Weekly Columns
Arizona lawmakers are under fire for daring to attempt what the Obama administration has failed to do: enforce immigration laws. The state's new law simply grants law enforcement officials the authority to investigate the status of individuals suspected of being in the country illegally. But from the reaction of Washington liberals, you would think that Arizona had declared martial law rather than outline a process for their state to enforce federal laws already on the books.
Last summer, House Democrats passed a "climate change" bill that, for all practical purpose, is nothing more than a national energy tax. I opposed the legislation because it was sure to result in increased utility costs for families and punishing taxes on the energy industry that would be particularly damaging for energy-producing states like Oklahoma.
The deepening financial crisis in Greece has officially gone global, sending stocks plummeting on Wall Street and around the world. Economists fear that neither the riot-inducing tax hikes and spending cuts nor the $146 billion in rescue funds from other European nations will be enough to prevent Greece from undergoing an economic collapse with worldwide repercussions.
During the health care debate, House Speaker Pelosi famously declared Congress would have to pass ObamaCare before we could "find out what is in it." A new report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the effects of the law illustrates exactly why proponents wanted to keep the details quiet.
Almost two years into the financial crisis, we remain without reforms to protect consumers from another Wall Street meltdown. Policies proposed by the Obama administration will do little to change that and will actually hinder economic recovery by punishing community banks that had nothing to do with the crisis -- while promising special treatment to those that did.
In a series of recent actions, the Obama administration has set about swiftly but steadily dismantling decades of established nuclear policy in favor of new mandates that undermine our allies and ultimately weaken our national security.
It might come as a shock to Oklahomans still smarting from paying income taxes this week, but the Obama administration doesn't think you're being taxed enough. White House economic adviser Paul Volcker said last week that the U.S. should consider raising taxes, including imposing a new, European-style "value added tax" (VAT) -- a national sales tax on virtually any goods and services Americans consume. Nancy Pelosi agrees, stating last October that a VAT should be "on the table."
At town hall meetings throughout the 4th District this week, I’ve been hearing a lot from my fellow Oklahomans about how troubled they are with the direction of the country. There is a growing sense that the government is greatly overstepping its traditional role and encroaching more and more into citizens’ daily lives. The new health care law is just the latest and most obvious example of the federal government interfering with the personal decisions and rights Americans used to be able to take for granted.
Many Oklahomans are understandably concerned about the health care takeover President Obama signed into law last week and what it will mean for them. Some of the more jaw-dropping aspects of the law -- like the $569 billion in tax hikes and $523 billion in Medicare cuts -- have been extensively covered in the news. But other provisions that have not received as much attention are just as damaging to our health care system and economy.
After over one year and an extraordinary abuse of the legislative process, President Obama has managed to force his health plan through the House. While he and his liberal allies may consider this a victory, it's a defeat for the American people, the economy, and our health care system.