Documents and Legislation
Conservative Legislative Agenda for the 110th Congress
These 10 bills are aimed at what the American people expect and what they deserve, and that is for us to govern with meaningful solutions. They are bills that will directly improve the lives of Americans across this great country in meaningful ways.
Strengthening and Protecting Social Security.
This is probably the most important domestic legislation that Congress should address: Modernizing and strengthening the Social Security program.
For those who say that there is no problem facing Social Security or those who want to wait and see what happens, Americans do not want a Congress that passes problems off to future generations or future Congresses. We owe it to the next generation to address these issues.
Tax Simplification and Fairness.
We need to continue building blocks of tax reform to complement the efforts of the president's advisory panel to simplify the tax code.
In addition, Congress needs to prevent a big blow to family budgets and the overall economy by making tax cuts permanent. The tax cuts have a record of success. If we do not do something, then the average taxpayer is may pay $1,200 a year more.
Fighting the War on Terror.
Sections of S. 3 build upon the progress that President Bush and the Congress has made, and really since September 11th, 2001, to increase our defenses against biological attack, chemical attack and nuclear attack.
A Healthy America.
A first title will look at issues surrounding the affordability of health care, the second expanding access to health coverage, and a third improving care. Each will have separate components under that.
This includes; medical liability reform; the electronic health records and information technology; the patient safety that we all know is so absolutely critical for people in hospitals and outside of hospitals today, which was passed in the Senate. Unfortunately, it didn't get all the way through Congress last time; to the affordable health savings accounts, which we have a great foundation for, but do need to be expanded over time; cover the kids initiative; and a sense of the Senate supporting small-business pooling.
Class Action Reform.
Number one is the litigious nature of our society. Every other country in the world, of course, pales in comparison to ours in terms of the amount of time and energy and money spent on litigation. The cost of the tort system per year is estimated at $246 billion. Put another way, by '06 the tort tax, if you choose to look at it that way, will be about $1,000 per person.
This issue is now ready to go forward. There should be a degree of bipartisanship on this issue and we are optimistic that this important legislation will move forward.
MORE Act.
This Act has to do with marriage and opportunity. The president's marriage initiative and the welfare reform bill, fatherhood initiative, strengthening families is something that we need to have as a deliberate government policy.
Families build strong communities, nurture and raise strong children and gives America the best opportunity to be a strong country now and in the future. This legislation with a child credit and marriage penalty relief, as well as putting more people to work, providing more tax breaks, providing more opportunities to strengthen families through marriage.
This legislation needs to be permanent. The tax code needs stability and predictability. People need to know that in 2011, they're not going to have to pay $1,500 more, on average, because the marriage penalty relief went away.
Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Package.
The tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 relating to the marginal income tax rates, the capital gains and dividends rates and the death tax repeal must be made permanent.
The largest beneficiaries of the lower individual rates, of course, were the nation's 23 million small businesses. This happens, because the majority of them pay taxes at the individual income tax rate. Most entrepreneurs reinvest the earnings back into their business. This lower tax rate translates into more capital for small businesses to grow and to create more jobs.
People must plan for their futures. In order to plan for successive generations, and the continuation of their small businesses or farms, they must be able to anticipate what the consequences of their death will bring in terms of taxes ?
The estate tax or the so-called death tax permanent must be made permanent.
Child Custody Protection Act.
This legislation makes sure that government policy supports parents and families.
Currently under federal law, it is legal in certain cases to take someone across the state line to avoid parental consent laws in other states.
This is something that undermines parents, undermines families. The federal government should step in where states have sought to protect the rights of parents with respect to minor children and be on the side of parents, be on the side of families, not the side of those who want to undermine them.
Lifetime of Education Opportunities Act.
The Act would incorporate some new principles, which begins with Head Start and proceeds into reducing the number of high school dropouts.
It gets into the Workforce Investment Act, which is the job training program that was passed unanimously through the Senate HELP Committee. It passed unanimously through the floor. However, it was blocked for a conference committee.
This Act would also include all the Higher Education Act reauthorizations with the Perkins Act. There needs to be flexibility so that the child that is born today can get the education and training needed to fill jobs in America. We need to stop sending our jobs over seas.
Keeping America Competitive and Secure Through Energy Independence.
We depend 60 percent on imported oil and gas for our energy needs in this country. That is not acceptable. It means that foreign controls can do huge damage to our economy and the livelihoods of the people living and working in our country. This needs to end.
The consensus is that we can produce more environmentally clean energy in our country and become more self-sufficient. It is an economic need; it is a national security issue.