Rebuilding Economic Strength for America

By Joseph R. "Joe" Pitts

Creating Jobs, Regaining Economic Security for Families, and True Health Care Reform

Most American businesses are run by honest executives and powered by the best workforce in the world. The real strength of the American economy lies in everyday businesses in every town across our country. It does not lie in Wall Street. For that reason, I know our economy will recover and high unemployment rates will start to decline. The essential thing today is for Democrats and Republicans to work together for the benefit of the American people.

Creating Jobs

Unemployment is not a statistic. Unemployment is a critical problem facing millions of Americans who struggle daily to meet their basic needs. But where do jobs come from? They don't come from Washington. They come from private sector employers who see opportunities for growth and invest in them. High taxes, complicated and inconsistent regulation, an unwillingness to expand domestic energy production, and protectionist trade policies all lead to higher unemployment. The January 2009 "stimulus" bill was too expensive and too ineffective. Dominated by state government bailouts, pet projects, and liberal policy priorities, the bill did little to actually stem rising unemployment. I voted against it. Instead, we should have lowered taxes for individuals and businesses, worked to lower the price of energy (a key cost for all businesses), and finalized trade deals with eager markets like South Korea, Panama, and Colombia. In his State of the Union Address earlier this year, the President finally recognized these things as priorities. Even so, Congress still has not acted on them.

Regaining Economic Security for Families

The purpose of a strong economy is not to make Wall Street bankers richer or to get politicians reelected. The purpose of a strong economy is to help families succeed. For some people, that means paying the rent and putting food on the table. For some people, it means going to college or putting a down payment on a house. For some people, it means expanding a business and hiring new employees. Whatever your goals are, the government cannot help you by taking more of your money from you. It can help you by letting you keep more of what you earn and by passing laws that help you in your life rather than hurting you.

I pushed hard for the law that now allows Americans to save more in 401(k)s, IRAs, and Section 529 college saving plans. But those options don't help a family that doesn't have enough money left at the end of the month to invest. That's why I believe so strongly in reducing taxes. We need trade policies, tax policies, and regulatory policies that will fire the engine of the American economy, while also keeping greed and irresponsibility from ruining things.

The government cannot create prosperity. Only the American people can. And the government needs to stop making it hard for us to do so.

True Health Reform

An important part of every family's economic security is the knowledge that they have health insurance they can count on. Too many families don't have that security because they lack sufficient income, their employer can't provide it for them, or because of pre-existing conditions. I offered details plans for addressing each of these problems while also strongly opposing the Obama-Pelosi-Reid health bill that was recently forced through Congress. We don't need a new trillion-dollar bureaucracy to help people get the care they need.