Opinion: Republican Agenda for the House of Representatives
By Rep. J.C. Watts Jr.
"The national, economic and personal security of all Americans is a top concern during the war on terrorism. During our military efforts, we must ask ourselves three very important questions: “Is America safe?” “Will I have a good-paying job?” “Do my family and I have a secure future?” As my colleagues and I mapped out our agenda in Congress for the remainder of the year, these questions guided the process.
Over the coming months, lawmakers will consider measures to win the war and strengthen our homeland security while investing in future technology and keeping our promises to America’s veterans. We also have a responsibility to continue paying down the debt while creating jobs and investing in agriculture, transportation, trade and energy. Finally, we must ensure a more secure future for American families by investing in education, healthcare and retirement security.
The House has also passed measures to build our economy, create jobs and secure our homeland. Just a few weeks ago, the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002 was signed into law, which provides unemployment relief for the jobless and improves the investment climate for businesses. The Class Action Fairness Act ends trial lawyers’ ability to shop for judges in an obscure county of their choice; creates a consumer class action bill of rights that requires settlement notices to be written in plain English; prevents disproportionate awards for trial lawyers when consumers get pennies or coupons; and protects consumers from actually losing money on a case. The Cyber Security Research and Development Act secures America’s technology and information by creating cyber security grants to improve computer system security within the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, encouraging senior researchers in other fields to work on computer security.
In the coming months, I look forward to continuing our work in Congress on America’s priorities: jobs, the economy and strengthening our national security. We will continue to work diligently to ensure that a national energy plan is put into place to create jobs and improve America’s energy self-sufficiency. Another measure we continue to urge the Senate to pass is the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2001. This bill would give the administration the authority to negotiate new trade agreements in order to create solid economic growth, improve efficiency and innovation, create better, high-paying jobs for hard-working Americans and increase the availability of attractively priced products in the U.S. market. The House remains committed to enacting bankruptcy reform to relieve future Americans from the burden of the billions of dollars that it costs taxpayers when debtors with the ability to repay some or all of their debt choose not to pay.
The House will also consider a number of measures to strengthen American families’ futures. The Education and Workforce Committee recently approved a measure to protect worker 401(k) plans by providing new options to help workers preserve and enhance their retirement security through greater accountability from company insiders. Building on the success of last year’s historic tax relief package, the House will consider further tax relief measures, including permanently enacting the tax relief package and targeted economic growth measures. We will utilize the $350 billion that was dedicated in the House-passed budget to modernizing Medicare through reforms and by creating a prescription drug benefit. These measures will secure American families’ retirements, improve health care and ensure paychecks are available because new jobs are being created.
Congress will continue our commitment to securing the homeland by considering measures to further fund homeland security and the war on terrorism, reform the Immigration and Naturalization Service and transform the Department of Defense. The White House has submitted the FY02 supplemental funding request for $27.1 billion that will provide additional funding for homeland security and fighting the war on terrorism. The visa approvals mailed recently to two Sept. 11 hijackers reinforced the House’s resolve to reform and restructure the INS. The annual Department of Defense authorization bill will address DOD’s three main goals: winning the war, strengthening homeland security and modernizing the armed services. The coming months will demonstrate our commitment to ensuring America’s safety and our ability to quickly respond to threats of evil.
Congress will vote to ensure the president has all the resources necessary to meet the nation’s top priority of winning the war and strengthening our homeland security while investing in future technology and keeping our promise to our veterans. That means that government will have to live within its means while paying down debt, creating jobs and investing in agriculture, transportation, trade and energy. It also means that American families will be strengthened by addressing top priorities, including education, healthcare and retirement security.
Rep. Watts (R-Okla.) is chairman of the House Republican Conference.
This story appeared in the April 15 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
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