The House Republican Policy Committee has been described as “the ‘think tank’ for House Republicans.” Recently the suggestion has been made that, in order to save money, perhaps Republicans no longer need their think tank. I could not more strongly disagree. If the question is, do we save money or the Policy Committee, I would submit we must be bold enough to do both. The Policy Committee was founded more than six decades ago, in 1949, following a significant loss of Republican seats in the 1948 election. House Republicans at the time wanted a forum to consider “forward-looking Republican thinking.” Since then, this committee has held a prominent position in advocating for the core principles for which conservatives stand. It is tasked with two very important responsibilities: discuss legislation and report suggestions. Read more »
Last Friday I traveled to the Gulf Coast area affected by the oil spill caused by the April 20 explosion on the ultra-deep-water exploratory oil rig, Deepwater Horizon. The most dreadful consequence of this tragedy is the loss of life—of the 126 men and women on board the rig, 11 perished. Oil is now leaking into the Gulf at rates currently estimated at 5,000 barrels per day, and thousands of men and women have been working around the clock to get the spill under control. While in Louisiana, our delegation received a briefing from Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry at Unified Area Command, and we also met with representatives from the Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, local officials, affected industries and response teams. Read more »
Thank you to everyone who took my 2008 Farm Bill Survey. It is important to me that I hear your opinions and insight into the issues facing Americans today, such as agriculture policy.
I encourage you to take my new survey and let me know what you think Congress should do to respond to rising fuel prices. This survey can be found in the bottom-left corner of my homepage, or… Read more »
Last night’s tele-town hall was another success. I called 34,000 of my constituents who reside in the Northeast portion of Tarrant County and over 6,000, or 18%, of you stayed on the line to listen and share your opinions. I took 11 questions from participants, there were 150 individuals who requested to ask a question, and 141 voice messages were left. These numbers speak to your… Read more »
Spring is when motorcyclists from the northern half of the country dust the snow off their boots and get on their motorcycles for the first ride of the year. Riders from the South take road trips to escape the heat.
That is why state and federal agencies recognize each May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and this year Congress will weigh in as well.
As co-chairs of the… Read more »
Note: This was co-authored by Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
Nothing is certain except death and taxes, and physicians will tell you that death is much less complicated than the American tax code.
The complexity of today’s tax code is a consequence of countless deductions and exemptions aimed at promoting a variety of congressionally determined policy agendas. The result is… Read more »
To paraphrase the great American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright: no man should write about building who has not himself built something worth building. As a physician who helped build an Ambulatory Surgery Center, I conform to Mr. Wright’s formula and am glad to pen some thoughts about my personal experiences with the facility.
Let me begin by stipulating that I am neither a statistician,… Read more »
Aggies or Longhorns. Yankees or Red Sox. Regular or Decaf. Republicans or Democrats. Americans don’t always see eye to eye. One thing the large majority of us do agree on – hands down – is that our federal tax system needs serious help. According to a 2007 Tax Foundation Study, 78 percent of Americans think the tax system needs major changes.
Everyone knows the problem. Each year… Read more »
A checkup of the American health care system reveals a troubling trend: 48 million Americans lack health insurance. And the side effects are worrisome for everyone as costs rise, care is compromised and confusion reigns in doctors’ offices and operating rooms.
In many ways reducing the number of uninsured Americans is like armchair quarterbacking Dallas Cowboys football. We’re all… Read more »
