Yesterday, President Obama visited Chattanooga to lay out his plans for a “Grand Bargain” to lower corporate tax rates in exchange for increased government spending. While Tennesseans are always happy to welcome our commander-in-chief, there was skepticism about the message he was selling. Some concepts in the president’s speech sounded great: more manufacturing jobs, investing in infrastructure and more jobs in the energy industry. My colleagues in the House of Representatives and I have never ... Read more

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since being elected to Congress, it’s that Washington doesn’t do big well. Just look at what we’re seeing now with Obamacare. Bills that are thousands of pages long are difficult to understand, even for experts, and often come with unintended consequences. Unfortunately, the same is true for the Senate immigration bill. According to a recent survey conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News, the majority of Americans say they want the House to break down the ... Read more

“When you and the President sought our support for the Affordable Care Act you pledged that if we liked the health plans we have now, we could keep them. Sadly, this promise is under threat. Right now, unless you and the Obama Administration enact an equitable fix, the ACA will shatter not only our hard-earned health benefits, but destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class.” This is an excerpt from a letter sent to Majority Leader Harry Reid... Read more

On July 2, the Obama administration tried to quietly announce, through a blog post on the Treasury Department’s website, that the employer mandate portion of Obamacare would be delayed by one year. Apparently, they believe that employers with more than 50 full-time employees should not have to face a penalty for failing to offer insurance to their employees, but hardworking Americans should still be penalized for failing to purchase health insurance. This is the clearest signal yet that the pres... Read more

July 4, 1776 was a great day for the United States of America. After more than a year at war, the Thirteen Colonies officially declared independence from Great Britain. These patriots were filled with hope, pride, valor and determination. Their bravery helped build the Land of the Free. The Declaration of Independence was the foundation of a new nation, paving the way for the Constitution and a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Each Fourth of July, Americans gather tog... Read more

On Tuesday, President Obama unveiled his aggressive plan to address climate change. It comes as no surprise that the president plans to implement these changes without Congressional input and approval. While some American families are struggling to put food on the table, this misguided plan will raise energy costs, continue the president’s war on the coal industry and cost billions of dollars. I agree that we must be good stewards of the environment, but this plan is not the answer. Many believe... Read more

Each election, American voters cast their votes by secret ballot, with the freedom to make the decisions they think are best for the country. This freedom is so simple that many of us probably don’t even think about it when we go to the polls. While simple, it’s very important that we have the freedom to vote our conscience in this country. My wife says she voted for me, but there’s no way I can know that for certain. That’s her right, and the right of every American citizen. So why can’t the sa... Read more

Last Wednesday, the Guardian, a British newspaper, released a leaked copy of a court order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court from April 25, 2013. This order requires Verizon Wireless, one of the United States’ largest cell phone providers, to release the call history, location and duration of their users’ calls to the National Security Administration (NSA) until July 19, 2013. This is the most troubling revelation I’ve seen about our government in a string of troubling revelations... Read more

Since 2010, June 27th has been known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day. For the last three years, the National Center for PTSD has worked diligently throughout the month of June to raise awareness of this serious mental health issue, which occurs after an individual has been through a traumatic event like combat, abuse, terrorist attacks, assault and other serious incidents. While emotional stress after experiencing a trauma is natural, an individual with long-term stress th... Read more

We live in the greatest country in the world - a country where we’re free to choose our own career path. Everyone, no matter what their background, is afforded the opportunity to pursue higher education. We have a responsibility to ensure that college is not only accessible, but affordable for all students – including those that must take out student loans to finance their education. In 2010, the cumulative lifetime default rate of student loans, which is calculated based on student loans and in... Read more