Stories by Congressman Jeb Hensarling
Posted at 3:36pm on Feb. 4, 2008 Republicans Gearing Up for Earmark Showdown With Democrats
By Congressman Jeb Hensarling
Two weeks ago, the Republican Conference – under the leadership of Congressman John Boehner – adopted several self-imposed guidelines to begin reforming the broken down earmark process. Though I believe that as Republicans we need to go even further by adopting a full year long earmarking moratorium while significantly changing the earmarking system as we know it today, our House Republican leaders deserve credit for making earmark reform a top priority.
Conservatives consistently make the case that the earmarking process has too often lent itself to the triumph of seniority over merit, secrecy over transparency, and the special interest over the national interest. And though I am disappointed by the refusal of Democrats to work with Republicans to fix the broken earmark system, I can’t say that I am shocked by it. Are you?
When it comes to earmarks, Democrats seem to be eating their pork from two different troughs. They failed to live up to a promise to cut the number of taxpayer funded earmarks in half. Democrats broke another promise to bring greater transparency to the process and instead attempted to keep earmarks hidden from the view of the taxpayers who pay for them. Not to be outdone by her caucus, Speaker Pelosi tells reporters that she’d personally get rid of all earmarks while remaining one of the largest earmarkers in the House – and that is saying something.
People see earmarks as the poster children of fiscal irresponsibility, the kissing cousin to unethical behavior, and an all too frequent enabler of unlawful acts. Worse, the emerging pattern of campaign donations coming in one door and taxpayer funded earmarks going out of the other is nothing short of corrupt.
Despite their abysmal approval ratings, it is clear that Democrats are satisfied with business as usual in Washington. At a time when families across America are tightening their belts, it is an utter embarrassment for some in Congress to continue to waste taxpayer money on monuments to themselves, lobster institutes, and hippie museums. On behalf of each of you, your families, and taxpayers across the country, we pledge to use every method at our disposal to bring the broken earmark process to an immediate halt.
Posted in Congress | Earmarks — Comments (17)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 11:04am on Sep. 10, 2007 MoveOn's Attack is Disgraceful
By Congressman Jeb Hensarling
Today, General Petraeus will deliver a progress report on the troop increases in Iraq to Congress. And, just as we thought, the Washington spin machine has gone into overdrive trying to frame the latest “reality” coming out of Iraq. But today we saw a real low point in the spin effort.
On a day when partisanship should be put on hold to the extent possible, the leftist group MoveOn, whom I know y’all have dealt with before, bought a full page ad in the New York Times that disgracefully attacks a decorated four-star commanding general and questions his commitment to his country. Though I won’t repeat the despicable charges and slander contained in the ad, I encourage you to see it for yourselves.
Clearly, MoveOn has the freedom to opine as they wish, but that freedom that does not preclude elected Democrat members of Congress from pushing back against such slanderous charges, no matter their personal opinion on the ongoing military efforts in Iraq. In fact, it is their obligation to do so.
The men and women serving our nation deserve our full respect and gratitude, regardless of one’s political ideology. And Despite tens of millions of dollars having been spent on advertising and targeted campaigns by liberal groups like MoveOn, the incessant cries to precipitously retreat and withdraw from Iraq are now being overshadowed by reports showing some positive results and undeniable progress – at least for those that are willing to see them.
Though we live in a tumultuous world in which opinions are bound to differ, there is a right way and a wrong way to conduct oneself and there is a difference between class and classless. And this ad is not just wrong, it is classless. While no one would argue that the nature of our political system allows time for Democrats to be Democrats and Republicans to be Republicans, today should not be one of those times. Today, Americans from across the political spectrum must come together as we decide the next steps for our nation and our military effort.
Earlier this morning, I urged Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, the Democrat leadership and ALL Democrat Members of Congress to reject this disgraceful ad and listen to General Petraeus before participating in the political spin that all too often corrupts reality. And in order for them to move in that direction, all of you – the grassroots, the netroots – are going to have to make your feelings known. If you are as outraged by this disgraceful ad as I am, I urge all of you to call the Democrat leaders, call your Congressman, write letters to your local newspapers and make your feelings known. General Petraeus has, at minimum, earned that respect.
In addition, this post is also cross-posted on the Republican Study Committee Blog. I encourage you to visit and contribute your own commentary and opinion today. Make sure that your voice is heard.
Posted in War — Comments (66)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 12:41pm on Jul. 18, 2007 Congress Wants To Fund Hollywood Liberals With Your Money
By Congressman Jeb Hensarling
Today, as the House of Representatives will continue debate on the fiscally irresponsible Democrat Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3043), which will spend $152 billion in 2008 – $10.6 billion more than what the President requested, $7 billion more than current levels, and $2.3 billion more than the Senate bill.
Tucked away in that bill is an earmark inserted by California Representative Diane Watson, which would direct $300,000 to West Los Angeles College. According to the certification letter provided by Rep. Watson’s office, the funds would “establish a first-of-its-kind entertainment industry craft and technician college job training program to respond to the film and television industry’s immediate need for new, trained employees.” That’s right, Democrats are looking to create a job training program for the Los Angeles entertainment industry.
One might think that with entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, Democrats might at least put up the appearance of fiscal responsibility. Instead, they are bringing the term ‘Hollywood liberal’ to a whole new level.
Americans know this is government waste in the worst possible form – hard working American families don’t send their money to Washington for liberals to establish government programs for students to work on Hollywood movie sets. This is pure common-sense, which is why I will offer an amendment to prohibit funds from being used on this wasteful earmark.
In honor of the Democrat Leadership’s desire to earmark taxpayer dollars to help their Hollywood friends find movie set help, the RSC has helped them compile a top 10 list of Democrat must-see movie rentals this summer:
2) Easy Money
7) Mo’ Money
9) Free Money
10) The Money Pit
What movies would you add?
Posted in Congress — Comments (13)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 12:30pm on Jun. 15, 2007 A Big Victory for Conservatives and the House GOP
By Congressman Jeb Hensarling
This week, RSC members led the charge on the floor to hold Democrats accountable for their actions. And I have to say, I am sincerely proud of our effort, and proud of all the members who helped in this effort. From John Campbell, to Marsha Blackburn, Tom Price, Patrick McHenry, John Carter, Virginia Foxx, John Shadegg, Michelle Bachmann, Doug Lamborn, and Mary Fallin, our folks were warriors in this effort. Working together on a united front with our Republican Leadership - including Leader Boehner, Republican Whip Roy Blunt, Conference Chairman Adam Putnam, Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (and of course Judge Carter - his energy was inspiring) House Republicans were victorious in our effort to protect taxpayers from an onslaught of secret Democrat spending hidden in earmark slush funds. This is a victory for those who seek greater transparency and accountability in government, and a victory for all American taxpayers.
It became clear soon into our effort that Democrats had a choice - they could have spent hour after hour defending their slush fund for earmarks, or they could reverse their position and allow earmarks and their sponsor to be identified in spending bills. From the start, I believe that the Democrats knew that they had an indefensible position - that taxpayers should blindly fund Members' pet projects without allowing them to be debated or questioned. There just is no defense for government to secretly spend the taxpayer dollar on members' pet projects. It took Democrats just about three days to cave into the Republican effort to pull back the curtain and allow earmarks to be seen by taxpayers, journalists and other Members of Congress in the light of day.
I am sure that this must be a sad day in the Speaker's office, but it's a great day for taxpayers. Yesterday, along with Republican Whip Roy Blunt, I participated in a conference call with bloggers, and I was thrilled to get a chance to talk to the real warriors - the grassroots leaders of our effort. We will need your help to continue to spread the message. From our end, our commitment to you is that House conservatives will remain united in our effort to protect American taxpayers and continue to serve as a watchdog over the secretive Democrats and their free spending ways. We've only just begun. My friends, I'll leave you with a popular song choice this week.
Posted in Congress — Comments (65)/ Email this page » / Read More »
Posted at 1:04pm on Apr. 17, 2007 It's Tax Day and the Democrats Want More
By Congressman Jeb Hensarling
Today, tax day, families across America are groaning about the hit their wallets are taking. From Bridges to Nowhere to emergency spinach funding, the same families also have no shortage of complaints about the way that Washington is spending their money. With priorities like these, it is no wonder that Americans have to work until April 30 this year just to pay the tax man.
Somehow ignorant of this burden, Democrats passed a budget that sanctions the largest tax increase in American history while simultaneously working to reinstitute the marriage penalty and the death tax. They just can't grasp that Washington has a spending problem, not a taxing problem.
Democrats also seem to ignore that the tax relief that we passed in 2001 and 2003 is working. Since that time, we've gone from losing an average of 100,000 jobs per month and an unemployment rate of over 6 percent to adding over 170,000 jobs per month (over 7.5 million jobs) and an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent.
Read on . . .