By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) - Mr. President, on Election Day the American people rebuked the liberal policies of your administration; in your own words, your party suffered a “shellacking.” The GOP picked up more than 60 seats in the House, a historic shift in power the likes of which have not been seen since 1938. Despite the landslide victory, now is not the time for Republicans to gloat or for Democrats to spin the results or place blame. Rather, it is time to show the American people that we ...
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By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) “Put nothing in writing, ever,” sounds like a command a veteran CIA official may give to an incoming class of new officers. One would not expect such a directive to issue from one of the President’s trusted advisors, especially from a White House that proudly proclaims itself to be the most transparent in history. But according to various media reports, that “cloak and dagger” tactic was Energy and Climate Change Czar Carol Browner’s underlying rule for auto industry e...
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By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) Our nation is confronted with serious problems that require a fundamental reassessment of the size and role of government. With unemployment near 15 percent in many parts of the country, an unsustainable debt and unbridled federal spending, people fear the actions of a federal government that has grown too large and hinders rather than encourages economic growth. Folks desire a government that is responsive to their concerns and responsible with the resources they prov...
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By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) It has been six months since the Democrats blatantly defied the will of the American people, turning a deaf ear to the overwhelming opposition to their $2.6 trillion overhaul of our health care system. For years, health reform dominated the national debate, and across the spectrum, improvements are necessary. Our current system leaves some individuals with limited or no access to affordable care and leaves employers with concerns over the spiraling costs of providing h...
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By Rep. Fred Upton (MI-06) “What are we doing about the financial contributors?...We have all this power and we aren’t using it.” This is how President Richard M. Nixon expressed his frustration in the months before the 1972 election. Soon after, he decided to use the Internal Revenue Service, the attorney general’s office and any other means necessary to intimidate his political opponents. Nixon’s “Enemies List” is now infamous. Judging by the flurry of recent speeches, press releases and op-ed...
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By Rep. Fred Upton In late June, a live 20-pound Asian carp was discovered just six miles away from the waters of Lake Michigan, and yet the Chicago shipping locks still remain open. At long last, a federal judge has set Tuesday, September 7th to hear the lawsuit brought by Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and Pennsylvania to close the Chicago locks and demand tougher action to prevent Asian carp from overrunning the Great Lakes. It will be the first time the merits of the case will be heard...
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By Rep. Fred Upton The Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) These have been challenging times for Michigan. Unemployment has hovered just below 15 percent for some time, but there are some bright signs that suggest we are finally making progress. It has been Michigan’s small businesses who have been on the frontlines during the economic downturn, doing what it takes to survive and keeping folks employed, and it will be Michigan’s small businesses who lead the way back to prosperity. Unf...
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By Rep. Fred Upton The economic alarm bells are deafening. As of June 7th, the federal government is $13.052 trillion in the red. We now owe China nearly $1 trillion and Japan $800 billion and the debt continues to pile up. For every dollar we spend this year we will have to borrow 42 cents. At $13 trillion, that figure has risen by $2.4 trillion in about 500 days since President Obama took office and joined Nancy Pelosi in controlling our nation’s purse strings. To put it more simply, the debt ...
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