WASHINGTON, DC – In a speech this morning to a breakfast meeting of The Ripon Society, Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (OH-4) discussed the priorities of the RSC for the coming year and shared his thoughts on the budget battles currently underway on Capitol Hill.
“The RSC is real simple,” Jordan stated. “It’s the group that’s out there to make sure Republicans act like Republicans. You guys know the Dick Armey line? ‘When we act like us, we win. When we act like them, we lose.’ Our job is to make sure we act like us. I think when Republicans act like us – when we act like what we’re supposed to do and what we campaigned to do – we not only win the next election, but more importantly, America wins.”
“We face some tough issues right now,” the Congressman from Ohio continued. “I think it’s important to understand that the world’s a better place and the world’s a safer place when America leads. America can’t lead militarily and diplomatically if America doesn’t lead economically. And you can’t lead economically when you have the wrong regulatory policy, the wrong tax policy, the wrong energy policy, and a debt that’s $14 trillion and climbing. And that’s what we face. The RSC is all about trying to address all of those issues now, just like the Republican Party is.”
Jordan, who was elected to his third term in office this past November, added that restoring fiscal discipline to Washington remains the top priority of the RSC and the goal of a budget plan the group is about to introduce. “Every single day,” he said, “all we talk about here in Congress is spending and how out of control it is. We will later today unveil the Republican Study Committee budget, building upon the great work Paul Ryan has done in his budget, but getting to balance within the 10 year budget window. We think that’s critical when you’re thinking about how serious the problem is.
“Without going through all the numbers, we’re $14 trillion in debt and face a $1.6 trillion deficit this year. In the month of February – the shortest month of the year — the deficit is $220 billion. And Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer are saying that $61 billion in spending cuts in the budget bill for this is extreme. It’s approximately one-fourth of February’s monthly deficit! This is how serious it is. And frankly, the other party just doesn’t get it. So we’re going to continue to fight.”
Jordan was joined at the breakfast meeting this morning by five other members of the RSC, including: Representatives Joe Walsh (IL-8), Scott Rigell (VA-2), Tim Walberg (MI-7), Andy Harris (MD-1), and Dennis Ross (FL-12). House Oversight Committee Chairman and RSC member Darrell Issa also attended the event.
The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.