Opinion Pieces
One bright spot in the appropriations bill that recently passed Congress was a renewed commitment by the federal government to support the important work of upgrading tanks and building other armored vehicles at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (JSMC) in Lima. Because of the critical role JSMC plays in our national security we have been urging the Department of Defense to guarantee the plants' future.
Last week, Jonathan Gruber testified before Congress. He's of course the MIT professor who, in a now-famous series of videos, called American voters stupid. Or, to state it plainly, he's the guy who took your tax money and lied to you about Obamacare, and then when it became law he made fun of you and bragged about it.
Journalist Michael Kinsley famously said, "A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth." While not a politician, Jonathan Gruber is the most recent public figure to prove the point. Today, Gruber, a health economist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Before a series of now-famous videos surfaced, Gruber was described by The Washington Post as a "key architect" of ObamaCare.
As I travel the 4th District, I continually hear from people upset that Washington, D.C. seems completely out of touch with the problems the middle class faces in America today. Average Americans think the government is rigged against them. They see bailouts for big corporations and well-connected banks, and handouts to people who are able, but unwilling to work. I share these concerns, which is why I've spent my time in Congress advocating for a government that works for the people, not the other way around.
L. Gordon Crovitz writes that "accountability has been scarce" in the realm of intelligence gathering for counterterrorism ("Judges for National Security," Information Age, Aug. 11). This is ironic, because additional accountability is precisely the point of legislative efforts to reform electronic surveillance.
In their wisdom, the founders sought to protect certain fundamental freedoms in the First Amendment to the Constitution. One of the most important is the freedom to speak out against the policies of your government.
That is why the IRS scandal should outrage Americans across the political spectrum. It is chilling to think that any American could be singled out and targeted by their government simply for opposing the policies of the president.
By Jim Jordan
The House Oversight Committee's investigation of the IRS is at an inflection point. The president's congressional supporters realize that the administration's version of the agency's targeting of conservative nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status—such as blaming local officials in the Cincinnati office or claiming that liberal groups were victimized along with conservative groups—is nonsense. Instead of debating the substance, they have resorted to procedural antics and misleading rhetoric.
How does Washington's vicious debt cycle happen? Think back to the last debt ceiling debate in July 2011 when President Obama asked Congress to raise the debt ceiling by more than $2 trillion. He wanted the additional borrowing authority with no strings attached because America has to borrow money to "pay its bills".
Control Debt, Pass Balanced Budget Amendment
By Congressman Jim Jordan and Congressman Eric Cantor
Our Constitution has endured the passage of time with remarkably few changes, being amended just 27 times in 223 years. Unfortunately, America's debt limit has not been nearly so stable. Since World War II, Congress has increased the limit on the national debt 69 times. The reasons behind this disparity tell an important story.
During August and early September, I took the opportunity to meet with health care professionals and concerned citizens around our district. Whether individually, in small groups, or in large town hall meetings, people from every walk of life expressed to me their concerns about the federal takeover of health care being proposed by President Obama and leaders in Congress.
It is clear from reading the news and speaking with my colleagues that regular Americans across the country have sent the same clear message to their representatives as well.