John Boehner Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 06/12/10

Podcast of the address: Download MP3 for PODCAST

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) Delivers Weekly Republican Address. GOP Leader: “While I hope President Obama will work with us to stop this spending spree, if he won’t hold Congressional Democrats accountable, then the American people will.”

“Hello – I’m John Boehner. In these tough economic times, American families have done their level best to stay afloat – spending less and working more while trying to map out a financially sound future. They deserve that same degree of discipline and vigilance from their government.

“But instead of bringing fiscal sanity to Washington like he promised, President Obama has spent taxpayer dollars with reckless abandon, refusing to make tough choices and pushing the burden on to future generations. No price tag has been too high for Washington Democrats, and now we’re all paying the price.

“Unemployment is still close to 10 percent. The private sector is at a near-standstill. Our small businesses are still gasping for air. And having run a small business, I can tell you that the new health care law, with its burdensome mandates and tax increases, is already stalling these engines of our economy.

“A new report from the Treasury Department shows that our fiscal situation is much worse than we thought. Our record national debt – which now tops $13 trillion – is on pace to exceed the size of our entire economy by the middle of this decade. Economists say that at these levels, our debt is draining enough resources from our country to cost us nearly one million jobs.

“We cannot go on like this.

“Real economic growth requires creating jobs in the private sector, and to do that we need to start reining in Washington’s out-of-control spending spree. Less spending, more jobs – it’s that simple.

“Economists agree, and this week, I gave President Obama a statement signed by more than 100 of them urging both parties to take immediate, decisive action to cut federal spending.

“Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress are busy making backroom deals so that they don’t have to pass a budget this year. They’d rather keep on spending than seize this critical opportunity to create jobs and boost our economy. But every family knows that in tough times, passing a budget is more important – not less important.

“Just as troubling is the fact that President Obama hasn’t uttered a word in protest of Congressional Democrats’ failure to produce a budget. Even after being presented with these economists’ pleas for fiscal discipline, he still won’t press leaders in his own party to fulfill their responsibility to the American people.

“This is a stunning failure of leadership – the kind of leadership President Obama promised to provide.

“Too many in Washington forget that we work for the people, not the other way around. Taxpayers are just fed up, and they want us to stop spending their hard-earned money.

“That’s why, through the America Speaking Out project, Republicans are providing Americans with a megaphone to make their voices heard and help build a better, more responsive government. If you have an idea to cut wasteful Washington spending, log on to AmericaSpeakingOut.com right now and start a discussion about it.

“Another interactive Republican initiative – YouCut – gives Americans a chance to vote on specific spending cuts that you want to see Congress implement. And looking forward, Republicans have proposed common-sense solutions to reform the way Washington spends taxpayer dollars, starting with strict budget caps to limit federal spending on an annual basis.

“Waiting and hoping for the best is no longer an option, not when 43 cents of every dollar we spend this year is borrowed from our kids and grandkids. Our posterity shouldn’t have to foot the bill because Washington Democrats can’t do what they were elected to do or summon the courage to say no to special interests with their hands out.

“So while I hope President Obama will work with us to stop this spending spree, if he won’t hold Congressional Democrats accountable, then the American people will.

“Thank you for listening.”

Conservative House Members Stand with Israel

We told our liberal Jewish friends that these days of waning support for the state of Israel were part of the package they were buying with the Obama Administration, they all laughed, we started to hear loud buyers remorse from those precincts on this issue last month, we did not laugh. Washington, Jun 11 - In a letter sent today to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and signed by 78 House Republicans, Republican Study Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) and fellow conservatives offered unequivocal support of Israel’s right to defend her people

and maintain a blockade of the Gaza Strip that has proven vital to keeping weapons and other resources out of the hands of the terrorist organization Hamas. The blockade has come under intense international scrutiny following an incident in which Israeli Defense Forces personnel were forced to engage a ship and its crew attempting to breach the blockade. The RSC letter comes at a time when many Israelis and Americans have come to question the Obama Administration’s support for Israel and its willingness to stand by America’s strongest Middle East ally in the face of continued threats from terrorism and a rogue regime in Iran. The following is the text of the letter sent to Prime Minister Netanyahu:

“As members of the House Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group of over 115 conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we want to express our steadfast support for the steps you have taken to ensure the peace and security of Israel, one of the most important being the blockade of the Gaza Strip. While we hope that the future holds a more positive relationship between the Gaza Strip and Israel, like you, we see the blockade as a key component of Israel’s security at this time.

While there have been many international calls to end the blockade, we see your actions as the only viable way to prevent weapons from entering a terrorist-laden region under constant threat of Iranian control. We therefore support the right and responsibility of Israel to continue the blockade.

When Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, it became a matter of national security for Israel to take the necessary steps in preventing weapons from being smuggled into the area. While violence has not ceased, we do not believe it is a coincidence that there has not been an Israeli death due to a terrorist attack in over a year. Many innocent civilians, both Jewish and Arab, have been saved due to the blockade, which has prevented artillery and materials to manufacture weapons from coming into the hands of Hamas.

Sadly, in a volatile area of the world, where Israel stands as a beacon of light for democratic values, the country and all it stands for is hated by many. Thus, it has been forced to defend its mere existence and must be able to continue to do so in situations such as this, in which efforts were made to aid a terrorist-controlled region. We stand by the Israeli people, the Israeli government, and your actions to prevent terrorist attacks.”


A signed copy of the letter is available here Final Flotilla Letter to PM Netanyahu June 11, 2010 in PDF Format

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 6.11.2010