Could there be a fresh, healthy breeze blowing from America into Washington, D.C.?Kathryn Jean Lopez interviews House GOP leader John Boehner, the Ohio Congressman who is promising a dramatic new agenda if only Americans will give Republicans the chance.
It makes for hopeful reading. But hope must have prayer, work and sacrifice behind it to become reality.
I print below a few excerpts of the NRO interview, including one showing that the "truce" on social issues that some shallow-minded Republicans have called for isn't part of Boehner's plan at all. That's very good.
Rep. Boehner: I haven’t hesitated to use the word failure to describe the economic policies of the president and his current team. I’m a former small businessman, and before I came to serve in Congress I saw firsthand the way government can crush job creation in this country. Uncertainty kills jobs, and under this administration, there hasn’t been anything but uncertainty for small businesses and private-sector job creators. The Pledge to America is focused first and foremost on jobs, cutting spending, and reforming Congress...
To help our economy create jobs, we need to stop all of the coming tax hikes, cut spending, and begin a drive for smaller, less costly government — and to do this, we need to change Congress itself...
It’s an approach focused on cutting spending instead of increasing spending, and eliminating uncertainty for the private-sector innovators and entrepreneurs who create jobs in this country. And it also acknowledges that if we’re going to be successful in reining in spending and reducing the size of government, we have to change the way Congress itself works. As Kevin McCarthy often says, structure dictates behavior. Right now all the rules and structures are rigged in favor of increased spending and minimal public scrutiny. We need to reverse that. Having a Congress that’s basically pre-programmed to spend money and prevent spending cuts is part of the reason we’re in the mess we’re in...
We’re calling for all bills that come to the floor to include a citation of their constitutional authority. That’s something John Shadegg [R., Ariz.] has championed for years, and he was onto something. Outside the Beltway, this is something that has incredibly strong support among the people. People want their government to reconnect with the Constitution and the principles upon which our government was founded. It’s very real...
We’re calling for an immediate cut in non-security discretionary spending to 2008 levels, which was the last year before all the stimulus spending sprees, bailouts, and takeovers. “Pre-binge levels” is how one economist we talked to puts it. That will save taxpayers $100 billion in the first year alone. And we’re calling for real, enforceable spending caps to keep a lid on the growth of government going forward. This won’t be easy, but the alternative is unacceptable. We just can’t keep spending money and passing the bill to our children and grandchildren the way we’ve been doing...
Lopez: The agenda does not mention one of the most contentious issues of the day: protecting the institution of marriage. Why?
Rep. Boehner: Actually it does. The preamble section of the Pledge states that we’re going to honor families, traditional marriage, and life. The focus of the document is on jobs, cutting spending, and reforming government, but we’re also clear about our principles.
Lopez: Why is the Hyde expansion you have in the agenda important? Isn’t it going to drive some members and interest groups mad?
Rep. Boehner: The American people are overwhelmingly opposed to having their tax dollars used to pay for abortions. Frankly, I don’t think this is even controversial. It’s the will of the people. Back in June I had the honor of addressing the National Right to Life convention in Pittsburgh, and I made clear that codifying the Hyde amendment was going to be a priority for us. And it will be. The Pledge to America reflects our commitment to life...
