Writing in today’s Wall Street Journal, Arizona Congressman and candidate for House Majority Leader John Shadegg, makes it clear where he stands in the ongoing battle within the GOP over the future of limited government:
WASHINGTON–Ten years ago, the American people put Republicans in control of the House of Representatives for the first time in more than 40 years. It was a historic achievement, made possible because we stood for the principles the American people believed in: smaller government, returning power to the states, lower taxes, greater individual freedom and–above all–reform.
Some Republican leaders in the House seem to have lost sight of those principles, though the American people still believe in them. Meanwhile, Americans are sick of scandals. To fully regain their confidence–and to retain and grow the Republican majority–we need to make a clean break with the past and return to our ideals.
Republicans promised the American people two things in 1994. First, we promised to rein in the size and scope of the federal government. Second, we promised to clean up Washington. In recent years, we have fallen short on both counts. Total federal spending has grown by 33% since 1995, in inflation-adjusted dollars. Worse, we have permitted some of the same backroom practices that flourished in the old Democrat-controlled House. Powerful members of Congress are able to insert provisions giving away millions–even tens of millions–of dollars in the dead of night. The recent scandals involving Duke Cunningham and Jack Abramoff have highlighted the problem, but this is not just a case of a few bad apples. The system itself needs structural reforms.
Shadegg goes on to make it clear that he believes that the way to reform Congress ethically is to both open up the budget process and to return to the ideas of limited government that brought the GOP to power in 1994. Sounds good to me.
James Joyner makes this point about the debate that the race for Majority Leader is stirring up:
The good news is that this leadership race is forcing the three candidates to one-up each other one how much they would clean up the House. That’s a very good thing. The fact that they dirtied the place up so much after only a few years in power? Not so much.
Well said. While there is much reason to be optimistic about recent developments in the House, there is much reason to be concerned as well.
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