Ripon Forum


Vol. 52, No. 6

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In this edition

In this edition of the Forum, we reached out to GOP leaders around the country and asked them a simple question: “What would you like to see from Washington in the coming year?”

Profiles and Perspectives: President Bush Responds

To mark the President George H.W. Bush’s passing on November 30th at the age of 94, the Forum has decided to reprint our interview conducted with him in 1990.

Govern Within Your Means: A Unifying Goal in Divided Times

The greatest contribution President Trump and Congress could make in 2019 is to follow the lead of cities across America and balance their budget.

Diversity is Key to Election Security

As we look to modernize as a nation, Washington needs to ensure the administration of elections stays under state and local control as required by the 10th amendment of the Constitution.

With Divided Federal Government, a Silver Lining Could Emerge

At a time when our federal government continues to expand and the national debt continues to grow, there can be virtue in gridlock.

People Matter, and it’s Time for Washington to Lead

As the New Year begins, I urge Congress and the President to hit reset and begin giving their constituents the leadership America deserves.

It’s Time to Return Common Sense to Washington

We strive to give small businesses the service they need, when they need it. That is the way the federal government needs to work.

Forget Term Limits. How about Time Limits?

They say work expands to fill the time allotted. Maybe a deadline would help move work along.

The Party of Results in the Age of Rhetoric

Voters know that America is moving in the right direction with a booming economy, lower taxes for hardworking families and respect for our great nation around the globe.

Healthcare and Immigration: Our Most Salient Issues Are Longstanding Problems

As long as both Republicans and Democrats come to the table and agree not to dig in their heels, I am hopeful.

A Message from the States

The federal government has usurped power from the states and our individual liberties have eroded resulting in a bloated national bureaucracy.

Voters Deserve to Know Their Votes will Count

In a recent Gallup poll, a full one-third of Americans were not confident that their votes are accurately counted.

Empower, Don’t Impede, the Pioneering Spirit of the States

Nothing is given without strings attached, and the guidelines and regulations that come along with federal grants hinder progress.

Election Security: An Ongoing Responsibility

A core strength of American elections is the decentralized process. No one entity has oversight over all ballot counting, which means there’s no single point for a bad actor to attack.

The Party of Results in the Age of Rhetoric

For weeks leading up to Election Day, the national media’s confidence in a “blue wave” for Democrats could not be shaken — until Election Day actually came. Instead, Democrats were left with nothing more than a “blue drip.” Voters know that America is moving in the right direction with a booming economy, lower taxes for hardworking families and respect for our great nation around the globe. And while House leadership changed hands, the Republican majority was expanded in the U.S. Senate, much to the shock of beltway pundits.

When reality finally set in, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats pivoted by touting the historic number of women elected to Congress. Here in my home state, Arkansas has already been blazing a trail in this arena for years. In fact, as a result of this year’s election, the Natural State currently has 32 women in our state legislature, 17 of whom are Republicans. This has been a trend in Arkansas for some time now, and I anticipate adding more women to the ranks of Arkansas’s political leadership in the future.

As a result of this year’s election, the Natural State currently has 32 women in our state legislature, 17 of whom are Republicans.

In 2014, I was elected as the first woman and first Republican Attorney General from Arkansas. In addition to being re-elected by a large margin this year, I recently became the first constitutional officer in the state to give birth while holding office. The same year as I was elected, my friend and fellow constitutional officer, State Auditor Andrea Lea, was also elected as the first female to hold her respective office. Following her four years of steady, innovative leadership, she was easily re-elected this November. So while the Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters crowd plays identity politics, Arkansas Republicans have actually been leading the way.

Arkansas, like many other states nationwide, is experiencing historically low unemployment and robust economic growth. President Donald J. Trump’s bold leadership is the reason this country has record tax cuts, and by building a coalition with my colleagues in other states, I have worked with the President to fight government red tape to help businesses thrive again in Arkansas and across the country. Partnerships like this are essential to keep us on the right track and will continue to be a plausible priority as we head into 2019.

While our economy is thriving, Americans are working together again despite the Democrats’ insistence that we are a bitterly divided country. As a result of the GOP’s ability to hold the U.S. Senate, President Trump’s pro-job growth agenda will continue creating jobs and expanding opportunities for all Americans. The President will also be able to appoint more judges to our federal court system who will uphold the Constitution and rule of law – like Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

So while the Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters crowd plays identity politics, Arkansas Republicans have actually been leading the way.

I am proud to have been an early supporter of President Trump, attending the 2016 Republican National Convention as the only elected official in Arkansas to be a Trump delegate. My support for his agenda has not wavered, and as we begin a new Congress, I will wipe the dust off my “Fire Pelosi” sign dating back to my Republican National Committee days — because I feel the energy of a strong America continuing to rise. And, that is why this November, Americans took action to keep us moving in the right direction.

I am proud of the work we have done on behalf of Americans, and I look forward to the New Year with a reinvigorated passion to fight for Arkansans and the right of every American to continue enjoying what our Founding Fathers enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Leslie Rutledge serves as Attorney General for the State of Arkansas.