Lame duck session provides great opportunity to enact the fiscally responsible policies (Rep. Brett Guthrie)

For
the past two years, the agenda in Congress has been dominated by legislation
that has created more uncertainty for job creators and further weakened our
economy.  As someone with experience in my family’s manufacturing
business, I understand the impact that employers feel when Congress threatens
to raise energy costs, create new health care burdens or increase government
regulations.  

I am hopeful that in this lame duck session members will
listen to the American people and put an end to the era of uncertainty that has
plagued Congress for the past two years. 

As
I speak to my constituents, their desire is clear:  Congress must cut
spending and ensure that taxes do not increase for families and small
businesses.  Now is the time for Democratic leadership to show they have
heard the American people’s message and are willing to work with Republicans to
address the needs of our constituents. 

Our
first priority must be to cut spending. The debate over the unsustainability of
our nation’s debt is over, and this Congress needs to take immediate action to
put America back on a path to fiscal responsibility.  We need to return to
pre-bailout, pre-stimulus spending levels which, as Speaker-designate Boehner
has stated, will save $100 billion in the first year alone.  We should
begin to lay the foundation so that next year we can make meaningful progress
toward cutting spending and balancing the budget.  

We
also need to ensure there are no tax increases on families and small businesses
during this challenging economic time. Protecting Americans from the largest
tax increase in history is one of the most important things we can do right now
to help stabilize the economy.

These
items are common-sense policies that Democrats and Republicans can work
together on to have an immediate, positive effect.  Not addressing these
top priorities during the lame duck session would be irresponsible and most
likely lead to greater economic hardship.    

Our
constituents expect all of us to make use this limited time in Washington to
work together and put in place policies that end uncertainty for small
businesses and create opportunities for hard working Americans.  While the
111^th Congress has been marred by divisiveness, the lame duck
session provides us with a great opportunity to work together and begin to
enact the policies that the American people have loudly championed.