Republican House Caucus Makes "A Pledge to America"

In the Weekly Republican Address, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) discusses “A Pledge to America,” a new governing agenda built by listening to the American people and focused on addressing their top priorities – including creating jobs, cutting spending, and changing the way Congress works.

“Hi, I’m Congressman Kevin McCarthy of California.

This week Republicans made a Pledge to America.

Our new governing agenda answers the question so many Americans are asking: will we leave to our children a stronger, healthier, more prosperous country than our parents left us?  As we stand here before you, the future of our country hangs in the balance.  Across this great nation, mothers and fathers wonder if their children will find the same opportunities for success that existed just a generation ago.

Can you blame them? As a result of the economically disastrous policies of the current administration, millions of Americans are out of work today, and our children will be saddled with a deficit and debt that is -- by every definition -- out of control.

We have more people depending on food stamps to feed their families than at any point in history. The economy is so dire that one in six Americans has to rely on government assistance for financial support. One in six. The land of opportunity has become the land of shrinking prosperity.

Americans across the country are outraged, and so are we. Just as John Hancock boldly signed his name to the Declaration of Independence so that even Britain’s King George could read it, I want to say this slowly so there is no room for misinterpretation…

Our government has failed us. From the billion-dollar bailouts to the ‘stimulus’ package that failed to stimulate to the government takeover of health care, you cried “STOP!”…but the Democratic Majority in Washington has refused to listen.

I am speaking to you on behalf of Republicans to tell you that we’ve been listening, and we’ve heard you.  We heard you loud and clear, and we assure you that there is nothing more inspiring than the common voice of the common man.

When you said you wanted a prosperous, competitive economy, we heard you.

When you said you wanted a more accountable government, we heard you.

When you said you didn’t want a government takeover of health care, we heard you. We know that you want a government dedicated to working for the people, and that’s why we’ve written this Pledge to America. This pledge isn’t about Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives – it’s about you.

“This pledge focuses largely on three things:

• a plan to create jobs, end economic uncertainty, and make America more competitive;
• a plan to cut wasteful Washington spending and reduce the size of government;
• a plan to reform Congress and restore trust in government.

The new agenda embodies Americans’ rejection of the notion that we can simply tax, borrow and spend our way to prosperity. It offers a new way forward that hasn’t been tried in Washington – an approach focused on cutting spending – which is sadly a new idea for a Congress accustomed to always accelerating it.

To put Americans back to work, our agenda seeks to eliminate uncertainty for the private-sector innovators and entrepreneurs who create jobs.

And it commits to immediate action to change the way Congress works, recognizing that the current structure is rigged to minimize public scrutiny and facilitate unnecessary spending.

This pledge is a governing agenda that could be implemented right now if the powers-that-be in Washington would allow it. We are calling on Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid to implement these proposals before Congress adjourns for the fall.

We go forward now with optimism and a firm belief that we live in a land of great promise and great possibilities… a land where – until recently, our tomorrows have held more promise than our yesterdays.

We are not ready to concede the fight for the prosperity of our country. We refuse to believe that the same American dream that shone so brightly for our parents has dimmed for our children. We must reverse our current course of action and reject the job-killing policies of the Democratic Majority. We will take back our country and restore our right to a better future. This is our pledge to America.

[John Boehner (R-OH): Video & Script]

America is more than a country.

America is an idea -- an idea that free people can govern themselves, that government's powers are derived from the consent of the governed, that each of us is endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. America is the belief that any man or woman can -- given economic, political, and religious liberty -- advance themselves, their families, and the common good.

America is an inspiration to those who yearn to be free and have the ability and the dignity to determine their own destiny.

Whenever the agenda of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to institute a new governing agenda and set a different course.

These first principles were proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, enshrined in the Constitution, and have endured through hard sacrifice and commitment by generations of Americans.

In a self-governing society, the only bulwark against the power of the state is the consent of the governed, and regarding the policies of the current government, the governed do not consent.

An unchecked executive, a compliant legislature, and an overreaching judiciary have combined to thwart the will of the people and overturn their votes and their values, striking down long-standing laws and institutions and scorning the deepest beliefs of the American people.

An arrogant and out-of-touch ruling class of a few makes decisions, issues mandates, and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.

Rising joblessness, crushing debt, and a polarizing political environment are fraying the bonds among our people and blurring our sense of national purpose.

Like free peoples of the past, our citizens refuse to accommodate a government that believes it can replace the will of the people with its own. The American people are speaking out, demanding that we realign our country's compass with its founding principles and apply those principles to solve our common problems for the common good.

The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people cannot be overstated.

With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our Pledge to America.

We pledge to honor the Constitution as constructed by its framers and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been consistently ignored -- particularly the Tenth Amendment, which grants that all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

We pledge to advance policies that promote greater liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense, and national economic prosperity.

We pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values.
We pledge to make government more transparent in its actions, careful in its stewardship, and honest in its dealings.

We pledge to uphold the purpose and promise of a better America, knowing that to whom much is given, much is expected and that the blessings of our liberty buoy the hopes of mankind.

We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance to the people we represent, and we invite fellow citizens and patriots to join us in forming a new governing agenda for America.

H/T eGOPNews for the following links:
NYT: Republicans Offer Their Agenda for Midterm Elections
Wash Times: GOP makes a 'Pledge' to voters
WaPo: House Republicans make a conservative 'Pledge to America'
WaPo: GOP wants to impose hiring freeze on non-security federal workforce
American Spectator: Those Underpaid Government Workers
Hill: Eyeing control of the House, GOP rolls out its new agenda
Human Events: Gingrich Applauds GOP’s ‘Pledge to America’
Human Events: Tea Party Impacts GOP ‘Pledge To America’
Politico: Some candidates tepid on 'Pledge'
Rush Limbaugh: Nothing Crazy in the GOP Pledge
American Spectator: No Regulation Without Representation

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