December 12, 2007 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Freshman GOP Class President Bill Sali and other new Republican members of Congress say they’re very disappointed that Congress has failed to fund our troops in battle, failed to deliver tax relief to middle income Americans and has passed into law only one of 12 spending bills to keep the federal government operating.  Sali and his freshman classmates held a press conference today in the U.S. Capitol. 

“My colleagues and I on this platform are as much victims of a broken process as the American people themselves,” Sali said. “We want to do more and better.  But when the Democrats continue to play politics with the security and paychecks of ordinary Americans, all we really can do is protest.  And that’s what my colleagues and I are doing, in the strongest terms, today.”

Sali noted that this Congress’ record of accomplishment is very thin:

Of the 106 bills signed into law in the 110th Congress:

•           46 bills named post offices, courthouses, or roads;

•           44 bills were non-controversial measures sponsored by Republicans or passed with overwhelming GOP support; and

•           14 bills extended pre-existing public laws or laws passed during a Republican-led Congress.

•           Two bills were enacted on the strength of GOP votes over the objections of Democratic leaders – including the war supplemental in May and the Protect America Act in August.

“As new Members of Congress, we’re disappointed at what we’ve seen, and we will do all we can to change it.  But until the Democrat majority decides it wants to govern, not just score points with its most extreme supporters, it’s hard to advance the kind of pro-family, pro-growth, pro-defense and pro-taxpayer agenda Republicans share,” Sali said.

Sali called on the Democrat leadership in Congress to work in a constructive, open and bipartisan manner, and to accomplish the job Americans have asked them to do.