Rep. Thaddeus McCotter to Americans: Don’t give up, there are better times ahead!
ByI had the pleasure of speaking with Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) this morning. Not only is he a Republican Congressman from Michigan, he’s also a musician who holds a world record! He’s a quick witted fellow with a dry sense of humor, but is very serious about the problems facing our nation.
I asked for his thoughts on last night’s election results. He said that while Republicans enjoyed tremendous victories in New Jersey and Virginia, he believes the outcome of the race in NY 23 underscores the need for Republican Party unity. Nancy Pelosi now has another vote in Congress, which is something none of us wanted to see.
When asked if he believes the big victories in New Jersey and Virginia will do anything to derail the Democrats’ agenda on health care and cap and trade, he was not exactly optimistic. He noted that the public repeatedly tells them no. Americans are dissatisfied with the Democrats on health care and the economy, yet this “obstinate, arrogant Congress” views this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something the American people don’t want.
Rep. McCotter told me House Republicans aren’t simply trying to block a health care plan, they’re putting their own proposals out there and continue to ask the Democrats to work with them. Minority Leader John Boehner has released a draft of the GOP health care proposal. Coming in at under 250 pages, McCotter noted it’s “a much greener bill that saved a lot of trees.” A final package won’t be released until it’s been scored.
Mr. McCotter stressed that the Republican plan is based on patient-centered wellness, not government-run rationing. He wants the American people to know that the Democrats are modeling their plan on a 20th Century system (Medicare) while the GOP wants a plan that will harness the technology of the 21st Century. He envisions reform that involves technology to empower human beings to self-govern and make their own health care decisions. He has no idea whether Speaker Pelosi will allow a vote on the Republican plan because she doesn’t invite him to any of her closed door meetings.
Mr. McCotter has no idea what President Obama’s plans are for Copenhagen this December, only that he wasn’t invited to travel with the president. He did say that the president will travel to Oslo to accept his peace prize for “wanting to do something.” Should the president decide to sign away our sovereignty, it will be horrible. He’d like to see Mr. Obama stand up and tell the world that “the United States government doesn’t control the weather” and signing any climate change treaty will destroy manufacturing here in the US and in his home state of Michigan.
Mr. McCotter chuckled when asked about the jobs the stimulus plan saved or created, saying “Saved jobs is like a Sasquatch,” you hear about them but you can never really find them. The stimulus is showing a lot of waste. They’ve temporarily fixed some underlying problems, but in doing so the stimulus bill has created a government bubble that’s going to burst. Markets and businesses are skeptical – they see this over-inflated bubble while the underlying problems are only getting worse.
In closing, Mr. McCotter wants Americans to know it’s important to have your voices heard. Should the Democrats somehow manage to ram through their agenda, there will be elections and elections have consequences – the legislation can always be repealed. He doesn’t believe passage of the health care bill is inevitable, but regardless of what occurs in the coming months, he doesn’t want to see Americans give up.
Mr. McCotter guards against incessant pessimism. Although things are difficult for our country at this time he sees better times ahead.
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