Weekly Republican Address VIDEO TEXT PODCAST Remarks by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA)

Weekly Republican Address VIDEO TEXT PODCAST Remarks by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, DC – In this week’s Republican address, Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) marks Labor Day by celebrating our nation of builders, and highlighting the challenges the president’s policies are creating for families and workers across the country.

The full audio of the address is here Download for Podcast.

Remarks by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Weekly Republican Address
Philadelphia, PA
August 31, 2013

Hello, I’m Mike Fitzpatrick, proudly serving Pennsylvania’s eighth congressional district.

It’s an honor to speak with you this weekend as we celebrate the spirit and ingenuity of America’s workers.

We are a nation that builds things. From skyscrapers to smartphone apps, we live in a land where anyone can create, innovate, and pursue their American Dream.

But as I’ve traveled throughout my district this summer – visiting 100 local businesses in 100 days to speak with workers and business owners – it’s easy to sense that Americans are frustrated.

Nearly five years into the Obama presidency, the workers who drive our economy see nothing but roadblocks coming out of Washington.

President Obama’s health care law comes to mind.

It’s driving up premiums, and forcing workers and their spouses out of plans that they like. Small companies say the taxes and government mandates make it more difficult for them to hire. Even doctors are warning that the law doesn’t come close to addressing the real problems in our health care system.

It simply isn’t working as promised – and the president knows it. He’s already signed seven bills repealing or defunding parts of it. And he’s been busy handing out waivers and delays.

Republicans want to protect everyone from this health care law so we can focus on step-by-step, patient-centered reforms that actually lower costs. We think it’s only fair to give all Americans the same delay the president is giving to big businesses. But the president threatened to veto a bipartisan bill that would do so – why?

President Obama’s energy policies are another concern.

Republicans have an all-of-the-above energy strategy that will help lower prices, boost manufacturing, and improve our national security. But the president is blocking efforts to create jobs and make energy more affordable. Case in point: the Keystone energy pipeline.

This month marks five years since the Keystone application was first filed. Since then, it’s passed every environmental review. Labor unions want it. It’s privately funded – no taxpayer dollars involved. And again, it has bipartisan support in Congress.

So why is the Obama administration still standing in the way of this ‘shovel-ready’ project?

Lastly, people in my district are also worried about the size and scope of the federal government. They’re worried that the threat of higher taxes and the almost-endless stream of red tape are choking the engines of our economy.

Republicans want to get spending under control and simplify the tax code – making it flatter and fairer for everyone. And we’ve passed several jobs bills to eliminate excessive regulations and bring common-sense oversight to the regulatory process.

But the president is still pushing more of the same tax hikes and ‘stimulus’-style policies that have left us with weak job growth, high prices, and stagnant paychecks. Again we have to ask: why?

If there’s one thing I’ve heard a lot of these last few weeks, it’s that people want Congress to focus on expanding opportunity instead of expanding the government.

That’s the goal of the Republican jobs plan – and you can see it at gop.gov/jobs. It’s focused on breaking down the government roadblocks that are hurting our economy, and putting Americans back in the driver’s seat.

Because we want to make sure that the workers we’re celebrating this weekend can keep doing what they do best: building. Creating. And preserving the American Dream for future generations.

Thank you for listening.

Rep. Paul Gosar: Attorney General Holder Misled Congress FULL VIDEO TEXT TRANSCRIPT

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Rep. Paul Gosar: Attorney General Holder Misled Congress FULL VIDEO TEXT TRANSCRIPT.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) spoke on the House floor today condemning Attorney General Eric Holder’s deceptive testimony, which misled Congress and abused the American people’s trust. In a 70-page report, released Wednesday, on the Justice Department's leak investigations, the House Judiciary Committee formally accused the Attorney General of misleading Congress when he said that he knew nothing of the "potential prosecution" of the press.

This floor speech is the fourth in a series of speeches highlighting the violations of the law made by the Attorney General.

Earlier this year, Congressman Gosar re-introduced his Resolution of No Confidence (H.Res. 35), which expresses no confidence in Attorney General Holder and calls for his resignation. The resolution currently has 137 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address Attorney General Holder misleading Congress with deceptive testimony.

If I or any other ordinary citizen did what the attorney general did, we would be thrown in jail for perjury.

In front of the House Judiciary committee, on May 15th, Holder said he knew nothing of the targeting of journalist James Rosen.

Yet, Holder himself signed the subpoena for Mr. Rosen’s records.

Does the Attorney General suffer from Sargent Schultz syndrome – where he “hears nothing, sees nothing, and knows nothing?”

How convenient for Mr. Holder? But at what cost to our Constitution?

We are a nation of laws, but the Attorney General has created an atmosphere of lawlessness in America.

No one is above the law. He must be held accountable.

As Supreme Court Justice Brandeis said, “In a government of laws, the existence of the government will be imperiled if it fails to observe the law scrupulously.... If government becomes a lawbreaker it breeds contempt for law: it invites every man to become a law unto himself. It invites anarchy.”

I ask you, has the Attorney General invited anarchy?

I will continue to make my case here in the People’s House, at the People’s Pulpit.

I will be back. ###

Contact Congressman Paul Gosar: Washington, DC 504 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-2315

Republican Leadership Press Conference 7/31/13 FULL VIDEO

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Republican Leadership Press Conference 7/31/13 FULL VIDEO - House Republicans know that in order to spur economic growth and create jobs, we need to fight back against an out-of-control federal government that's making life tougher for hardworking Americans.

That's why this week we've introduced several bills that make sure our government works for the American people, not against them.

Category: News & Politics. License: Standard YouTube License.

Rick Snyder: Government bailout is the wrong answer for Detroit

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Gov. Rick Snyder, R-Mich., said Sunday on "Face the Nation" that granting Detroit a government bailout would be the wrong way to help the bankrupt city.

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Governor authorizes Detroit bankruptcy filing, describes it as only viable option to help residents and restore city; Tough step will revive city buried in $18 billion debt and unfunded liabilities.

DETROIT - Gov. Rick Snyder today authorized Detroit's emergency manager to seek federal bankruptcy protection for the city, saying it was the only viable option to provide the 700,000 people of Detroit with the public services they need and to restore the city.

"The fiscal realities confronting Detroit have been ignored for too long. I'm making this tough decision so the people of Detroit will have the basic services they deserve and so we can start to put Detroit on a solid financial footing that will allow it to grow and prosper in the future," the governor said. "This is a difficult step, but the only viable option to address a problem that has been six decades in the making."

Snyder's decision allowed Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr to make a filing under Chapter 9 of the federal bankruptcy law. Orr filed for Chapter 9 protection today shortly after receiving authorization from the governor. Chapter 9 protects financially distressed municipalities from creditors while their debts are resolved under the direction of a bankruptcy judge.

Detroit has more than $18 billion in debt and unfunded liabilities and doesn't have the revenues to meet those obligations and provide an adequate level of services to its people, who pay the highest taxes per capita in Michigan. The city's debt level is unsustainable. Currently, 38 cents of every city dollar goes toward debt repayment, legacy costs and other obligations. By 2017 that figure is expected to reach 65 cents per dollar.

"The simple fact is Detroit is in a financial crisis. The city is insolvent and has been borrowing money to pay its bills for nearly a decade. Bankruptcy is the only feasible option to fix the city's finances and do what is right for the 700,000 people of Detroit," Snyder said.

The governor noted Orr's restructuring plan for the city calls for investing $1.25 billion over 10 years in core services, primarily police and fire protection, trash pickup and street lighting.

"Fixing the city's finances will allow for investments in key areas that will improve the quality of life for Detroiters and encourage growth and investment in the city," Snyder said.

"We want to create an environment that attracts more families, young professionals and job providers to Detroit. That will be a win for Detroit and a win for Michigan. Michigan is the comeback state and we need our state's largest city to be healthy and strong to keep the comeback going strong."

The governor and Orr will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Friday to discuss the Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing for Detroit. The news conference will take place at the DPTV studios, which are located at 5057 Woodward Ave., Detroit 48202. The news conference also will be live streamed and may be accessed by going to: www.michigan.gov/snyder.

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Executive Office of the Governor Communications Division. P.O. Box 30013. Lansing, MI 48909 - 517-335-6397

Interest Rates Double on Student Loans Amid Democratic Infighting

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Interest rates on student loans doubled today,

“following top Senate Democrats’ rejection of a bipartisan compromise supported by the president.” We could have easily avoided this.

Back in May, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed the Smarter Solutions for Students Act – a bill based on President Obama’s own proposal and part of the Republican Plan for Economic Growth & Jobs. The House bill would have stopped an immediate rate hike and permanently fixed the program by tying rates to the market (not “the whims of Congress” which, as we can see, aren’t all that reliable). It also protects borrowers by capping rates.

Senate Democrats didn’t pass any bill at all – they left Washington and just let rates double. President Obama never really urged the leaders in his party to take action. And without the president’s involvement, “divisions within their own caucus” have prevented a long-term solution.

You see, some Democrats support a bipartisan plan like the one passed by the House. Others want another short-term fix (“let’s put this off for a year”) to “bring the issue to a head in 2014, when the party again hopes to rally younger voters to the polls in congressional elections ...” These Democrats would rather score political points than solve a problem, and students are the ones paying the price.

The uncertainty over student loans isn’t the only challenge facing young Americans under President Obama. Young and healthy “consumers could see insurance rates double or even triple” under the president’s health care law, says the Wall Street Journal. Finding work is tough too: “the unemployment rate for workers aged 20 to 24 remains stubbornly above 13 percent” and “the rate for those ages 25 to 34 is more than 7 percent,” wrote former CBO Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin in Reuters.

“This Democratic infighting is exactly why we have to take politics out of student loans and put in place a permanent solution,” said Speaker Boehner last week. Click here to learn more about the Smarter Solutions for Students Act and click here for the latest from the Education & the Workforce Committee.

Office of the Speaker H-232 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-0600 Fax: (202) 225-5117

President Obama's White House Says “A War on Coal is Exactly What’s Needed”

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President Obama's White House Says “A War on Coal is Exactly What’s Needed” How does the Obama administration feel about American energy and jobs? It wants to wage war on them. At least that’s what an administration advisor told the New York Times.

Hours before the president’s latest pitch for more energy taxes and regulations that will hurt our economy and drive up prices, White House climate advisor Daniel Schrag said, “a war on coal is exactly what’s needed.”

But the administration’s war on energy is actually a war on jobs, families, and manufacturing:

Coal is responsible for more than 760,000 American jobs all over the country. And exports of American coal to energy-hungry parts of the globe are rapidly increasing, which means even more jobs, opportunities, and economic growth (if the White House doesn’t get in the way).

Families pay 11 percent less for electricity in states where more than half comes from coal. Coal produces electricity for 48 states and 40 percent of all electricity in the United States.

Coal also plays an important role in American manufacturing. It is used in steel, paper, cement, plastics, and helps in everything from water purification to the production of carbon fibers used in fuel cells and electronics.

Unfortunately, excessive regulations and red tape are already shuttering coal plants and destroying jobs. In fact, 288 plants in 32 states are closing – that’s like turning off the entire electricity supply of 11 states. Millions of households already spend more than a fifth of their take-home pay on energy – prices could “necessarily skyrocket” if the president gets his way.

And the president’s war on American energy and jobs extends beyond coal. The Obama administration has blocked the popular Keystone XL energy pipeline for several years. It’s locked up 85 percent of America’s offshore energy resources. Oil and natural gas production on federal land has plummeted. And it takes 30 percent longer to get a federal permit under President Obama.

Republicans are taking a very different approach, working to expand American energy production to help grow our economy and lower prices. The House has already voted to remove legal and bureaucratic barriers delaying the Keystone project, and will vote this week to expand offshore energy production. This is all part of the Republican Plan for Economic Growth & Jobs.

Last week, Speaker Boehner called development of America’s energy resources “our new economic frontier,” noting that we have “more combined oil, coal, and natural gas resources than any other nation on Earth. We’re sitting on the gateway to prosperity.”

What do you think? Is American energy our gateway to prosperity? Or something on which federal bureaucrats should wage war? Let us know in the comments below.

#PRISM #liberty #safety

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They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin. Editing by sookietex. #PRISM #liberty #safety

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. #PRISM #NSA

Image "Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States" by Howard Chandler Christy (1873–1952). Editing by sookietex.

Kelly Ayotte Votes to Start Debate on Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill

Kelly Ayotte Votes to Start Debate on Bipartisan Immigration Reform Bill. Strong bipartisan vote of 84 to 15 advances important debate Jun 11, 2013.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) voted today to start debate on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act - bipartisan immigration reform legislation that includes provisions to secure our border, implement an employment verification system, create a tough but fair means for those who are here illegally to earn legal status, and allow high-skilled and other needed immigrants to work here legally and help grow our economy. On Sunday, Ayotte became the first Republican senator outside of the bipartisan "Gang of 8" to announce her support for the legislation - providing a key vote for the bill.

"Today's vote reflects overwhelming bipartisan support for having this urgent debate," said Senator Ayotte. "We need immigration reform that serves our country's best interests. That means stopping the dangerous flow of illegal immigrants into our country through greater border security, more effective enforcement and a vigorous employment verification program. This legislation also modernizes our legal immigration system to allow high-skilled and other needed immigrants to work here legally and help grow our economy, addressing a critical need I've heard frequently from New Hampshire's business community."

KEY COMPONENTS OF BORDER SECURITY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND IMMIGRATION MODERNIZATION ACT:

Securing the Border:

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must create, fund and initiate a border security and border fence plan within six months of bill's enactment.

o The Secretary would be directed to present Congress with a "Southern Border Security Strategy" and a "Southern Border Fencing Strategy" within six months of enactment, to include additional border agents and surveillance and identify where fencing, infrastructure, and technology should be deployed. $1.5 billion would be made available from the fund for constructing additional fencing and $3 billion for the security strategy.

• DHS must achieve 100 percent border awareness and at least 90 percent effectiveness in all border sectors (within five years of bill's enactment)

Stopping the Flow of Illegal Immigrants:
• Employment Verification - ‘E-Verify' - technology must be implemented. Under the bill, all employers will be required to use the E-Verify system over a five year phase-in period. Employers with more than 5,000 employees will be phased-in within two years. Employers with more than 500 employees will be phased-in within three years.

• Employers would face fines and civil penalties for violations of the E-Verify requirements, and possible criminal penalties for extensive and knowing employment of undocumented workers.

• To stop abuse of the existing visas system, DHS must implement an electronic biographic visa exit system at all international airports and seaports by the end of 2015.

• The bill would require DHS to report all visa overstays to the appropriate law enforcement, intelligence, or national security agency, and require that enforcement resources are used to locate the visa overstay and commence removal proceedings.

Earning Legal Status:

• The legislation also includes strict requirements for those illegal immigrants who have been here since before 2012.

o No undocumented immigrant is eligible to apply for temporary status until the border security and fencing plan have been submitted to Congress and the implementation of those plans is underway.

• Before any of these 11 million could earn a green card, they would go to the back of the line, not receive means-tested federal benefits and Obamacare subsidies, and they would be required to pay fines, pay taxes, and pass background checks, learn English, and secure a job.

• The minimum most immigrants would have to wait to earn a green card would be ten years - and 13 years for naturalization. And this timeline is dependent on first meeting border security and employment enforcement measures.

Boosting the U.S. Economy Through Legal Immigration Reform:

• After companies make every effort to recruit Americans to perform particular jobs and can't find any - especially those with expertise in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) - they are forced to look elsewhere.
o This legislation addresses that shortfall and will strengthen our economy.
o The bill expands the highly skilled H1-B visa program from 65,000 up to 180,000 to fill job shortages.

• The bill establishes a new guest worker visa program for lower-skilled workers that ensures the future flow of workers is manageable, traceable, and fair to American workers.

• The bill also allows current undocumented farm workers who have made a substantial prior commitment to agricultural work in the United States to obtain legal status through an Agricultural Blue Card Program.

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D.C. Office. 144 Russell Senate Office Building. Washington, D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224-3324. Fax: 202-224-4952

Delivering the Weekly Republican Address Luke Messer FULL TEXT VIDEO 06/08/13

WASHINGTON, DC – Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) says President Obama and Senate Democrats should put politics aside and work with Republicans to prevent an immediate student loan interest rate hike on July 1st. Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Smarter Solutions for Students Act, which prevents student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1st and helps students take advantage of low interest rates whenever available. Rep. Messer is president of the Republican freshman class and a member of the House Education & the Workforce Committee.

NOTE: The Weekly Republican Address is embargoed until 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, June 8, 2013. The audio is accessible now, and video of the address will be available to view and download once the embargo is lifted. A full transcript follows. “Fellow Americans: I’m Congressman Luke Messer from Indiana. It is my honor to speak to you today on behalf of my Republican colleagues. “This summer, more than nine million undergraduates will take out a federal student loan. That’s nine million Americans at the start of their journey toward the American Dream.

“As a young man growing up in a small town in Indiana, I was taught: if you want a great life, get a good education. So I did—but it wasn’t easy. When it came time to go to college, I received scholarships and Pell grants. I took out loans and worked my way through school with jobs ranging from collecting garbage and waiting tables to umpiring baseball games.

“What makes this country great is that my story is not exceptional. Every year, millions of American students see their career dreams begin with the help of federal student financial aid.

“Unfortunately, in just three weeks, on July 1st, interest rates on many federal student loans are set to double, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent. “No one wants this to happen, especially in a job market where millions of recent college grads are having a hard time finding full-time work.

“So the House of Representatives acted – not only to stop the immediate rate hike, but also to protect students over the long-term. Our proposal will reduce rates immediately for most borrowers and get Washington politicians out of the business of arbitrarily setting interest rates. “You see, in recent years, there have been times when interest rates on student loans have been higher than other loans in the marketplace. For example, you could get a used car loan cheaper than a student loan. That’s just not right.

“Taking the politics out of student loans is a common-sense fix. It’s a plan that mirrors a proposal in President Obama’s budget. As a matter of fact, one nonpartisan education expert said, and I quote, ‘the two proposals are really on the same page.’

“Unfortunately, rather than seize this common ground and move the ball forward, the president resorted to campaign-style tactics, stepped out into the Rose Garden, and denounced the plan. The President actually attacked a proposal similar to one he himself offered just weeks ago. His maneuvers are yet another example of the arrogance of power that has taken root in this administration, and it prevents us from addressing the people’s priorities.

“Making matters worse, this week Democratic leaders in the United States Senate tried to take the easy way out and maintain the status quo, which will only hurt students in the long-run. After the usual noise and bluster, they failed to pass any legislation that would help student borrowers.

“Our young people deserve better. The effective unemployment rate among young people in this country today is 16 percent. That is way too high. Too many young people have had to come home and tell their parents that they can’t find a job.

“Student loan relief is just one example of the solutions Republicans have put forward to get our economy back on track. Our plan for economic growth and jobs will make life work for families and expand opportunity for every American.

“We need to get our economy back on the right track and give our next generation their opportunity to live the American dream. Working together, we can. I hope the president and the Senate will join us to fix this problem and make life a little easier for millions of students and their families.
“Thank you for listening.”

Weekly Republican Address, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan 02/23/13 FULL TEXT and VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Weekly Republican Address, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan 02/23/13 FULL TEXT and VIDEO TRANSCRIPT.

WASHINGTON, DC – In the Weekly Republican Address, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) touts Republicans’ plan to improve the lives of American families by balancing the budget in 10 years and invites President Obama to join us in this common-sense goal. In the address, he details how Republicans’ balanced budget means more economic security for workers and parents, a more secure retirement for the elderly, and more opportunities for younger Americans. “So today we invite President Obama to do what President Clinton did,” Ryan says, and “work with Republicans in Congress to balance the budget.”

NOTE: The Weekly Republican Address is embargoed until 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, March 16, 2013. A full transcript follows.

“Next week, the House of Representatives will vote on a plan to improve the lives of American families by balancing the budget in ten years.

“How do we do it? Well, it’s pretty simple: We stop spending money we don’t have. Historically, we’ve paid a little less than one-fifth of our income in taxes to the federal government each year. But the government has spent more—a lot more. And the results are plain to see: Despite the President’s promise, the stimulus didn’t work. Today, 46 million people are living in poverty, the highest in a generation. One in seven workers either can’t find a job or works only part time.

“Our plan lets Washington spend only what it takes in. This is how every family tries to live, in good times and in bad. Your government should do the same.

“But the crucial question isn’t how we balance the budget. It’s why. The budget is a means to an end. We’re not balancing the budget as an accounting exercise. We’re not trying to simply make numbers add up. We’re trying to improve people’s lives.

“For Americans worried about jobs and the cost of living, our plan protects them from tax hikes and calls for Congress to fix the tax code by lowering rates and closing loopholes. We’re also going to approve the Keystone pipeline and unlock our nation’s abundant domestic-energy resources.

“For Americans trying to keep up with the cost of health care, our plan repeals the president’s health-care law and clears the way for patient-centered reforms.

“For younger workers hoping for a secure retirement, we will protect and strengthen Medicare so that it’s there for them—just like it’s there for my mom today.

“And for taxpayers fed up with the status quo, we will cut wasteful spending. We will rein in red tape, and we will give states flexibility on how to implement their federal welfare programs.

“If we take these steps, our economy will grow. Our country will regain confidence. And we will reignite the American Dream. All we need is leadership. We owe the American people a responsible, balanced budget. It’s not fair to take more from families just to spend more in Washington.

“I wish the powers-that-be in Washington agreed. President Obama and Senate Democrats say they want a “balanced approach” to our fiscal issues. But their budgets never balance—ever. Instead, they want to raise taxes to fuel more spending.

“We know where this path leads—straight into a debt crisis, and along the way, fewer jobs, fewer opportunities, and less security. What would this look like? First, lenders will demand higher interest rates. And when they do, interest rates across the country will skyrocket—on credit cards, on mortgages, on car loans. And as interest rates rise, debt payments will overwhelm all other items in the budget. The debt will overwhelm our economy. Our finances will collapse. The safety net will unravel. And the most vulnerable will suffer. You think this can’t happen here? Just look at Europe.

“We don’t accept that future—not for our children, not for our country.

“So today we invite President Obama to do what President Clinton did—to work with Republicans in Congress to balance the budget. He can join in the effort, or he can choose the status quo. But he must choose.

“The American people deserve an honest account of our challenges—and what’s needed to confront them. We have an opportunity to face them with courage and resolve—as we have always done throughout history.

“Thanks for listening."

Rand Paul CPAC 2013 FULL VIDEO and TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Rand Paul CPAC 2013 FULL VIDEO and TEXT TRANSCRIPT, CPAC 2013 - U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) Published on Mar 14, 2013. Category: Nonprofits and Activism. License: Standard YouTube License.

I have a message for the President, a message that is loud and clear, a message that doesn’t mince words.

The message for the President is that no one person gets to decide the law, no one person gets to decide your guilt or innocence.

My question to the President was about more than just killing Americans on American soil.

My question was about whether Presidential power has limits.

Lincoln put it well when he wrote, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man, give
him power.”

President Obama who seemed, once upon a time, to respect civil liberties, has become the President who signed a law allowing for the indefinite detention of an American citizen. Indeed, a law that allows an American citizen to be sent to Guantanamo Bay without a trial. President Obama defends his signing of the bill by stating that he has no intention of detaining any American citizen without a trial.

Likewise, he defended his possible targeted Drone strikes against Americans on American soil by indicating that he has no intention of doing so.

Well, my thirteen hour filibuster was a message to the President.

Good intentions are not enough. The presidential oath of office states ‘I WILL protect, preserve, and defend the Constitution,’ NOT ‘I intend to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution.’

Mr. President, good intentions are not enough. We want to know, will you or won’t you defend the Constitution?

Eisenhower wrote,

“How far can you go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without?” If we destroy our enemy but lose what defines our freedom in the process, have we really won?

If we allow one man to charge Americans as enemy combatants and indefinitely detain or drone them, then what exactly is it our brave young men and women are fighting for?

Montesquieu wrote that there can be no liberty if you combine the Executive and the Legislative branches. Likewise, there can be no justice if you combine the Executive and Judicial branch into one.

We separated arrest and accusation from trial and verdict for a reason. When Lewis Carroll’s white queen shouts sentence first, verdict afterwards, the reader’s response is supposed to be ‘But that would be absurd!’

In our country, the police can arrest, but only your peers can convict. We prize our Bill of Rights like no other country. Our Bill of Rights is what defines us and makes us exceptional.

To those who would dismiss this debate as frivolous, I say tell that to the heroic young men and women who have sacrificed their limbs and lives, tell it to the 6,000 parents whose kids died as American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, tell them that the Bill of Rights is no big deal. FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT IN PDF FORMAT" VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Paul Addresses 40th Annual Conservative Political Action Conference

Jeff Sessions Delivers Weekly GOP Address 03/09/13 On The 1st Democrat Budget In 4 Years FULL VIDEO

3/9/13 - Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Delivers Weekly GOP Address On The 1st Democrat Budget In 4 Years.

Published on Mar 9, 2013 - In anticipation of next week's unveiling of Senate Democrats' first budget in four years, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) cautions that the tax gimmicks and new spending that will be included in their budget will grow the government, not our economy.

In the Weekly Republican Address, Sen. Sessions, the ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, says, Congress has a "moral duty" to balance the federal budget and bring the deficit down to zero. "But I fear the Democrat proposal will fail this defining test and will never achieve balance," he says. "I fear it will crush American workers and our economy with trillions in new taxes, spending and debt. I fear [Senate Budget] Chairman Murray will follow the President's lead: raising taxes to enrich the bureaucracy at the expense of the people." Senate Republicans, Senator Sessions says, are ready to reform Washington's spending to grow the economy, create American jobs, and balance the federal budget.

Category: News & Politics. License: Standard YouTube License

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Report to the Congress on the sequestration for fiscal year (FY) 2013 FULL TEXT

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Report to the Congress on the sequestration for fiscal year (FY) 2013 FULL TEXT

The Honorable John A. Boehner Speaker ofthe House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Enclosed please find the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Report to the Congress on the sequestration for fiscal year (FY) 2013 required by section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended (the "Joint Committee sequestration"). This report provides calculations of the amounts and percentages by which various budgetary resources are required to be reduced, and a listing of the reductions required
for each non-exempt budget account.

In August 2011, as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), bipartisan majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate voted for sequestration as a mechanism to compel the Congress to act on deficit reduction. The threat of destructive across-the-board cuts under the BCA was intended to drive both sides to compromise. Yet, a year and a half has passed, and the Congress still has failed to enact balanced deficit reduction legislation that avoids sequestration.

As a result of the Congress's failure to act, the law requires the President to issue a sequestration order today canceling $85 billion in budgetary resources across the Federal Government for FY 2013. Specifically, OMB calculates that, over the course ofthe fiscal year, the sequestration requires a 7.8 percent reduction in non-exempt defense discretionary funding and a 5.0 percent reduction in non-exempt nondefense discretionary funding. The sequestration also requires reductions of 2.0 percent to Medicare, 5.1 percent to other non-exempt nondefense mandatory programs, and 7.9 percent to non-exempt defense mandatory programs.

FULL TEXT in PDF FORMAT: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Report to the Congress on the sequestration for fiscal year (FY) 2013

Weekly Republican Address 3/2/13 Cathy McMorris Rodgers Calls on President to Tackle Nation's Spending Problem VIDEO PODCAST TEXT TRANSCRIPT

WASHINGTON, DC – Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) calls on President Obama to replace his sequester – which took effect because he and the Democratic-run Senate failed to pass their own bill – with better spending cuts instead of more tax hikes. She says, “Instead of campaigning for higher taxes, the president should lead an effort to begin addressing our nation’s spending problem.
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NOTE: The Weekly Republican Address is embargoed until 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, March 2, 2013. The audio is accessible now, and video of the address will be available to view and download once the embargo is lifted. A full transcript follows.

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT: DOWNLOAD MP3 for PODCAST

“Hello, I’m Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers from Washington State.

“Today I’d like to give you an update on the debate we’re having in Washington about spending. This debate is about more than just numbers and politics. It’s about the kind of future we want for our children and grandchildren. Do we want to hand them a mountain of debt and all the worries that go with it, or do we want them to inherit a vibrant economy and a future full of opportunity? This is the debate we’ve been having for quite a while, and it’s time we resolve it and get something done.

“Yesterday, across-the-board spending cuts known as ‘the sequester’ took effect because President Obama and Senate Democrats failed to act. These devastating across-the-board cuts, first proposed by the president, will affect the lives of so many hardworking Americans. Yet, this week, the president traveled 180 miles to Newport News, Virginia, instead of traveling one and a half miles to Senator Harry Reid’s office on Capitol Hill to negotiate a replacement of smarter spending cuts. The president failed to act, and his Senate never passed a bill to replace the sequester.

“In the last year, the House of Representatives has passed two proposals to replace the president’s sequester with smarter spending cuts. Our plans cut government waste and make long-term reforms that put us on a path to a balanced budget. In addition, we are looking at ways to close tax loopholes and clean up our tax code so we can lower rates and help create jobs. These ideas get government out of the way so we can bring jobs home and preserve the American Dream.

“The president wants to take a different route. He wants to continue singling Americans out for tax increases, even after he raised taxes just last month to avert the fiscal cliff. The American people know full well that if they give this White House more tax revenue, it will be spent – on new ‘stimulus’ projects and government programs. The president must stop using this debate as an excuse to raise taxes and start seizing this opportunity to cut spending.
“Because we can’t let Washington continue spending money it doesn’t have, especially when it’s taking that money straight from your wallets. The problem here isn’t a lack of taxes. This year alone, the federal government will take in more revenue than ever before. Spending is the problem, which means cutting spending is the solution. It’s that simple.

“In the House, we’ve done the work and shown that these choices can be made in a responsible, thoughtful way. So we urge President Obama and Senate Democrats to put country ahead of party and pass a responsible plan to replace his sequester. Instead of campaigning for higher taxes, the president should lead an effort to begin addressing our nation’s spending problem.

“This debate hasn’t always been easy, but making Washington confront its spending problem after decades of inaction was never going to be simple. We were elected to confront the hard truths, come together and do the right thing. That’s the American way, and that’s how we’ll achieve the kind of future our children and grandchildren deserve. All it will take is for the president and his party to get serious and lead.
“Thank you for listening.”

John A. Boehner | Speaker of the House | Ohio’s 8th Congressional District Representative Office of the Speaker Contact H-232 The Capitol Washington D.C. 20515 P: (202) 225-0600 F: (202) 225-5117

Tim Griffin: President Obama has done nothing to replace the sequester cuts he proposed back in 2011, but he has launched a coordinated political campaign in a desperate attempt to scare Americans

Bob Woodward Says President Obama Canceling Aircraft Carrier’s Deployment Is “a Kind of Madness.”

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s sequester scare tactics:

“President Obama has done nothing to replace the sequester cuts he proposed back in 2011—the same cuts he now claims to oppose. But he has launched a coordinated political campaign in a desperate attempt to scare Americans, belied by the fact that Washington will still spend more this year than it did last year. So far, his Administration has falsely claimed the sequester will impact an agency that doesn’t exist, wrongly said teachers will be laid off, hastily canceled the USS Harry S. Truman’s return to the Persian Gulf, and foolishly released hundreds of illegal immigrants from jail. While the President’s rhetoric is at fever-pitch, his questionable claims of catastrophe are quickly crumbling. Instead of deliberately undermining the government’s ability to provide critical services in order to score political points, President Obama should stop and consider the real people who will be forced to deal with the consequences of his irresponsible actions.”

The White House’s Questionable Claims Crumble:

1: White House Report Claims Sequestration Will Affect Federal Department That No Longer Exists. “[T]he OMB's September 2012 report says that under sequestration the National Drug Intelligence Center would lose $2 million of its $20 million budget…. [But] the National Drug Intelligence Center shuttered its doors on June 15, 2012[.]” (Reason, 2/25/13)

2: Teacher Pink Slips Claim by Duncan Not Backed by Evidence. “‘There are literally teachers now who are getting pink slips, who are getting notices that they can’t come back this fall,’ Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Sunday on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation.’ When he was pressed in a White House briefing Wednesday to come up with an example, Duncan named a single county in West Virginia and acknowledged, ‘whether it’s all sequester-related, I don’t know.’ And, as it turns out, it isn’t. Officials in Kanawha County, West Virginia say that the ‘transfer notices’ sent to at least 104 educators had more to do with a separate matter…. They don’t necessarily mean a teacher has been laid off…. [Only] about five to six teaching jobs…were likely to be cut regardless of the sequester.” (The Washington Post, 2/27/13)

3: Journalist Bob Woodward Says President Obama Canceling Aircraft Carrier’s Deployment Is “a Kind of Madness.” “The Washington Post’s Bob Woodward attacked President Barack Obama on Wednesday, saying the commander-in-chief’s decision not to deploy an aircraft carrier because of budget cuts is ‘a kind of madness.’” (Politico, 2/27/13)

4: Illegal Immigrants Released from Jail Due To Budget Cuts Yet to Occur. “The announcement that a few hundred illegal immigrants were being released was among the most significant and direct implications described so far by the Obama administration about the pending, automatic budget cuts that will take effect later this week under what is known as sequestration.” (Politico, 2/27/13)

Congressman Tim Griffin Washington, DC 1232 Longworth HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-2506 Fax: (202) 225-5903 Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00AM-6:00PM Eastern Time

Bob Woodward, White House “Moving the Goal Posts,” Using “Distortion & Confusion” to Demand Tax Hikes to Replace Its Sequester

White House “Moving the Goal Posts,” Using “Distortion & Confusion” to Demand Tax Hikes to Replace Its Sequester President Obama got more than $600 billion in tax hikes (with no spending cuts) just last month, and veteran journalist Bob Woodward says the president is “moving the goal posts” in his campaign to replace his sequester with even higher taxes. “That was not the deal he made,” Woodward writes. And claiming otherwise is a “classic case of distortion and confusion.” Here are a few more things to keep in mind this week: This is President Obama’s sequester. “The idea for sequestration did come from the White House, as news accounts made clear at the time,” reports the New York Times. “Jacob J. Lew, then Mr. Obama’s budget director and now his nominee for Treasury secretary, was the main proponent.” Republicans have passed two bills to replace the president’s sequester with smarter cuts and reforms. The House first passed its sequester replacement bill in May 2012 and then again last December. President Obama’s Senate hasn’t passed a thing. They haven’t passed a budget in nearly four years either.

The president’s “endless campaign” has left him “virtually absent” from the legislative process. The White House even waited until the last minute to lift its “gag order” on Cabinet officials. But lost in their campaign is the fact that the president got his tax hikes; it’s time to address Washington’s spending problem.

If the president were serious about replacing his sequester, he’d cancel his campaign events this week and devote his schedule to pressing his Democratic-controlled Senate to finally pass something.

John A. Boehner | Speaker of the House | Ohio’s 8th Congressional District Representative Office of the Speaker Contact H-232 The Capitol Washington D.C. 20515 P: (202) 225-0600 F: (202) 225-5117

“The Obama Sequester” VIDEO

“The Obama Sequester” VIDEO. WASHINGTON - The Republican National Committee (RNC) has released a new web video “The Obama Sequester,” showing President Obama’s hypocrisy with the upcoming sequester cuts. The sequester came from President Obama and now he has decided to place blame on Congress rather than provide a solution of his own. He was for sequestration before he was against it.

“In 2011, President Obama proposed the devastating sequestration cuts and stood by them,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “Now the Democrats continue saying Washington doesn’t have a spending problem, showing just how out of touch the Democrats are with the American people.

“House Republicans have passed two bills that provide common-sense solutions that would reduce spending and preserve and strengthen our safety net for future generations. Instead of admitting we have a problem, Obama and the Democrats would rather find more tax increases. Our nation’s problem is spending and it’s time the president realizes that.”

View the web video above or Download the web video here. ###

the Republican National Committee 310 First Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 202-863-8500 www.gop.com

Cornyn Calls on Obama to Withdraw Hagel Nomination Feb 21 2013

DALLAS— Today in a new letter, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and 14 U.S. Senators are calling on the President to withdraw Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be Secretary of Defense:

“While we respect Senator Hagel's honorable military service, in the interest of national security, we respectfully request that you withdraw his nomination. It would be unprecedented for a Secretary of Defense to take office without the broad base of bipartisan support and confidence needed to serve effectively in this critical position.

“Senator Hagel’s performance at his confirmation hearing was deeply concerning, leading to serious doubts about his basic competence to meet the substantial demands of the office. While Senator Hagel's erratic record and myriad conversions on key national security issues are troubling enough, his statements regarding Iran were disconcerting.”

The letter is signed by Sens. Cornyn, Inhofe (R-OK), Graham (R-SC), Wicker (R-MS), Vitter (R-LA), Cruz (R-TX), Lee (R-UT), Toomey (R-PA), Rubio (R-FL), Coats (R-IN), R. Johnson (R - WI), Risch (R-ID), Barrasso (R-WY), Coburn (R-OK), Scott (R-SC). The full text is attached and provided below.

February 21, 2013

President Barack H. Obama

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

Last Thursday, the Senate voted to continue its consideration of your nomination of former Senator Chuck Hagel to serve as our nation's next Secretary of Defense. While we respect Senator Hagel's honorable military service, in the interest of national security, we respectfully request that you withdraw his nomination.

It would be unprecedented for a Secretary of Defense to take office without the broad base of bipartisan support and confidence needed to serve effectively in this critical position. Over the last half-century, no Secretary of Defense has been confirmed and taken office with more than three Senators voting against him. Further, in the history of this position, none has ever been confirmed with more than 11 opposing votes. The occupant of this critical office should be someone whose candidacy is neither controversial nor divisive.

In contrast, in 2011, you nominated Leon Panetta, who was confirmed by the Senate with unanimous support. His Pentagon tenure has been a huge success, due in part to the high degree of trust and confidence that Senators on both sides of the aisle have placed in him. The next Secretary of Defense should have a similar level of broad-based bipartisan support and confidence in order to succeed at a time when the Department of Defense faces monumental challenges, including Iran’s relentless drive to obtain nuclear weapons, a heightened threat of nuclear attack from North Korea, potentially deep budget cuts, a strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, military operations in Afghanistan, the ongoing Global War on Terror, the continued slaughter of Syrian civilians at the hands of their own government, and other aftermath of the Arab Spring.

Likewise, Senator Hagel’s performance at his confirmation hearing was deeply concerning, leading to serious doubts about his basic competence to meet the substantial demands of the office. While Senator Hagel's erratic record and myriad conversions on key national security issues are troubling enough, his statements regarding Iran were disconcerting. More than once during the hearing, he proclaimed the legitimacy of the current regime in Tehran, which has violently repressed its own citizens, rigged recent elections, provided material support for terrorism, and denied the Holocaust.

Regarding U.S. policy on Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, Senator Hagel displayed a seeming ambivalence about whether containment or prevention is the best approach, which gives us great concern. Any sound strategy on Iran must be underpinned by the highly credible threat of U.S. military force, and there is broad bipartisan agreement on that point. If Senator Hagel becomes Secretary of Defense, the military option will have near zero credibility. This sends a dangerous message to the regime in Tehran, as it seeks to obtain the means necessary to harm both the United States and Israel.

We have concluded that Senator Hagel is not the right candidate to hold the office of Secretary of Defense, and we respectfully request that you withdraw his nomination. Thank you for your consideration.

/s/

• Letter to President Obama on Hagel Nomination - Letter to President Obama on Hagel Nomination.PDF (162.3 KBs)

Weekly Republican Address Martha Roby on Replacing President Obama’s Sequester FULL VIDEO PODCAST TEXT TRANSCRIPT 02/16/13

Weekly Republican Address Martha Roby on Replacing President Obama’s Sequester FULL VIDEO PODCAST TEXT TRANSCRIPT 02/16/13

Download Weekly Republican Address MP3 for PODCAST

Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL) calls on President Obama and Senate Democrats to join House-led efforts to replace his harmful sequester – not with more tax increases, but with better, responsible spending cuts that put our budget on a path to balance in 10 years. Rep. Roby, now in her second term representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District, serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

NOTE: The Weekly Republican Address is embargoed until 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, February 16, 2013. The audio is accessible now, and video of the address will be available to view and download once the embargo is lifted. A full transcript follows.

“Hello, I’m Martha Roby. It is my honor to represent Alabama’s Second Congressional District.

“As you may know, a series of deep, across-the-board military spending cuts known as ‘the sequester’ will go into effect in less than two weeks. In his State of the Union address, President Obama himself admitted that these cuts were a 'really bad idea.' What the President failed to mention was that the sequester was his idea, proposed by his administration during the debt limit negotiations in 2011. And now we in the House, on behalf of our constituents, are calling on the president to join us in replacing his sequester with better, more responsible spending cuts.

“Just this week, top military commanders testified on Capitol Hill and confirmed what I had feared from the beginning about how the president’s sequester will hurt military installations in Alabama and around the country.

“My district is home to Fort Rucker, the primary flight training base for Army Aviation. If the president’s sequester takes effect, Fort Rucker would lose 500 students training to be combat aviators and roughly 37,000 hours of aviation training. These numbers are astounding. And remember, this is just one set of cuts at one base.

“There is a smarter way to reduce the size of government than to slash defense spending, threaten national security and hurt military families. In fact, the Republican-led House has already voted twice to replace the president’s sequester with targeted spending cuts based on real budget priorities.

“Unfortunately, the Democratic-run Senate never acted on either bill. And, as the clock is ticking towards his devastating sequester, the President has failed to put forward a plan to prevent it. Why? Because President Obama and Senate Democrats see his sequester as an opportunity to push through another tax increase. If you’re feeling a sense of déjà vu, you’re not alone. After all, the ink has barely dried on the tax hikes the president pushed through in January.

“No one in Washington should be talking about raising your taxes when the federal government is still spending billions of dollars on things like giving people free cell phones. And it is a shame that our Commander-in-Chief is using the military he leads as leverage in an ideological crusade for higher taxes. These games have got to stop.

“Our goal every day in Washington should be coming together on issues like creating jobs for hardworking American families, reining in our out-of-control debt, and ensuring America maintains a strong national defense. To meet these goals, we can come together now to replace the president’s sequester – not with more tax increases, but with better, more responsible spending cuts that put our budget on a path to balance in 10 years.

“Thank you for your time. May God bless the men and women of our Armed Forces and may God continue to bless the United States of America.”

Posted by Speaker Boehner Press OfficeFebruary 15, 2013 H-232 The Capitol Washington D.C. 20515 P: (202) 225-0600 F: (202) 225-5117

Rand Paul Delivers Tea Party Response to State of the Union Address 02/12/13 FULL VIDEO TEXT TRANSCRIPT

Rand Paul Delivers Tea Party Response to State of the Union Address 02/12/13 FULL VIDEO TEXT TRANSCRIPT

TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

I speak to you tonight from Washington, D.C. The state of our economy is tenuous but our people remain the greatest example of freedom and prosperity the world has ever known.

People say America is exceptional. I agree, but it's not the complexion of our skin or the twists in our DNA that make us unique. America is exceptional because we were founded upon the notion that everyone should be free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

For the first time in history, men and women were guaranteed a chance to succeed based NOT on who your parents were but on your own initiative and desire to work.

We are in danger, though, of forgetting what made us great. The President seems to think the country can continue to borrow $50,000 per second. The President believes that we should just squeeze more money out of those who are working.

The path we are on is not sustainable, but few in Congress or in this Administration seem to recognize that their actions are endangering the prosperity of this great nation.

Ronald Reagan said, government is not the answer to the problem, government is the problem.

Tonight, the President told the nation he disagrees. President Obama believes government is the solution: More government, more taxes, more debt.

What the President fails to grasp is that the American system that rewards hard work is what made America so prosperous.

What America needs is not Robin Hood but Adam Smith. In the year we won our independence, Adam Smith described what creates the Wealth of Nations.

He described a limited government that largely did not interfere with individuals and their pursuit of happiness.

All that we are, all that we wish to be is now threatened by the notion that you can have something for nothing, that you can have your cake and eat it too, that you can spend a trillion dollars every year that you don't have.

I was elected to the Senate in 2010 by people worried about our country, worried about our kids and their future. I thought I knew how bad it was in Washington. But it is worse than I ever imagined.

Congress is debating the wrong things.

Every debate in Washington is about how much to increase spending - a little or a lot.

About how much to increase taxes - a little or a lot.

The President does a big "woe is me" over the $1.2 trillion sequester that he endorsed and signed into law. Some Republicans are joining him. Few people understand that the sequester doesn't even cut any spending. It just slows the rate of growth. Even with the sequester, government will grow over $7 trillion over the next decade.

Only in Washington could an increase of $7 trillion in spending over a decade be called a cut.

So, what is the President's answer? Over the past four years he has added over $6 trillion in new debt and may well do the same in a second term. What solutions does he offer? He takes entitlement reform off the table and seeks to squeeze more money out of the private sector.

He says he wants a balanced approach.

What the country really needs is a balanced budget.

Washington acts in a way that your family never could - they spend money they do not have, they borrow from future generations, and then they blame each other for never fixing the problem.

Tonight I urge you to demand a new course.

Demand Washington change their ways, or be sent home.

To begin with, we absolutely must pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution!

The amendment must include strict tax and spending limitations.

Liberals complain that the budget can't be balanced but if you cut just one penny from each dollar we currently spend, the budget would balance within six or seven years.

The Penny Plan has been crafted into a bill that millions of conservatives across the country support.

It is often said that there is not enough bipartisanship up here.

That is not true.

In fact, there is plenty.

Both parties have been guilty of spending too much, of protecting their sacred cows, of backroom deals in which everyone up here wins, but every taxpayer loses.

It is time for a new bipartisan consensus.

It is time Democrats admit that not every dollar spent on domestic programs is sacred. And it is time Republicans realize that military spending is not immune to waste and fraud.

Where would we cut spending; well, we could start with ending all foreign aid to countries that are burning our flag and chanting death to America.

The President could begin by stopping the F-16s and Abrams tanks being given to the radical Islamic government of Egypt.

Not only should the sequester stand, many pundits say the sequester really needs to be at least $4 trillion to avoid another downgrade of America's credit rating.

Both parties will have to agree to cut, or we will never fix our fiscal mess.

Bipartisanship is not what is missing in Washington. Common sense is.

Trillion-dollar deficits hurt us all.

Printing more money to feed the never-ending appetite for spending hurts us all.

We pay higher prices every time we go to the supermarket or the gas pump. The value of the dollar shrinks with each new day.

Contrary to what the President claims, big government and debt are not a friend to the poor and the elderly. Big-government debt keeps the poor poor and saps the savings of the elderly.

This massive expansion of the debt destroys savings and steals the value of your wages.

Big government makes it more expensive to put food on the table. Big government is not your friend. The President offers you free stuff but his policies keep you poor.

Under President Obama, the ranks of America's poor swelled to almost 1 in 6 people last year, reaching a new high as long-term unemployment left millions of Americans struggling and out of work.

The cycle must be broken.

The willpower to do this will not come from Congress. It must come from the American people.

Next month, I will propose a five-year balanced budget, a budget that last year was endorsed by taxpayer groups across the country for its boldness, and for actually solving the problem.

I will work with anyone on either side of the aisle who wants to cut spending.

But in recent years, there has been no one to work with.

The President's massive tax hikes and spending increases have caused his budgets to get ZERO votes in both houses of Congress. Not a single Democrat voted for the President's budget!

But at least he tried.

Senate Democrats have not even produced a budget in the time I have been in office, a shameful display of incompetence that illustrates their lack of seriousness.

This year, they say they will have a budget, but after just recently imposing hundreds of billions in new taxes, they now say they will include more tax hikes in their budget.

We must stand firm. We must say NO to any MORE tax hikes!

Only through lower taxes, less regulation and more freedom will the economy begin to grow again.

Our party is the party of growth, jobs and prosperity, and we will boldly lead on these issues.

Under the Obama economy, 12 million people are out of work. During the President's first term 800,000 construction workers lost their jobs and another 800,000 simply gave up on looking for work.

With my five-year budget, millions of jobs would be created by cutting the corporate income tax in half, by creating a flat personal income tax of 17%, and by cutting the regulations that are strangling American businesses.

The only stimulus ever proven to work is leaving more money in the hands of those who earned it!

For those who are struggling we want to you to have something infinitely more valuable than a free phone, we want you to have a job and pathway to success.

We are the party that embraces hard work and ingenuity, therefore we must be the party that embraces the immigrant who wants to come to America for a better future.

We must be the party who sees immigrants as assets, not liabilities.

We must be the party that says, "If you want to work, if you want to become an American, we welcome you."

For those striving to climb the ladder of success we must fix our schools.

America's educational system is leaving behind anyone who starts with disadvantages.

We have cut classroom size in half and tripled spending on education and still we lag behind much of the world.

A great education needs to be available for everyone, whether you live on country club lane or in government housing.

This will only happen when we allow school choice for everyone, rich or poor, white, brown, or black.

Let the taxes you pay for education follow each and every student to the school of your choice.

Competition has made America the richest nation in history. Competition can make our educational system the envy of the world.

The status quo traps poor children in a crumbling system of hopelessness.

When every child can, like the President's kids, go to the school of their choice, then will the dreams of our children come true!

Washington could also use a good dose of transparency, which is why we should fight back against middle of the night deals that end with massive bills no one has read.

We must continue to fight for legislation that forces Congress to read the bills!

We must continue to object when Congress sticks special interest riders on bills in the dead of night!

And if Congress refuses to obey its own rules, if Congress refuses to pass a budget, if Congress refuses to read the bills, then I say:

Sweep the place clean. Limit their terms and send them home!

I have seen the inner sanctum of Congress and believe me there is no monopoly on knowledge there.

If they will not listen, if they will not balance the budget, then we should limit their terms.

We are the party that adheres to the Constitution. We will not let the liberals tread on the Second Amendment!

We will fight to defend the entire Bill of Rights from the right to trial by jury to the right to be free from unlawful searches.

We will stand up against excessive government power wherever we see it.

We cannot and will not allow any President to act as if he were a king.

We will not let any President use executive orders to impinge on the Second Amendment.

We will not tolerate secret lists of American citizens who can be killed without trial.

Montesquieu wrote that there can be no liberty when the executive branch and the legislative branch are combined. Separation of powers is a bedrock principle of our Constitution.

We took the President to court over his unconstitutional recess appointments and won.

If necessary, we will take him to court again if he attempts to legislate by executive order.

Congress must reassert its authority as the protector of these rights, and stand up for them, no matter which party is in power.

Congress must stand as a check to the power of the executive, and it must stand as it was intended, as the voice of the people.

The people are crying out for change. They are asking for us to hear their voices, to fix our broken system, to right our economy and to restore their liberty.

Let us tonight let them know that we hear their voices. That we can and must work together, that we can and must re-chart our course toward a better future.

America has much greatness left in her. We will begin to thrive again when we begin to believe in ourselves again, when we regain our respect for our founding documents, when we balance our budget, when we understand that capitalism and free markets and free individuals are what creates our nation's prosperity.

Thank you and God Bless America.

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