Issues
Issues: Government Needs to Stop and Listen
March 11th, 2010 8:11 AM
With the manner in which the federal government spends our money, it should not be surprising that they could misplace $1.2 trillion. But according to the Congressional Budget Office, the Obama Administration’s estimates of how large our deficit will rise by 2020 missed the mark by that amount.
As the only candidate in the Third District Republican Primary who has advocated for true reform and reduction in the way the government handles the taxpayer dollar, I have stood for reform of the earmarking practice of packing legislation with pet projects favored by politicians and I have called for taking actions that will force Washington to cut spending.
While other candidates pound the podium in speeches and call for spending cuts, they never tell you how they will get us to true reductions - preferring instead to stand by the same old way of doing business that has taken our nation in the wrong direction.
Nearing the final days of President Obama’s drive to take over health care, Americans are looking for representation that honors their wishes and respects their voice. In every way possible, we have told the politicians that we do not want the Obama/Pelosi plan. Instead of listening to us, this government tells the American people to sit down, shut up and enjoy our new health care system. Instead of hearing our calls for cuts in spending, they pass more legislation that adds to our debt while placing our economic security at risk.
With each day, we learn new details that confirm our rejection of the liberals’effort to take over more and more of our lives. This week, the Wall Street Journal reports on the plan to use the health care bill to also take over the nation’s student loan program, proving that liberals will continue their efforts to expand government until we replace them with people who will restore common sense to our government. The $67 billion in “savings” Obama claims will occur when the government takes over the student loan business comes with a price tag of $77 billion. Only in Washington can a $10 billion increase be called “savings.”
It’s fair to ask how student loans affect health care. The answer is simple...
they don’t.
But liberals see an opportunity to use the health care effort to ram through more government expansion plans that will not pass on merit and hope we are not watching.
At each event I attend, I hear from Tennesseans who are not only frustrated with the direction Washington politicians are taking the country, but are equally frustrated by a government they feel doesn't level with us, doesn't want to hear our opinion and continues to spend our money with no regard for the damage they are doing to our children’s future.
This is why I have stood for reform of the way Washington does business. Only then can we restore faith and confidence that our government is responsible and honest with the people it serves.
Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
Issues: The Need to Address Washington Spending
March 9th, 2010 10:35 AM
On many occasions in this campaign, I have addressed the dangers to our economy and future I feel the current Washington practice of earmarks represent. I have been the only candidate to stand up in opposition to the way earmarks are abused in Congress. Until we address the way Washington does business and change the thinking that government should be the first answer to any problem, we will continue to see government grow and freedom shrink.
With earmark reform, we must also look at the rate of spending in Washington.
Last week, Congressmen Mike Pence of Indiana and Jeb Hensarling of Texas proposed a constitutional amendment to cap government spending at 1/5 of the nation’s Gross Domestic product. In this age of 2,000 page heath care bills, it is a very simple 2 page statement that limits the ability of government to grow beyond its means. Reviews of the proposal have determined that this limit allows us to sufficiently provide for the national defense and fund the legitimate functions of the federal government. As we watch deficits spiral out of control, foreign nations gain power over our economy with each purchase of more of our debt and the federal government continue an alarming overreach into our daily lives, proposals such as this serve to place America back on a sound footing.
With the current liberal leadership of Congress, it will be difficult to advance an idea such as this, but I believe it is a good starting point to talk about the size and role of government. Today, Washington politicians care little about adhering to the limits of government laid out in the Constitution. By changing the way they spend our money and limiting their ability to spend it, we can begin to pull our nation back from the cliff President Obama and Nancy Pelosi have us teetering over.
Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
Issues: More Job Losses Point to Stimulus Failure
March 5th, 2010 9:54 AM
Today’s announcement that another 36,000 jobs were lost in February brings the total lost since the Congress passed the “stimulus” to 3.3 million. The number of Americans listed as “discouraged workers” rose to 16.8%.“Discouraged worker” is government-speak for people who have given up looking because they know there are no jobs to be found.
For more than a year now this Congress and the president have charted a path of broken promises, expanding government and reckless spending. The pork projects and earmarks that made up the bloated stimulus bill have placed our children’s economic future and freedom at risk as foreign nations who do not have America’s interest at heart continue to buy up our debt. Americans have been asking President Obama and Nancy Pelosi to put aside their drive to take over our health care system and focus on reforms that will create good paying and long lasting jobs. Instead they turn a deaf ear to the people and continue to pursue failed and damaging policies.
What did the politicians raid on the national piggy bank accomplish? According to Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK), the pet projects and earmarks resulted in:
$1 billion for FutureGen in Mattoon, Illinois is the“biggest earmark of all time” for a power plant that may never work.
$800,000 for little-used John Murtha Airport in Johnstown, Pennsylvania airport to repave a back-up runway; the ‘Airport for Nobody’ Has already Received Tens of Millions in Taxpayer dollars.
Nearly $10 million to renovate an abandoned train station that hasn’t been used in 30 years.
It’s easy to get lost in the numbers when they are so large, but each new job loss represents another family who must now figure out how to pay the mortgage and buy the groceries. Each new government earmark represents the politicians looking out for themselves rather than addressing the real needs in our nation.
We must chart a new course that gives Americans the opportunity to rebuild our economy. Another round of government spending, piling on more debt and ignoring the protests of the people are not the answers to our problems.
One of the reasons I was honored to be endorsed by the Club for Growth is our shared determination to get this government under control through true budget reform and dealing with the abuse of earmarking practices. I have repeatedly called for fundamental changes in the way we approach our economy. Making our tax system more fair, eliminating capital gains taxes, elimination of the “death tax” and other reforms that end our government’s practice of penalizing those who succeed in building a business will give us the opportunity to do what the government hasn’t: get this nation back on track. Only then will we build lasting prosperity.
Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
Issues: Another Obama Plan Yields Same Result
March 3rd, 2010 1:22 PM
Like a recurring bad dream for our country, President Obama is back again with yet another attempt to convince us that his bloated plan to have the government seize control of America’s health care system is a good idea. No matter how many times the people tell the President and the Congressional leadership “no,” they seem determined to continue marching down the same failed path.
In an interview today, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen made the comment that "the governors have been shunted aside" in the discussions of reform and speaking of the federal approach, "they went way too far toward what some activists think is ideal, with a comprehensive set of benefits that is way too expensive."
Through town halls, in polls and in the voting booth, we have rejected their plan. In the face of full throated opposition by the voters in New Jersey, Virginia and with the election of Senator Scott Brown in Massachusetts, the President arrogantly ignores their concerns. He instead turns to special favors to win votes, parliamentary gimmicks to ram the bill through Congress and at least five relaunches of the plan, all yielding the same result: rejection by the people. No matter how many times they change the packaging, if the product is rotten, the people won’t buy it.
While the President and Congress remain stuck in the ditch on health care reform, our states are moving forward. In Tennessee, Senator Brian Kelsey has introduced the “Health Care Choice Act” that will expand choice and reduce costs. Under conservative leadership, our state has taken action to get control of irresponsible lawyers and address malpractice reforms.
These are real solutions to deal with health care reform that the President and the Congress refuse to accept, choosing instead to use gimmicks to jam through a plan the people don’t want. As Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, I was honored to work with the leadership of our legislature on a daily basis. I will continue to count on them in a partnership that hears the concerns of the states and values the solutions they are putting forward while President Obama works on the next “repackaging” speech.Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
Issues: Rangel Removal Should Be Permanent
March 3rd, 2010 9:38 AM
Today Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) temporarily stepped aside as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee while under investigation for ethical misconduct and having been admonished by the House Ethics Committee for accepting illegal gifts.
This was long overdue. Sadly, for months and months this Democrat-controlled Congress led by Nancy Pelosi refused to take action against Congressman Rangel. They refused to take the appropriate action of removing him from Chairman of the committee although Speaker Pelosi promised "This leadership team will create the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history".
He should not be allowed to regain his position as Chairman of the committee.
Rangel is just one of many symbols of today’s imperial Congress. Members believe there are “rules for me and rules for thee” when it comes to living under the laws they pass for us or even living under their own laws and rules.
Whether it is ignoring the simple chore of living by the law or using their office to feather their nest through special deals and earmarks, the liberal leadership in Congress proves on a daily basis they have little regard for the people they are elected to represent.
Despite being under ethical investigation, his name will remain on his“monument to me.” Rangel is a master of the earmarking “favor factory”mentality in Washington. He used his office to create what CBS News called a “Monument to Me” with two million of our tax dollars.
Until Democrats and Republicans deal with the institutional failures in Congress, Americans will continue to lose faith in their ability to deal with the issues facing the nation.
In 2010, Americans are demanding to be heard. We are calling for accountability in government and for real reform. It was right for Rangel to lose his position, but it’s just the first step.
Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
Issues: Earmarks: Deeds Must Match Words
March 1st, 2010 10:57 AM
In recent days, the topic of earmarks has been prominent in the campaign for the Third Congressional District seat. At Saturday’s “LiberTea” forum, I was the only candidate to stand up and denounce the “Favor Factory” that has become a corrosive influence on our government and eroded public trust in their representatives.
Too often, candidates repeat taking points, decry out of control spending and tell you they will cut the budget. But they never offer specific points in our budget process that need reform. When they get to Congress, they settle into the Washington way and we find out how empty their promises can be. In order to get their earmark, politicians must support the earmarks of other members. Favors are traded and the process ends up placing Chickamauga on the same level as Nancy Pelosi’s mouse protection plan. At the end of this game, the American people end up the losers.
Last week, I published an editorial following the assertion of one of the candidates that he refused to pledge to work for earmark reform. In response, he seemed to declare that some of the vital national priorities here in the Third District will only be funded on earmarks rather than through the efforts of a representative who will argue their importance and gain funding through the correct budgetary process. On this point, we strongly disagree. I have every confidence that the Chickamauga Lock, the Tennessee River and the critical facilities at Oak Ridge and Y-12 easily rise to the level of priority and will receive funding based on merit as we present the case to the Congress.
Today, Erick Erickson and our good friends over at RedState.com have a strong editorial on this issue. In his column, Erick states, “For self-described conservatives, it is easy to be pro-life, pro-troops, and pro-tax cuts. In most races, that is not how you separate the wheat from the chaff. You separate them on the basis of their belief in limited government—in short, do they think that government should do stuff. Period. And there is no better bellwether of politician’s proclivities toward limited government than whether they request and defend earmarks.”
I hope you will take a moment to read the article. There is no question that we need reform and we need to send representatives to Congress who have demonstrated a commitment to that reform. It is the only way we will return fiscal sanity to our government. In this case, the Washington way is not good enough.
Posted by Robin Smith | 1 Comment(s)
Issues: The Mount Vernon Statement
February 17th, 2010 10:01 AM
Today I added my name to the Mount Vernon Statement; a declaration put forward by some of America’s most distinguished conservative leaders. I am proud to lend my support in this effort to restate our belief in the cornerstones of American freedom and democracy.
As we turn our attention to the elections of 2010 and the crucial policy decisions beyond, I have long advocated that the solutions to many of the challenges facing America can be found in returning to our Constitutional roots.
Each day, the liberals in Washington find new ways to attack the founding principles of the United States. It is heartening to me that Tennessee rejected the liberal agenda in 2008 and continues to do so in 2010. Just today, on the same day the Mount Vernon Statement was released, our Tennessee State Senate passed the Health Care Freedom Act, standing up to Washington’s drive to force Tennesseans to purchase health insurance. The men and women of the Tennessee Senate every day validate the hard work we put in at the Tennessee Republican Party in 2008. They deserve our appreciation.
If you would like to join me in adding your name to the Mount Vernon Statement, you can do so here. Let’s return to our founding principles and get America back on track.
Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
Issues: An Anniversary Worth Forgetting
February 17th, 2010 12:04 AM
February 17 marks the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s “stimulus” bill. While it has been a year since the democrats in Congress and the President rammed through their ill-conceived plan, the effects of their deficit spending will be felt for generations to come.
Following enactment of the stimulus, the White House trumpeted its predicted effect on our economy. In a statement dated February 17, 2009, the Obama Administration asserted: “The American economy is in the midst of a crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime. The economy lost 3.6 million jobs in the last 13 months, the biggest job loss since the end of World War II. Many experts believe unemployment could reach double digits if no action is taken. In light of this historic economic weakness, President Obama is signing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a nationwide effort to create jobs and transform our economy to compete in the 21st century.”
So, what has been “recovered?” As of January 2010, more than 16 million Americans are out of work with “real unemployment” exceeding 17%. Small businesses have seen little to no relief with “Stimulus/Recovery” funding only finding its way into state budgets and federal projects. In other words, we now have a monument that should forever remind us of the failed policy of redistributing wealth and the truth that only a very limited government is effective.
I propose an immediate “Stimulus” package utilizing the unspent $500 billion: Immediately eliminate capital gains taxes, the death tax, and the alternative minimum tax. Small businesses and those who will invest capital will do what they do best, create jobs.
The American people are right in clamoring for less spending and greater government accountability. The
It’s time for the federal government to live within its budget and its Constitutional bounds.
Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
Issues: Susan B. Anthony List Endorsement
February 4th, 2010 9:05 PM
Today I was honored to receive the endorsement of Susan B. Anthony List in my campaign to represent you in the Third District. I am pleased that groups such as SBA List look at the records, positions and commitment of each of the candidates and they determined that I am the best candidate for Congress in the Third District. I am grateful for their endorsement and look forward to working with SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser and the rest of these strong conservative leaders in Washington.
SBA List Candidate Fund Endorses Robin Smith for Congress in Tennessee’s 3rd District
WASHINGTON, DC – Today the Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund, a national pro-life political action committee, announced their endorsement of Robin Smith, Republican candidate for Congress in Tennessee’s 3rdDistrict.
“The Susan B. Anthony List is proud to endorse Robin Smith for Congress,” said Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Robin Smith will be an authentic pro-life voice and passionate advocate for women and unborn children in the halls of Congress. Health care reform legislation could open the floodgates to taxpayer-funded abortion, and we need women like Robin to defend the consciences of pro-life American taxpayers.”
“2010 could very well be the year of the pro-life woman,” Dannenfelser continued. “We’re seeing more and more qualified pro-life women step up to serve their communities as candidates for Congress and statewide office. Robin Smith brings with her experience in the medical field, a record of local and statewide leadership, and her perspective as a mother. Robin is a woman of diverse experience, and her background as a nurse will be especially critical to our efforts to defend the consciences of pro-life medical providers. Robin will be a welcome addition to the House Pro-Life Women’s Caucus and an outstanding leader for Tennessee’s 3rd district.”
The 3rd Congressional District is currently represented by Rep. Zack Wamp (R), who is running for election as Governor in 2010. The primary election is scheduled for Thursday, August 5, 2010.
Susan B. Anthony List Candidate Fund endorsements are promoted to the organization’s nationwide membership of over 280,000 Americans. The SBA List Candidate Fund endorses pro-life female candidates, as well as pro-life male candidates who run against female candidates in favor of abortion rights. During the 2008 election cycle, the Susan B. Anthony List bundled over $1 million in direct candidate contributions from its members.
Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
Issues: Obama Budget: Missed Opportunity
February 1st, 2010 10:56 AM
In just one year, the deficit estimates of the White House have exploded by 35% to $1.3 trillion and are projected to climb until 2015. It is impossible to sustain this level of irresponsible spending without jeopardizing our children’s future. With the wasteful spending revealed in the President’s ineffective stimulus plan, this administration has lost credibility when it comes to responsibly managing the taxpayers’ money.
This budget is more proof that the President’s answer to every question is more government spending. With a $3.8 trillion dollar yearly budget proposed, it guarantees massive deficit spending, tax increases and more strain on the real engine of our economy, small businesses. We need pro-growth policies of tax cuts, a balanced budget amendment and federal spending cuts.
The President can send a strong signal that he has heard the concerns of Americans who see an ever growing government and no improvement in their daily economic situation. He can move to restrain the explosion of government spending and join with Republicans in Congress to stop the tax increases scheduled to take effect in 2011. Unfortunately, he seems intent on following the same discredited liberal path of higher taxes and more government.
While we have sharp disagreements on the size and purpose of the federal government, it should be noted that the President’s budget only calls for modest reductions for funding of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is encouraging to see President Obama move past his liberal campaign rhetoric and recognize the realities of governing. Supporting our forces and giving them the tools to complete their mission should be a unifying point for Americans of all political views.Posted by Robin Smith | 0 Comment(s)
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