Dear Friend,
As we approach the end of the first session of the 110th Congress, I would like to invite you to participate in our quarterly Congressional survey . Rather than rely on the pollsters and the pundits, I want to hear directly from you what is important and, looking to next year, what our nation's priorities should be.
I want to hear from you because I feel that this Democrat Congress has failed to focus on the big issues facing our nation, instead they have remained fixated on special interest payoffs and political gamesmanship.
It seems the only thing this Congress has been good at it is raising your taxes and spending your money. They have put in place $98 billion in tax hikes and passed a budget that calls for $2.7 trillion more in taxes over the next 10 years. Speaker Pelosi has raised entitlement spending by $179 billion while adding $300 billion to the deficit over the next decade, in part by tacking on some 11,351 individual pork-barrel projects.
Just this week, House Democrats failed to finalize the tax code, missing a critical IRS printing deadline – this means that refund checks for 50 million Americans will now take weeks longer to arrive . But even with tens of millions of taxpayers under the gun, House Democrats refused to pass a bill that President Bush will sign into law, and Senate Democrats – well, they aren't planning to do anything at all.
It's no accident that Congress has an 11 percent approval rating, according to the latest Reuters/Zogby survey. The Democrats have constantly put politics before accomplishment, rejecting bipartisan overtures from Republicans on tax reform, health care, energy, and other key national priorities.
Speaker Pelosi will say that she has plenty of accomplishments, but a hard look at the facts tells a different story. Of the 106 bills signed into law:
- 46 bills named post offices, courthouses, or roads;
- 44 bills were non-controversial measures sponsored by Republicans or passed with overwhelming GOP support;
- 4 bills extended pre-existing public laws or laws passed during a Republican-led Congress;
- 2 bills were enacted on the strength of GOP votes over the objections of Democratic leaders – including the war supplemental in May and the Protect America Act in August.
With an 11 percent approval rating, the lowest in recorded history, it is clear that the American people are simply not satisfied with the job the Democrats have been doing.
You deserve more from your Congress – we are here to work for you, to help make sure that America's best days are ahead. Your feedback on the Congressional survey will be shared with the top House Republicans , as we craft our strategies and priorities for the months ahead.Regards,
Eric Cantor
United States Congressman
FILL OUT THE SURVEY, takes a about a minute and let your voice be heard on what you think is the most important issues that Congress is or is not addressing.
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