Published: 07-30-07
Over the course of the past several months a spending battle has erupted in the House of Representatives with fiscal conservatives fighting the majority over their wasteful spending habits. Emboldened by the single largest tax increase in American history which the Democrats included in the budget they passed earlier this year Washington has been on a spending spree. The Democrats have bloated spending bills with earmarks and pork-barrel projects requiring hard working Americans to send even more money to Washington to fund airports that don’t exist Andre Agassi’s charity prep school a training program for Hollywood movie employees and thousands of other projects.
Your hard earned money does not belong in the irresponsible hands of the federal government it belongs to you. That is why I am fighting tooth and nail to ensure that we make government spending more accountable so that Congress will not have an excuse for raising your taxes even higher.
I have offered over fifteen amendments this year to eliminate duplicative or unnecessary federal programs and strike pork-barrel earmarks from spending bills. I have also delivered a letter to President Bush signed by over 146 members -- the number needed to sustain a veto -- of the House of Representatives who have agreed to uphold a presidential veto of spending bills that request more funding than was included in the President’s budget recommendations. This letter represents a commitment to fiscal responsibility by Republicans in the House who do not support Washington’s out-of-control spending habits.
I am committed to fighting the Democrats’ budget which includes the largest tax increase in American history. I am committed to cutting wasteful spending. And I am committed to seeing that you get to spend your money the way you see fit because I have faith that the American people can spend their hard earned money better than the federal government can.
To read more about my commitment to fiscal accountability and my promise to sustain a presidential veto of bloated spending bills click here and follow the link titled “The Veto Lineup” or “Budget Hawk”.
Fairness Doctrine Not Even Close to Being Fair
Recently I co-sponsored an amendment that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reinstating a draconian set of regulations titled the Fairness Doctrine that place restrictions on the free speech on America’s public airwaves.
Initiated in 1949 the Fairness Doctrine required all broadcasters to present controversial issues in a fair non-biased manner. However due to confusion and excessive red tape broadcasters steered their programs away from controversial and often very relevant topics in lieu of mountains of paperwork or expensive legal fees. The Fairness Doctrine was overturned in 1985 and since then talk radio and other forms of media broadcasting have blossomed as a primary forum for information and debate regarding current and relevant issues.
There is no greater indicator of America’s democracy and freedoms than the 1st Amendment. And there is no greater threat to our 1st Amendment granted freedom of speech than the resurrection of the so-called Fairness Doctrine. The use of the term ‘Fairness Doctrine’ would make George Orwell blush. The implementation of the program would make Hugo Chavez jealous. We must protect our constitutional rights at all costs and to that end I vehemently oppose the re-implementation of the Fairness Doctrine.
Even though I may not always agree with what I hear on the radio or read in the newspaper I adamantly defend the right of every American to voice their opinion. There is nothing fair about the Fairness Doctrine and I intend to see that it remains in the history books where it belongs.
