Weekly Columns

The budget released last week by President Obama is the clearest signal yet that Congress should expect no support from the White House in tackling the national debt. The 2012 budget was President Obama's opportunity to provide leadership and show he is serious about addressing the most dire debt crisis in our history.

Instead, the president offered a budget that proposes $8.7 trillion in new spending, $1.6 trillion in new taxes, and $13 trillion in new debt.

Thanks to the former Democratic majority's failure to pass a budget last year for 2011, Congress has an opportunity to undo some of the fiscal damage President Obama has inflicted on the current budget, while simultaneously charting a fiscally responsible course for 2012.

As the situation in Egypt remains volatile, debate continues regarding the appropriate role of the United States in bringing about a peaceful resolution to unrest in this vital Middle Eastern nation. Although it remains unclear which faction will ultimately assume control of Egypt's government -- or even what form of government the protests may achieve -- some are already calling for the U.S. government to suspend aid to the our long-time ally.

After experiencing a self-described "shellacking" in the midterm elections, many believed President Obama finally got the message that the American people are fed up with wasteful spending. Unfortunately, his State of the Union address last week demonstrated that he still doesn't get it.

As the Associated Press pointed out, "Obama offered far more examples of where he would spend than where he would cut." The speech was full of new spending projects, from construction of high-speed rail to creation of mythical "green" jobs.

Each week the 112th Congress has been in session, House Republicans have passed legislation to bring spending levels down and begin restoring balance to the budget. First, we passed new rules reducing congressional operating budgets by 5 percent and instituting a requirement that any new spending in one part of the budget be balanced by cuts elsewhere. Last week brought the repeal of President Obama's unpopular, $1.2 trillion government health care program. And this week, the House votes on a resolution to reduce spending to 2008 levels.

After an appropriate pause to honor the victims of the tragic Arizona shooting, Congress resumes legislative activity with a vote to repeal the controversial, unpopular health care law.

The 112th Congress was sworn in last week, and the new Republican majority immediately went to work implementing the priorities the American people voted for in November's historic election. Citizens demanded spending cuts, more accountability and transparency, and a return to the principles of limited government set forth in the Constitution. House Republicans passed legislation addressing every one of these priorities in the first week.

The recently released annual status review of the mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan reveals our armed forces have achieved significant gains during the past 12 months. Although Americans can always depend on the skill and courage of our troops, whether they would receive the political support necessary for success in Afghanistan remained an open question this time last year. Prior to the unveiling of President Obama's Afghanistan strategy in December 2009, it was unclear whether the new president would demonstrate the commitment necessary to complete the mission.