Posted on 08/27/2014 1:20:08 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Many Americans grumble about what is often described as a “do nothing Congress.”
Rep. Mike Rogers, who represents Lee County and much of east Alabama in Washington, counters that Americans actually chose a divided Congress in the 2010 midterm elections. That’s when Republicans won control of the House, breaking Democratic control in the House, Senate and presidency.
For now, Rogers said many Americans would rather have a divided Congress that does little instead of a Democratic-controlled Congress that enacts liberal policies.
“I believe it’s because (voters) want to put the brakes on,” Rogers said Tuesday afternoon during a town hall meeting in Opelika. “They want the government to leave them alone now.”
Rogers touched on core conservative themes during his Tuesday visit to Lee County, where he spoke at the East Alabama Society for Human Resource Management luncheon and then at East Alabama Medical Center.
Rogers predicts that Republicans will win control of the Senate in the November election, and says there’s a good chance a Republican will win the presidency in 2016. He cites recent political history, and the rarity of a party winning the presidency three times in a row.
Rogers says repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and “significant” tax reform likely wouldn’t happen until at least 2017, if a Republican replaces President Barack Obama in the White House. Rogers also predicted the Affordable Care Act “would collapse on its own weight.”
However, he said it’s important for Republicans to win the House and Senate this November.
“When we get the Senate, we’ll be able to control the budget,” Rogers said.
Rogers said funding for agencies such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) needs to be cut.
“We intend to help some people find other employment,” he said.
Rogers also called for increased military funding, citing conflicts in Ukraine and Iraq as examples for the need of a strong military. He said national defense spending has “shrunk to a level that is dangerous,” and that countries such as Russia, North Korea and China do not fear the United States.
Rogers, who is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said the military budget has historically been 5 to 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Now, according to the World Bank, it is less than 4 percent.
“That’s dangerous. That’s Western European levels of spending,” he said.
Rogers said the U.S. should fund the military at previous levels so it remains a superpower.
“If we get into a fight with another country, make sure it’s not a fair fight and we fight in their country,” he said. “People need to be afraid to mess with the United States.”
William Flax
Mike’s hat in hand is ready to toss it in once he gathers enough simoleons.
Would have preferred a republican senate too, but the republican establishment would not support anyone they didn’t hand pick!
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