By Leonard Lance (R-N.J.) - 09/13/10 02:26 PM ET

With 50 days until Election Day 2010, the top issue on the minds of all American voters is the state of the American economy.

With the national unemployment rate at 9.6 percent Americans are wondering, “where are the jobs?” With levels of debt at record levels and government spending seemingly out-of-control, Americans are shouting, “when will Washington stop the spending?”

And with a new health care law that mandates a new burdensome 1099 reporting requirement that will mean hundreds of more pages of forms and thousands of more dollars in costs, America’s small businesses are saying, “How can we create jobs with all of these government mandates and costs?”
 
Yet despite cries for common-sense and fiscal responsibility, leaders in Congress have responded with more of the same ineffective policies of the past 18 months that have failed to jump-start our economy and create jobs. 
 
This includes the latest plan – borrowing another $50 billion to spend on planes, trains and automobiles. 

Our economy doesn’t need more spending. It doesn’t need more stimulus spending, more bailouts or more onerous government regulations.

What our economy needs is certainty out of Washington.
 
Certainty that comes with renewing the Bush-era tax cuts for all taxpayers so that individuals and small businesses won’t face a $3.8 trillion tax hike on January 1, 2011. 
 
Certainty that our children and grandchildren will not be burdened with debt racked up by this Congress by passing a constitutional amendment limiting federal deficit spending.
 
Certainty that Congress is willing to do what so many working families have already done – tighten their belts.  This means passing legislation that reduces federal spending to levels seen in 2008 – prior to the TARP bank bailouts, government takeovers and trillion dollar stimulus program.  We must rein in spending now to get back on a sustainable path toward fiscal responsibility.
 
With so many frustrated with a new health care law that experts say does nothing to lower the cost of health care and insurance, Congress must go back to the drawing board and pass common-sense solutions to lower health care costs such as allowing insurance to be sold across state lines, allowing small businesses insurance pooling and implementing real medical malpractice reform.
 
And with so many small businesses unable to hire and expand, Congress must pass a small business assistance bill that reduces regulatory burdens, improves lending and allows our Nation’s job-creators to keep more of what they earn to hire workers, buy new equipment and expand their companies. 
 
The American people understand that we cannot spend, borrow and tax our way to economic prosperity.  Multiple bailouts, failed stimulus spending, unrestrained government spending and record deficits have pushed the United States to the brink of bankruptcy. 
 
We can achieve prosperity by working together in a bipartisan fashion to eliminate the job-killing uncertainty that is dragging down small businesses and hurting the economic recovery our Nation needs.