Ripon Forum


Vol. 48, No. 4

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In this edition

According to the latest polls, trust in government is at an all-time low. Depending on who you talk to, this may either be a good thing or a bad thing. For some on the right, it may be a good thing because it is consistent with their core belief that government has gotten too big […]

“We cannot achieve great things alone.”

We need to bridge the ever-growing chasm between the American people and their elected leaders – a rift that has been exacerbated by the Administration’s flagrant executive overreach, a loss of opportunity for middle-class Americans, and a lack of transparency that pervades the federal government.

“Republicans need to show that we can deliver.”

American voters were spectacularly supportive of Republican candidates in this year’s elections. We have 54 Republican Senators and we’ll have more Republicans in the House than at any point since Harry Truman was President. And, it could all be for nothing if we as a Party squander the opportunity we have been given by failing […]

“We can restore the trust and confidence by coming together to find common ground.”

If there is one thing that members on both sides of the aisle can agree on, it is that our country is divided politically. Members of Congress approach issues from different perspectives and come to different conclusions about the best solutions to the problems we face.

“Washington needs to be recalibrated so that it is smaller, less intrusive, and more accountable.”

While it will take substantial time to reverse the problems described above and to restore our country’s exceptionalism, we need to first focus on creating an environment for economic growth. Every piece of legislation and every federal regulation should be judged by its impact on an overarching goal of creating “more jobs and better paychecks […]

Q&A with Michael Dimock

The President of the Pew Research Center discusses the low-level of trust Americans have toward the federal government and how it compares to past years. “The perception of dysfunction in Washington, along with a persistent sense of economic insecurity, is clearly weighing down views of government. And just as with interpersonal relationships, trust in government […]

Want to Improve Trust in Government?

“Should we be surprised that so many Americans hold Congress in such low regard?” The veteran political strategist and former House leadership aide says the public’s view of government is not surprising given the vitriol they are exposed to during political campaigns.

Restore Regular Order

Regular order is Congress doing the basic work of legislating which includes deliberating in committees, engaging with stakeholders, offering and voting on amendments and ultimately passing or rejecting legislative proposals. These cornerstones of the democratic process were not hallmarks of the 113th Congress.

The Michigan Example on Immigration

Our country needs a long-term, comprehensive solution to an immigration policy that everyone knows is broken and continues to hold back our economy. It’s essential that the White House and Congress work together on an innovative approach that will address our country’s present needs as well as those long into the future.

Where Consensus Exists

Was the end of this election the beginning of a period committed to governance or merely the beginning of the 2016 campaign season, with all of the gridlock and divisiveness that implies? More to the point, can the Congress and the White House earn back the trust our citizens deserve to have in their government?

Frontrunners, Dark Horses, and the Presidential Nomination Contest

Frontrunners don’t always win, but presidential nomination contests are rarely wide-open races. Dark horses don’t emerge from the back of the pack. The 2008 winners were in second place in their respective party’s poll.

REMEMBERING BILL FRENZEL

If there are wise men left in Washington, then Bill Frenzel was most assuredly one of them. He was both a scholar and a statesman who served his country in many important ways.

Ripon Profile of Mia Love

“I ran for Congress because I believe this country is in real trouble, and it’s up to We the People to fix things before it’s too late. The people of America want a government that is transparent. Our citizens deserve to know and understand the ‘hows and whys’ for decisions made at every level of […]

“Republicans need to show that we can deliver.”

DentAmerican voters were spectacularly supportive of Republican candidates in this year’s elections. We have 54 Republican Senators and we’ll have more Republicans in the House than at any point since Harry Truman was President.

And, it could all be for nothing if we as a Party squander the opportunity we have been given by failing to restore peoples’ trust that government can function competently.

Let’s be clear. The voters gave us a second look, and expect us to govern and solve problems. They question and reject many of the President’s policies, and have had their fill of the Harry Reid “Do-Nothing” Senate.

If we end 2014 and begin 2015 threatening to shut the government down; if we give voters the sense that we’re ready to take the process hostage, we will suffer the same fate the Democrats just did. We need to regain trust. We need to show that we are a party more interested in building than in tearing down. We need to demonstrate that when there’s trouble we’re the ones with a reasonable solution.

How often have you heard Republicans say that we should run government like a family runs their household? Consider that if a family disagrees about spending priorities, they don’t get the leisure of “shutting down” and telling their credit card companies, their utility providers or their mortgage lender that they’re closed until one side wins the argument. Or, that they’ll start meeting their obligations again once things are ironed out.

Republicans want a limited, competent government that functions in the “real world.” We offer ourselves as the contrast to out-of-touch federal government functionaries who do not have to confront the realities that face average Americans.

Republicans are right about this. But, people will never trust us if we make that argument and then scare the financial markets by playing chicken with the debt ceiling.

We must govern while the President lashes out and fumes.

There are a large number of commonsense pieces of legislation, which enjoy broad, bipartisan support not only in Congress, but with the public as well, that went nowhere in the Senate for political reasons. We should immediately pass some of these bills, like construction of the Keystone Pipeline, the elimination of the Medical Device Tax and the restoration of the forty-hour work week, which was done away with under the health care law, to show people we have the capacity to govern.

Republicans need to show that we can deliver.

Government’s core functions include providing for the national defense and supporting the nation’s infrastructure. We can win back a lot of trust just by showing that we can accomplish the basics of what people expect government to do.

We should pass a budget and the necessary appropriations bills. We must then move aggressively to pass a Transportation Bill. People want roads and bridges built and repaired in their states and towns. They want us to accelerate growth in the economy. We can do that by reforming the 70,000 plus page tax code to make it fairer, flatter and simpler. They want us to open markets for trade to benefit our manufacturers, farmers and workers. They want us to work in a bipartisan manner to accomplish these goals.

As Republicans we are in a unique position to lead and provide opportunity. President Obama is in a weakened position. He can choose to exceed his executive authority on divisive matters like immigration, but he will only be making himself weaker with these power plays. His actions give Americans even less reason to trust the government.

Republicans can seize the initiative from the President by showing that we will work to enact legislation supported by the vast majority of Americans. We must govern while the President lashes out and fumes. To regain the public’s trust we must do what we say we’ll do.

That goes beyond partisan politics. A functioning Majority focused on doing the right thing to grow the economy and get people working is exactly the trust boost Americans need.

Charlie Dent represents the 15th District of Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves as Co-Chair of the House Tuesday Group.