Time to Put Policy over Politics

Statement

I had the privilege of working for Ronald Reagan. Remembered as a President who got things done and won re-election with 49 of the 50 states -- all while working with a Democratic Congress.

My focus has always been fiscal issues that have a real impact on families and businesses here in Michigan. To use a well-worn phrase, I am tired of kicking the can down the road. Trillion-dollar deficits and a near $17 trillion national debt have put us on a destructive path that threatens our nation's fiscal health and the prosperity of future generations. The only way out of this spiral of debt is through structural changes and meaningful reforms.

The American people are outraged by the dysfunction and entrenched partisanship they see in Washington today -- and rightly so.

And as much as we all hate this new "fiscal cliff" on which we find ourselves -- leaving us wondering how Humpty Dumpty will get put back together again -- a solution must be found.

In order for that to happen, all parties need to be at the table -- Congress and the White House; Republicans and Democrats.

In August, I sat down with a small group of House Republicans and White House officials to begin the process of listening to each other to see if we could fashion an agreement to protect future generations from even higher debts and deficits while giving both parties some of their requested reforms.

So rather than take a Band-Aid approach by just passing yet another short-term, temporary extension, let's take this opportunity to fashion a broader agreement that majorities on both sides can support, knowing full well that we each have naysayers on the fringes of the political spectrum.

Let's begin by locking in federal discretionary spending levels for multiple years. Whether it is funding for agriculture, defense, transportation, or education, a multi-year agreement helps set the stage for a bipartisan budget -- something we have not seen in years. Families and businesses budget for the long-term and live within their means; government should do the same.

We must also tackle entitlement reforms. The President included some reform proposals in his most recent budget and reforms certainly need to be on the table knowing that these programs make up nearly half of our nation's expenditures and continue to grow. In looking to these programs, we must ensure our most vulnerable are protected and that the promises made to today's beneficiaries are upheld. I believe we can achieve substantial savings through thoughtful reforms, while putting these important programs on a stronger footing.

Now is also the time for tax reform. Our complex tax code places a tremendous burden on Michigan families and businesses each year, and is long overdue for reform. Allegan County's largest employer Perrigo recently announced they were moving their headquarters to Ireland in large part because the United States has the world's highest corporate rate.

In the first 2012 presidential debate between Governor Romney and President Obama, both favored lowering the rate and simplifying the code. By lowering rates and closing loopholes, we will actually see increased revenues to the Treasury as profits kept overseas now return home.

By anyone's estimation the Affordable Care Act, often referred to as Obamacare, is not off to a good start. Higher premiums, broken promises, missed deadlines, endless delays, and online glitches are plaguing the system and impacting families and employers across the country. The law is not ready for primetime, and while the President has made numerous changes to the law himself, he remains unwilling to work with Congress to make additional reforms.

To move forward, in the immediate future, let's look for bipartisan support to address some of the most glaring problems like the law's medical device tax, which will cost Kalamazoo employer Stryker nearly $100 million this year and already resulted in 1,000 layoffs.

I learned from my former boss President Reagan that sometimes we must find common ground in order to govern, and to do that, we must start talking. This gridlock has to end and the sun will indeed come up. I remain committed to a real solution where policy prevails over partisan politics. It's time.

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