No one doubts the severity of our country’s economic challenges, from my colleagues in Congress to my neighbors in Western North Carolina. Families are having trouble making ends meet and workers are losing their jobs. Action is needed. Unfortunately, the Democrat majority in Congress held a vote last week on a so-called ‘stimulus’ bill that has little to do with stimulating our… Read more »
A recent Hickory Daily Record editorial echoes a common refrain among some Washington politicians. Their thesis is this, “…drilling assuredly will lower expectations for alternative energy sources…”
What they really mean is, “skyrocketing gas prices are a good thing because they force people to buy into our environmental political agenda.”
Those who promote that cynical… Read more »
The downturn in the housing sector is very different from the Wall Street slumps we’ve previously seen. When automakers or Internet companies perform poorly, the effect is often limited. When the housing sector goes downhill, the effect is widespread and painful.
When the housing sector slips, it hits us where it hurts - at home. Millions of families across the country now face the… Read more »
Two hundred twenty years ago today, 55 delegates assembled in Philadelphia to, "form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."
After lengthy (and often heated) debate, there were enough "aye" votes – 39, to be exact – on September… Read more »
I want to extend a sincere thank you to the nearly 700 people who attended the town hall meetings I held all across the Tenth District in August.
The right of the people to openly and freely question their leaders and discuss solutions to common problems is the reason our democracy works so well. That is why I hold these meetings every August.
Your thoughtful questions, comments, and… Read more »
In 1995, a newly anointed Congressional majority seeking to assert its power through the federal spending process had a head-on collision with a president in desperate search for political relevance after a crushing electoral defeat. The outcome: a government shutdown.
Twelve years later, the parallels are hard to miss.
Following what he called an electoral "thumping," President… Read more »
Complex moral and political dilemmas are often best understood through simple allegory. For example, Aesop’s Fables, Plato’s cave, and numerous New Testament parables explain to us what is right and what is just when even the most sophisticated analysis falls short. It is to these examples, and many others like them, that we turn to grant us moral clarity. The House of Representatives… Read more »
As Manhattan’s skyline fell down, Americans stood up. We took to our feet and raised the flag, pledging solidarity to our nation, our values – and most importantly, our fellow Americans. We were outraged, bereaved, shaken – unified. On that day, we confirmed what we had long suspected: being an American is more than a title; it is a duty. And the images of first responders rushing… Read more »
It is often said that "America is a nation of immigrants." While I agree with this, there is another important point that must not be ignored: America is a nation of laws. These two realities are on a collision course this week as the U.S. Senate debates measures to reform our broken immigration system.
Illegal immigration threatens our national security and strains our healthcare… Read more »
North Carolinians today are marking the 10th anniversary of our state’s concealed carry law, which allows permit holders to carry a concealed handgun. This landmark legislation shows our commitment to preserving our Constitutional freedoms and protecting law-abiding citizens. North Carolina’s concealed carry law is an enormous success because it empowers honest citizens and puts ruthless… Read more »
