It’s now been six months since President Obama moved into the White House and in that short time, we have seen all his economic policies fall flat on their face. The unemployment rate has skyrocketed to 9.5%, and the stimulus package has been defined by delays, fraud, and poor management.

Every day, I talk to Americans who are terrified about the path the country is going – the spending, the borrowing, the government intervention. That’s why we have introduced a bill that attempts to save the country from economic and fiscal disaster. It’s called the “Reducing Barack Obama’s Unsustainable Deficit Act” and it makes a much needed turn in the direction of fiscal responsibility.

On May 14th of this year, the President said, “The long-term deficit and debt that we have accumulated is unsustainable. We can’t keep on just borrowing from China, or borrowing from other countries…At some point they’re just going to get tired of buying our debt.”

While true, I think the American people are also getting tired of buying the President’s empty rhetoric.

To actually match word to deed, we have offered legislation to give Americans their money back. The first step is to cancel the spending portion of the stimulus package and recall the $460 billion that has not yet been spent. The money hasn’t gone out the door and we can still get it back.

The second step is to reclaim all unobligated TARP money so none of the remaining $150 billion can be wasted. The legislation then requires that all TARP money paid back must go directly to paying down the debt.

This simple measure will save taxpayers billions and help reduce this year’s projected $1.85 trillion deficit – by far the largest in U.S. history!

A lot of folks out there are saying they want their ‘change’ back, but the truth is Obama’s into us for a lot more than pocket change. And it’s clear buyer’s remorse has set in across this country. I, for one, think it’s time we get our money back.

President Obama and his Democrat friends in Congress would be wise to take note of Mr. Mueller’s warnings.

Yesterday, Congress heard a report that yet another government bureaucracy that failed in its duties to the American people. Now, imagine what would happen if those same people were in charge of your health care.

As political outrage over bonuses continues to spawn more bad legislation, we can see the precise folly of mixing government intervention with the free market. Washington has done enough to damage the private sector by injecting itself into businesses with no discernible exit strategy. Now, Democrats are pushing legislation that would do irreparable harm to already-struggling recovery efforts by driving away the folks who are needed to repair our financial sector. Government bailouts have led us down the path of institutionalized tyranny. And, all signs out of the White House and the Speaker’s office point to more bailouts and more wasted taxpayer money.

Government needs to get out of the bailout business once and for all. The best way to avoid the controversy over bonuses and compensation is to remove taxpayers from the position of having to pay them. The Democrats’ false outrage over executive bonuses – information that was available weeks before President Obama and his friends in Congress took to the airwaves to denounce such an irresponsible use of taxpayer money – has been a trying experience for those of us who understood the problem with these bailouts from the beginning. We are entering very dangerous territory by allowing our country’s politicians to prescribe what’s best for private businesses and their employees.

There is no place for government control of political discussion over the air. The guarantee to free speech is one of the most vital pillars of the American political system – and a constitutional right. Yesterday’s action to restrict this freedom should raise red flags as to the intent of the majority party. President Obama has stated his opposition to airwave censorship, but his party’s leadership in Congress is determined to flex their political muscle at the expense of the First Amendment. Remember Lord Acton’s admonition: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

It’s time to do away with the outdated ‘Fairness Doctrine’ once and for all. But instead, Democrats have used the smokescreen of a $410 billion spending bill to cynically take a huge step toward censorship and free speech restrictions. As a result, the voice of free people everywhere got a little bit quieter. This does not bode well.

Unfortunately, we have learned this morning that negotiations have already begun under the dark of night. In closed room somewhere in the Capitol Building last night, Congressional Democrats and Obama administration officials met with no Republicans present.

Rules for the conference committee dictate that there must be an open hearing for negotiations, but that hearing is controlled entirely by the majority party. It is the prerogative of congressional Democrats as to whether the hearing will be an honest and open forum or instead a dog and pony show while real negotiations take place in a smoke-filled backroom. With a trillion dollars of taxpayer money currently at stake, it is critical to provide the American people a full and complete understanding of how it is going to be spent. In addition to allowing open media access to conference committee negotiations, the bill itself must be made available to the public by placing a full searchable, downloadable final draft online for 48 hours before holding a final vote. A Republican proposal adopted earlier today does just that.

As the public has learned more about this enormous spending bill, support has plummeted. If, as is expected, Democrats use the conference committee negotiations to jam through a bill full of non-stimulative spending projects, they deserve to be held responsible by those they are supposed to represent. Instead of using a cloak of privacy to dole out taxpayer money through shady backroom deals, all negotiations must be held under the watchful eye of the American people.

Election Day 2008 produced a liberal governing majority that no one envisioned even as little as two years ago. The Democrats control both chambers of Congress as well as the Presidency. And while they are motivated by politics rather than solutions, Americans perceive them as the true agents of change and reform.

Buried within election data is troubling news. The Republican Party is losing grassroots support, and conservatives are peeling away from the party. According to exit polls, one-in-five self-identified conservatives voted for Barack Obama, clearly illustrating the Republican Party’s inability to project conservative values with credibility.

And this reality has been manifested into a set of greater truths: Americans in 2009 believe that Republicans are tied to the status quo, cannot be trusted on the issues that matter most to them, and are incoherent when articulating a positive vision for the future.

But in light of this, I believe Republicans, by firmly embracing conservative solutions-based traditions, can rise again and set the best course for America. From the desk of an eternal optimist, better days are ahead.

Before coming to Congress, I helped transform the Republican Party in the State of Georgia from permanent minority party status to a governing, conservative, principled and solutions-based majority. Now, it is some of the most fertile ground for conservatives in the nation. This happened in Georgia because of a commitment to what is at the core of leadership: to lead with principle! Yet right now, conservatives are correct about a Washington in which too few are fighting consistently for their values and concerns.

The Republican Party is at its best when its leadership has a bold vision and is rooted to conservative principles: personal responsibility, liberty, limited government, traditional values, providing for the common defense, and optimism about the future. But Republicans seem to have lost the ability to intelligently or ideologically define these principles and convey them to the American people.

Moreover, elected conservative leaders need to act immediately in order to facilitate the rebuilding of the Republican Party and reconnect it to the conservative movement.

• Back to basics: The first step starts with a little bit of self-reflection and “re-learning” the core principles of conservatism. Only through understanding the past can our core principles be applied and developed into meaningful solutions to tackle the challenges facing America.
• Party of Solutions: A new Republican platform of ideas and language must be created and championed, built on a foundation of conservative solutions. It will also need to be built from the ground up from fresh and innovative ideas.
• Rebuild the party’s infrastructure and coalitions: There must be a specific focus on nurturing the grassroots, shoring up ties with existing coalitions and leading thinkers, and creating new infrastructure to meet the challenges of politicking in a new century.
• Hold Democrats accountable: This begins with a proactive and coordinated strategy between elected conservative leaders and outside allies. Americans need to be reminded on a daily basis that Democrats want to play politics and centralize power, raise taxes, cut defense spending, and undermine traditional values.
• Go on offense, engage and educate: Yes, Virginia, someone in Washington is fighting for you. And when Republicans stay on offense and engage, then it garners attention and provides opportunities to educate every American on conservative solutions that work. Look no further than the Energy Revolt on the floor of the House of Representatives this past August which gave Republicans a needed voice and identity.
• Remain unified and disciplined: Hostile Democrat majorities and liberal special interests are more energized than they have been in decades. Without unity and discipline, the differences between the two parties become blurred, and conservatives have every right to question allegiance to Republicans.
• Reclaim the American lexicon: Democrats have been successful in altering the mindset of what made this nation great through language and institutions. Once, Americans valued “responsibility,” “self-determination,” and “hard work.” Now, these ideals have been replaced by fuzzy appeals to “diversity,” “fairness,” and “social justice.” No longer can Republicans cede the language or institutions.
• Broaden the appeal: Republicans win elections when they run on an across-the-board conservative solutions-based agenda. However, the appeal must be broadened to acknowledge and embrace the demographics in our country. Failure to do so will relegate the party to permanent minority status.

My letter ends with a direct appeal to you. With continued optimism and clarity of purpose, action can be taken to rebuild the Republican Party, reconnect it to its conservative roots and provide the solutions to tackle the challenges facing America. Last week’s principled and unified opposition to a big-government spending spree that would mortgage our nation’s future and prolong economic strife was just the beginning. Please join me and set us on the course for a better tomorrow.

Yours truly,
Tom Price, M.D.

Over the last four weeks, we have stuck to our mission of advocating a comprehensive energy policy that includes conservation, new energy technologies, and developing American resources for Americans. We have continued to give voice to the American people to anyone who would listen – relating the harmful effects of incomprehensible inaction and dangerous obstruction by Democrats in Congress.

In this advocacy, several points have been demonstrated:

Once again, we have proven the hypocrisy of Democrat leaders, forcing many of them, including Nancy Pelosi, to admit that exploration of American oil resources is an important component of our energy future. They have shown that their values are only as solid as polling numbers.

We have proven that Republicans in Congress are committed to action, with over 130 members having participated in our ‘Speak-In’ on the House floor. While Democrats have put vacations and grandiose political conventions ahead of duty, these Republicans have worked tirelessly to do their job.

We have even proven that Republicans will not be outworked – at least five days a week, and Democrats none – with us showing up, without fail, to speak out in the House chamber on this vital issue.

Most importantly, we have proven that America is with us and we are with them. From the thousands of visitors around the nation joining us on the House floor to supporters sending countless letters and phone calls urging our continued action, Americans are standing up for what they believe and demanding to be heard.

But, even with the gains we have made and the monumental involvement of the American people, we must remain vigilant. With the stench of cynicism and smug political gamesmanship, Democrat leaders are preparing an “energy plan” full of dubious anti-energy ingredients meant to fail. They will then beat their chests and publicly say they advocated for American energy while privately condemning our nation to inaction.

Today, I return to Washington to help colleagues continue the battle. For the American people, we must not concede defeat and let the obstructionism of the Democrat majority persist. With your support, we can ensure a vote on a comprehensive energy bill that will provide American-made energy for our great nation and allow us to become energy self-sufficient. With your support, we will succeed.

Last Friday, as we stood ready to speak on behalf of the millions of Americans crippled by high gas prices, the microphones in the House of Representatives were cut off and members were denied an opportunity to speak to and for the American people. As the lights fell, House Republicans became energized around one shared understanding: the American people will not tolerate having their voices muzzled. So we began to speak. Instead of being shut out, we fought for American energy in the dark until the last tourists were shuffled out of the hallowed House chamber.

One week later, our voices are still going strong in the darkened chamber, and a gust of change has been carried from Washington out to the American heartland.

The American people are no longer willing to allow their leaders to put partisanship, special interests, or vacation before serious solutions. They will no longer accept an abandonment of the American can-do spirit. We are a nation of achievers, and we will no longer allow the Speaker and a liberal Democrat majority tell us we cannot meet our energy needs.

As the events of this past week have shown, and the coming months will continue to demonstrate, the American people are taking back the People’s House. They don’t want Speaker Pelosi to have free reign to impose her anti-energy views on unwilling Americans. Citizens across this great nation have risen and realized they have a voice in the House, even if the majority is intent on silencing it.

It took an act of arrogance to spark a fire, but it has been lit. In the coming weeks and months, House Republicans pledge to hold the feet of this liberal majority to that fire. Just as the American people, we will not accept the Democrat majority’s indifference to America’s challenges.

With your help, we will fight back. We simply ask this of you: call your representative, Democrat and Republican, and ask them to join our call for more American energy. Prove that they are with the American people and not beholden to Speaker Pelosi. If they are serious about changes, serious about progress, every member will join us and demand Congress return to work for a positive solution to this energy challenge.