It has been a difficult past year for Americans. Our economy continued to recover, but at a pace too slow to relieve the burden placed on hard working families. Our new healthcare laws have continued to expand and make our country unattractive to businesses. Belligerent Russia, North Korea, and Iran continue to threaten free society while the administration did nothing. But I see beacons of hope on the horizon.
Americans voted for a change. Republicans now have both houses of Congress – and just in time. With the recession in our wake the U.S. needs leaders who will work hard to put Americans back to work and keep the economy growing.
The Keystone Pipeline bill is one such beacon of hope. More jobs, cheaper energy, and a decreased reliance on foreign oil makes a lot of sense – but don’t take my word for it, ask OPEC. When Congress nearly passed the KXL bill last year, OPEC panicked. An energy independent North America so seriously threatens their bottom line that OPEC is willing to cut profits and harm their member states in an effort to drive North American oil back into the ground.
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More reasons for optimism - the Republican led House has overseen tremendous bipartisan efforts to pass the Hire More Heroes Act and legislation that would wrestle the 40 hour work week back from the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA’s ‘30 hour rule’ disadvantages America’s most vulnerable workers, such as women, low wage, and unskilled laborers. All of these initiatives were supported by my own Congressman, Peter Roskam, and even by suburban Democrats like Dan Lipinski. Bipartisan bills like these should restore America’s hope for 2015.
