…The public should be aware of what the new Democratic Majority wants to do with your money. I think it could be reduced down to one simple phrase: the Democrats take and waste strategy. …Because they seem to think that every dime government spends right now is so perfectly spent that they have to raise people’s taxes to do all this wonderful redistribution of wealth. We would argue as Republicans — something of a lost art for the last couple of years — that in fact the government does not appropriately spend every dime of your hard earned money that it takes and the first place they should look is in the waste, fraud, and abuse that’s going on in the unfortunately overexpansive promises and entitlements that the government has made….That’s the place to start. You don’t start by promising to spend money because everything is done properly; you start by looking at the reality that the government wastes a lot of your money and you should always (cut) that before you go looking for (more money).
Posted by GOP Leader Press Office on April 28th, 2008
Republican Leader Boehner stopped by Fox and Friends this morning to discuss the “Pelosi Premium” and urge House Democrats to reveal their “commonsense plan” to lower gas prices.
The Hill: House GOP Challenges Pelosi for Gas Price Plan
Posted by Nick on April 23rd, 2008
More coverage today of House Democrats’ elusive “commonsense plan” to lower gas prices. From The Hill:
House Republican leaders on Tuesday challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to release a plan to lower gas prices that they say Democrats touted when they were in the minority…the price of gasoline has spiked $1.18 since Democrats took over in January and stands at $3.51.
“Once a nightmare scenario, $4 gasoline is now a very real possibility of becoming a summer staple,”…“In some cities, including San Francisco and Chicago, it is already a startling reality.”
Pelosi’s office did not respond immediately for comment.
Rather than continue to wait as the “Pelosi Premium” rises, House Republicans today announced they will introduce legislation requiring the Speaker to reveal the plan she announced two years ago this week.
Does this plan actually exist? American families, already straining from a slowing economy and soaring cost of living, deserve an answer.
New Orleans Mayor Nagin to Pelosi: Pass Colombian FTA
Posted by Nick on April 23rd, 2008
Echoing House Republicans and editorial boards around the country, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin recently wrote Speaker Nancy Pelosi in support of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement:
“I … respectfully urge you to continue to support free trade by promoting future agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. Each of the future FTAs would provide unique opportunities for the City of New Orleans to increase international economic development.”
For the sake of our nation’s economy, it’s workers, and our South American allies, it is time for Speaker Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership to allow a fair, up-or-down vote on the Colombian Free Trade Agreement.
…In a shortsighted and reckless move, the Democrat-controlled House unilaterally altered long-standing legislative procedures that required a vote on the FTA within 90 days. Instead of a simple yes or no vote, the House postponed FTA consideration indefinitely.
The damage done by the speaker of the House to precedent and procedures pales in comparison to that to our relationship with one of our strongest allies in South America.
The CFTA will increase U.S. exports to Colombia by $1 billion annually, producing new jobs for Americans and helping to reduce our nation’s staggering trade deficit…By holding the trade pact hostage until the Bush administration agrees to a long wish list of union-friendly concessions, Pelosi is kowtowing to her party’s union masters.
Posted by GOP Leader Press Office on April 16th, 2008
Audio from the April 15th Republican Leadership Stakeout and Leader Boehner’s blogger conference call can now be found on the House Republican Leader Podcast. If iTunes is installed on your computer, you can click here to subscribe.
If nothing else, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s ploy last week to change House rules in order to kill the Colombia Free Trade Agreement is exposing how extreme her protectionism is. Yesterday, 35 former senior officials in Democratic Administrations and Democratic Members of Congress signed an open letter urging Congress to pass the Colombia pact.
“We believe this Agreement is in both our vital national security and economic interests,” the letter says. “We feel that the treaty should be considered as soon as possible and that any obstacles be quickly and amicably resolved.” Good luck with that last point given Ms. Pelosi’s eagerness to take orders from the AFL-CIO.
Either Nancy Pelosi doesn’t understand the nature of the U.S.-Colombia trade deal, or she thinks that she can fool the public. In any event, she makes a hash of things in trying to explain why she allowed for fast-track authority to expire–thus putting the deal on the back burner…One does not know whether to laugh or cry. American markets are already open to Colombia products. The deal opens Colombian markets to American products. How American workers do not benefit from having another market opened to the things they make is beyond comprehension.
