Weekly Columns

Each year when it comes time for filing income taxes, hardworking Americans are forced to navigate what has become a needlessly complicated process. Because of the headaches associated with gathering or finding the necessary filing documents, navigating the tricky instructions and wondering still if you covered all your bases, it’s no wonder that many rely on paid professionals to comply or end up requesting an extension.

With the March 31 deadline for initial negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 just days away, I am very concerned by the president’s failure to consult Congress and his lack of stated intention to do so. Concern over what the new framework could include for Iran’s nuclear program is not a partisan issue. In fact, members on both sides of the aisle have told the president to err on the side of caution and remember the history of our relationship with Iran.

In households across the United States, many families already understand that getting out of debt and staying out of debt requires a budget. Like the countless families who recognize the importance of setting spending limits and living within their means, Republicans have long agreed that the federal government should follow the same example.

Sometimes referred to as the guarantor of the rest of our constitutional rights, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution has rightly remained a fundamental freedom in American society. While we have come a long way as a nation and certainly look different today than our first years, it doesn’t erase or change the importance of “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.” For even the most fundamental freedoms must be looked after in order to preserve American liberty for future generations.

Certainly the most valuable friends in life are those who are unafraid to speak the honest, unapologetic truth when it desperately needs to be heard. Through his powerful speech before Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proved that he, and his country, remains exactly that kind of honest and true friend to the United States.

Last November, the president announced that he planned to unilaterally grant legal status to millions of illegal immigrants. Republicans in Congress contended that this move was unconstitutional and that the president does not have the authority to take such sweeping action without the consent of Congress. Public opinion polls suggest that the majority of the American people believe so as well.

After six weeks primarily devoted to legislative business in Washington, it was a welcome change to have a full week in Oklahoma devoted to meetings with constituents. When I travel across the Fourth District, I am always inspired by the spirit and can-do attitude of our small business entrepreneurs. And it serves as a reminder that Congress should do whatever it can to lift the regulatory and tax burdens that hinder the success of America’s small businesses. Because when small businesses succeed, American families succeed as well.

In the global war on terror, the United States has no better ally and friend than the State of Israel. Surrounded by enemies intent on destroying them, Israel has more at stake in this war than any other nation in the world. Moreover, our two nations share a commitment to living peaceably, fighting terrorism, defending freedom and protecting democracy. As terrorist activities in the Middle East become more barbaric, we must continue to value, nurture and respect our relationship with Israel, still our most reliable ally in the region.