Looking forward to the New Year and the 114th Congress

Curt Clawsonby Congressman Curt Clawson

Let me begin by offering New Year wishes of peace, joy, and good health to you, your family, and your friends.

As we launch the next Congress on Capitol Hill, my team and I will continue to represent all constituents of Florida’s 19th District to the very best of our abilities. We’re committed to our primary mission – which is to do our part to help secure the American Dream for future generations.

I’d like to share with you exactly what we mean by this – what we stand for – and how we are working for you in Washington toward this over-arching purpose.

We are optimistic about 2015, given the results of the November elections.

We are Constitutional conservatives in political philosophy. We are guided by the principles of limited federal governance, in accordance with the powers enumerated in the US Constitution. We support states rights to the fullest extent possible. We bring to DC strong private sector experience. My senior team and I together bring 140 years of business know-how; experience badly needed to correct the out-of-control spending and mounting debt so typical in today’s federal government practices. We need to restore fiscal discipline to save the American Dream. We need to cut the deficit and move toward a balanced budget. We need to run the federal government like a business.

The key first step is to restore economic prosperity and enable our businesses to create new jobs. All of our nation’s challenges will be easier to address in an environment of strong economic growth. We support pro-growth, pro-free market, proopportunity, and pro-environment policies. We will push for tax, regulatory, energy, monetary, and trade policies that improve the competitiveness of US companies. And we will work for North American energy independence.

We believe in “smart growth” – economically friendly policies that enable private sector investment and job creation while respecting, restoring, and preserving the unique ecosystems of the Florida Everglades, our rivers, animal life, and our Southwest Florida beaches. Protecting these treasures is essential to business investments and the great lifestyle we enjoy in our district.

Securing the American Dream also requires that we preserve the inalienable rights of all of our citizens –life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We believe in equal opportunity; not equal outcomes. That said – we need to improve opportunities for the poor, for single moms, and for the young who are victims of crime and failing schools in our inner cities. We also need to reform our welfare system, which often discourages work, rather than encouraging work and individual achievement. We support incentive-based governance – encouraging individual achievements and rewards – as the best way to clear the path to the American Dream for all citizens.

We support much-needed entitlement reform. That must include common sense reforms to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, while preserving these programs for those most in need.

We support repealing and replacing Obamacare with patientcentric reforms. We believe in health savings accounts, and partnering with the states to achieve tort reform and insurance portability job-to-job and across state lines.

We need rational immigration reform, one step at a time. We will work to improve policies that encourage and invite citizens across the globe to come here legally and add value to our society, as they seek their own American Dreams.

To end illegal migration, we support securing our borders and enforcing existing immigration laws. We must also address illegal drugs,  human trafficking, and national security risks related to our borders. We support common sense bipartisan solutions to deal firmly and compassionately with those already here illegally. In the process we need to be fair to millions of Americans who currently can’t find work, to those legally holding visas to work here, and to the millions playing by the rules and waiting in line worldwide for the opportunity to come here to begin their own American Dream.

Looking beyond our borders, we believe in Ronald Reagan’s policy of “peace-through-strength” – which requires strong US military and intelligence capabilities, sound foreign policy, and preservation of the US as leader of the free world. This should include US leadership of a broad, long-term, global coalition to deter and defeat Islamic extremism. With this coalition we must end the disproportionate sacrifice of American blood and treasure in the struggle against terrorism. Internationally, we support democratic principles, smart diplomacy, and sound expenditures of foreign aid. And we will continue our unwavering support for Israel – our important and loyal ally.

Finally, we support Congress working with the President to make the hard decisions NOW. We need bipartisan action to end “kicking the can down the road.” With the voices of the people ringing in our ears, we need the members of the new Congress to work as a team and reduce gridlock in the New Year.

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.