Weekly Column - The Right Action

Statement

In his State of the Union address, President Obama stated that he wants 2014 to be a "year of action." So do I. I am eager to work with any of my colleagues and the president to advance smart policies that strengthen the middle class, create jobs, and provide more certainty.

Hardworking men and women are making less money today than they were five years ago. Median household income has dropped $4,000 since 2009. Meanwhile, the current labor force participation rate is at a 36-year low. December's jobs report revealed that 350,000 more Americans stopped looking for work last month, while only 74,000 jobs were added.

Healthcare costs are also rising for far too many, rather than declining as promised. Employees are facing fewer hours and lost wages as a result of new ObamaCare regulations. Recently, I met with a business owner in Oakland, Nebraska, who told me he simply could not afford to expand his business or hire more workers because of the uncertainty surrounding the health care law.

Unfortunately, he is one of many confronting this same predicament. Nearly 18,000 Nebraskans have contacted my office with their concerns about the negative impacts of ObamaCare, and I'm continuing to share your stories in Washington.

In short, the middle class is being squeezed by our current economic and regulatory policies. It's time for a new direction -- one that focuses on the private sector. The past five years have proven that growing government is not the answer.

According to recent Gallup polling, two-thirds of Americans are concerned with the size and scope of the federal government. Rather than picking winners and losers or piling on burdensome regulations, the federal government needs to enable our nation's innovators and entrepreneurs to do what they do best -- to build and to create.

There are a number of bipartisan initiatives that we can work on immediately to help the economy. For example, we can tackle comprehensive tax reform, an effort that I have called for time after time since my election to the U.S. Senate. Our complex, outdated tax code is a challenge I consistently hear from individuals and business leaders across Nebraska. It's ridden with loopholes and special interest breaks, and desperately needs a 21st century update.

The Senate passed a repeal of the medical device tax in March with a broad bipartisan vote of 79-20. While the vote was non-binding, it indicates strong support on both sides of the aisle for taking action to kill this unpopular, unnecessary tax.

During his State of the Union, the President urged Congress to act on free trade legislation. Just a day later, the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced he opposed expanding free trade. Reid went further, indicating he may not allow a vote on trade legislation, despite the president's request and bipartisan support. Sadly, this is yet another example of the Majority Leader preventing senators from voting on or even debating important national issues. This diminishes the rights of all senators to represent our constituents.

I believe a "year of action" is best achieved through an open, transparent legislative process that allows the American people to have a voice through their elected representatives. That is why I was also disappointed in the president's strategy to "go it alone" by pursuing executive orders if Congress doesn't rubber stamp his agenda. It is my expectation, and the expectation of Nebraskans, that the president will work with -- not around -- Congress to pursue common ground.

Referring to his ability to enact his agenda through executive fiat, President Obama recently said he has a "pen" and "phone." He may have these tools, but he also has a duty to abide by the Constitution he swore to protect and defend.

Thank you for taking part in our democratic process, and I look forward to visiting with you again next week.

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