Reagan 21: Be a Part of It
By Rep. John Shadegg Posted in Congress — Comments (28) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Yesterday I was joined by a bicameral group of my Republican colleagues to announce the formation of Reagan 21, a national organization dedicated to integrity, principle, and freedom.
The choices for America have never been clearer. On almost every issue, Democrats and the left are promoting more government ownership and control, pushing America closer to a welfare state. All of the Democratic Presidential hopefuls are running on a decidedly collectivist and socialistic leaning platform. The Democrats want socialized medicine and more federal control of our schools. They are committed to raising taxes and expanding federal government programs. They will increase the burden of regulations and taxes on the American people, cost American jobs, and reduce America’s competitiveness around the world. Democrats will once again weaken our nation’s defenses and intelligence systems, while continuing to hold Americans hostage to foreign oil. They will seek citizenship, government benefits, and voting rights for illegal aliens. And Democrats will appoint liberal judges who will replace America’s traditional values with government’s directionless secular views.
Read on . . .
Americans need a clear alternative to the Democrats radical agenda. Reagan 21 is composed of individual Americans, including Congressmen and Senators, who are committed to fight for Reagan’s principles of liberty and America’s vision of individual freedom, free enterprise, and common-sense traditional values. Its goal is to give Americans a positive choice in 2008 by restoring the integrity, optimism, and leadership of the Republican Party. Republicans must, once again, fight to keep taxes low, stop wasteful government spending and political earmarks, rebuild a strong defense, make America more competitive with a simpler tax code and regulatory system, promote health care choices for every American, open America’s energy reserves, stop illegal immigration, and appoint judges who will uphold the Constitution and protect American values.
These are the principles of liberty that will once again make the party of Ronald Reagan the party that will guide America’s future.
Reagan 21 will serve as a guidepost for Americans who believe in holding elected officials to the highest standards of conduct and the policies of tax reform, budget and spending reform, entitlement reform, ending earmarks, providing greater choice in health care and focusing on our national security.
Americans need to know that there are some in Congress, and across the country, still committed to freedom, and anyone who shares these principles will be welcome to join Reagan 21 and participate in its activities.
The other members of Congress who worked to create Reagan 21 and recruit other members were Senators Tom Coburn (OK) and Jim DeMint (SC), and Congressmen John Campbell (CA), Jeb Hensarling (TX), Tom Price (GA), and Paul Ryan (WI).
Others who have now joined include: Michele Bachman (MN), Gresham Barrett (SC), Marsha Blackburn (TN), Eric Cantor (VA), Jeff Flake (AZ), Virginia Foxx (NC), Trent Franks (AZ), Patrick McHenry (NC), Marilyn Musgrave (CO), Peter Roskam (IL), and Lynn Westmoreland (GA).
I encourage you to join us in this effort. You read can more about Reagan 21 by going to www.reagan21.org. Since the site was just made active yesterday, we ask for your patience. Obviously, we will be updating it in the near future and on a regular basis. We endeavor to advance a new and invigorated Republican Party as best able to guide America’s future in a positive direction.
With that in mind, the Members of Reagan21 are committed the following objectives:
Integrity: Integrity is the foundation upon which confidence in government is built. Therefore, it is essential that all public officials, including Members of Congress, be held to the highest possible standard.
Tax Reform: In order to increase personal saving and liberty, we must replace the federal tax code with a new fairer, flatter tax system based on consumption. To ensure a flourishing economy, American corporate tax rates must be among the lowest in the world.
Budget and Spending: To make certain the family budget is protected, the federal government must not spend more than it takes in. We must eliminate wasteful and unnecessary spending which we will identify with a top-down review of every single federal government program. We support the Presidential line-item veto and putting a limit on all federal spending.
Entitlement Reform: Implement personal ownership of retirement security and health care decisions. All Social Security money must be used only for Social Security. We support Medicaid reform that parallels the successful reform of welfare by block granting federal funds to the states.
Ethics: End Earmarks – Until public confidence is restored, we must end all earmarks. To lead by example, Congressional members of Reagan21 will request no new earmarks.
Health Care: A quality healthcare system that helps all Americans is one where everyone has personal ownership of their insurance. Our goal is health care coverage for all Americans, where everyone is able to own their personal insurance policy, without meddlesome middlemen and third-party control, and allowing tax equity for the purchase of health insurance.
Education: End federal intrusions into local education, including the repeal of NCLB (No Child Left Behind), that are neither productive nor helpful. Local communities, parents and teachers must control their children’s education. Education tax credits and opportunity scholarships are pivotal for parents to address their child’s educational needs.
Immigration: Nothing is more important than the rule of law and border security first. Local police must be empowered to assist federal efforts fighting illegal immigration while the federal government enforces a system of universal employee verification that is reliable and immediate. Adopt English as our official language.
Energy: America must become Energy Independent to secure our nation and our economic future. Our policy initiatives include tax incentives for conservation and innovation in alternative fuel technology, environmentally responsible increase in domestic oil production, reducing cumbersome regulations, eliminating boutique fuels and building more refineries.
National Security: We pledge to aggressively engage extremists by expanding human intelligence and covert capability. In order to protect America, we must know what our enemies are planning before they act. We are waging the first battles in a war against American freedom and idealism that may last for decades. Although the enemy is new and their tactics have changed, in order to prevail, we understand that America must remain militarily strong and diplomatically engaged.
I don't see any reason to oppose the kind of line item veto where the President can simply send a part of a bill back to Congress to be voted on individually. It would allow thousands of uncessary pork projects to be taken out of a bill. You can talk about a "strong president", but the fact is that vetoing a popular bill is bad politics while vetoing specific unpopular spending is great politics. If cutting spending isn't politically feasible it just won't get done.
and the Republican Study Committee?
The RSC only includes House members, and studies things. It doesn't commit its membership to do anything.
This new group seems to be open to Senators, and appears to be committing its members to specific actions.
HTML Help Central for Red Staters
Let's nominate the Nash Equilibrium for President.
"Senators Tom Coburn (OK) and Jim DeMint (SC), and Congressmen John Campbell (CA), Jeb Hensarling (TX), Tom Price (GA), and Paul Ryan (WI).
Others who have now joined include: Michele Bachman (MN), Gresham Barrett (SC), Marsha Blackburn (TN), Eric Cantor (VA), Jeff Flake (AZ), Virginia Foxx (NC), Trent Franks (AZ), Patrick McHenry (NC), Marilyn Musgrave (CO), Peter Roskam (IL), and Lynn Westmoreland (GA)."
I see many of my favorite congresspeople on that list, including my Rep Michele Bachman.
Ditto here, Hooah. These are the REAL conservatives, the ones we see taking flak even from the GOP establishment. These are lonely people!
Kinda hoping Mike Pence shows up on this list, he's the only obvious absentee from my DC Posse.
Because of who is involved, I'm excited even before I read the details.
Stare decisis is fo' suckas -- Feddie
But echoing Steve962's comment, I have gotten excited over many similar groups, only for them to fade into obscurity. I am curious as to exactly how they plan to spread these ideas outside of the conservative talkradio/blog community.
The naive forgive and forget.
The foolish forget but do not forgive.
The wise forgive but do not forget.
I'm your constituent. I can't even begin to tell you how much I despise the Congress of the United States. And at the same time, I am proud that you represent our family. You are, IMO, who a Congressman should be.
Thank you, sir. I think this is a very good start and will follow your progress with it.
____
CongressCritter™: Never have so few felt like they were owed so much by so many for so little.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
Where are all the Presidential aspirants? Do they ascribe to these values and plan on joining the effort? Have they been invited or asked to lend their support Sir?
Chris
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"
Contributor to The Minority Report
Keep it simple! I like the concept.
I sure hope to see Senator Jeff Sessions join this worthy effort.
As in Rep. Price's previous post on the Reagan 21 Caucus, I'm curious as to what coordination, if any, you are planning with the Republican Study Committee? Are you guys unhappy with the RSC and feel a new group is needed? Is there something different you can do with the R21C that you can't with the RSC? Is it your goal to keep both, or transition to just the R21C?
Not that I'm partial to the RSC. I'm just wondering what the R21C means in light of the fact that we have the RSC.
I would hope to see all of you consistantly calling out the Democrats on a daily basis.
I am unsure if congress remembers the Democrats having a press conference on an almost daily basis to try to demean and belittle you guys and yet we out here do not see you all doing anything near that.
I feel like we the people and the conservative blogs are being forced to be the backbone of congress and I have not yet begun to understand other than you feel above that type of behaviour?
If you feel that way I can guarantee you that conservatives will be in the minority for a little longer. This is a soundbite and 30 second attention span generation and you all have got to know that and work within those confines to get your idea's out.
I believe most American's are conservative in practice of their lives and just want to hear a strong and united Republican congress. They didn't vote for Democrats because their value's changed, they voted Democrats because the Republican congress had lost their value's.
Good Luck.
Freedom of Religion not Freedom from Religion
I'm just interested in the pithy aphorism at the bottom of your comment. Are you advocating that American citizens be denied the right to refrain from belonging to a religion, or are you advocating something else? Are you opposed to me being allowed to not attend any church service and hold no belief in a higher power - or are you trying to say something about how religious values should inform political policy?
HTML Help Central for Red Staters
Let's nominate the Nash Equilibrium for President.
Reagan is the past of the Republican Party. The repeated references to him just make Repubs look like a stale party which has completely run out of ideas. It is time to move on.
1.Integrity is something Republicans lost a long time ago. I don't know if the party can reclaim it. Are Republicans willing to help the Democrats investigate no-bid contracts let by the Bush administration, especially those that have gone to former Republican fundraisers? The only way to get value for money out of private contractors is to make them vigorously compete for the Government's business. No-bid contracts are a terrible idea and an invitation to corruption.
2. Shadegg talks about eliminating wasteful and unnecessary spending. Is he willing to axe military programs? For instance, F-22, Joint Strike Fighter, V-22, Littoral Combat Ship, Virginia attack submarine and the Army's Future Combat System are all either irrelevant or vastly over budget. Are conservatives willing to axe any program which is more than 30-50% over the original budget? Are they willing to fire the generals which manage the programs, select the contractors and write the requirements for incompetence? We're supposed to be at war, but the Pentagon is run like a hippie commune with no general ever held accountable for anything.
3.Strong border control is vital to keeping terrorists and WMDs out of America. We should fence the entire length of the Mexican and Canadian borders. Mexicans are great people, but we want to preserve our culture and we don't wish to be overrun by them. We do not wish the poverty, chaos and crime of Mexico to spill over into America. Canada has been careless with their immigration policy and has become a launch pad for Islamic terror. Strong borders are vital for national security.
4.Consumption taxes sound good, but taxes on the super-rich should not be cut. Simplification of the tax system would be much appreciated.
5.A line item veto is a sound idea. Ending earmarks is essential.
6. Our intelligence services are almost useless and very expensive. They are also a threat to American liberty. They should be dramatically cut back.
7.Energy independence is not do-able so stop pretending it is. It makes you and the Democrats look stupid. Putting 900 billion dollars worth of oil off limits just to protect a few caribou is just dumb and extremely harmful to our economy and our country. Democrats should be forced to allow more oil production in return for their conservation and environmental goals. ANWR for CAFE would make huge amounts of sense. Keep making the point that America has a lot of oil which Democrats and irrational environmentalists won't allow to be developed.
8.The American people are not going to support endless wars. By refusing to cut his losses, President Bush is allowing the Iraq war to destroy the Republican Party.
although I disagree with the rather extreme nature of his views, everything he wrote was valid criticism.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
though on 1,6 and 8 the poster is full of dung
" Got to love the Lord for making things like that."
Morally Compromised
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
www.race42008.com
www.hinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
"One man with courage makes a majority" - Andrew Jackson
worth discussing, I just think in a couple the poster is full of .......................
Thanks for the jab, GC!
" Got to love the Lord for making things like that."
Morally Compromised
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
www.race42008.com
www.hinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
"One man with courage makes a majority" - Andrew Jackson
The idea that a party that stands for No Integrity should be assisted by Republicans to investigate anything makes no sense.
Nice articulation, Rep. Shadegg.
Now to comment on some of Nod90's misplaced assumptions...
1. Integrity - Nod90 has a point of sorts, although a bit overhyped. However, strength on integrity is and should be #1 on the list and I will continue to lobby Congress for ethical behavior. We should accept nothing less.
2. Wasteful spending. Why pounce only on military programs? Let's scale back the New Deal programs and restore social responsibility on the individual first. Eliminate the Education Department. Enact 10% spending reductions across the board. First. As for defense, the F22 is a key to American air superiority for the next 20 years and the system has turned out to be even better than originally designed. The JSF is designed for two purposes - allowing our allies to economically achieve a high level of air combat capability and to provide an export engine. Which BTW keeps American industry and Americans working (and paying taxes). Improved sea systems are also vital to a forward looking defensive posture. See #8.
3. Border control. Yes a physical barrier on the southern border is a big key. We indeed need comprehensive reform, but it should be a comprehensive plan to stop the influx, reverse the flow, and provide a flexibly-sized workforce. Not amnesty.
4. Tax code simplification or flat tax. Right on. But who is going to define the 'super-rich'? Why is it fairer to tax them more? Confiscation is still confiscation and it is still wrong.
5. I see that Rep. Shadegg says R21C won't "will request no new earmarks". How about a vow to never vote for them, regardless of how they get requested? Legislation should be passed that force all bills to be clean, without unrelated attchments or earmarks.
6. Intelligence. That's right, WE are the enemy! I don't care if the G-men listen in on my calls to my Mom, but if they're not listening to terrorist's calls, then they are not doing their duty.
7. Hogwash. Energy independence is doable. Build nuclear plants now by streamlining government redtape for proven designs. Create tax incentives that make refinery construction viable. Increase domestic oil production with tax incentives and reasonable relaxation of environmental roadblocks. Provide incentives and grants to support production of biologically produced oil. Syn-fuel production from America's vast coal deposits is economically viable right now. Get government out of the way through incentives and reasonable environmental policy.
8. The American people are in a long war, they just haven't been told about it. Besides, we don't have much choice whether we are at war or not if the other guy says we are, huh?
Your entire post is consumed with "that's the past, not doable, there's no hope".
And then there's the little insidious message that SOMEHOW the rich STILL ain't paying their fair share of taxes. Pish!
Let's put it this way, Mr Doom, Gloom and Tax-The-Rich: The R21C is on a mission to DO the stuff you say is not doable, to recapture the integrity you say is not retrievable.
If you ain't on board, then buzz off. You don't have to be a part of it.
Stare decisis is fo' suckas -- Feddie
their values and ideas will always be applicable, and if applied, will produce success.
1 - Integrity is something humans lost since Cain. Candidates are judged individually, esp for President. We need a candidate with the integrity of RWR.
2 - Generals were fired. Petraeus was hired.
3 - Reagan was for border control. The bill he signed in 1987 promised same. His successors didn't enforce it.
4 - You are preaching the dead guy's gospel!
5 - too insignificant to comment on
6 - many Americans are alive because of the "almost" in your foolish PX. Reagan's CIA was effective.
7 - Less dependence is doable. It has been suicide not to drill for oil in ever expanding areas in the US since 1978. Must beat the greenies.
8 - We are winning the Iraq War. Look it up.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
www.race42008.com
www.hinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
"One man with courage makes a majority" - Andrew Jackson
Just tried to go to the site but it's not up right now. Bookmarked it, though. Will be checking back later.
I think we need this.
--
Marc Bublitz
Wow, I have to say that is possibly the best summation of where I want this party to be that I've ever seen. Clear, concise, covers almost every important detail I want, and doesn't go into the many things that I *don't* want.
In fact, the only element of that list I have any quibble with whatsoever is the line item veto: I've long thought that if there is even one item in a bill that seriously needs vetoing, the whole thing should be vetoed, period, and sent back to Congress until they can get it right. A line-item veto is the easy way out for a weak president -- a strong president should never be afraid to take a hard line stand.
Alas, I remain skeptical, though. I've seen so many of these kinds of initiatives try, reach, and ultimately fail over the years. Still, the timing is good, and getting any of the presidential nominees on board on this would earn them a lot of brownie points in my eyes. I'll be watching with interest.