House Republicans take to the airwaves

House Republicans are taking to the airwaves, hoping that a weekly radio address will help them spread their message.

House Republicans are taking to the airwaves, hoping that a weekly radio address will help them spread their message.

Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio), Minority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (Fla.) officially announced Friday that House Republicans will be taping an address this week that will be distributed to hundreds of local and national radio stations across the country.

"A weekly radio address will give House Republicans yet another opportunity to communicate directly with the American people," they said. "This represents a broad-based effort to engage the millions of Americans who listen to the radio on their way to work, on their lunch hour or on their way home to their families."

GOP leaders will use the radio address to outline House Republican positions and respond to the Democratic agenda. Each week, a member of the Republican leadership will tackle a different issue facing Americans.

"We’re going back to what we did so well in the mid-1990s by communicating common sense and fiscally responsible solutions directly to American families and tax payers," a spokesman for the Republican Conference, Ed Patru, said.

"Having a direct dialogue with Americans that live outside the Beltway will be a refreshing change from a few elite Democrats in the House passing legislation behind closed doors, shutting everyone out of the process," he added.

Boehner is using the inaugural radio address to support President Bush’s fiscal year 2008 budget proposal.

"Republican pro-growth policies have strengthened our economy, and the federal deficit is declining rapidly. Congress must make an important choice: We can use the increased revenue from economic growth to balance the budget, keep taxes low and begin to address the long-term challenge of runaway entitlement spending," Boehner said. "Or we can blow it by squandering the money on pork, unnecessary new programs and bigger government."

He also empathized with Americans who are disappointed that the U.S. has not made more progress in Iraq but stressed that cutting off funds for U.S. troops is not the answer.

"Next week, the House will debate the issue of Iraq, and the president’s new strategy. All Americans are frustrated we haven’t seen more success in Iraq more quickly, but one thing is clear: We must oppose any effort to cut off funds our troops need to succeed in their mission," Boehner said.

Traditionally, the president gives a weekly radio address every Saturday and the opposition party airs a rebuttal afterward.