Flores wants to return America to Reagan’s ‘Shining City’ vision

U.S. Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) was inspired by former President Ronald Reagan’s strength as a world leader and his repeated references to America as the “shining city on a hill,” a place where many dreams could come true.

Conversely, Flores believes, the policies coming from Washington during the Obama administration are equally uninspiring and have weakened the nation.

“Unfortunately, the dysfunction taking place in Washington has blurred (Reagan’s) aspirational vision of America,” Flores recently wrote in the Ripon Forum. “Over the past six years, the headwinds coming out of Washington have severely impacted opportunities for hardworking American families and taxpayers. Because of these headwinds and the conflicts arising from divided government, the approval ratings of President Obama and Congress have dropped to historically low levels. In addition, about two of every three Americans think that our country is on the wrong track. Moreover, during this time period, the typical American family has seen its income remain stagnant while their costs for food, education, health care and energy have risen.”

With Republicans taking control of Congress last month, Flores said he and many other lawmakers can clearly hear the voice of the American people, and they are ready to get to work to reverse the flawed policies that are holding America back.

“The results of the recent midterm elections show that Americans want change,” Flores said. “Americans are looking for Washington to create an environment of economic opportunity for American families, restore our national security, balance the federal budget, limit the federal government to its constitutional roles and reinforce traditional American family values.”

Flores explained that the 114th Congress has many impacting issues in front of it and has a unique opportunity to greatly alter the course of America’s future.

“As the new Congress carries out its business, it should reaffirm its commitment to protect all human life (including the lives of the unborn) and to protect the values that enable families to be healthy – emotionally, physically and economically,” Flores said. “Through these efforts, we can rebuild trust with American people; and we will help restore America’s promise, prosperity, and security for current and future generations.”

Ultimately, Flores believes the U.S. can re-capture its Reagan-years glory.

“By taking full advantage of the possibilities that lay ahead, we can restore America to the ‘shining city on a hill’ that Reagan envisioned,” Flores said.