Rick Crawford for Congress

U.S. Representative for Arkansas' 1st Congressional District

Is Nancy Pelosi’s agenda good for farmers, businesses, or families?

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National Journal reports today that several reporters who closely follow national elections believe momentum is growing for Nancy Pelosi to lose control of the House of Representatives.  You can read the brief article at this link:

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/04/where_the_house.php

What does this mean for you, your family, our state and our country?  For starters it will enable us to begin the process of repealing the multi-trillion healthcare entitlement.  The bill’s major thrust was to create a permanent guarantee, much like food stamps, for health insurance.  While states and the federal government currently provide Medicaid coverage for the poorest Americans, this new entitlement expands the coverage to an additional 32 million people.

So while our country suffocates under a financial burden of $56.5 trillion for programs for which there is not sufficient revenue, Speaker Pelosi and President Obama’s solution is to saddle our nation with trillions in additional costs.  This irresponsible behavior will have significant adverse ramifications in the not-so-distant future.

Excluding the recently-passed healthcare entitlement program, every man, woman, and child would have to pay $184,000 to cover his or her share of the $56.5 trillion shortfall.  Unfortunately, our financial hole is getting deeper at a rate of about $3 trillion annually as our elected officials do nothing to stop the problem.  To cover the shortfall, budget watchers estimate that taxes will have to double or triple for all Americans.  Can you imagine the job-killing impact this would have?

Before you dismiss this as nonsense, consider that the top marginal tax rate throughout the 1970s was 70 percent.  That’s right, a person in the upper income bracket only kept 30 cents of every dollar he or she earned.  Let’s assume that this applied to the top 10 percent of all income earners (joint returns included).  A person–or couple filing jointly–at the bottom of the top ten percent, according to the IRS, makes roughly $119,000.  The federal government would take $83,300 and the taxpayer would be allowed to keep $35,700 (before state and local taxes, of course).

A sobering thought on the day after Tax Day.

Of course, the problem with raising taxes back to the level of the 1970s is that it would crush our economy.  However, Congress spends as if it has ample money in its pocket.  Apparently Congress’ “money” has burned a hole through its pocket, through the floor, and halfway through the planet!

If this troubles you and you are interested in becoming involved in taking back our country, I urge you to join my campaign team and share this article with others.  As the National Journal story indicates, there is a growing sentiment in America that it is time to boot Speaker Pelosi and her liberal agenda.  But we cannot do it without you and others emailing and calling friends to share the facts and contributing to our campaign so that we can continue to run a strong race that will end Speaker Pelosi’s control of the House of Representatives.  Remember, a government by the people requires active participation by “We the People.”

You can read more of my thoughts about the budget at my website: http://www.MeetRickCrawford.com/issues/americas-budget-crisis

Members of Arkansas Delegation Complicit in Nationalized Healthcare

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Congressmen Berry, Ross and Snyder, who all refused to support a measure to block the House of Representatives from “deeming” the Senate healthcare bill as passed, are guaranteeing passage of the healthcare bill this year.  “Even though Congressmen Berry and Ross have pledged to vote against the healthcare bill unless it has substantial changes, their refusal to block the “deeming” process will ensure its passage this year,” said Rick Crawford, candidate for the First Congressional District.

While the House will amend the Senate bill once it has been “deemed” to pass, which would require additional Senate action on the bill, if either effort fails, the President will still be able to sign the Senate bill.  In order for a bill to become law, it must pass each chamber in identical form.  Once the House “deems” the Senate bill as passed, it can be sent to President Obama for his signature.

“President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid have really pulled a quick one over on the American people,” said Crawford.  “The media has yet to pick up on the fact that Pelosi’s move to deem the Senate bill as passed will mean that the Senate bill, in its current form, can immediately become law.  I call upon all candidates in the First Congressional District to condemn this move immediately and demand that Congressman Berry offer a privileged resolution calling on the House to take an “up or down” vote on the Senate bill instead of deeming it as passed without a vote.”

“Republicans and Democrats alike throughout Eastern Arkansas are appalled when I tell them about the games these folks are playing,” continued Crawford.  “Every man, woman and child in American currently owes $184,000 each to cover all of the unfunded promises our government has made.  Now is not the time to add a new massive government entitlement program.”

The Contradictions of Marion Berry

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Recently, Congressman Berry has made some public statements about the leadership in his own party that leaves residents in the First District scratching their heads and understandably so. When President Obama was first elected, he was working under incredibly high approval ratings and a perceived mandate from the voting public that this administration was not going to be politics-as-usual. In just a few short months, all of these euphoric attitudes would shift and shift dramatically.
This shift was not unique to just voters across the country but also to Congressman Berry. Shortly after President Obama’s joint address to Congress concerning the supposed crisis the country was in due to some of the financial breakdowns going on, Congressman Berry issued this press release decrying the previous administration and its excessive spending habits that resulted in record deficits. The tenor of that press release was one of a new era being ushered in and that President Obama was going to be the one who was going to take this country in a new direction.
Soon after this press release was issued, key legislation started to get introduced and we started to learn what Cap & Trade was all about and just how long the proposed legislation was. We also learned, from the speech of John Boehner on the floor of the House, details within the bill that the American people would otherwise have not known about and more than likely what a majority of Congress did not know about as well, including Congressman Berry.
Congressman Berry voted for the Cap & Trade Bill in conference where no Republican voted for it and it was decided along party lines. It gave some indication how it would turn out on the final floor vote. But there were eight Republicans who voted for Cap & Trade and that would provide cover for some Democrats, including Congressman Berry, that could vote no. Congressman Berry was for Cap & Trade before he was against it. Had he and others voted against such a terrible bill in conference, of which Berry stated at a recent town hall in Jonesboro, “Senator Waxman wrote a bad bill” and “Cap and Trade is a bad idea”, and voted in accordance with the values and desires of the people in the First District, maybe Cap & Trade would have met a different fate. Also of note, it was revealed after the June 30th FEC filing period that Congressman Berry received, along with many others, donations to his PAC from Majority Whip Clyburn, D-SC, quite possibly for his work to help get Cap & Trade passed.
Since Cap & Trade, the current health care debate has caused Congressman Berry and many others to reconsider their position on the issue much closer because the average American realizes what this attempted power grab by the administration is all about. Through town halls, which Congressman Berry had none of until the very end of the August recess he appeared unannounced with Senator Lincoln, Americans have made their voice heard and the Democratic Party is having issues internally where representatives of conservative districts are not willing to go along with a liberal congress and administration for fear of losing their seats. Even Congressman Berry was reported to have said to a senior White House official before leaving for the August recess that “your President” was causing problems on health care reform.
Just this year, Congressman Berry has contradicted himself on three major issues and has also contradicted himself to the people of the First District. The real question is how long will the voters of the Firs District allow him to continue to contradict them in Washington? What we need is someone who will represent the people of the First District to Washington, not represent Washington to the First District. Marion Berry has shown time and again how he is not fit for the job of representing the First District and the voters will have a chance to let their voices be heard in 2010.