Republican Congressional Majority: This Time With Bold Visions And Action Plans?
Republicans have been given another lease on life and an opportunity to prove that they can learn from their past congressional majority failures. Past outcomes have almost without exception been “Leftist Light”: legislating individual rights violating programs that are just a little bit less comprehensive than what their colleagues across the aisle would have made into law. Think 1995-2001, with its broken “Contract with America,” and 2003-2007, with the anti-freedom “We are all Neocons now” mantra.
Gridlock will be standard operating procedure the next two years and hopefully the new congressional majority will see it as its ally. The worst that could happen is for Republicans to start compromising with the President to “get things done” and to “show they can govern.” Compromise will not work. Mr. Obama is a first rate ideologue (albeit out of touch with reality) and will not bend an inch on fundamental issues. Any compromise would amount to a loss of credibility for Congress, not the President. Compromise will jeopardize this year’s electoral gains come 2016, and most likely become a liability for the next Republican presidential candidate.
No, hopefully Republicans will use the next two years of gridlock to present a vision of putting individual Americans in charge of what the government has taken away during the past 100 years of Leftist and Conservative Progressivism: a vision of restoring respect for and protection of our individual rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in every area of our lives.
But presenting a vision is not enough or it will be seen as detached from reality. No, it has to be paired with a positive, comprehensive, long-range, non-threatening, easy to understand, step-by-step action plan in each area: action plans that don’t pull the rug out from under Americans who are a hostages of the current system, depending on it for their livelihood.
To give you an idea of the direction we have in mind, our policy analysts here at SEPARATE! have outlined the vision and action plan highlights for three important areas. Obviously a lot more details are needed to concretize the action plans, but you get the idea.
Vision:
A vision of healthcare where everybody’s right to make their own healthcare decisions without government interference is respected, and where healthcare is as affordable as our daily bread.
Action Plan Highlights:
Remove the burden of health insurance regulation, allowing health insurance and health care providers to compete for our business on equal terms, driving down costs and increasing quality of care.
Remove the burden of drug and medical device regulation, increasing the choices of treatment options for patients and their doctors.
Remove the bondage of employer provided health insurance, making healthcare costs tax deductible for individuals as well as for employers.
Gradually replace the Medicare monopoly with individual choice, allowing older Americans to remain in the system if they wish, and young Americans to plan for a future free of Medicare.
Vision:
A vision of retirement where everybody’s right to make their own retirement decisions without government interference is respected, and where planning and saving for a comfortable golden age is achievable for every American.
Action Plan Highlights:
Remove all limits on tax free savings for retirement, allowing Americans to save as much as they can for their retirement.
Eliminate capital gains and dividend taxes, allowing hard earned retirement savings to grow faster.
Gradually replace the Social Security monopoly with individual choice, allowing older Americans to remain in the system if they wish, and young Americans to plan for a future free of Social Security.
Vision:
A vision of a vibrant labor market where everybody’s right to offer and seek employment without government assistance and interference is respected, and where everybody who wants to work can find gainful employment.
Action Plan Highlights:
Eliminate the corporate income tax making investments in new and existing businesses more attractive, resulting in jobs being created on an unprecedented scale.
Remove the burden of business regulation, allowing companies to focus their resources on productive endeavors instead of on satisfying regulatory demands, resulting in more productive jobs being created.
Eliminate government corporate favoritism, allowing for a healthy labor market where companies are able to survive and thrive without government assistance or interference.
Replace the government unemployment and disability insurance monopolies with individual choice, allowing Americans to purchase insurance from a range of competing insurance companies without government interference.
Translate the visions and action plans into comprehensive bills and send them to the White House. They obviously won’t be signed, but the American people will be left with the impression that Congress is trying to promote real hope and change, and that the President is the perpetual naysayer. If executed consistently, Americans will vote for its implementation in 2016 and beyond.
Americans are hungering for this type of bold leadership. Let’s keep the heat on our representatives and senators to make sure Congress provides it.