There is only one sure thing which comes from growing federal programs – more taxes – not just on “the rich” as some in Washington have promised, but on all of us.

• Hiking tax rates and changing the formulas to squeeze more dollars out of our families and businesses are the obvious results.
• But it’s the “hidden taxes” which hit lower and middle income families. They come in the form of higher prices on groceries for our families, clothes for our children, electricity for our homes, and less services being available because of mandates out of Washington.
• And, ultimately, the growth of federal government comes at the price of private sector jobs – the jobs hundreds of millions of Americans rely on every day. The main job growth in America right now is in government – sadly, millions of American families are being harmed by this short-sighted approach to fix our economy.

Long term, the out-of-control spending has gravely harmed our country’s financial standing in the world. Our dollar has been devalued and other countries literally hold our future in their hands.

As your Congressman, I will stand firm and make tough decisions about spending with the main goals being: balancing our federal budget, paying off debts owed to foreign nations, and building up capital to meet our commitments to Social Security and Medicare.

It’s time for the federal government to make the sacrifices that American families make each and every day to meet their needs, balance their accounts, and plan for their future.

Our country’s economic recovery will come from their hard work, their inspirations, and the risks they take to make their businesses run better than a competitor.

On all accounts, this Administration and Congress has failed these hard working Americans and now, millions of their employees, our friends, and neighbors have been affected. Instead of hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on pork and special interest projects and programs, Congress should have:

• Slashed tax rates for those in the 10% and 15% brackets to immediately provide a $3,400 boost for families;
• Targeted small businesses for additional tax cuts and allowed them to expand Net Operating Loss tax exemptions – this would have given them an immediate cash infusion to weather the tough economic times, make needed purchases, and prevent further layoffs;
• Extend unemployment benefits through 2009 and prevent these benefits from being taxed – taxing unemployment benefits only adds insult to injury to the unemployed;
• Stopped bailing out failing businesses with taxpayer dollars – it is not the role of the government to have taxpayers pay for mistakes, poor planning, and failed business models of companies.

It is imperative to limit health care reforms in ways that will do the most good for areas that need the most help. There is simply no common sense reason to trash our entire system in favor of government run plans which are projected to increase costs and ration the coverage you now receive. The plans Democrats are currently offering would be a disaster for seniors, small businesses, and families.

Our country deserves a plan which focuses on areas most in need.

• Allow small business to band together and negotiate for coverage across stateliness so they can expand their risk pool and secure health coverage for their employees at the same reduced rates as big businesses and labor unions enjoy. This targeted fix will help tens of millions of American working for small businesses secure affordable, comprehensive coverage for their families.
• For the self-employed and those purchasing health coverage on their own, we should allow a pre-tax deduction for their insurance premiums – this will help families and individuals save thousands of dollars RIGHT NOW.
• Expand the availability and deductions for health savings accounts, flexible spending plans, and tax benefits to offset the cost of long-term care premiums.
• Reform insurance regulations to prevent companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions or past illness.
• Enact medical malpractice reform – this will keep costs down by preventing doctors from practicing defensive medicine, lower insurance rates, and allow our medical professionals to focus on what they were trained to do – provide the best care for us and our families.

Each of these small changes will help make a major difference in expanding coverage, reducing costs, and preventing a bureaucratic take over of your health care.

But Congress is focused more on “energy punishment” than energy production.

Even the President has admitted that under the Democrats’ plan for a “Cap and Trade” energy program, costs to consumers will “necessarily skyrocket”. While working families will be hammered with thousands of dollars in higher energy bills, the plan put forward by the environmental extremists in Congress will do little to produce new energy or meet a goal of reducing emissions. Instead, it’s just another grab bag of special interest spending directed at their supporters and favored by organizations which fund their campaigns.

To advance AMERICAN INTERESTS and that of our families, we need an energy plan which:

• Expands Our Energy Industries
• Stop limiting access to America’s own domestic oil, natural gas, oil shale, coal deposits, and other sources. Our existing sources are a bridge to an alternative energy future. We MUST be able to develop the energy with which our country has been blessed.
• Increase domestic refining capacity.
• Increase transmission capacity to allow for greater domestic energy transport.


• Research/Technology
• Make the research and development of new and improved energy technologies an intense national priority, like the Manhattan Project of World War II.
• Encourage and provide incentives to expand the use of nuclear power, wind, solar, geothermal, oil shale, hydrogen fuel cells, compressed natural gas for vehicles, and next generation batteries.
• Continue to fund research in deep water drilling and clean coal technologies.


• Stop Tax Increases That Only Hurt Consumers
• Fight against any new Liberal tax scheme that seeks to reduce traditional energy production and increase energy costs for families and small businesses. Put simply, the Democrats’ plans to raise energy costs is a JOB KILLER which our fragile economy cannot afford.

We must continue to be vigilant, support the men and women in intelligence services who are working round the clock to uncover and foil terrorist plans, and all those serving in our armed forces across the globe. I continue to be greatly disappointed by Nancy Pelosi and the President for their lectures and accusations made against the outstanding men and women of our intelligence services.

Similarly, our country owes an immense debt of gratitude to those working on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I find it appalling that Democrat leaders in Congress and the Administration continue to play games and point fingers instead of listening to our Generals in the field who are working to support our troops in Afghanistan and execute a counterinsurgency strategy to defeat the Taliban and kill or capture Al Qaeda leaders. Every day that the Commander in Chief wastes by not fully supporting our troops is another day our men and women serving in Afghanistan are unnecessarily put at risk.

As your Congressman, I will demand full funding and support for our troops so that we can continue to stay on offense to kill, capture, or eliminate terrorists wherever they may be hiding.

Beyond the threat of terrorism, our security is also threatened illegal immigrant gangs, drug cartels, and human smugglers. We must make it a top priority to provide the funding, equipment, and personnel necessary to identify, apprehend, and incarcerate or deport these criminals. It will send a message that we are serious and we are coming after them.

For those who wish to come to our country to seek a better life and make America their home, they must do so by obeying our laws and complying with our rules. Amnesty is simply NOT AN OPTION.

I believe life begins at conception and that government policies should work to protect that innocent life.

I also believe, and have supported, the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. In Texas, we overwhelmingly passed a state Constitutional Amendment to establish that definition. In Congress, I will work to ensure traditional marriage is the only recognized marriage in our country.