The following column appeared in the Richmond-Times Dispatch on September 23, 2017. Election cycle after election cycle, Republicans made the argument that if we controlled both legislative branches and the White House we could accomplish big-ticket items like Obamacare repeal and tax reform. We would finally balance the budget and bring fiscal sanity to Washington. We would stop governing by deadline-driven crisis where special interests win and American taxpayers foot the bill. Two weeks ago, ...
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The following joint op-ed appeared in the September 19, 2017 edition of the Washington Examiner. Karl Rove's recent column blaming the House Freedom Caucus for Washington dysfunction was wrong and misguided. It is unfortunate that he has chosen to exert this swamp-like influence. Contrary to Rove's piece, the House Freedom Caucus does not exist to obstruct our leadership. Rather, we do our best to listen to our constituents and fight for what they believe in. We are not beholden to our party or ...
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The following op-ed appeared in the August 26, 2017 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Our politics in America are more divided than ever. Frustration levels are high and the dialogue we see on social media and other mediums has too often degraded into name-calling and personal attacks. Where ideological differences exist, it often seems civil discourse has disappeared. To bridge political differences with other members of Congress, I have made developing personal relationships and introduc...
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The following joint op-ed appeared in the June 4, 2017 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. By any measure, the Affordable Care Act — commonly known as Obamacare — has failed to deliver on its promises to lower costs, increase access to care, and expand choice. In fact, the exact opposite has occurred. Since 2013, average Virginia residents buying health insurance on Obamacare’s insurance marketplace have seen a 77 percent increase in their monthly premiums. Small businesses have opted to hir...
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The following op-ed appeared in the May 31, 2017 edition of the Washington Times ANALYSIS/OPINION: Liberal elected officials are free to invoke God in the public square. They do so regularly when attempting to gain support for a new federal program or, more recently, to stop Republican efforts to reform Obamacare. During her floor speech on the Republican health care bill, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi quoted Pope Francis and said Congress’ responsibility to health care was “biblical.” President ...
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This op-ed appeared in the Free-Lance Star. LAST WEEK, I voted to roll back key components of Obamacare. My vote was consistent with the promises I made to constituents since I first ran for office three years ago. The American Health Care Act is a start to keep the promise Republicans have made for the last seven years. In fact, House Republicans voted 50 times to repeal part or all of Obamacare. Since Obamacare became law, it has been a string of broken promises and yearly double-digit premium...
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This Op-Ed appeared in The Hill. One thing is clear: the United States’ immigration policy should serve first and foremost the interests of the American worker. When I came to Congress, the promise I made to my constituents was to examine where our immigration laws are falling short. This was the same message Donald Trump carried during his presidential campaign: Our laws should always put the American worker first. The current system for H-1B visa workers does not put the interests of our count...
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This op-ed was posted in Newsmax. I have long admired the work and writings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He inspired generations with his message of freedom and gave voice to millions of Americans that had been unjustly denied their God-given natural and Constitutional rights. Dr. King's legacy shows it is possible to fundamentally transform a country – not through government regulations – but through the hearts and minds of the people. This work never ends. His words and actions serve as an ev...
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This op-ed was posted on Newsmax. It's time to put an end to the media-backed myth that President Barack Obama "fixed the economic mess left behind by Republicans." Every day, liberal talking heads and narrative spinners continued with their fictional account of what caused the financial crisis. Was it caused by the financial industry? By the Republicans? By deregulation? No, no, and no. And now, Larry Summers is weighing that President-elect Donald Trump's deregulatory efforts will cause yet "a...
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This op-ed was posted in Newsmax. In two days, the members of the House of Representatives are being asked to vote for a Speaker who will push through an agenda in 100 days. The question remains: what agenda? I will not vote for any speaker until I know the complete answer to that question. Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) said Trump has turned politics on its head and that Trump "heard a voice in this country that no one else heard." Not quite. Some of us were listening to the voices of the forgotte...
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