The GOP’s “Pledge to America”
At a hardware store in Sterling, Virginia today, House Republicans are unveiling their 21-page “Pledge to America,” the 2.0 version of Newt Gingrich’s 1994 “Contract With America.” In 1994, Gingrich’s Contract helped Republicans gain control of the House for the first time in 40 years. Will the “Pledge” deliver its own dazzling results for 2010?
Like Newt’s Contract, the Pledge is a plan of action for the next congressional term. CBS reports:
The agenda will focus on five areas: jobs, spending, health care, national security and reforming Congress itself. Within these five general areas there is a breakdown of about four points per topic, making it roughly a 20-point plan.
Check out the full text of the Pledge here.
Rep. Paul Ryan has said of the plan:
Putting spending, putting the policy of economic growth in place and cleaning up the way Congress works is not only a stark contrast to this president and this Congress...It's a contrast to the way we conducted ourselves a decade ago. We spent to much money. We lost our way
There has been some debate among conservatives about the pledge. Note that the Pledge is light on social issues.
National Review gives it a thumbs up:
The inevitable question will be: Is the pledge as bold as the Contract?
The answer is: The pledge is bolder. The Contract with America merely promised to hold votes on popular bills that had been bottled up during decades of Democratic control of the House. The pledge commits Republicans to working toward a broad conservative agenda that, if implemented, would make the federal government significantly smaller, Congress more accountable, and America more prosperous.
While Erick Erickson over at RedState gives it a thumbs down:
Perhaps the most ridiculous thing to come out of Washington since George McClellan....These 21 pages tell you lots of things, some contradictory things, but mostly this: it is a serious of compromises and milquetoast rhetorical flourishes in search of unanimity among House Republicans because the House GOP does not have the fortitude to lead boldly in opposition to Barack Obama.
What's your verdict?
Here are some bullet points from the Pledge, via CBS:
Jobs:
- Stop job-killing tax hikes
- Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income
- Require congressional approval for any new federal regulation that would add to the deficit
- Repeal small business mandates in the new health care law.
Cutting Spending:
- Repeal and Replace health care
- Roll back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels before TARP and stimulus (will save $100 billion in first year alone)
- Establish strict budget caps to limit federal spending going forward
- Cancel all future TARP payments and reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
Reforming Congress:
- Will require that every bill have a citation of constitutional authority
- Give members at least 3 days to read bills before a vote
Defense:
- Provide resources to troops
- Fund missile defense
- Enforce sanctions in Iran
DE SENO > Is the GOP Pledge Designed to Steal Tea Party Thunder?
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Comments :
May '10
Re: The GOP’s “Pledge to America”
I'm reading it now. I keep asking myself, "How much of this can a Republican House accomplish without Presidential support?" For example (page 8):
How? Many of the tax hikes starting next year are not due to a new laws, but rather reversions to old laws after a hiatus. What could they possibly do without Obama's help to prevent those taxes?
If the Pledge can be taken seriously, much of it is long-term planning. That's fine, but I want to know what they're going to do next year. Frankly, I don't trust them beyond that.
May '10
Re: The GOP’s “Pledge to America”
My short take: It's far too long, far too timid, and far to infested with annoying catch-phrase politi-speak. I suspect that it exists because Congress is full of staffers who look on 1994 as "The Glory Days" and, when confronted with the Tea Parties' demands thought, "I know! We Need Another Contract!". So they rounded up some folks who remembered the last one, or even worked on it, and came up with another one. But, since every one of them marinates daily in the pungent miasma of Washington politics, they forgot they were were responding to a demand, not making a campaign pitch and ended up with a half-baked white paper that has some good, some "meh", and generates very little excitement.
Edited on Sep 23, 2010 at 8:13amJul '10
Re: The GOP’s “Pledge to America”
I liked it, though I also have reservations about how much of it can be accomplished quickly.
This :"Advance Legislative Issues One at a Time: We will end the practice of packaging unpopular bills with 'must-pass' legislation to circumvent the will of the American people" was particularly heartening.
If they can make that awful practice beyond the pale maybe it will die the death it so richly deserves.
May '10
Re: The GOP’s “Pledge to America”
Interesting to hear & read the commentary on the pledge which seems to consist primarily of complaints that it isn't perfect, especially in that it doesn't contain the commentator(s) pet ideas.
Folks, we are now in the game. It's as if we are in about the 2nd quarter of the Super Bowl. The time for criticizing the coach, the playbook, the way the PR department sold the event, the hot dog vendor, etc. is over. There will be plenty of time for Monday morning quarterbacking come 11/3.
Everyone has to decide whether they are in the game, or on the sidelines. If you're on the sidelines, don't complain about the score when the game is over.