E-Newsletters

Recent events in the Middle East are good for the prospects of liberty in the region. However, they also demonstrate the perils of being dependent on foreign sources of oil. The turmoil in Libya and Egypt has an effect on the world market: higher gas prices.

Now is the time to act to take advantage of our own natural resources. We need to increase the use of renewable and alternative energy. We need to increase the number of refineries. We need a smart energy conservation plan and we need to keep exploring for energy in America.

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said that "democracy was the worst form of government except for all the others that have been tried." It's true that democracy is often times messy and full of unexpected turns.

This past week, the House debated the continuing resolution to fund our government. It is necessary because the leadership of the last Congress did not pass a budget. We must pass this bill before March 4^thto avoid a government shutdown.

"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have." President Ronald Reagan said that two decades ago about the power of those who are free.

The month of February is home to the birthdays of two Presidents whose likeness is on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. This year, we observe President's Day on February 21st, which is one day before George Washington's birthday and nine days after Abraham Lincoln's.

Last week would also have been Ronald Reagan's 100^thbirthday. To quote Ronald Reagan, "Thomas Jefferson once said, 'We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying."

The first thing you ought to do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging. In his State of the Union speech, the President proposed that the government freeze spending for the next five years. I'm glad that the President finally agrees that we ought to stop digging, but that won't get us out of the hole.

Yes, we need to freeze spending, but not at last year's budget-busting levels. Congress has overspent for far too long. As one of my colleagues said, it's like speeding recklessly and then setting the cruise control as you are headed toward a cliff.

The Constitution says that the President shall "from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union…" That time comes this week as the President will report on the condition of our country and outline his legislative goals for the year.

The State of the Union speech is full of pomp and circumstance. It was not always this way. Thomas Jefferson thought the speech made us look more like a monarchy, than a democracy. He sent a written address instead. However, in 1913, Woodrow Wilson decided to give his speech in person.

Our nation once again is dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy. Last Saturday, one of my colleagues was meeting with her constituents in Tucson. It's the type of event that every Member of Congress has done many times.

Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head and then the gunman turned the gun on others in the crowd. Modern day American heroes rushed toward the gunman and took him to the ground. Another bystander kicked away the ammunition so he could not reload.

It's become a common sight now in most televised sporting events. In football, the referee goes into a booth to review the previous play. In basketball, an official may need to review the play on a television set to see if a shot went in before the buzzer.

The reason we need instant replay is because humans make mistakes. The replay allows a play to be slowed down so the referee can make the correct call.