Weekly Columns
In less than 90 days, the military will face devastating spending cuts accompanied by massive lay-offs to the defense industry unless President Obama and Senate Democrats work with House Republicans to stop the sequester. Everyone in Washington agrees that the $492 billion in automatic, arbitrary military spending cuts known as sequestration would be disastrous for both our defense capabilities and our economy. It is absolutely unacceptable that the president and Senate have allowed the process to advance this far without offering solutions.
Almost one month after the September 11 attack on the consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, the Obama administration's constantly evolving explanations raise more questions than answers.
The latest discouraging economic news provides a sobering reminder of exactly what is at stake when Congress reconvenes to address the "fiscal cliff" issues at the end of this year. The most recent economic growth report shows almost no growth to speak of. At a weak 1.3 percent for the quarter, the economic growth rate showed a decline from the previous quarter's 2 percent growth and is well below the 1.7 percent growth that had been projected.
It is considered one of the great political compromises, and one of the most unequivocally successful policy changes in recent congressional history. Welfare reform, a joint effort by President Clinton and a Republican Congress led by Speaker Newt Gingrich, confirms both that bipartisan progress is possible in a sharply divided government and that good things happen when the status quo is toppled
Exactly 11 years after the September 11th attacks, the tragic and troubling events in Libya and the greater Middle East are a reminder that freedom and American values remain a target for violent extremists.
The media may no longer be paying attention to gas prices, but the American people are fully aware that fuel costs are on the rise again. The $3.72 national average gas price recorded on August 20 was the highest ever observed on that date. Prices have risen 9 percent over the past few months, making 2012 the most expensive year ever for drivers. According to USA Today, industry experts predict average prices could rise as high as $3.90 and remain above $3.00 even into autumn.
You know election season must be in full swing when "Mediscare" accusations start flying. Unfortunately, the heated rhetoric obscures the most relevant and startling point of all: Medicare will go bankrupt by 2024. This is not speculation or a partisan claim; it is a fact documented in this year's annual report from the Medicare and Social Security Trustees.
Rather than confront this reality and communicate honestly with the American people about options to save the vital program, the Obama campaign has chosen the time-honored tradition of sowing fear and division.
One day after voting to prevent a massive tax hike from hitting small businesses and families, House Republicans also took action to reform the entire tax code. It's not just high tax rates that discourage businesses from growing. The very structure of the tax system is so complex, inefficient, and unfair that the United States is becoming one of the worst places to do business in the developed world.
I recently sat down in Norman with a group of small business owners to get their perspective on economic issues. While politicians in Washington argue over how to create jobs, these local employers are the ones responsible for making payroll each month and working to make their businesses grow in a challenging economy.
"It's now easier to start a business in Slovenia, Estonia and Hungary — three former Iron Curtain countries — than in America." That's the conclusion reached by the editors of Investors Business Daily in response to a study measuring the regulatory hurdles confronting entrepreneurs around the globe. According to statistics compiled by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), even liberal Canada requires fewer procedures to start a new business than American entrepreneurs face.