Voters have spoken. The failed policies of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama have been soundly rejected. Republicans have a clear mandate to cut the size of government, reduce spending and reverse costly job-killing regulations. The new Republican majority will be different – we will listen.
Pelosi never listened to the American people and she never lived up to her promises. Under the leadership of incoming-Speaker John Boehner, Republicans will do both. This change will be evident from day one at the Energy and Commerce Committee, where as a result of House Republican reforms that instituted term limits, there is a vacancy for chairman.
I have a well-earned reputation as a team player and a tough Republican legislator. As chairman, I will work hand-in-glove with my fellow committee chairmen and the Republican leadership, communicating constantly with our conference.
I have a carefully crafted vision for the Energy and Commerce Committee that will foster spending cuts, reduce the size of government, and eliminate burdensome regulations that kill jobs.
Our committee will hold rigorous budget hearings for every single agency within our jurisdiction, going line-by-line through each budget for potential items to cut. As Grover Norquist and I recently proposed, “A chainsaw would be the recommended tool of choice.”
For some time, I have been putting the Obama administration on notice that we will be relentless in our oversight duties and shine the spotlight on its regulatory policies that have thus far been hiding in the dark.
The Founding Fathers intended Congress to provide a check and balance to the power of the presidency; Pelosi has been derelict in that duty. From day one, we will fulfill our constitutional responsibility by holding this administration accountable – they will not regulate what we do not legislate.
My agenda for the Energy and Commerce Committee is a conservative one that focuses on cutting wasteful spending; removing regulatory burdens that kill jobs and discourage investment; restoring freedom, beginning with the repeal of ObamaCare; keeping government accountable through rigorous oversight; and creating jobs by getting government out of the way of private industry.
Under my watch, we are going to finally embrace an “all of the above” energy strategy that utilizes our vast domestic resources and promotes nuclear energy. I also look forward to working with my fellow pro-life colleagues to protect the sanctity of life, beginning with the passage of Rep. Joseph Pitts’ Protect Life Act and Rep. Christopher Smith’s No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.
House Republicans will take a legislative approach that involves direct input from the American people. The “government knows best” policy of Obama and Pelosi ends now. Gone as well are the days of writing sweeping 2,000-page bills in the dead of night, without public or congressional scrutiny.
There are powerful forces working against us, pushing a liberal agenda that will do further damage to our economy. The American people not only rejected the Democrats’ misguided vision for America, they heard our message of cutting spending, reducing the size of government, and removing the regulatory burden that has hampered economic growth and destroyed jobs. As chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I will fight for these ideals with our Republican leadership and every member of our conference.
Our new majority has the leadership and vision necessary to put this country back to work and back on track. The country is watching and will hold us accountable. A year from now, they will be pleased with our performance, I promise you that.
Rep. Fred Upton is a Republican from Michigan.
