One Year Later

A year ago today, President Obama took the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. After a campaign of hope and change many Americans anticipated the future of Obama’s promises. Unfortunately for the American people the failed policies of more spending and more debt have not helped the economy recover, left the federal deficit at a record high, cost millions of jobs and resulted in a slew of broken promises. With a super-majority in the House, Democrats forced countless partisan, big government policies through Congress while the House Republicans stood together to slow down the train wreck of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s liberal agenda and offer common sense solutions to get small businesses and families back on their feet.

A year into Obama’s presidency the people sent a referendum to Washington. They are not happy with his big government policies and the direction of the country. We saw it in the Virginia and New Jersey governor races this fall, and now in Massachusetts where yesterday a Senate seat in a solidly Democrat state was won by a Republican candidate. The election last night in Massachusetts, for Senator-elect Brown, was about listening to the people. The American people are tired of being told by Washington how to think and what to do. The people want to be heard.

President Obama’s inauguration was one year ago today, and without a doubt, we’ve had change in America. But I’m not sure this is the change America wanted. We know that stimulating the economy and getting America growing again cannot be brought about by borrowing and spending trillions of dollars we don’t have. It is my hope that in the year to come we can learn from the mistakes of our past, and emerge a greater, stronger nation.

As we enter into the second year of President Obama’s term, you can be certain that I will continue to stick to the conservative principles of fiscal responsibility, tax relief and the American spirit valued so deeply in the 19th Congressional District. It’s time to put an end to more of the same old Washington politics we saw in President Obama’s first year in office.