United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Statement

United We Stand, Divided We Fall

In Thomas Jefferson's first inaugural address on March 4, 1801, he said, "The minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression." This sentiment was echoed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi's "A New Direction for America." Also promised in her doctrine is, "Every person in America has a right to have his or her voice heard. No Member of Congress should be silenced on the floor...guaranteeing that the voices of all the people are heard."

These important philosophies are the founding principles of America. The principles that when we work together we accomplish more, the "United we stand, divided we fall" mentality. Unfortunately, as recent events have shown, Speaker Pelosi's words are hollow and her promise to America has been broken leaving a trail of the trust and faith of Americans in her rear view mirror.

When I was elected to Congress, I never imagined the amount of political pandering and stunts that would be used to gain political points. This week, Congress was scheduled to take up the supplemental appropriations bill to fund our brave men and women serving their country, as well as critical housing legislation. Instead of allowing an open and transparent discussion on funding for our troops and reasonable solutions to the housing crunch, the Speaker has chosen to bypass congressional committees and has essentially hijacked the legislative process so no dissent can be heard on these bills. Our country has chided other governments around the world for suppressing the voices of their people and Speaker Pelosi is coming dangerously close to the practices of these oppressive regimes. This unprecedented power grab on the part of the majority goes against Speakers Pelosi's promises for equality and transparency and nothing short of a rapid reverse course can begin to repair the damage.

The most tragic aspect of this suppression of discussion by the majority is that we have seen the success that can occur when we work together to fix our nation's problems. In February, both Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate worked together to initiate the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, which resulted in addressing the growing concern about the direction of our economy and provided relief to cash-strapped Americans. The 2008 Farm Bill Reauthorization is another key example of what can happen when both Republicans and Democrats join forces to find a solution for our nation's farming communities. These two pieces of legislation made significant strides in combating two issues that face this country.

The minority in Congress isn't asking for anything out of the ordinary. We should have the opportunity to analyze the bill and offer suggestions that would improve the legislation. We want Speaker Pelosi to keep the promises that she made in "A New Direction for America" and maintain her position that "no Member of Congress should be silenced on the floor." The American pubic has unmistakably conveyed to this government that the partisan bickering isn't what they want to see. We need solutions, not more political games at the cost of our soldiers, middle-class, and children.

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