What Conservatives Really Want From New Congressional Leadership
A group of conservative leaders have signed a letter to show their vision for new congressional leadership.
The letter states disappointment in past leadership of Congress.
“(Republicans) have failed to use their powers to stop the big-government, big-business agenda dominating Washington backrooms,” states the letter, which was expected to be released Thursday.
After the announcement that House Speaker John Boehner will resign from Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to choose a new leader.
“Failed leadership has profound consequences on our culture, our children, our prosperity, our security and consequently, spreads defeatism,” the letter reads.
One signatory on the letter is Heritage Action for America CEO Michael Needham.
“Now is the time for a principled, conservative leader to emerge,” Needham said in a statement after Boehner’s announcement on Friday.
The letter goes on to list “10 Things Americans Want From New Congressional Leadership,” including effective government oversight, keeping promises made while on the campaign trail, and restoring the legislative powers of Congress to keep the other branches of government in check.
The letter also calls for “passionate, effective messaging for getting important legislation inserted into must-pass bills” and an “end to backroom deals and special favors at the White House or in leadership offices.”
Here are the 10 items on the list:
- A conservative vision and strategy
- A unified, more effective messaging strategy
- Effective government oversight to “expose the lawlessness and change what is wrong with the unaccountable, growing administrative state”
- Regular legislative order
- Meritocracy in Congress, “where partisan politics and fundraising play less of a role in highlighting Member/Senator ideas and committee assignments”
- Stop punishing your own team
- Fight to protect political opponents of the president and the institutions that are increasingly under attack
- Force the opposition to defend their failed and harmful ideology and policies
- Keep your promises
- Restore Congress’ legislative powers
“Do not be the Congress and its leaders whom history books reveal as the men and women who squandered and lost America’s self-government,” the letter states.
“Self-government, as designed by the Founders will end as a check on unrestrained power in the other branches if Congress continues to fail to exercise its constitutional role as a brake on executive and judicial abuses of power. Congress will become irrelevant in the scheme of our government.”
A candidate for the position of House speaker will need a majority of votes from representatives, 218 votes, to win the election, to be held on Oct. 8.
To see the original article, visit dailysignal.com.
