Republican Address 09/18/10

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) demanded a "full up-or-down vote" from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on several GOP fiscal proposals in this week's Republican address.

He specifically noted House Republicans' goals of cutting non-security spending to Bush-era levels and stopping any impending tax hikes, calling it House Minority Leader John Boehner's (R-Ohio) "two-point jobs plan."

With a potential extension of Bush tax cuts at issue throughout the week, Walden took the opportunity to invoke what he described as a "growing chorus" of Democrats and economists who agree that "raising taxes on anyone in a struggling economy – especially small businesses – is the exact wrong thing to do."

With an up-or-down vote, he said, "the will of the people and their elected representatives can be heard. Anything less fails our economy and provides further evidence that Democrats are more committed to preserving their power than helping our economy."

Walden briefly described his experience as a small-business owner, and said that he had worked for himself for 22 years.
"You know it's this entrepreneurial spirit, unfortunately, that is lost on the powers-that-be in Washington," he said, calling March's healthcare overhaul and the stimulus bill "2,000-page monstrosities."

"The American people didn't stand for this power grab then, and they won't stand for it now – especially with their jobs, their families, and their futures at stake," he said.