Post by shoreman on Sept 27, 2006 16:45:35 GMT -5
www.freedomworks.org/
Twelve years ago, the Republican revolution came to Congress, and we signed the Contract with America. Republicans running for the United States House of Representatives stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and pledged a commitment to uphold specific roles and principles if we were entrusted with the responsibility of governing in the majority.
Our Contract promised that, if elected, the new Republican majority would pass eight institutional reforms on the first day of the new Congress. The voters gave us their support, and we gave them fundamental reform:
FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;
SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;
FIFTH, ban the practice of proxy votes in committee;
SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;
SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing base-line budgeting.
Additionally, the majority brought ten bills to the House floor in the first 100 days, passing nine, and eventually celebrated colossal policy reforms and successes, such as Welfare Reform, which bettered the lives of millions of Americans. Our goals were an overwhelming force right out of the gates, but over the last few years the momentum for serious government reform has slowed considerably.
Today, we must take an honest look at our Congress, and we must demand from them one sole solid objective—good government.
The news today does not lead with any bold ideas that our members of Congress are bringing forth. Social Security is in crisis. Spending has become rampant. Our Republican Congress is deaf to the “pocketbook conservative.” Government is still TOO BIG and appears to be growing with each roll call vote.
Our “do nothing” Congress has become famous, and history will write the legacy of their failures rather than their successes.
Where can we find good government? If good policy is good politics, where can we find good policy?
Jeff Flake of Arizona, Mike Pence of Indiana, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and Jeb Hensarling of Texas are all congressmen who hold the innovative ideas of the future. They are the minority within the majority, and their policies must be recognized throughout the halls of Congress.
Twelve years ago, the Republican revolution came to Congress, and we signed the Contract with America. Republicans running for the United States House of Representatives stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and pledged a commitment to uphold specific roles and principles if we were entrusted with the responsibility of governing in the majority.
Our Contract promised that, if elected, the new Republican majority would pass eight institutional reforms on the first day of the new Congress. The voters gave us their support, and we gave them fundamental reform:
FIRST, require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;
SECOND, select a major, independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud or abuse;
THIRD, cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
FOURTH, limit the terms of all committee chairs;
FIFTH, ban the practice of proxy votes in committee;
SIXTH, require committee meetings to be open to the public;
SEVENTH, require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase;
EIGHTH, guarantee an honest accounting of our Federal Budget by implementing base-line budgeting.
Additionally, the majority brought ten bills to the House floor in the first 100 days, passing nine, and eventually celebrated colossal policy reforms and successes, such as Welfare Reform, which bettered the lives of millions of Americans. Our goals were an overwhelming force right out of the gates, but over the last few years the momentum for serious government reform has slowed considerably.
Today, we must take an honest look at our Congress, and we must demand from them one sole solid objective—good government.
The news today does not lead with any bold ideas that our members of Congress are bringing forth. Social Security is in crisis. Spending has become rampant. Our Republican Congress is deaf to the “pocketbook conservative.” Government is still TOO BIG and appears to be growing with each roll call vote.
Our “do nothing” Congress has become famous, and history will write the legacy of their failures rather than their successes.
Where can we find good government? If good policy is good politics, where can we find good policy?
Jeff Flake of Arizona, Mike Pence of Indiana, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and Jeb Hensarling of Texas are all congressmen who hold the innovative ideas of the future. They are the minority within the majority, and their policies must be recognized throughout the halls of Congress.