The
upcoming leadership races should not be driven by personality, quid pro quo
committee assignments and fundraising prowess. Instead, those races should be
determined by policy and process. Which candidates will promote a conservative
policy agenda that advances opportunity for all and favoritism to none? Which
candidates will fight for those policies and seriously challenge President
Obama? Which candidates will reform the internal workings of the House to
ensure a more open and deliberative process with less top-down management, and
end the culture of punishment and retribution?
A
Real Governing Vision. The complete absence of a conservative agenda by the
Republican-controlled Congress must change. In evaluating leadership
candidates, members should demand clarity as to how each one would put forward
a positive conservative agenda that promotes opportunity for all and favoritism
to none.1 For example:
1
http://heritageaction.com/opportunityforall/
Higher
Education. Younger
Americans (and in many cases their parents) are suffering from the high cost
and rigidity of our nation’s higher education system. The new leadership team
should use the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act to embrace
bold reforms. The Higher Education Reform and Opportunity (HERO) Act would
break up our nation’s accreditation cartel and open the doors of opportunity
for all Americans.
Entitlement
Reform. The
House-passed budget promised a myriad of important reforms, though none have
moved through the House as standalone legislation. Sending real entitlement
reforms – Medicare, Medicaid, welfare and even Social Security – to the Senate
would demonstrate the new leadership is serious about advancing conservative
policy and serious about forcing Senate action on those priorities.
Tax
Reform. Advancing
a sweeping, pro-growth tax reform that removes entrenched favoritism buried in
the current code should be a priority. Doing so would demonstrate a
much-needed seriousness when it comes to
policy and continue to emphasize the party’s move away from K Street.
Religious
Liberty. Americans
should be free to practice their religious beliefs without fear of oppression
or discrimination, especially from the federal government. New leadership
should embrace that fundamental right by advancing the First Amendment Defense
Act.
Significant
Internal Reforms. More often than not, process and personnel are policy. As
things stand, the House and GOP conference rules concentrate power in the hands
of a few individuals, thus marginalizing conservatives and rank-and-file
members. In evaluating leadership candidates, members should demand key reforms
that decentralize power in the House and empower members to better represent
their constituents.2
2
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/10/Four-Immediate-Reforms-to-Change-the-Culture-of-Congress
Near-term
Trust Building. In evaluating leadership candidates, members should demand
clarity as to how each one would fight the numerous legislative battles that
will emerge over the remainder of the year. Members should evaluate the next
Speaker and his or her leadership team on the following issues:
Planned
Parenthood. Taxpayer
funding of abortion giant Planned Parenthood cannot continue. A key test will
occur today as outgoing Speaker John Boehner plans to use Democrats votes to
continue the organization’s funding. Those seeking a leadership position should
fight his plan using every tool at their disposal.
Reconciliation.
The
Republican budget passed, primarily, because leadership and the budget chairmen
promised "the use of reconciliation for the sole purpose of repealing the
President's job-killing health care law." Failure to uphold that promise
will jeopardize the likelihood of passing a budget next year. It will also
hamper efforts to fully repeal the law in 2017.
Budget
Caps. In
2011, the Republican-controlled House forced President Obama to sign spending
caps into law. Those caps have been raised once before and many suggest they
will be raised once more, in an effort dubbed Ryan-Murray 2.0. A near-term
spending increase would further undermine the party’s claim to fiscal
responsibility.
Debt
Ceiling. The
debt ceiling is a legitimate tool to control spending and enact major pillars
of the GOP budget. The next GOP leadership team must pledge to use that tool.
Additionally, they should pledge to tie the debt ceiling to an actual number,
as opposed to a date change that hides the true cost of such actions.
Source:
Heritage Action
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