The Liberal spending binge is over; now the GOP has real work to do.
One week before the election, President Barack Obama acknowledged that even though his name was not on the ballot, his agenda was. On Election Day, the American people welcomed the opportunity to vote on his agenda – and they overwhelmingly rejected it.
The voters responded to Obama’s agenda by electing 60 new Republicans to the House and six new Republican Senators. The Democrats lost on election night largely because of their refusal to address the current economic crisis, and their insistence – at the same time – on passing massive pieces of legislation that swelled the government bureaucracy and slowed economic growth.
The past two years have demonstrated the Democrats’ lack of creativity in solving the country’s big problems. President Obama and Congressional Democrats consistently view government as the solution to every problem. High unemployment? The Democrats approved 99 weeks of federally-subsidized unemployment checks. Dying car industry? The Democrats spent massive amounts of tax dollars for a futile program to encourage people to buy new cars during a one-month period. Rising healthcare costs? The Democrats passed ObamaCare, a tax and regulatory bill masquerading as health policy.
Republicans won on November 2nd because they campaigned on principled, limited-government concepts and made pledges to repeal ObamaCare and create jobs. The GOP’s huge victories on Election Day amount to a clear mandate from the voters of the United States: “Put the economy back on the right track.” Now the GOP will have the difficult task of being the adults in Washington, even while President Obama remains in the White House. Being an adult, of course, means living within one’s means, occasionally saying “No,” and having a budget. With their profligate spending and expansive government programs, today’s Democrats consistently fail the “adult test.”
Now with a clear mandate from the American voters, the GOP should follow the leadership example of President Reagan and get to work on scaling back the size of the government. The following three items, which Reagan endorsed, would be a good starting point:
• Cut taxes: Conservatives understand that tax rebates and “stimulus checks” are never as effective at spurring economic growth as marginal tax cuts are. Conservatives in Congress should immediately extend all of the Bush tax cuts. Business owners will collectively sigh in relief and respond by increasing their payrolls.
• Gut ObamaCare: Conservatives have numerous opportunities to undermine ObamaCare, even if they do not have enough Members to override Obama’s veto. The GOP can begin dismantling key provisions within ObamaCare, particularly the tax increases. Even some Democrats in Congress, fearful about their election prospects in 2012, may be willing to join the conservative coalition that opposes increasing taxes on small-businesses and working families during a recession.
• Reduce government spending: Conservatives often promise to cut government spending, but rarely do so after they arrive in Washington. This time, the Tea Party will be putting pressure on Congress to scale back government.
The 2010 election was notable because of the extent to which conservative ideas were at the center of the debate. Voters and candidates discussed the size of the federal government, the Constitutionality of ObamaCare, and their desire for less government intrusion in the private sector.
When Congress convenes in January, it will be important for these new GOP Members to remember that they were elected because of Americans’ distaste for Obama’s far left, “big-government” agenda. Now is not the time for the Republicans to be moderates or “Democrats Lite.” Given the centrality of conservative ideas during the election, the GOP should immediately deliver on their campaign pledges of scaling back the size of government.
***Shonda Werry is a former staffer at the Senate Republican Conference from 2004 to 2007, and has extensive public policy experience. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago and holds a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University.
