The Ripon Society hosted a breakfast discussion on Sept. 19 to focus on “political workhorses” – members of Congress who are focused on finding solutions to challenges faced by Americas rather than on making headlines.
The discussion featured such solution-minded member as Reps. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.), Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and was led by Chief Deputy Majority Whip Peter Roskam (R-Ill.).
Roskam began his remarks by talking about the House Agenda and highlighting the work of Dave Camp, who he cited as working tirelessly to lay the foundation of meaningful tax reform this year.
“We had a good week,” Roskam said, referring to the Republican Conference. “It didn’t start out as a good week, but I think it’s going to end as a good week. Our Members are coming together around a plan, and there’s a sense of clarity and purpose that we’re driving toward this fall.
“As it relates to tax reform, I want to give a special shout-out to my colleague and chairman, Dave Camp, who has managed the process brilliantly. He laid out an agenda over the past Congress of competitiveness, and what he has successfully done is moved the debate from crazy to possible. There’s nobody in this town who says, ‘It can’t happen.’ That is basically due to one person, and that person is Dave Camp.”
Lifelong rancher and Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Lucas then discussed his efforts to ensure the passage of the Farm Bill this year, noting that it assures the production of an ability to consume the healthiest, most affordable, safest food supply in the history of the world.
Simpson, the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, then spoke about the need for fiscal discipline and the importance of reform.
“There’s been a disconnect between the budget resolution that passes and what it actually means in appropriations bills,” Simpsons said. “It’s easy to go out and be the most conservative guy in the world and say let’s cut another $100 billion out of the budget resolution without knowing what that means in individual appropriations bills. But for three years in a row and for the first time since the end of World War II, our committee has actually reduced spending.”
Bucshon, the owner of an agriculture news business prior to his 2010 election, discussed why passing a new Farm Bill is critical not only for his state and district but for the security of the nation as well.
“We’re already energy dependent,” Bucshon said. “If we become food dependent, we have really said goodbye to our national security. And that is all part and parcel of why we need a Farm Bill, why we need solid farm policy.”
Palazzo, the chairman of the Science, Space and Technology Committee’s Subcommittee on Space, spoke of the importance of national security in his remarks, offering four reasons behind his subcommittee’s decision to approve a recent NASA reauthorization bill.
“We focused on four key priorities,” Palazzo said. “One is the Space Launch System. It’s extremely important that we get American astronauts on American rockets from American soil back into space. We focused on the James Webb Telescope. We focused on the International Space Station. We also focused on commercial space, because we recognize the fact that the private sector might be able to do it a little more efficient and a little less expensive than NASA. With the reality of limited budgets and limited dollars, we would like low Earth orbit to go more commercial and have NASA focus on deep space exploration.
“What does this have to do with national security? If you ever watched a war movie, you see these people up on a Hill with a machine gun aiming downhill. Who do you think is in a better position – the people charging up the Hill from the low ground, or the people on the high ground? There is no higher ground than space, and America needs to be in space.”
Roskam concluded the discussion by praising the work of Lucas, Simpsons, Bucshon, Crawford and Palazzo.
“The Ripon Society describes these people as workhorses,” Roskam said. “These are members that we need in this conference. These are members that we need taking on this responsibility because they’re courageous, they’re willing to work with other people, they have a set of principles they’re devoted to, they’re willing to hear people outa and they’re willing to drive towards solutions to help this country. And it is an honor for me to serve with them.”