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Speeches

May 9, 2012
Speeches
The Export-Import Bank dragoons American taxpayers into subsidizing loans to foreign companies, making it cheaper for them to buy products from politically-favored American companies which in turn use those products to compete against less-favored American companies.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
May 8, 2012
Speeches
Here is an appropriations bill originating in this House that still has outrageously wasteful and indefensible spending. Perhaps the flagship of this folly is the $182 million in unauthorized - there's that word again: unauthorized - spending for the Economic Development Administration. This is solely and simply a slush fund that gives away money for the most dubious of local projects.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
May 8, 2012
Speeches
This amendment cuts more than a quarter billion dollars of unauthorized appropriations from the International Trade Administration. What does it do, exactly? The ITA has some legitimate functions enforcing trade agreements and treaties. This amendment leaves these functions untouched. But it also - to quote from its own material - provides counseling to American companies in order to develop the most profitable and sustainable plans for pricing, export, and the full range of public and private trade promotion assistance... as well as market intelligence, and industry and market specific research." That's well and good, but Mme. Chairman, isn't that what businesses, trade associations and the Chamber of Commerce are supposed to do with their own money?
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
April 27, 2012
Speeches
Under the Fourth Amendment, if the Government wants to snoop through a person's email, it must first convince a judge that there is probable cause to believe that person has committed a crime and it must specify the documents it believes are relevant to that charge. Yesterday the House passed a measure that makes a mockery of this cherished protection.
Issues:Government Regulation
April 27, 2012
Speeches

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Issues:Fiscal and Economic
April 19, 2012
Speeches
The House just passed HR 9 that purports to give a temporary tax cut to small businesses. I say "purports" because it doesn't cut spending at the same time and thus it merely shifts current taxes into the future. Once a dollar has been spent, it's already become a tax, taken either from today -- or from tomorrow to pay for today's deficits.
April 17, 2012
Speeches
A defining aspect of the American tradition is that groups of citizens band together for a wide variety of civic purposes. They recruit volunteers, raise funds and spend those funds to promote whatever project or cause brings them together.
Issues:Local IssuesGovernment Regulation
April 17, 2012
Speeches
The subcommittee sits today to hear two bills, one removing government impediments to development of one of the cheapest and cleanest forms of electricity generation and one proposing more government subsidies for one of the most expensive forms of water delivery.
Issues:Natural Resources Committee
March 28, 2012
Speeches
I thank the gentleman (Mr. Ryan) for yielding and I thank him for his vision and courage. It has truly been an honor to serve on this committee under his leadership. Mr. Chairman, a year ago, the House passed a budget that would have put our nation back on the path to fiscal solvency and ultimately paid off the entire national debt. It would have saved Medicare and Medicaid from collapse and put them back on a solid and secure foundation.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic
March 27, 2012
Speeches
The House is about to consider a budget in a dangerous hour in the life of our country. Last year, we barreled past several urgent warning signals: the loss of our nation's triple-A credit rating; the size of the national debt surpassing our entire economy; a record third year of trillion dollar-plus annual deficits.
Issues:Fiscal and Economic