Two Cents

Recently, I sent a letter to Senate and House leadership urging them to call for a Joint Session of Congress for Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.  Click here for the full text of the letter. 

Rightfully, Americans want to know how Washington is spending their hard earned money. Instead of hidden egregious earmarks and bloated department budgets, our federal budget needs more transparency, oversight and accountability. To aide in these efforts, I introduced the Fiscal Integrity through Transparency Act of 2008.  

Yes we need to drill in ANWR and off the coast to lower prices in the short term, but we need a more comprehensive, long term strategy to sustain low energy costs. We must look towards domestic renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and hydroelectric; but we also must encourage private investment of nuclear, clean coal, gas to liquid, fuel cells and biodiesel. There is not one silver bullet to our energy crisis, but all these options collectively will make a difference.

This week GOP leadership rolled out an Economic Reform Agenda they would undertake if they are able to once again secure a majority in the House. The agenda contains laudable objectives including: taking sizable measures to lower gas prices through increased domestic supply, expanding welfare-work requirements and battling back ever-rising taxes. While the GOP laments the fact that it will take a Republican majority to advance many of the items in the agenda, there is one reform that can be undertaken immediately: a moratorium on congressional earmarks.