Economy & Small Business

As each day goes by, Americans feel the growing pressure caused by steadily increasing energy prices. Oil is nearing $130 a barrel and gasoline is hovering around $4 per gallon nationally.

Earlier this week I spoke with constituents from the Fourth District about a number of national issues that are heavy on the minds of Oklahomans. There is no doubt that two of the most pressing issues are the price of gasoline and its relation to the overall state of the economy.

Memorial Day and summer vacations are just around the corner for many families. But this year, Oklahomans may find themselves forced to cut down on their drive time to their favorite vacation destinations.

Last week I had the opportunity to join several of my colleagues in a meeting with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke. During that meeting Chairman Bernanke discussed the importance of the government taking responsible and timely actions to address the problems facing our housing market.

Several weeks ago I was proud to be part of a bipartisan majority who – recognizing that our economy was beginning to stall – passed a stimulus package designed to get the country back on track by infusing the economy with money in the form of rebates for individual taxpayers and tax incentives for business investment.

As we enter the New Year, American families are finding themselves increasingly anxious about the economy. While we are still in a period of economic growth, that growth has become sluggish.

It seems like families are feeling the financial pinch more than ever these days. With the costs at the gas-pump climbing, college tuition rates getting higher and the price of consumer goods rising, the last thing Americans need is to see more of their paycheck taken by the government.

At the end of this month, the government will reach its annual deadline to fund the federal government for the next fiscal year. Here in the House of Representatives, we have passed all twelve of the required appropriations bills.