Opinion Pieces
I am fond of a quote by Winston Churchill that reads: "In critical and baffling situations, it is always best to return to first principle and simple action."
Today's economic conditions, though not comparable to what Churchill faced in World War II, are among the most challenging in American history, with rising unemployment, an ailing housing market, declining stock market, credit crunch, high energy prices, and out-of-control government spending.
I still remember the excitement in the air on January 20, when millions of Americans gathered on the National Mall to witness history. Given the flurry of activity from the new White House, it is hard to believe it has only been 100 days since President Barack Obama took office.
Now that the initial honeymoon period has passed and the nation begins to assess the Obama agenda, I fear that our children and grandchildren may come to regret a number of the early decisions made by President Obama and Congress.
Last week was the first time in a long time that I was able to share good news about what was going on in Washington.
After months of stalling, the House finally passed an updated version of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is critical in tracking phone calls from known or suspected foreign terrorists to points inside this country.
Every year, Congressman John Boehner of Ohio hosts a statewide farm forum. He invites farmers and others involved in agriculture and agribusiness to discuss farm policy with a top-level speaker who provides a vision for agriculture in Ohio and America.
There are panel discussions at the event on current agriculture policy, timely issues that farmers need to be aware of, and ideas for changing farm legislation in the future.
The State of the Union address, delivered annually to a joint session of Congress, often outlines a President's vision for changing the country and details legislative proposals needed to make those changes.
Two such proposals stood out from President Bush's recent State of the Union speech--both of which deserve further, more detailed consideration.
This weekend, our nation marks Veterans Day, an observance established to commemorate the end of World War I in 1918. That war can seem to many like ancient history, eclipsed by other conflicts in the last 90 years that have changed the landscape of the world and helped free countless millions from the bonds of tyranny.
It is incredible how a week can change things.
Let me begin by thanking each and every person in our district who, through their prayers and other actions, helped families and businesses make their way through last week's floods.
Many people with experience in hurricane recovery said that parts of our district were reminiscent of the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.