This Week in Washington

Statement

By Rep. Kissell

I'm often taken back by the absurdity of Washington. I was sickened by the recent reports of insider trading by members of Congress looking to line their own pockets, it's no wonder Congressional approval ratings are at their lowest ever. These days, if even 10 percent of the public approves of what's going on in Washington, I would tell you that those 10 percent just aren't paying close enough attention.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, almost half of Congress is made up of millionaires. With almost a majority of millionaires in power, it's no wonder there's such a disconnect between them and our working families. I find myself proud to be on the "poorest" Members of Congress list. I worked in a textile mill for 27 years and none of us were millionaires, but we made a good product and kept it moving out the door. It's beyond time for Congress to do more to get its job done, doing what's in the best interest of constituents and keeping a strong focus on getting our economy back on track. I'm committed to doing everything I can to bridge the many divides of Congress to accomplish what we need to do--what we absolutely must do.

In an effort to get Congress back on track, I'm a cosponsor of H.R. 1148, the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, or STOCK Act. This bill would block members of Congress from making investments or trading stocks based on insider knowledge gained through their congressional service. Much like the first bill I introduced in Congress, along with Rep. Ron Paul, to prevent the Congressional pay raise, it's hard to believe it has taken until now to prevent this. We got rid of the automatic pay raise and we need to pass legislation that makes sure our nation's investments, not the investments of Members of Congress, are the priority. We should be investing in our schools and in our infrastructure, and investing in the promises we've made to our seniors and veterans in these lean times as we work to balance our budget. These are the ideals that helped build our nation and make us great. I hope more folks in Congress will wake up, put politics aside and understand that the sole purpose of our work is keeping our promise to our constituents and making investments in the future of our nation.

This week I'm pleased to report there was some bipartisanship. I joined colleagues from both sides of the aisle to pass legislation to reduce many of the overreaching regulatory burdens faced by small businesses. These burdens, along with each temporary and short term budget coming to the 11th hour have hurt our economy, and that "kicking the can down the road" has to stop. The uncertainty hurts our small businesses, as well as our unemployed. Our business climate needs certainty. The more certainty we have, the clearer the path to success for our nation.

Folks in Washington need to remind themselves that they're not elected to work for their own personal gain or fortunes, they're elected to work for the American people. We need a lot less people with the sole interest of enriching themselves, and more focus on enriching our nation. The number one focus of absolutely everyone in our government should be working to get our economy back on track by creating an environment for job growth that allows for money to be put into the pockets of our working families and small businesses. I'm a firm believer that a rising tide lifts all boats; and that is why I've continued to fight for the Made in America brand. What better way to grow our economy than to promote and purchase goods that we make right here in factories and shops in small towns and cities.

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