Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Members of Congress, and my fellow Americans:
In a time of polarization of this country, it is a time for us to remember that we were elected by the people to represent them and to do what is best for our country, not our political party. In George Washington’s farewell address he warned of the harmful effects of political parties. He stated, “It serves always to distract the public councils, and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another; foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”[1] We must heed this warning and look at the issues facing this nation and solve it at as Americans, not as Republicans or Democrats.
Looking back at this past year, we can see that our country has faced triumphs and hardships, but we have never faltered in our ability to come together as a united nation and to show the true courage and spirit of the United States and its people. In the start of 2013, Congress worked hard to make a last minute budget deal to avoid letting us go over the fiscal cliff. Our country experienced horror and tragedy at the Boston Marathon when multiple bombs went off during the race. In June, our Supreme Court made historic rulings in the area of same-sex marriage and then reexamined if Affirmative Action and the Voting Rights Act was still needed to look after the rights of racial minorities in the US. In September, another cowardly act of violence occurred, this time at the DC Naval Yard, killing twelve people. Then, in October, another school shooting shocked our nation when a student opened fire at Sparks Middle School in Nevada. Later, in November, we had incidents of gun violence at LAX and in a shopping mall in New Jersey. Now, only one week ago, another school shooting took place in Denver. These continued incidents of gun violence leads us to reexamine if more gun control laws are needed here in the US to prevent future violence.
By the fall, more hardships endured for the United States, but only because of our government’s unwillingness to look at the needs of the nation. Instead, our government chose to play party politics and allowed our federal government to go into shutdown for sixteen days. But in the spirit of what this democracy was founded on, the ability to work together and compromise, we were able to come to a temporary agreement on raising our debt ceiling to prevent our country from going into default and therefore preventing a potential economic crisis. In the spirit of compromise and looking out for the needs of our nation and its people, we must, and will, continue to work together to come to a permanent solution to our economic issues.
I. Strengthening Our Economy
Although our nation has been struggling economically since 2008, recovery and improvement is seen each day. According to the Department of Labor, this month, unemployment has hit a five-year low, reporting at an average rate of 7% and with our economy adding 203,000 jobs in the month of November.[2] As this is a step in the right direction, more must be done to improve our economy and therefore improve the lives of Americans; many of which are still either unemployed or underemployed. The only solution to this is the creation of jobs. Jobs need to be created by private industry, not by the government. Our economic system of free enterprise and capitalism allows our citizens to benefit in economic freedoms. More government created jobs only contributes to our problems of government spending and our growing national debt. I am asking that Congress supports my request in ending the free trade agreements that the US has in force with twenty countries and the Trans Pacific Agreement.[3] Obviously, we cannot end these agreements overnight, but it will be done in progression to prevent any economic crisis in those countries and to allow Americans to have access to buying goods on a competitive market. I am asking Congress to pass new legislation that allows for new business grants to assist in the restart of manufacturing in the United States and in turn it will begin the rebuilding of the middle class. There is no time to delay, as our baby boom generation is retiring, it is essential for us to utilize them as we need their expertise in this area to be successful. As new manufacturing is being built, in the next year, a progressive import tax will start to be placed on foreign goods coming into the United States. Revenue from the import taxes will first go to the funding of the business grants in the assistance of building the new manufacturing plants in the US. Once manufacturing in the US is restored, the import taxed placed on foreign goods will be leveled off to keep prices competitive in the US market. In time, we will use the revenue created from import taxed goods towards the reduction our national debt, tax breaks for all Americans, and grants for states to use towards the funding of education and the repairing of our infrastructure. In addition to the progressive import tax, I also ask that Congress pass tax legislation that gives companies, who build or have their manufacturing plants in the United States and hire United States citizens to work for their companies, a tax break that is large enough to encourage companies to keep their factories here in the US. Those companies who operate both inside and outside of the United States, may only sell untaxed goods in the United States if those goods are manufactured within this country. Let the United States begin creating and building again so that it is self-sufficient and creates a stronger and better America.
II. Energy and Our Economy
As the US population continues to grow, the need for energy resources are also growing. According to the US Energy Administration, each American household uses approximately 130 million Btu of electricity a year. That is enough electricity to drive two cars almost 12,000 miles a year, per year or the same as using 1,048 gallons of gasoline a year.[4] The United States needs to create policy in order to continue to provide the energy needed for every American household, but at the same time, lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Along with the tax breaks given to companies operating in the US, I ask that Congress also passes legislation that offers a tax break to American automobile manufacturers who produce and sell affordable fuel efficient –either hybrid or electric- automobiles. This legislation will benefit this country in three ways. Again, it will create an incentive to expand manufacturing in the US and, in turn, increase the amount of private industry jobs for American workers. With the increase use of hybrid or electric cars, there will be lower dependence on foreign oil and it will contribute to the reduction of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into our atmosphere.
My second recommendation for energy production is through the extraction of natural gas here in the United States. Natural gas can be developed in this country in a way that is environmentally safe, while creating more jobs and providing our citizens with the fuel for energy and for transportation.[5]
Finally, my last recommendation for energy production is through domestic shale production. US shale oil resources hold 2.6 trillion barrels of oil. Just like with natural gas, this would provide the energy needed for our American households, create millions of jobs, lower prices at the gas pump, lessen our dependence on foreign oil, and create more federal revenue to go towards debt reduction and lessen the tax burden on Americans.[6]
Although this is only two aspects of our steps to improving our nation, they are huge leaps that will restore our economy and our ability to be self-sufficient. I am asking Congress to look past party politics and start looking towards what will benefit America today and for generations to come. Remember our Founding Fathers that sacrificed so much for the freedoms and liberties we still have today. Also remember they too had different ideas on how the US government should be, but they knew the only way for the nation to be created and to survive was through the ability to compromise with one another.
I am also asking the American people to support these efforts to improve our country and to improve your lives. May God continue to watch over us and may God continue to bless America.
[1] US Senate. Washington’s Farewell Address. 106th Congress 2nd Session Senate Document No. 106-21, Washington (2000.) Online. Available on US Senate: Senate Stories 1851-1877. [Accessed December 19, 2013].
[2] United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Economic Releases (20 December 2013.) Online. Available on US Department of Labor: Publications and Data. [Accessed December 20, 2013].
[3] Office of the United States Trade Representative. Executive Office of the President: Free Trade Agreements. Online [Accessed December 20, 2013].
[4] US Energy Information Administration. Articles. Energy in Brief: How can we compare and add up our energy consumption? (15 March 2013.) Online [Accessed on December 20, 2013].
[5] Milostan, Catharina. 2012. "The Energy Forecast: Obama Vs. Romney." Power Finance & Risk 15, no. 37: 8-11. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed December 13, 2013).
[6] By Sen. David Vitter, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES. 2012. "Truth about Obama's energy claims." Washington Times, The (DC) 1. Regional Business News, EBSCOhost (accessed December 13, 2013).
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