This holiday season, Renee, our son Lane, and I want to wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas full of love, joy and happiness. It’s a special time to spend with family and friends, but more important than that and the gifts we receive is the true meaning of Christmas — the gift of Jesus Christ. As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, please join us in rejoicing because He brought peace to this Earth.
While we celebrate our many blessings, we must also recognize the challenges we still face. For one, our national debt has topped a staggering $18.7 trillion. There is no doubt that this debt represents the biggest obstacle to economic growth and job creation. Unfortunately, our federal government continues to kick the can down the road and waste our hard-earned tax dollars.
Just last week, Congress passed and the president is expected to sign into law a $1.1 trillion spending bill that busts bipartisan spending caps enacted in 2011. Not only does this irresponsible legislation squander $50 billion more than what was previously agreed to, it unravels progress made to get spending under control. I understand there were tough negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. I’ve worked with folks on both sides of the aisle to find solutions and pass legislation, so I recognize that it must be done with compromise. But this deal is no compromise at all. It offers far too many concessions to the Obama administration at the expense of taxpayers.
There are some provisions in the appropriations bill that I support and have fought to advance, such as lifting the crude oil export ban, strengthening security in the Visa Waiver Program and delaying Obamacare’s “Cadillac tax.” But this deal gives away everything and the kitchen sink for these small wins.
In addition, this bill misses too many opportunities to rein in Obama’s harmful agenda and even frees up funding for his Green Climate Fund. It fails to rein in an out-of-control EPA and a FDA that is targeting our tobacco farmers. It fails to advance the American peoples’ priorities, namely defunding Planned Parenthood while we investigate their horrific practices, and bolstering the Syrian and Iraqi vetting process to protect our country from terrorism. The measure to pause Syrian refugee resettlement unless we have reliable vetting in place passed with a veto-proof majority and is supported by the majority of Americans. I’m disappointed this deal bows down to the wishes of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and the White House and left our national security vulnerable.
While I understand there are some good policy measures, I’m looking at the bigger picture and I can’t support legislation that fails to address our biggest problems and burdens future generations with more debt. Clearly, the bad far outweighs the good. We need a plan that grows the economy instead of the government and offers real solutions.
If folks in Washington would step back, open their eyes and take a look at the bigger picture, they might see the millions of job-seekers looking for employment, the small businesses straining under the weight of regulations, and the families living paycheck to paycheck.
I see the economic crisis facing our nation and it is all too real. I see that every dollar and cent spent frivolously by our bloated bureaucracy is a dollar and cent taken from hard-working taxpayers. Not only do I see it, but I also understand the struggles folks face. That’s why I will continue to fight to advance a conservative agenda that reins in President Obama’s harmful policies, promotes job creation and truly changes the direction of our country.
