On Jobs, Reconciliation, And Backdoors

Statement

Today, the Department of Labor announced that the U.S. economy shed another 36,000 jobs in February -- leaving the unemployment rate at 9.7%. I believe that this Congress has created an environment of uncertainty through the threat of higher taxes and more regulations that has discouraged employers from investing and hiring more workers.
Instead of promoting private-sector job creation, this Democrat Congress spent $1 trillion last year on the economic "stimulus" that has failed to prevent systemic job loss and create lasting economic growth in America. Since the "stimulus" was an abject failure, this week House Democrats decided to try again -- this time featuring deficit spending transfers for highway funds, timing shifts for tax revenue, the return of the "Jimmy Carter job tax credit" and short-term tax incentives for businesses to hire unemployed people.

And this time, the Majority gave House Republicans less than one hour to review the bill before it came to the floor from the Rules Committee. Additionally, the Majority did not allow any hearings on the bill, any Republican amendments, or any text changes through a regular committee process. As a member of the House Rules Committee, I asked: Do my colleagues really believe that is how we create jobs?

I believe that Americans want thoughtful solutions -- not legislation that has been thrown together at the last minute without any discussion or debate.

America should and can be the "Employer Nation" leader in the world. We should champion investors and the free enterprise system to be that global leader and not rely futilely on the Federal government to pull us out of this economic stumble. Here are just a few policies I support to grow jobs and the economy:

· No new taxes during periods of high unemployment (unlike what Democrats have proposed in their health care and National Energy Tax bills).

· Freeze or reduce domestic discretionary spending to help alleviate uncertainty in the marketplace over unsustainable national deficits.

· The EXPENSE Act, legislation I crafted, that allows businesses to choose the asset depreciation schedule that best suits their individual business needs. This will create incentives for American businesses to reinvest in their companies, buy new equipment and hire new workers.

· Support education, training and enhanced job search resources for the unemployed.

· Provide additional resources for U.S. companies to remain competitive and reinvest in their business by reducing the 35% U.S. corporate tax rate, which is the 2nd highest in the world.

· Expand U.S. trade by passing free trade agreements. An increase of U.S. exports by just 1% could create over 250,000 American jobs.

These are just a few examples that could provide immediate job growth, expansion in American business, and economic prosperity. Job creation and economic growth should be the top priorities of this Congress -- not government-run health care.


Obama to Congress: Pass Healthcare at Any Cost
On Wednesday, President Obama announced his new way forward on healthcare: force the bill through Congress by abusing legislative power to avoid Senate opposition. He effectively encouraged Congress to use "reconciliation" -- a fast-track procedure intended only to control the size of government -- to ram through the House and Senate a trillion-dollar government-takeover of health that the American people have soundly rejected.

Using the same discredited talking points, President Obama also tried to claim that his fundamentally-flawed government-run healthcare plan was bipartisan because he sprinkled a few Republican health care ideas on top of the bad bill.

This reckless disregard for the will of the American people is unacceptable. The American people need jobs -- not a job-killing healthcare bill that will levy more taxes on families and small businesses. My Republican colleagues and I will not stop fighting against the Democrats' government-takeover of healthcare. It's past time to focus on jobs -- and then start over on health care solutions.


EPA's Backdoor National Energy Tax
As you may remember, last summer the House narrowly passed a National Energy Tax -- or cap-and-trade plan -- to arbitrarily "cap" greenhouse gas emissions and auction off the right to emit to businesses.

A guaranteed job-killer, the National Energy Tax has since stalled in the Senate. But now the Obama Administration is moving full speed ahead with this job-killing agenda at a time when American businesses and families are already struggling to make ends meet.

In December, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an "endangerment finding" stating that greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide exhaled by humans, "threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations." This ruling preempts Congressional action on cap-and-trade legislation and allows the EPA to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act, posing far-reaching rules on all sectors of the American economy.

The Obama Administration appears to be moving ahead on EPA regulations to pressure Congress into passing cap-and-tax legislation -- essentially telling Congress: "If you don't act, we will."

The EPA endangerment finding and resulting regulation promises yet another massive intrusion of government into the U.S. economy. This action would stifle economic growth and kill jobs, especially in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. Operating as a Backdoor National Energy Tax, the regulations would raise costs for consumers and ship jobs overseas during a recession.

I strongly opposed the National Energy Tax last year in Congress, and I equally oppose the EPA instituting new carbon emission regulations that would create a vast expansion of the federal government and result in a bureaucratic nightmare.

As a result, on Tuesday I joined 90 of my colleagues in cosponsoring a Resolution of Disapproval (H.J.Res.77) that would prevent the implementation of the EPA's regulatory proposals.

I am extremely concerned by the overzealous decisions being made by the Obama Administration, and I believe that both of the options -- the National Energy Tax and EPA regulation -- would be detrimental to the 32nd District of Texas and to our entire state.
Instead a National Energy Tax, I will continue working in Congress to support job creation through comprehensive energy plans that can build renewable, alternative energy sources and achieve energy independence.

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