production or shift our reliance off of oil and onto alternative and, hopefully, renewable sources of energy. For too long, there has been a battle in Washington between those who want to explore for more oil here at home and those who want to put our entire focus on developing new, alternative fuels. Seeing as neither approach will solve our energy crisis on its own in a timely manner, I am urging my fellow members of Congress to do both. After all, we are capable of tapping into oil and natural gas reserves here at home that could in the more immediate future start to wean Americans off of such a high dependence on foreign sources of oil. However, that will only so do much. We must simultaneously dedicate ourselves to developing alternative energy sources for the long-term as well as continuing to incentivize conservation across the board. Tax credits for hybrid vehicles and the construction of energy efficient homes and businesses are a positive way to solicit the help of all Americans in building a stronger energy future for our nation. Lastly, Americans are still feeling the pinch from an obvious slowdown in economic growth in this country. The effects of a deflated housing bubble as well as careless and perhaps predatory borrowing and lending practices have taken their toll on the overall economic mood. However, as a small government conservative, I believe the government's response should always be first to do no harm. The tax rebate checks that are arriving in mailboxes all across the country should provide a limited but suitable boost to the economy in the short-term. In the long-term, Congress must support economic policies that have a proven track record of growing the economy and creating jobs - namely keeping taxes low. Americans should be allowed to keep more of their hard-earned dollars to spend as they see fit. This is especially true for our small business owners who are the cornerstone of American prosperity. They can be significantly harmed by these supposed tax hikes on the "wealthy." After all, a small business owner who files his business tax returns as personal income is not necessarily a multi-millionaire even if his business is successful. Lower taxes need to be coupled with responsible government spending and a concerted effort to strengthen the dollar. The American people deserve a government that is more efficient and more respectful of their wallets. There are vital programs and priorities we must address, but for each dollar we spend there should be a cost-benefit analysis. These initiatives will not only put the government on a positive and proactive footing, but it will go one step further toward earning the respect of the American people.
Very truly yours, |
