s Americans Look for Work, White House Continues Job-Killing Plans
After pushing policies for the past eleven months that have resulted in almost three million more Americans losing their jobs, I was hopeful this week that President Obama would announce a responsible plan to put folks back to work. I was encouraged by his announcement of supporting targeted tax relief for small businesses, especially eliminating the capital gains tax. Unfortunately, those benefits will likely be buried under his continued support of job-killing and expensive big government plans that will make it more difficult for small businessmen and women to hire more employees.

To make matters worse, President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have said they plan to use TARP bailout funds to pay for their Stimulus II. The TARP bailout was supposed to be a one-year, emergency program. I am extremely disappointed the Democrat majority intends to turn this into a government slush fund to pay for more government spending. I joined some of my colleagues in the House sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi opposing this plan, and I am hopeful she will listen to our concerns.

The President said he intends to work with anyone who has plans to create jobs and grow our economy. That’s why I am hopeful he will follow through on his promises to work across the aisle and decide to work with House Republicans on creating jobs. I have worked as a member of an Economic Recovery Working Group that has crafted a no-cost economic stimulus plan. I believe if we encourage investment, keep taxes low, expand trade opportunities and stop recklessly spending your money, our nation’s economy can bounce back. We cannot spend our way back to prosperity. The days of the Democrat majority pushing a big-spending, big-government agenda must come to an end.

Opposing Permanent Bailout
I am disappointed the House this week passed legislation to codify the TARP bailout, making it permanent. Financial institutions, not taxpayers, made bad decisions so it is wrong to force taxpayers to continue bailing out those institutions. That’s why I offered an amendment to prohibit taxpayer funded bailouts, but unfortunately, the majority in Congress disagrees and refused to even allow an up or down vote on my amendment. Creating jobs and reducing our nation’s deficit should be the top priority in Washington. This legislation fails on both accounts.

I supported an alternative bill to protect consumers and enact reforms to prevent future collapses in the financial industry. The bill I supported would not restrict credit or raise taxes. It’s time to jump-start our economy with smart policy and good government. Congress should not further reward bad decisions by continuing to bailout failing financial institutions. Click here to watch remarks I made on the House floor during debate of this legislation.

EPA Moves to Mandate Carbon Dioxide Emissions amidst "Climategate" Controversy
Earlier this week, the Environmental Protection Agency ruled that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and that they will begin regulating such gases, whether or not Congress takes action. Although the House narrowly passed a cap and trade national energy tax earlier this year, that legislation is at a standstill in the Senate. The ruling by the EPA is nothing other than a bureaucratic power-grab to bypass the rightful legislative process.

Even worse, this EPA ruling is on the heels of a discovery that some of the most prominent scientists are knowingly discarding and dismissing dissenting views to global warming. The “Climate-Gate” scandal is especially worrisome because it shows politicians and bureaucrats, such as those at the EPA, basing major public policy decisions on science that is being manipulated. We need to make progress toward energy independence, but it cannot and should not be done on the backs of rural America. I will continue to fight for an all of the above energy plan that includes wind, nuclear and clean coal, expanded drilling and exploration, as well as conservation.

Urging Speaker Pelosi to Allow an Up or Down Vote to Increase the Debt Limit
According to multiple reports, Speaker Pelosi is considering attaching a provision to increase the debt limit to the FY 2010 Defense Appropriations bill. This is unacceptable. Speaker Pelosi should not use legislation to provide necessary funding for our troops to pass legislation she either doesn’t have the votes to pass on its own or to avoid forcing her Democrat members from taking a tough vote. I sent Speaker Pelosi a letter in opposition to attaching a debt ceiling increase to the Defense Appropriations bill, and I am hopeful she will listen to our concerns and allow a clean up or down vote to increase the debt limit.