GOP Aced Midterms; Now Must Govern
Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
November 7, 2014
How good of a good night was election night for the Republican
Party? As midterms go, the GOP aced theirs.
Republican governors were elected in dark blue Illinois
(Bruce Rauner), Maryland (Larry Hogan), and Massachusetts (Charlie Baker);
re-elected in blue Michigan (Rick Snyder), New Mexico (Susana Martinez), Wisconsin
(Scott Walker), and purple Florida (Rick Scott). The GOP has taken the Senate
by storm and added more than a dozen House seats to their lead – their largest
majority since before WWII. In addition to Martinez, a Hispanic, South Carolina
and Oklahoma reelected Nikki Haley and Mary Fallin respectively – all Republican
women. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, the first Hispanic elected statewide – a
Republican, won reelection.
In the Senate, the GOP successfully defended 15 seats –
two of which will complete terms due to a retirement and an appointment, as well
as flipping seven Democrat seats. In Oklahoma, James Lankford won election to
replace retiring Senator Tom Coburn, and in South Carolina, Tim Scott won the
seat to which he was appointed in 2013 following the retirement of Jim DeMint,
currently president of The Heritage Foundation. Scott became the first black
candidate to win statewide office since Reconstruction – again, a Republican.
Other new Republican faces include Tom Cotton from
Arkansas, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Cory Gardner from Colorado, who
moves over from the House, David Perdue from Georgia, the former CEO of Dollar
General and Reebok, Joni Ernst from Iowa, a veteran of the war in Iraq and the
first woman from the Hawkeye State to win election to either house – again, a Republican.
Montana voters are sending Steve Daines to the Senate, and Nebraskans voted in
Ben Sasse. In North Carolina, state house speaker Thom Tillis won election, as
did former South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds. In West Virginia, US Rep. Shelley
Moore Capito will move across the Capitol to become the first female Senator to
represent the Mountaineer State – again, a Republican.
Back on the House side of the Capitol, the GOP can boast
the youngest member-elect in Elise Stefanik (NY-21) at age 30. Also,
member-elect Mia Love (UT-4) will become the first black, female Republican to
serve in the House as well as the first Haitian-American.
The Republican Party, thanks to a maligning so-called
mainstream media, finds itself on the defensive regarding the nature of its
candidates, which is unfortunate because this is not the America Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. envisioned – that people should be judged on the content of
their character, not the color of their skin. As more and more Americans come
to truly understand and embrace that notion it will become unnecessary to
cubbyhole people.
All that said, it is time for the GOP to lead and govern
or 2016 will be a repudiation which could start at the top of the ticket with
the election of another Democrat president and a loss of the Congressional
majorities. While “no” is sometimes the right answer, the GOP must put forth as
aggressive an agenda possible to not only right the wrongs of the Obama
administration and the Democratic led Senate, but also to return the United
States to a position as global leader.
With appreciation to John McLaughlin, “Issue One:” Repeal
Obamacare. If there are salvageable aspects of the law, keep them – such as
pre-existing conditions will not be penalized. Eliminate the tax on medical
devices and allow for health insurance to be procured across state lines, just
as other insurances can be accessed. If repeal is not possible, and it is; at
the very least, Congress must unfund as much as possible to weaken the program.
It should no longer be law of the land – a purchase not all people want,
mandated by government. Back to the Supreme Court it must go. For those who
want to remain on Obamacare, to paraphrase Obama, if you like your Obamacare,
you may keep your Obamacare.
Repealing Obamacare will have a positive effect on the
economy. No more limiting employees to 29 hours per week in order to not be
required to provide them the evils of Obamacare. No more capping employment totals
at 49, again, to avoid providing workers with Obamacare. Eliminate any policy
covering birth control or abortions. An employer’s religious freedoms are
sacrosanct and should be respected. With these amendments, employers will have
more freedom to hire more workers for a greater number of hours. This will
boost confidence in the economy spurring greater demand for goods and services
as well increasing production, thus putting more people back to work, and
removing them from government rolls.
Issue Two: Immigration Reform. Obama continues to
threaten executive action to ensure immigration reform actually becomes a
massive amnesty, just like the one seen in 1986 that failed so miserably. As
long as foreigners have incentives to sneak across the borders into the United
States with few if any actual ramifications, they will continue to do so.
Foreigners must be disincentivized to first, keep them in their countries of
origin, and second, to encourage as many who are here illegally, to repatriate
themselves to their native lands.
What needs to stop is the issuance of drivers’ licenses
under the guise of safety. Supporters of this ridiculous notion are convinced
that if illegals secure drivers’ licenses, they will be required to purchase
auto insurance. This leap does not pass muster. Illegals already broke the law
by entering the United States sans permission. What makes people think that
illegals will suddenly decide to follow the law and pony up for insurance?
Already criminals, the illegals will have a valid form of identification which
will permit them to break more laws, such as register and actually vote – thus committing
voter fraud, apply for and receive government assistance such as welfare, food
stamps, and Medicare/Medicaid.
In order to stem the tide of illegal immigration, all
incentives must be removed. In addition to the above, illegals must not be
permitted to attend public, private, parochial schools, or colleges and
universities. No admittance to hospitals or medical treatment for non-citizens
or illegal immigrants.
Amend the 14th Amendment to the Constitution
that in essence allows for anchor babies to become automatic citizens. As with
the concept of fruit from the poisonous tree preventing evidence from a
bad/illegal search being admitted into a legal proceeding, so too should
children born to illegals not be granted citizenship. That was not the purpose
of the amendment when it was ratified in 1868. (Amendments 13-15 pertained to ending
slavery, granting citizenship to former slaves, as well as voting rights to
male former slaves.)
Stricter background checks must be conducted prior to
approving any application for legal admittance into the United States or before
granting citizenship to legal immigrants. On the other hand, with technology as
advanced as it is, speed up the process to grant admittance or citizenship
quicker in an effort to encourage more legal immigration. Return to the days of
health exams and quarantine or return to ones country of origin.
Preventing any amnesty is vital. Obama’s first obligation
is to the American people – period. If necessary, a writ of mandamus was
suggested by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, also a former federal
attorney. “A writ of mandamus is an order from a court to an inferior
government official ordering the government official to properly fulfill their
official duties or correct an abuse of discretion.” (www.law.cornell.edu/wex/mandamus)
Short of that, the Congress must have the temerity to impeach Obama.
Issue Three: Prevent Iran from EVER obtaining nuclear
capabilities – for any purpose – under any circumstance. The United States
should conduct no business with Iran, impose economic sanctions against this
parasite until it chooses to comport itself as an appropriate member of the
community of nations.
Former Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman said Iran will
not just go after Israel, but also the Arab world, Saudi Arabia, the Sunnis,
and are a threat to civilization as a whole. Iran repeatedly refers to Israel
as the “Little Satan,” and the United States as the “Great Satan,” and has
demonstrated its repeated lack of trustworthiness. Iran has denied the
Holocaust, while simultaneously aiming for a second one.
Issue Four: Keystone Pipeline. This should have been a
no-brainer in the first place. More than 20,000 immediate jobs would be
created, with more further down the road. This pipeline would reduce American
dependency on Arab oil; reduce the prices of fuel in the United States, opening
up more purchasing power for consumers and ultimately more jobs for Americans
outside of the pipeline business. People will drive more, take more local and
domestic vacations, be able to afford more larger purchases again, such as
automobiles, additions on homes, as well as be able to contribute more to
charity.
Obama, in his typical stubbornness, rejected the pipeline
out of hand because he fell prey to the green, environmental, and ecology
lobbies. Yet, unions, one of Obama’s strongest groups of supporters, endorsed
and still endorse the Keystone project and were summarily rebuffed by Obama.
Issue Five: Fix the VA. Calling it scandalous and
disgraceful that even one military veteran should be shunned, treated with
disregard and disrespect while his or her health – mental and/or physical,
deteriorates awaiting treatment while illegals receive red carpet treatment at
any hospital is beyond offensive and objectionable.
Dozens of veterans have died awaiting proper treatment
that the American people have become aware of, while how many countless others
are still unbeknownst to Veterans Administration officials. The men and women
who wear and have worn the uniform of the United States military deserve
better, and for each person complaining the money is not there, see Issue Two
above.
Issue Six: Grow the Military. Return the military to its
former level of heightened awareness and preparedness. Grow its size to numbers
amenable to requirements as outlined by the generals, commanders, and leaders
of the various branches – they know best, Obama and Congress should listen to
them. The military must be prepared to fight ISIS and any other terrorist
operations impacting the American way of life. President Ronald Reagan knew
what he was talking about when he called for “peace through strength.”
Issue Seven: Lower Corporate Taxes. The United States
needs to be more business friendly in order to keep corporations headquartered
in this country, paying more taxes because of higher incomes, not because of
higher tax rates. When tax rates are reduced, more money stays with the
business, and in turn, that business can hire more people, make greater
investments in materials, construction, research, and development. As the
businesses grow, they will pay more money in taxes, not because of higher tax
rates which limit growth, but because the lower rates encourage growth.
There’s plenty to keep the GOP busy once the new members
are inaugurated. In the interim they need to prepare for the 114th
Congress in order to hit the ground running January 5th. During the
lame duck session, the Republicans, while still in the minority in the Senate,
should do their level best to ensure the Democratic majority does not instill
further damage upon the American people on their way out the door.
Get busy. No time to rest on the laurels. Roll up your
sleeves and get to work. And get to work does not mean capitulating or
surrendering to the Democrats or Obama. Saying “no” is not obstructionist as
Obama would have people believe, but instead, protecting the people as the
legislative branch is forcing the executive branch to adhere to the
Constitution. We the people are watching.
Sanford D. Horn is
a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
Amen to all of that Sanford!
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