Philosophical Consistency

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCORMICK. Madam Speaker, I wanted to take this time to explain to my constituents why consistency in political thought is important.

Many people were excited and encouraged when I voted against lifting the deficit cap recently. The reason I did this was that I did not want an unidentified amount of debt accumulation while we shaved a small portion of 11 percent off the budget. Meanwhile, we did not address executive power and bureaucracies that were out of control and that could cost us far more than we could save. In short, I wanted the REINS Act in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.

Ironically, I have made unpopular votes that are consistent with the same philosophy. For example, I voted against keeping a fee for all VA loans, that all veterans have to pay for every loan. The fee is taken in order to pay for IT training for a small number of veterans. I did not think it was fair that every veteran would pay for the education of just a few veterans that would otherwise be paid for by the GI Bill already. Just because the name ``veteran'' is attached to a bill does not make it the right thing to do.

Likewise, I voted against creating more government oversight on the Abraham Accords. The Abraham Accords are working great. It has created some of the most innovative peacekeeping processes in modern history. However, creating more government, especially in the form of another executive appointee, to a process that is already working well did not make sense to me. Well-intended bureaucracy and increasing executive power is the greater part of what I have been fighting against since I arrived in D.C.

We are already out of balance. The REINS Act was meant to bring back into control executive power and bureaucracies. Why would I vote for something that would increase more bureaucracy and more executive power?

No one should doubt my support for Israel or my admiration of the Abraham Accords. In April of this year, I voted in favor of H. Res. 311, a resolution encouraging the expansion and strengthening of the Abraham Accords, a resolution urging nations throughout the region to improve their relationships with Israel and strengthen the U.S.-Israel alliance.

With that said, whether it is about government spending, debt, increasing fees on an entire veteran population for the sake of a few, or increasing executive power and bureaucracy, I will remain politically consistent and thoughtful. That is my promise. I believe in the individual, not more government.

We need to bring back the balance of power that was designed by the Constitution for a purpose. More government, more debt, and more fees are seldom the answer. I remain semper fidelis to this philosophy, and to the people.

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