Washington Can Do Better in New Year

The clock is about to strike midnight on 2013. It has been an interesting year.

The biggest story of the year is the failure of Obamacare. Throughout all of my travel, from Tarkio to Hannibal and Kansas City to Kahoka, the number one concern I heard from constituents was uncertainty about how Obamacare would impact them personally. As we have seen in recent months, Obamacare just does not work, and the failed rollout and millions of cancellation notices have only raised more questions in the minds of Americans.

The economy has slowly improved, but growth is not strong enough. Unemployment remains too high, making the job search difficult for millions of Americans. Small businesses still report too many roadblocks to expanding their companies and creating new jobs.

For those of us who like to get stuff done, it was a frustrating year. However, 2014 is a new year. Mark Twain said that an optimist is a daydreamer more elegantly spelled. It's hard to argue with such a distinguished Missourian, but I believe that Washington has an opportunity to do better.

We need to work to make the United States the best place in the world to do business. While government does not create jobs, it can work to reduce taxation, litigation, and regulation. We can work to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, while creating good-paying jobs right here at home. And we can continue to push for an end to Obamacare.

My hope for the New Year is that Congress will work together to help set the table for economic growth.

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