Welcome Home to the People`s House

Statement

Dear Friend,

Yesterday the 112th Congress began. New and returning Members were sworn in, we elected our leadership, and established new rules for the way the House of Representatives conducts business.

These new rules are designed to address the concerns the American public raised over the past year and have voiced in townhall meetings and rallies, as well as in day-to-day communications like e-mails and phone calls. As Speaker John Boehner said as the 112th Congress convened for the first time Wednesday, "The people voted to end business as usual, and today we begin carrying out their instructions."

New Rules

1. Legislation must cite the power under the Constitution authorizing the enactment of the bill. This rule is needed because previous legislation has failed to pass constitutional muster. For instance, the constitutionality of portions of the health care law passed last year has been disputed and the individual mandate to purchase insurance has recently been struck down by a federal court. Citing the constitutional authority for law-making will be an aid in keeping Members -- and their legislation -- honest and as the Founding Fathers intended.

2. Legislation must be available for three days prior to consideration by the House, a rule that will be overseen by the House Administration Committee, which I chair. Legislation that has not moved through the normal Committee process must follow this rule, making it possible to prevent legislation from circumventing proper consideration. This rule is needed because in the past the House has voted on -- and approved -- legislation that was not available to Members or the public in any form prior to the vote. Members cannot effectively represent their constituents if no one knows what is in a bill. This will end last Congress' practice that, as former Speaker Pelosi infamously said, "We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it."

3. "Pay-go" requirements are replaced with "cut-go" requirements. Any legislation that would increase mandatory spending over one, five, or 10 years would have to cut spending -- not raise taxes -- by an equal or greater amount elsewhere. This will prove to be more effective than the previous "pay-go" requirements -- which were frequently waived -- because for every dollar of increased tax revenue, Congress has historically spent $1.91. Therefore, cutting spending and not raising taxes will be the centerpiece of deficit-reduction.

4. Committee hearings must be made available in audio and video format to the extent possible. In the past, the all-powerful Rules Committee has met in secret. This Committee determines what legislation comes to the House floor and how it comes to the House floor. Yet, no one knows what goes on in the Committee room. This influential body must be made more accountable, and transparency is a first step.

New Business

The House of Representatives will begin this new term by cutting our own budgets by five percent. This is not the be-all, end-all for our budget woes. But it is our first step of many. No one has been immune to the economic collapse and no one -- least of all those responsible for the nation's budget -- should be exempt from the cutbacks necessary so that our nation can live within its means and return to a solid prosperity, rather than the bloated trappings of prosperity.

I also re-introduced my legislation to repeal a portion of the health care law that requires all business-to-business transactions (including goods and services) of over $600 to file a 1099 form with the IRS. The President has supported the repeal, as well as a bipartisan majority in the House in the past Congress. My current repeal has 185 co-sponsors, including both Democrats and Republicans. This repeal should be passed quickly so that small businesses do not have to worry about the looming burden to take effect next year.

New Ethos

As Speaker Boehner said earlier:

Openness -- once a tradition of this institution, but increasingly scarce in recent decades, will be the new standard. There were no open rules in the House in the last Congress. In this one, there will be many. With this restored openness, however, will come a restored responsibility. …You will always have the right to a robust debate in open process that allows you to represent your constituents…to make your case, offer alternatives, and be heard.

In time, this framework will, I believe, restore the House of Representatives as a place where the people's will is done. It will also, I hope, help rebuild trust among us and the people we serve, and in so doing, provide a guidepost for those who follow us in the service of our nation.

…Let us now move forward humble in our demeanor, steady in our principles, and dedicated to proving worthy of the trust and confidence that has been placed in us. If we brace ourselves to do our duty, and to do what we say we are going to do, there is no telling what together we can accomplish for the good of this great and honorable nation. More than a country, America is an idea, and it is our job to pass on to our posterity the blessings bestowed to us.

I commit myself to this openness and to your trust. As I seek to serve you well, with steady convictions, please hold me to task and keep me humble and responsive. One method of feedback and accountability that I appreciate from my constituents is your responses to the e-newsletter surveys. I hope you will take a moment to answer the one below.

Welcome to the 112th Congress.

Sincerely,

Daniel E. Lungren
Member of Congress

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