HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

Washington Post Op-Ed: Republicans’ Road Back

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/06/AR2008110602568.html

While Republicans are disappointed by Tuesday’s results, we respect the American people’s decision and pledge to work with President-elect Barack Obama when it is in the best interest of our nation. Some Democrats and pundits may want to read Tuesday’s results as a repudiation of conservatism — a sign that Republicans should give Democrats on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue a free ride. I don’t see it that way, and neither should Republicans across the country.

The next four years are critical to the future of our families, our economy and our country, and we have a responsibility to rebuild our party by fighting for the principles of freedom, opportunity, security and individual liberty — the principles upon which the GOP was founded. Recommitting ourselves to these principles means two things: vigorously fighting a far-left agenda that is out of step with the wishes of the vast majority of Americans and, more important, promoting superior Republican alternatives that prove that we offer a better vision for our country’s future.

America is still a center-right country. This election was neither a referendum in favor of the left’s approach to key issues nor a mandate for big government. Obama campaigned by masking liberal policies with moderate rhetoric to make his agenda more palatable to voters. Soon he will seek to advance these policies through a Congress that was purchased by liberal special interests such as unions, trial lawyers and radical environmentalists, and he’ll have a fight on his hands when he does so.

In record numbers, Americans voted on Tuesday for a skillful presidential nominee promising change, but “change” should not be confused with a license to raise taxes, drive up wasteful government spending, weaken our security, or give more power to Washington, Big Labor bosses and the trial bar. Americans did not vote for higher taxes to fund a redistribution of wealth; drastic cuts in funding for our troops; the end of secret ballots for workers participating in union elections; more costly obstacles to American energy production; or the imposition of government-run health care on employers and working families.

Republicans have a responsibility to offer a better way. We must reaffirm Americans’ faith in our party by reminding them why ours traditionally has been a party of reform rooted in freedom and security. This will not happen overnight. We must make the case one issue at a time, offering solutions to our country’s biggest challenges to earn back the American people’s trust and rebuild our majority.

Our most immediate challenge is creating new jobs and getting our economy moving in the right direction again. While Republicans have put forward a plan for economic growth and job creation, congressional Democrats are proposing hundreds of billions of dollars in new government spending masquerading as “economic stimulus.” To rebuild 401(k) plans and keep jobs here at home, we’ll offer tax relief for families and small businesses. And to lower fuel costs and create as many as a million new jobs, we’ll offer a comprehensive plan for more American energy.

We’ll also offer health-care reforms that empower patients and doctors, promote a strong military that keeps us on offense to protect the American people, and demand fiscal and ethical reforms to fix a broken Washington tarnished by scandals on both sides of the aisle. We have a responsibility to the American people to make sure our ideals are heard, and we expect these to be vigorous debates.

I wasn’t born a Republican. I grew up outside Cincinnati as one of 12 children. Our dad ran a bar. I became a Republican because I believe that if you work hard and believe in yourself, there is nothing you can’t achieve. That’s the American dream. And I look forward to leading Republicans in fighting for it. If we return to our roots, to our belief in freedom, opportunity, security and individual liberty, our party will come back stronger than ever.

In Congress, Republicans will work across party lines to find solutions to the immense challenges that confront our nation. But we’ll also stand firmly against policies that violate our principles — the same principles held by the vast majority of American families. We Republicans must renew our nation’s trust in us by offering better alternatives rooted in the reforms that define our party and by fighting for the American dream.

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Baird on his Fellow Democrats: “We ought to just say [the surge] worked.”

In a Seattle Times column today entitled “Iraq Buildup Succeeds, Brian Baird Still an Outcast,” Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA) speaks about his support for the surge last year:

“‘We ought to just say that it worked. People were understandably skeptical of the administration at the time. But we have to acknowledge reality. Do you stay with a political position because it’s popular even if it doesn’t square with the facts?’”

“Baird’s view is that if ‘the people in our party advocating for an immediate withdrawal of troops last year had gotten their way, it would have been disastrous for the U.S.’”

On the response from his Democrat colleagues, Baird said:

“‘After all that extraordinary outrage directed at me, not one person has called me up and said ‘Hey, Brian, it looks like you might have had a point after all,’ said Baird, in Denver for his party’s national convention this week.”

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Links for May 6, 2008: Democrats’ Broken Promises

Democrats Plan Breaking Deficit Discipline Promise Again (AP)

Democrats are finding more excuses to ignore the promise they made when they took over Congress that they wouldn’t pass laws increasing the budget deficit…They’ve already swelled the deficit by $200 billion since December

War funding would break Dem promises (Politico)

In her campaign pamphlet in 2006, which is still posted on the speaker’s website, Pelosi declared that “bills should be developed following full hearings and open subcommittee and committee markups, with appropriate referrals to other committees.”

Democratic leadership aides don’t dispute the fact that the majority has been unable to keep this promise of open committee debate…

Members outraged over flexibility of pay-go rules (The Hill)

“We’re completely overacting,” said Rep. Jim Cooper, a Blue Dog from Tennessee and a senior Democrat on the Budget Committee. “Everything’s an emergency. And an emergency’s a perfect lobbying excuse to get your bill passed that you couldn’t get through in regular order.

 

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Podcast Update

Audio from the April 9th Republican Leadership Stakeout can now be found on the House Republican Leader Podcast. If iTunes is installed on your computer, you can click here to subscribe.

MORE: Past episodes and more information on Podcasts

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Which Side of the Border Fence are Democrats On?

News reports today indicate that House Democrats will attempt to block the construction of a border fence designed to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S.:

Fourteen House Democrats, including eight committee chairmen, said yesterday that they will file a brief supporting a legal challenge to the Bush administration’s plans to finish building 470 miles of fencing and other barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border by the end of the year.

This is in sharp contrast to the rhetoric we’ve heard previously from the Democratic leadership:

“Our first responsibility to the American people is their safety. We must secure our borders and enforce our laws…” (Pelosi Press Release, 3/22/07)

“I believe there is virtually unanimous agreement in the Congress that we must secure our borders and know who is entering our country.” – Then-Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Press Release, May 25, 2006

“Democrats are for the rule of law, we want to get border security right. . .We would do what’s necessary to protect our borders …” Then-House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Press Release, December 15, 2005

While Democrats break their promises on border security, House Republicans will continue fighting tosecure our borders from illegal entry and enforce our laws swiftly and effectively.

MORE:
Discharge Petition on Bipartisan Border Security Measure (3/26/08)
Boehner Backs Drake Discharge Petition to Force Vote on Bipartisan Border Security Bill (3/11/08)

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On General Petraeus’ Testimony and Continued Progress in Iraq

Today in a Townhall.com Op-ed, Leader Boehner previews the upcoming testimony by General David Petraeus:

As a result of these indisputable steps forward, more than 20,000 of our troops are coming home. But more importantly, they are returning home after success – not defeat. That is, after all, where the difference lies between those who have stood behind the Petraeus plan and those who have sought to undermine it every step of the way. And this divide is sure to be on full display this week, when the General and Ambassador testify before the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees in both the Senate and the House.

Also today in a Wall Street Journal Op-ed, Senators Joe Lieberman (I- CT) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) further outline the dramatic achievements of General Petraeus and the troops he commands:

When Gen. David Petraeus testifies before Congress tomorrow, he will step into an American political landscape dramatically different from the one he faced when he last spoke on Capitol Hill seven months ago.

This time Gen. Petraeus returns to Washington having led one of the most remarkably successful military operations in American history. His antiwar critics, meanwhile, face a crisis of credibility – having confidently predicted the failure of the surge, and been proven decidedly wrong…

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Stand Firm on Iraq

A Washington Times editorial today echoed House Republicans in stating that undeniable progress is being made by our troops in Iraq:

The Republican Party has been united on the war issue. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader John Boehner have done a solid job of driving home the point that, with violence down and parliament making political progress that would have been unthinkable a year ago on issues like sharing oil revenues and amnesty for lower-level Ba’athists, it would be a grave mistake to abandon Iraq now.

MORE:

Boehner Delivers Remarks to American Legion (4/1/008)

Boehner: “Honor Our Troops By Honoring What They Fight For and Giving Them Every Tool They Need to Succed in Their Mission” (4/1/08)

Boehner Statement on the Fifth Anniversary of the Iraq War (3/19/08)

 

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Links for April 1, 2008

GOP to go on Iraq message offensive (Politico)

GOP aims to blunt Democrats’ Iraq stance (The Washington Times)

Republicans Launch Salvo in Message War Over Iraq (CQ)

Bernanke meets with House GOP leaders (The Washington Times)

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Discharge Petition on Bipartisan Border Security Measure

On March 14th, Rep. Thelma Drake (R-VA) introduced a discharge petition in effort to bring the bipartisan Secure America with Verification and Enforcement (SAVE) Act to the House floor for a vote. Originally introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC), H.R. 4088 further strengthens America’s borders while ensuring employers verify that their workers are legal citizens. Since its introduction, the SAVE Act has been stalled in eight House committees awaiting consideration.

A “discharge petition” is a legislative tool provided under official House rules by which a bill can be forced onto the House floor for a vote if a majority of House Members sign a petition in support of it. Under House rules, Members have the right to circulate a discharge petition as a defense against heavy-handed or unfair tactics by the leadership of the party that controls the House. The Democratic leadership in the House has refused to allow the bipartisan border security bill to come to the floor for a vote. But if a sufficient number of House Members sign the Drake discharge petition, the Democratic leadership will be forced to allow it to come to the floor for a vote.

Click here to see who has signed the petition.

MORE:

Boehner Backs Drake Discharge Petition to Force Vote on Bipartisan Border Security Bill (3-11-08)

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Rep. Peter Hoeksta: Pelosi’s Vacation Alibi

Today in National Review Online, Rep. Peter Hoeskstra asks why Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership refuse to allow a vote on the bi-partisan Senate-passed FISA bill:

Pelosi’s Vacation Alibi
Why won’t Speaker Pelosi simply allow an honest up or down vote on the bipartisan Senate FISA bill?

By Peter Hoekstra
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives Democrat leadership was in a panic as it faced another lengthy congressional recess without House action to fix a serious problem with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that is hampering the ability of U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor the communications of foreign terrorists. In February, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi set off a firestorm of criticism when she adjourned the House for a one-week recess without taking action on a bipartisan Senate bill to fix the FISA problem and allowed legislation providing a temporary fix to expire. House Democrats feared more criticism if they left town again without appearing to take action on this issue…

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