Rep. Mike Pence (IN), House Republican Chairman, appeared today on "Studio B" on Fox News: More
Rep. Mike Pence (IN), House Republican Chairman, appeared today on "Studio B" on Fox News: More
The Rural American Solutions Group will focus on developing solutions to address issues facing rural America. House Republican Leader John Boehner (OH), Rep. Doc Hastings (WA), Rep. Frank Lucas (OK), Rep. Sam Graves (MO) and other House Republicans unveiled the group today. According to a press release, President Obama promised to hold a summit on [...] More
In case you missed our Weekly Republican Leadership press conference this week: More
House Republican Leader John Boehner (OH) and Ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committee Pete Hoekstra (MI) released a web video asking Americans, "Do you feel safer?" According to a press release: "The web video underscores why the American people are growing more worried about the Administration’s political decisions on nationa [...] More
Rep. Lamar Smith (TX) had a piece in Politico today. Here is an excerpt: Wednesday marked President Barack Obama’s 100th day in office, and the national media have become muscle-bound from all the pats on the back they’ve given him in news stories evaluating those first 100 days. But the back story — the one you won’t rea [...] More
House Republican Chairman Rep. Mike Pence (IN) appeared on the FOX News program "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren to discuss the first 100 days of President Barack Obama's Administration: More
Rep. Mike Pence (IN), House Republican Conference Chairman, yesterday urged Congress to embrace fiscal discipline and reform, opposing a budget that "does not embrace the sacrifice, resilience and virtue of the American people." More
Many bills are deceivingly worded to evoke support. Such is the case for HR 1913, the "Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009," introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI). The problem with this so-called hate crimes legislation is a severe lack of definition. Furthermore, the bill threatens to criminalize thought in an unprecedented [...] More
Rep. Joe Pitts (PA) talks about Debt Day on the House floor: "Debt Day is the day on which the government runs out of money in a given year and all of the government spending for the rest of the year is borrowed money. For 2009, Debt Day fell on April 26th, this past Sunday. This is an astonishingly early day in the year to run out o [...] More
*This post originally published on The Hill's Congress Blog. by Rep. Charles Boustany (LA) When President Obama was inaugurated, I committed to working with the President when he acted in the interest of Southwest Louisiana, but in his first 100 days, I am disappointed with the direction of this Administration. At a time when the national economy [...] More
As we pass the 100 Day mark of President Obama's Administration, Republicans still disagree with the economic direction the Democrats are taking our country. In response to the passing of the conference report on the Democrat budget, House Republican Conference Chairman Rep. Mike Pence (IN) said it is merely a continuing of a "budget that will dou [...] More
*This was originally posted on The Hill's Congress Blog. Do any swine have the virus that has infected humans? There is no evidence at this time that swine in the United States are infected with this virus strain. Can I get this new strain of virus from eating pork or pork products? According to USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prev [...] More
U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement today in recognition of President Obama’s first 100 days in office:“While many of the President’s supporters welcome the 100 day marker with enthusiasm, many millions of Americans see the last 100 days as an opportunity lost [...] More
*This post originally appeared on Townhall.com by Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas). Last week I introduced the “Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2009." This bill calls for a greater accounting of federal funds spent at the state level on organizations that perform, promote, and refer for abortion services. For four months, the partnersh [...] More
From the House Republican Energy and Commerce Committee: U.S. Reps. Joe Barton, R-Texas, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Fred Upton, ranking member of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, today asked committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey, R-Mas [...] More
Rep. Steve King (IA) opposes the recent "Hate Crimes" legislation, which will be considered in the House on Wednesday. King believes it is nothing less than a "thought crimes" bill that "will damage religious freedom in America." King released the following statement: “Liberals in Congress want to create new laws to protect classes of people [...] More
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA) and Rep. Steve Scalise (LA) spoke with bloggers today about the cap and tax energy bill being debated in Congress currently. Scalise participated in the hearings last week, questioning 60 professional witnesses and presenting statements on why the bill is wrong for America. “The more people see the negative i [...] More
by Rep. Dave Reichert (WA) I’ve heard it everywhere I go lately. People are hurting and scared about the future. Some are talking about the future of their family – and some are talking about the future of our country. Whether you’re in Bellevue or Black Diamond or Eatonville, no one is immune from our stressed economy; maybe you [...] More
Sen. Kit Bond (R-MI), Vice-Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, spoke with bloggers today on the recent scandal over the release of CIA memos on interrogation tactics and the idea that former government officials involved in planning them should be prosecuted for their role. President Barack Obama formerly said he would not consider pros [...] More
After three days of hearing on the cap and tax global warming legislation last week, Republicans are billing it a "national energy tax," according to a piece in the Hill today. Almost everyone who testified in the hearings agreed that the bill would raise gas and energy prices across the board, costing American families more of their hard-earned m [...] More
by Rep. John Shadegg (AZ) Cap-and-trade legislation will do more than cap carbon emissions; it will cap American purchasing power by dramatically hiking our cost of living. The costs of cap-and-trade go far beyond energy companies and seep into every aspect of our daily lives. Washington Democrats want to force energy companies to pay more [...] More
by Rep. Tom Latham (IA) On Sunday, April 26th, the federal government will have burned through all the revenue it will take in this fiscal year and will begin piling up debt for the next five months. All the money spent in Washington the rest of the 2009 fiscal year, which ends about five months from now on September 30th, will either be bor [...] More
*This blog originally appeared on Smart Girl Politics by Rep. Steve Buyer (IN) The cap and trade legislation being debated this week does not include key factors that will directly impact American lives. It should address how to protect Americans’ right to live, work, and prosper as we move our country toward a future with alternative ener [...] More
*This post originally published on Townhall.com by Rep. Steve Scalise (LA) President Obama is proposing a “cap and trade” energy tax that will raise utility costs on every American family to generate $646 billion in new taxes, while shipping millions of American jobs to foreign countries. I am very concerned about how the liberals in [...] More
by Rep. Erik Paulsen (MN) Yesterday, a report was issued by the special inspector overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) highlighting multiple problems with the Treasury’s implementation of the federal bailout program. Notably, the inspector reported that the American taxpayer is “increasingly exposed to losses and fraud.& [...] More
*This blog originally published on RedState. by Rep. George Radanovich (CA) This week, as the stock market continues its perilous slide towards an unknown abyss; the House Energy and Commerce Committee will begin hearings on a national energy tax bill that will cost every American household $3,128 a year for the “right” to emit carbon [...] More
6:52 p.m. The Democrat Energy Plan Cap and Trade: Caps Economic Growth and Trades Jobs Overseas 6:25 p.m. Rep. Michael Burgess on the consequences of "cap and tax" legislation: President Obama and Democrat leaders in Congress expect to raise billions of dollars through an unprecedented “cap and tax” proposal. With this money [...] More
by Rep. Chris Lee (NY) Small businesses have created nearly 80 percent of our economy’s new jobs, and yet government continues to place barriers in the way of our entrepreneurs. Whether it’s health care costs, high taxes, or red tape, Washington is making it very difficult on small businesses when we ask them to shoulder more burdens [...] More
The "American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009" (ACES), the Democrats’ controversial climate change legislation, hit the ground running this afternoon in a discussion draft session to preclude a series of hearings on the bill beginning tomorrow morning. The legislation, introduced by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxm [...] More
*This post was originially published on Red County.com. by Rep. Joe Barton Ranking Member, Committee on Energy and Commerce People who work and pay taxes aren’t buying the cap-and-trade solution to global warming because they’re learning what it means to them. Here’s what the National Association of Manufacturers and others say [...] More
Recess has come to an end and Congress is back in action, ready to debate "The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009" (ACES). The fun starts Wednesday as representatives make it their business to get America's energy policies back on track. Democrats and Republicans are divided on the issue, no doubt, and hard hitting debates are set to e [...] More
Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA) is spearheading an effort to stop funding toward the closing of Guantanamo Bay until President Obama and the Democrats have an actual plan about what they will do with the detainees currently living there. While President Obama repeatedly refers to the prison's impending close, he says nothing about how to handle the mess t [...] More
by Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) Last week’s Tea Parties were a powerful message to Washington in protest to the “spend and tax” binge that the federal government has been on over the last several months. The last thing struggling families need is Washington taking even more money out of their pockets. Every day, Americans [...] More
Two years ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid declared, "This war is lost." Since then, Reid has been proved wrong and the media has had little to say about it. Conservatives today aim to remind Americans of the Leader's statement -- recognized as wholly inapporpriate while U.S. soldiers stood embedded in Iraq at that very moment. If America ha [...] More
House Leader John Boehner appeared yesterday on "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, saying legislators should beware of "trillion dollar deficits as far as the eye can see." Boehner applauded last week's hurricane of taxpayer tea parties and attended one in Bakersfield, California. "...when I talk to people at these rallies, it was pretty clea [...] More
The budget debate commanded the spotlight recently but energy issues are making a comeback. With a Democrat-controlled Congress, Republicans are taking a strong stand against cap and trade legislation and pricy energy policies. The newly introduced GOP energy working gropu is headed by House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence, chosen& [...] More
After the Congressional Black Caucus recently visited Cuba -- and met with it's ailing leader Fidel Castro and his brother, Raul -- America's emotions ran high. In districts where the Cuban population is prevelant, it was even more obvious. Adding to the controversy surrounding the trip, in which several members praised Fidel Castro's friendliness [...] More
One of the most bi-partisanly problematic and controversial issues in Washington is that of earmarks and pork-barrel spending. Several organizations exist to track this -- often irresponsible and secret -- spending of taxpayer dollars. Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) keeps painstaking tabs on each bill and appropriation so you don't have [...] More
Tomorrow is Tax Day so last minute types are scrambling. For many conservatives, tomorrow also presents their chance to speak out against the government's massive overspending of their tax dollars. Across the nation, grassroots activists have organized Tax Day tea parties in order to gather citizens for protests against the government. The tea par [...] More
Cap and Trade is coming in the form of a national energy tax. House Leader John Boehner calls it an "irresponsible and dangerous economic policy." The Democrats' national energy tax will "double" costs for coal dependent states, according to the New York Times. President Obama has admitted this will be a bearing on taxpayers, reversing his promis [...] More
The energy debate has taken a backseat to economic issues as of late but it will resurface soon enough. Rep. Pete Hoekstra (MI) wants America to know he hasn't forgotten how important it is to address regularly. He released a press brief today outlining four steps the country must take to move toward energy freedom. -- First, we need an energy pol [...] More
President Obama's Administration appointees have often been less than impressive. After numerous individuals -- including Republican Sen. Judd Gregg -- decided against accepting a position, others were forced out of their opportunities due to tax problems. Most recently, there was great controversy in his decision to appoint Dawn Johnson to head o [...] More
Budget cuts to the defense department proposed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates have stirred controversy among Americans this week. While money for bailouts and stimulus packages skyrockets, defense spending has been on the backburner. Gates outlined three reasons for his proposal: First, to reaffirm our commitment to take care of the all-volunt [...] More
Just because Congress is on recess doesn't mean plenty isn't happening in the political world. Now is the time for representatives to travel back to their districts, meet with constituents and enforce a truly local presence in their communities. Most House Republicans are bringing home the message of fiscal discipline and steps towards long term p [...] More
Responding to North Korea's test of a long range ballistic missile, Rep. Ed Royce (CA), the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, made the following statement: "This test clearly violates United Nations Security Council Resolutions prohibiting Pyongyang from ballistic missile activity. [...] More
By Rep. Geoff Davis (KY) On April 2nd, Speaker Nancy Pelosi succeeded in passing her federal budget that outlines more than 3.5 trillion dollars in spending for fiscal year 2010. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected a 1.8 trillion dollar deficit for the current fiscal year (FY2009), and that projection does not include the [...] More
Guest blog post by Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY) I hail from Kentucky’s fifth congressional district. The district I represent happens to be one of the poorest in the nation. People in my region of the country have been hurting for a long time and are desperately looking for viable solutions. My priorities have alway [...] More
Rep. Paul Ryan (WI), ranking member on the Budget Committee, delivered this week's Weekly Republican Address. Republicans were united last week in the budget battle, voting unanimously in both House and Senate against President Obama's multi-trilion dollar plan. Says Ryan in the address: “The President’s budget, which passed the House [...] More
Republicans are often criticized for their lack of popularity among minority populations but the GOP has embarked on practices to increase their profile specifically among Latino voters in the next two weeks. Republican leadership has urged the Party to reach out to these communities with more powerful tactics as the nation moves toward an electio [...] More
Republicans stood united last night, voting unanimously against the $3.5 trillion Democrat budget, which passed 55-43 in the Senate, just after the House approved it 233-196. The budgets still fell short of President Obama's mandate and a final version still remains to be completed. Two Democrat Senators -- Ben Nelson and Evan Bayh -- opposed the [...] More
Guest post by Rep. Ed Royce (CA) The Democrat Leadership’s 2010 budget calls for an unprecedented $3.5 trillion in spending and results in trillion dollar deficits for years. Except for World War II, these are the highest spending levels in U.S. history. During a recent financial services hearing I questioned the Chairman of the Federal Res [...] More
Rep. John Carter (TX) let it be known that he is unhappy with the massive spending proposed in the Democrats' budget today in a YouTube video. He repeats the now familiar mantra of a budget that "spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much." It may sound ike a song you can't get out of your head, but it's the truth being ingrained in Amer [...] More
Rep. John Shadegg (AZ) has done a great job with new media and blogging during the 111th Congress. He is so on top of it that he already has a post on the newly unveiled "Fox Nation" -- a social networking and participant oriented website published by Fox News. Shadegg's first post, "Will we be known as the 'reckless generation'?", touches on the [...] More
House Republican Leader John Boehner has launched the "Spend-O-meter," in order to keep track of massive Democratic spending. Right now, they've wound it up to $1,793,000,000,000. House Republicans aren't kidding when they advocate government discipline themselves just as they instruct American people to do. According to their website, "The [...] More
Guest blog post by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA) You never know who you’ll see walking down the halls of Congress. Earlier this week, House Minority Leader, John Boehner, invited me to attend a special roundtable discussion with legendary musician Bono. I admit - I was excited to meet this celebrity. The passion with which he loves [...] More
After Republicans revealed a detailed budget alternative plan yesterday, politicians debated past midnight in preperation for a votes today on opposing plans. While many moderate Democrats have been weary of President Obama "New Era of Responsibility," they have adopted similar, slightly less expensive legislation. With such a strong Democrat majo [...] More
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN BOEHNER: Good morning everyone. We had a joint meeting of the House and Senate Conference to talk about the moment that we find ourselves in. The budget that we have before the Congress spends too much, it taxes too much and it borrows too much from our kids and grandkids. Short term this will [...] More
*This post was originially published on Red County. It can be viewed here. Guest blog post by Rep. John Shadegg (AZ) The President’s nearly $3.6 trillion budget proposal to be voted upon in the U.S. House this week is making history in all the wrong ways. At a time when the American people are hurting, Washington Democrats propose adding an [...] More
It was a special day for Republicans on Capitol Hill, as House and Senate leaders gathered for a rare bi-cameral conference and press conference meeting. Last week, the House revealed their budget blueprint in a document titled "The Republican Road to Recovery" and today the details of that plan were expanded. In a Wall Street Journal article tod [...] More
The House GOP American Energy Solutions Group was formed in order for Republicans to fashion efficient energy policies and lower prices for American families. As the Democrats attempt to pass controversial climate change legislation that will raise energy taxes on all Americans, Republicans are committed to offering an affordable alternative. Hous [...] More
House Republican Chairman Mike Pence took the floor yesterday to speak on the Free Flow of Information Act, which will protect reporters from having to reveal their sources. Here is an excerpt and see the video below: “As a conservative who believes in limited government, I believe the only check on government power in real time is a free an [...] More