 With Gov. Pawlenty at the Blaine Park & Ride
Taxes and the Economy
In July 2009, our
country’s budget deficit topped $1 trillion for the first time in our
nation’s history. Our nation’s debt stands near $11.5 trillion – another
record for Uncle Sam. Meanwhile, unemployment numbers woefully
surpassed administration estimates in June and now sit at 9.5%. And to
make matters worse, at the end of May 2009, the U.S. government owed
China $801.5 billion.
While the White House has been successful
so far in pushing through its agenda – cap and trade national energy
tax, the government-run, the $1.1-trillion “stimulus” package, and the
$400-billion pork-laden omnibus spending package – our economic options
for addressing the recession are being quickly foreclosed.
I am a
cosponsor of the REBOUND Act to reduce the deficit and promote real
economic recovery. This fiscally responsible measure will recall the
$460 billion in unspent “stimulus” moneys while leaving intact the
package’s tax relief and unemployment benefits. Furthermore, instead of
recycling money repaid from the Wall Street bailout into a new spending
slush fund – as the Democrats proposed, the REBOUND Act will require all
Wall Street repayments to go exclusively to debt reduction.
Every
responsible American family knows that you pay back your loans before
you take out new ones. Unfortunately, Washington needs to be reminded.
It’s time Congress stop talking about tough decisions and start making
them.
“All-of-The Above”
Approach to Energy Development
At a time when the American
economy is experiencing the worst recession in decades, the last thing
Washington should do is continue to restrict the development of cheaper
energy or increase taxes on energy consumers.
From reserves in the
mountain West to ANWR to the outer-continental shelf, we have untapped
resources that can increase energy supply and reduce prices. And,
constantly improving technology gives us the ability to explore while
preserving our natural heritage for generations.
I have introduced
4 pieces of legislation to free up our energy reserves and promote
alternative forms of energy.
The Emergency Energy Cut the Red
Tape Now Act, to improve access to offshore drilling and oil shale
reserves and streamline the refinery process;
The Fast
Track Shale Act, to improve our ability to access shale oil on
federal lands;
The Getting Resources Efficiently and
Effectively Now (GREEN) Act, to fast track access to American
energy resources; and
The Promoting New American Energy Act,
to accelerate tax depreciation for investments in technologies like
solar, wind and geothermal.
Congress must open up domestic
supplies of energy to exploration if we are to reduce your pain at the
pump and lead our nation to real energy independence.
And as a
member of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, I am
working to raise awareness and educate lawmakers on technologies to
improve energy efficiency and explore alternative forms of energy. We
must never stop exploring alternative energy. For instance, France gets
80% of its energy from clean, safe nuclear energy. Yet, the U.S. hasn\'t
built a new reactor in three decades. We cannot limit our capacity for
ingenuity in the search for energy answers.
Healthcare
American healthcare is the
best in the world, but rising costs make it inaccessible to many. In
fact, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, between 2000 and 2006,
premiums for family coverage increased 87%, making the average annual
premium for families more than $12,000.
A big part of the problem
has roots in the Tax Code, which favors employer-provided health
insurance. My Health Care Freedom of Choice Act would provide
full tax deductibility for individual health expenses, including medical
care, dental care, long-term care and insurance premiums.
We’ve
seen from the other side of the aisle that the White House and Democrat
majority in the Congress favor a government-run option that would only
contribute to our already record-breaking deficits and high unemployment
numbers, all the while putting bureaucrats between you and your doctors
and leading to rationed care. Taxing small business is not a smart
approach to health care reform. We need to expand access to affordable
health care and give families the freedom to choose the health care that
fits their needs – without imposing a job-killing tax hike on small
businesses and working families.
Men and Women in Uniform
We must support the men
and women who protect our nation. That means giving them the tools and
equipment they need, as well as the benefits and moral support they have
earned. I support tax benefits to help ease the financial burdens our
citizen-warriors and their families face and updated, improved GI Bill
education benefits.
And we must also support our first responders,
who put their lives on the line to protect us in our homes, businesses,
and communities. I was proud to have the MN Police and Peace Officers
Association endorse my TRACK Sex Offenders Act, which gives law
enforcement and officers the tools they need to keep us safe from sexual
predators.
Minnesota
Values
As a strong advocate for a culture of life, I have
earned the support of the Susan B. Anthony List, Minnesota Citizens
Concerned for Life (MCCL), and the National Pro-Life Alliance. My
legislation, the Positive Alternatives Act, makes it clear that
the pro-life position supports the unborn child and the mother.
As
a former foster-mother for 23 children, I have been an advocate for
foster families in Congress and was recently appointed to the
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Advisory Board. In fact,
I testified before the House Ways and Means Committee for my School
Choice for Foster Kids Act, which would provide some stability for
foster children.
In the State Senate, I led the charge to free
Minnesota education from the federal No Child Left Behind mandates and
in Congress I am continuing my work to return control over education to
parents and local educators.
I fully support Minnesota's hunting
and fishing heritage, earning me the backing of the NRA and sportsmen
across the District.
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