Arizona Politics for Conservatives: Sonoran Alliance
Arizona Politics, News, Commentary and Information with a Blatantly Conservative Worldview Presented by an Alliance of Writers, Activists, Consultants and Government Insiders.
The Schweikert Campaign released the following statement this evening:
“We find it disappointing and frankly abhorrent that the Quayle campaign would disseminate the name and contact information of an underage Schweikert for Congress volunteer to the media. We fully expected their campaign to engage in dirty tricks, but dragging an underage volunteer (who the Schweikert campaign will not name publicly due to her age) into their scheme represents a new low for even the Quayle campaign.”
Dear Friends,
We are sorry to report this, but it’s information that voters ought to have. Team Quayle was recently a victim of fraudulent and criminal acts by David Schweikert’s campaign.
On Thursday, May 17, the Quayle campaign received a phone call from someone claiming to be a prospective volunteer and seeking directions to the campaign headquarters.
The “volunteer” arrived, filled out an information form (she said her name was Annika), and proceeded to ask for a tour of the office, which she was provided. Several real Quayle volunteers sensed something odd about her. They also noticed she was carrying a Mercedes car key. As soon as she left, we checked the home address she had listed on her volunteer form. It was an Islamic Community Center in Tempe, Arizona.
Busted.
Immediately Team Quayle sent a staffer to Schweikert’s campaign headquarters. Not one but two Mercedes cars were in the lot, so further investigation was warranted. The Quayle staffer entered Schweikert’s campaign office and, lo and behold, there was our “volunteer” sitting at the front desk. She was stunned, needless to say, to see the Quayle staffer to whom she had just lied standing in front of her and handing her back her volunteer form.
That’s unfortunately not the end of the story. What else do you suppose our staffer found inside Schweikert’s office? Why, 18 Quayle campaign signs, detached from the stakes they had been on when Schweikert’s campaign stole them. You can read more about Spygate here.
Ben Quayle began this race by challenging his opponent to run a high level campaign, focused on the issues. It’s unfortunate that Schweikert and his campaign have rejected that.
Now Schweikert is trying to evade responsibility by claiming the Quayle campaign gave him its signs. That’s not even a plausible lie.
The dishonesty and triviality apparent in these events are not surprising. Yet they are still disappointing.
We thought you ought to know.
You deserve to be represented by someone you can trust.
This conduct suggests that David Schweikert’s campaign will be pulling out all stops in the coming months in its determination to win at any cost.
We cannot allow that to happen. There is only one real conservative leader in this race, only one candidate who will ever really get anything done in Washington, and it’s Ben Quayle. That is, unless you think fraud and theft are among the aspects of effective leadership. Haven’t we seen enough of that in Washington?
Today we are asking you to paint the town with Quayle campaign yard signs! This yard sign does more than advertise your support for a candidate. It tells your neighbors that you are tired of the old ways of Washington and the dishonesty that reigns there. A Quayle campaign sign signifies your support for Ben Quayle’s steadfast efforts to hold Washington accountable.
If you would like a sign or two for your yard, contact Ben Stewart at bstewart@quayleforcongress.com, (480) 306-4737.
Or, if you’re feeling brave enough, head over to David Schweikert’s campaign office and ask for one of our signs. They seem to be keeping plenty on hand.
Phoenix, Arizona – A recent study by CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, found that Congressman Jeff Flake has no shame when it comes to the amount of government money he is willing to waste. Phoenix’s KPHO-TV highlighted the study’s findings in which Congressman Flake has reimbursed himself $20,000 for travel, meals and other expenses. In a time when our country faces over $15 trillion of debt and 14 million Americans are unemployed, Congressman Flake thinks we should be footing the bill for his extravagant congressional lifestyle. When KPHO-TV reached out to Congressman Flake for an answer on why he finds it appropriate to waste $20,000, the sixth term congressman had no response.
Arizonans can’t afford Congressman Flake!
In case you missed it…
KPHO CBS Channel 5
Study: Some AZ Reps. Use position to benefit themselves
PHOENIX (CBS5) – Do you ever wonder how much money your lawmakers give to groups?
A new study spells it all out for the United States House of Representatives.
Of Arizona’s seven representatives, only three are mentioned in the study.
The group behind it is CREW, or Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
It decided to look into how many U.S. representatives used their positions to benefit themselves or their families.
The group claimed the answer is more than half.
People like Rep. Ron Paul, who’s campaign paid more family members than any other representative, the study said.
You’ll also see Congressman Jeff Flake, Ben Quayle and Ed Pastor mentioned.
Quayle seems to be the lightest offender in the report.
It said he gave $250 to his dad’s company for facility rental and staffing services.
The report claimed Flake reimbursed himself nearly $20,000 for travel, meals and other expenses.
Then there’s Rep. Ed Pastor.
According to the report, his wife and nephew used to work with Chicanos Por La Causa, and CREW claimed Pastor has earmarked more than $1.8 million to the group from 2008 to 2010.
The report also said Pastor gave his daughter a big one up on the competition getting her a job at South Mountain Community College.
It said Pastor earmarked nearly a million dollars in 2008 and 2009 to the school’s ACE program and steered over a million dollars in federal grants to the program four months after his daughter was hired.
Coincidentally, her salary was at the very top of the pay scale.
CBS 5 News reached out to Quayle, Flake and Pastor for this story.
The only one who responded was Pastor.
His office said he has declined to comment.
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WASHINGTON (DC) – Congressman Ben Quayle issued the following statement after his bill, the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2012 (H.R. 3862) passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. H.R. 3862 would increase the transparency and fairness of federal rulemaking by allowing public input and requiring notice when activist groups seek to impose new rules and regulations on the public through lawsuit settlements with regulatory agencies–a process known as sue-and-settle regulation.
“The Obama Administration’s regulatory onslaught has done more than saddle America’s small businesses with thousands of new rules and regulations. It has also opened the door to pro-regulation environmental and other interest groups to use sue-and-settle agreements to impose even more, and harsher rules. To make matters worse, this is being done behind closed doors with little or no public input.
“I’m grateful that the House Judiciary Committee has taken action on this bill and passed it on for a vote of the full House. The real world consequences of backroom regulation are great. Arizonans’ electricity costs may soon increase by 20% as a result of a regulation created through the “sue and settle” process. It’s time to restore transparency and fairness to federal rulemaking, and slow the onslaught of sue-and-settle regulation.”
Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith praised Rep. Quayle’s work on the bill and congratulated him on committee passage:
“I thank Mr. Quayle for his introduction of H.R. 3862 and congratulate him on its passage by the House Judiciary Committee. America’s small businesses and job creators need relief from the flood of new regulations and red tape made in Washington. A heavy contributor to the burden of new regulation is the use of consent decrees and settlement agreements to force federal agencies to issue new rules. This bill makes sure that those to be regulated have a fair opportunity to participate in the resolution of litigation over the regulatory process. And it provides needed transparency on the ways agencies conduct their business.”
BACKGROUND ON HR 3862
An avalanche of federal regulations is burying America’s job creators. The Small Business Administration recently estimated the annual federal regulatory burden to reach $1.75 trillion—equal to $15,586 per year for each U.S. household. According to a recent Gallup survey, “small-business owners in the United States are most likely to say complying with government regulations . . . is the most important problem facing them today.” Yet the Obama Administration’s current regulatory agenda has 3,118 regulations in the pipeline, 167 of which will have a major impact on the economy—on top of 1,010 regulations already completed, including 45 with major impacts.
A critical, growing driver of the regulatory onslaught—particularly environmental regulation like EPA’s Utility MACT and Greenhouse Gas rules—lies in consent decrees and settlement agreements that force new regulations to be promulgated. In what is known as “sue-and-settle” regulation, pro-regulatory interest groups often sue agencies that have not yet promulgated rules authorized or required by statute. In these cases, plaintiffs and the agencies agree behind closed doors to fast-moving deadlines for new rules, then propose consent decrees and settlement agreements that back the deadlines with judicial authority. These decrees and settlements often blindside states and regulated entities that will be affected by the new regulations, provide little time for public notice and comment or assessment of small business impacts, and short-circuit White House review of costs and benefits. Even the text of proposed rules is sometimes pre-negotiated by the sue-and-settle parties—foreordaining the regulations under which everyone else will have to live.
H.R. 3862, the “Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2012,” introduced by Rep. Ben Quayle (R-AZ), contains strong reforms against collusive sue-and-settle regulation, including terms that:
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WASHINGTON (DC) – Congressman Ben Quayle released the following statement regarding President Obama’s comments to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev which were caught on an open microphone. President Obama asked for “space” on the issue of missile defense until after he is reelected:
“It is hard to believe that a President of the United States could demonstrate as much duplicity, weakness and cynicism as President Obama did in his open-mic comments to President Medvedev. For the leader of the free world to communicate to another nation that he would say one thing to the American people and do another as a reelected President is absolutely stunning.
“The purpose of American missile defense is to protect America and its allies from the terror of nuclear weapons—no matter their source. The President’s willingness to compromise that security in any way is a gross dereliction of duty.
“Since the President was caught on tape admitting he will say one thing and do another on a vital national security matter, I have to wonder what other issues he would shift positions on if he were elected to a second term. America needs a President that will lead with clarity and conviction. We need a leader that will negotiate from a position of strength—not a leader who will negotiate away our strengths.
“President Obama has shown that his word cannot be trusted either by the American people, or America’s allies. That alone should disqualify him from the second term he hopes will liberate him from his duty to stand up for America’s interests.”
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Congressman Ben Quayle sent the following letter to Club for Growth President Chris Chocola in response to Mr. Chocola’s correspondence to House leadership:
The Honorable Chris Chocola
Club for Growth
2001 L Street, NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
SENT VIA MAIL AND FACSIMILE
Dear Mr. Chocola,
I have reviewed the letter you sent House leadership yesterday regarding the primary race in Arizona’s newly-drawn 6th Congressional District. The correspondence is astonishing on several levels.
First, as you well know, I have received a higher legislative score from the Club For Growth than Congressman Schweikert, to go along with a higher ranking as well from the National Journal, which found there to be no more conservative member of Congress than me. It is therefore quite a contortion for you, as the Club’s president, to now threaten on any basis the provision of financial support to my primary opponent.
It is still more of a contortion for you to so threaten on the basis of leadership support for my campaign. First, I have been under the impression that the Club For Growth was formed by its founders, funded by its members and directed by its board to support pro-growth candidates. I was not aware that the Club’s mission includes dictating to high-ranking officials who they may and may not support. It is ironic that an organization founded in principles of freedom and limited government could have come to such a dictatorial turn.
This new, self-appointed role for the Club raises a number of questions. For example, Sen. Jon Kyl, a member of Senate leadership and perhaps the leading Arizona exponent of pro-growth and conservative policy since Barry Goldwater, has enthusiastically endorsed my candidacy in this race. Can Sen. Kyl now expect a similar cease-and-desist letter from you and the Club, together with a threat to shower my lower-rated opponent with Club funds, should he not withdraw this support?
So far as House leadership is concerned, moreover, it seems that your fears may be badly misplaced. In the most recent policy matter in which Congressman Schweikert and I differed — Barack Obama’s misbegotten payroll tax deal — it was Schweikert, not I, who voted with the leadership and Obama. I cast the more pro-growth and fiscally responsible vote, in this case a “no.” Schweikert, alone among Arizona Republicans, voted for this non-growth, deficit-expanding policy that is contrary to sound economic and tax policy. Isn’t this exactly the kind of voting behavior that the Club was founded to discourage and marginalize in favor of more reliable representatives in Congress?
Your correspondence points out that both Congressman Schweikert and I have pro-growth voting records, and I will not quibble over that. Nevertheless, you neglect to mention in correspondence threatening to throw him financial support that my legislative rating from the Club is in fact higher than his. This cannot be a mere oversight and must be a contrived omission.
I urge you and your board and members to reconsider the path your letter seems to set for the Club. Your mission is important and the work of the Club has borne fruit, over time, for the free-market and limited government principles which we share and for which I have fought hard in Congress. In light of my superior Club rating I would expect, if anything, to receive the Club’s support over my opponent in this race; it is certainly odd to read instead this letter, apparently delivered to the media prior to its delivery to the leadership. I hope that the Club will maintain its vital mission, rather than seek for itself some highly questionable role as the imperious referee of Republican support in primary races, and I further hope that your board will make a full inquiry as to exactly how this correspondence came about.
Sincerely,
Congressman Ben Quayle
The Honorable John Boehner, Speaker of the House
The Honorable Eric Cantor, Majority Leader
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip
Dear Republican House Leaders:
In the just completed Illinois Republican congressional primary between incumbent Congressmen Don Manzullo and Adam Kinzinger, the Club for Growth PAC chose to stay neutral. We did so because neither candidate’s record was entirely satisfactory. Over the course of his long House career, Rep. Manzullo has cast several bad votes. As a first-term Member of Congress, Rep. Kinzinger has an even worse record than Rep. Manzullo. In fact, in the only year in which their records can be compared, in 2011, Rep. Manzullo had a clearly better record of voting for limited government then did Rep. Kinzinger.
Despite our neutrality in this race, we were alarmed to see Majority Leader Cantor, Majority Whip McCarthy, and their Young Guns Action Fund aggressively take sides in favor of Rep. Kinzinger, and even use the committee to promote a false picture of Rep. Kinzinger’s record.
We raise this concern in the context of another upcoming redistricting-induced primary between two incumbent Republican Congressmen. In Arizona’s sixth congressional district, incumbent Republicans David Schweikert and Ben Quayle are facing each other. The Club for Growth PAC’s position in this race is neutral, because in this case both first-term Congressmen have outstanding pro-growth voting records.
However, we note that Speaker Boehner’s Leadership PAC has already made a maximum contribution to Rep. Quayle’s campaign. That contribution was made before redistricting put both men in the same district, and it is our hope that it does not signal that the House leadership has decided to take sides in this primary. In the name of neutrality, we urge Speaker Boehner to contribute the same $10,000 to Rep. Schweikert that he has already given to Rep. Quayle. We also urge Leader Cantor, Whip McCarthy, and their Young Guns Action Fund to join us in staying neutral in the Arizona race.
Should it become apparent that you are choosing sides on behalf of Rep. Quayle, the Club for Growth PAC will consider it necessary to intervene on behalf of Rep. Schweikert. As is our practice, if the Club’s PAC entered this primary, it is highly likely that our 75,000 members would donate considerably more funds to Rep. Schweikert’s campaign than the Republican House leadership would contribute to Rep. Quayle’s campaign.
It is our preference to remain on the sidelines of the Arizona race, as both candidates have fine records. However, we will not sit back and allow House Republican leaders to invest resources with impunity against an incumbent fiscal conservative like Rep. David Schweikert. Rep. Schweikert stands for the principles of economic freedom even when members of his own party pressure him to do otherwise. If those same Republican leaders attempt to defeat him, the Club for Growth PAC will vigorously come to his defense.
Sincerely,
Chris Chocola, President – Club for Growth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, March 6, 2012
CONTACT: Zach Howell
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Ben Quayle released the following statement after legislation he cosponsored, the Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2012 (H.R. 4119), was reported out of committee by a unanimous vote. The bill increases criminal penalties for constructing, financing or using cross-border smuggling tunnels. Congressman Quayle has been working with the sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), to advance the bill through the Judiciary Committee.
“For more than twenty years, dangerous drug cartels have been using illegal cross-border tunnels to smuggle drugs into the United States—74 of these tunnels have been found in Arizona alone. The penalties for those caught constructing, financing and using these tunnels have been absurdly low, and I’m glad to join Congressman Reyes in addressing this problem.
“I have been working to get this bill through the Judiciary Committee, and I’m grateful to Chairman Smith and my colleagues for their support in reporting this bill out of the committee to the House floor. It is time to stop the rampant construction and use of border tunnels and I believe that this legislation will accomplish exactly that when it is enacted”
Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith congratulated Rep. Quayle following the committee’s passage of the bill:
“I congratulate Representative Quayle on the Committee’s passage of the Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2012. I appreciate his leadership on this important legislation to help combat the construction of cross-border tunnels. Drug cartels will stop at nothing to get their destructive products into the U.S. In the last five years, 40 tunnels have been discovered in California and 74 in Arizona. This bill gives law enforcement officials the tools they need to investigate and prosecute those who construct, finance and use cross-border tunnels.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 13, 2012
CONTACT: Zach Howell
WASHINGTON (DC) – Congressman Ben Quayle released the following statement regarding the release of President Obama’s proposed FY 2012 budget:
“President Obama has already added trillions to the national debt, but he’s not done drowning us in red ink yet. Far from keeping his promise to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term, the President sent us a budget blueprint that would continue increasing the size of the deficit, and would pile on trillions in new debt over the next decade.
“At a time when the economy is struggling to get back on track, the last thing we should be doing is adding $1.9 trillion in new taxes as President Obama suggests. The President just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand that our nation is in real danger unless we take meaningful actions right away to reduce spending and debt. This willfully ignorant budget is more about the President’s reelection than it is about finding solutions to this country’s problems.”
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To All Interested Parties:
Congressman Ben Quayle has decided to move Congressional districts and primary fellow-Republican David Schweikert in his distirct, AZ-06.
As this primary challenge gains attention, the choice for Arizona conservatives is clear. They support the Republican who lives in AZ-06 and who has served that very same community for 30+ years.
Since Ben Quayle’s announcement to “carpetbag” into Schweikert’s district, Arizonans have responded in backlash. This week the Schweikert campaign rolled out several prominant endorsements.
David’s campaign office opened this morning with a record-breaking volume of volunteer participation. In 2010, Schweikert’s ground operation was widely noted as being a model for campaigns across the country.
It is clear that David has the entire base of grassroots support in AZ-06 behind him.
Included is a polling memo for your interest. Please feel welcome to circulate. Of particular note are the favorable ballot numbers at the very bottom of the memo. Arizona primary voters who “like” both David and Ben choose David 56% – 31%. Even more impressive is the informed ballot of Arizona primary voters who have an “opinion” of David and Ben, either “favorable or unfavorable” choose David 57% – 31%.
PS: When you hear reports about the Schweikert/Quayle primary, please help us keep the facts straight, and if you need information or have a question, please don’t ever hesitate to ask!
“This should be a substantive race with a tone that honors our party, our nation and the voters of the 6th District.” – Ben Quayle
That was the hope. It didn’t take long…in fact, it took less than 24 hours for our challenger to go negative. If that wasn’t enough, a few hours later he followed that up in a move that shows desperation by blasting a blatantly false email around to Arizonans to try to distort the facts about the new Congressional District 6.
We would like to help our supporters by providing you with the facts. We ask you to help us spread this information so that your family, friends, and neighbors are all armed with the truth.
Fact #1: CD 6 consists of nearly 70% of Ben’s current constituents.
Nearly 70% of CD 6 is currently represented by Congressman Quayle.
Fact #2: CD 9′s current Congressman is David Schweikert by nearly 3.5 to 1.
Numbers are tricky to spin. For every 1 person in CD 9 that is represented by Congressman Quayle, 3.5 people have Congressman Schweikert as their representative. There is a vast majority of constituents in CD 9 who are currently being represented by Congressman Schweikert and are familiar with him.
Ben needs your help.
We need your voice to set the record straight and silence the nonsense. Americans are tired of mud slinging political maneuvers. Together we can keep the discussion factual and focused on the issues that matter.
Please visit our website to learn more about Ben’s campaign and receive updates on how to stay involved!
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For Immediate Release: February 6, 2012
Contact: Jay Heiler
PHOENIX, AZ: Representative Ben Quayle issued the following statement regarding his decision to seek reelection to the House of Representatives. Quayle announced today that he will be running in Congressional District 6, where more than two-thirds of his current constituents live:
“The House of Representatives was conceived and designed to provide local representation of the diverse communities of America. The work of Arizona’s redistricting commission has placed many people in difficult positions, but at the end of the day my choice is to continue representing the people I represent today. The large majority of them are in District 6, and their values are my values.
“It has been a privilege to get to know my constituents, both as a candidate and as their Congressman. In my initial year in Congress I have focused on maintaining my connection to them. The interactions I’ve had with them and the relationships we’ve built have enabled me to be an effective advocate and voice for the community.
“As this primary moves forward I sincerely hope we will see a campaign focused on the critical issues facing Arizona and our country. This should be a substantive race with a tone that honors our party, our nation and the voters of the 6th District.
“I ran for Congress because Washington needs real reform. We need to simplify the tax code, end unnecessary regulations and free America’s creative spirit. I believe that members of Congress need to give up their gold-plated pensions and perks and share in the same sacrifice as all Americans. I believe we need to end the complacent career culture of politics in Washington and shake up the system. I believe we have a president who fundamentally misunderstands America, and an administration that has serially abused Arizona. I want to go back to Washington to fight for the state I love and the values I believe in. With the continued support of my fellow Arizonans, that’s what I will do.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 24, 2012
CONTACT: Zach Howell
WASHINGTON (DC) Congressman Ben Quayle released the following statement Tuesday following President Obama’s State of the Union address:
“Tonight we saw two things this President is known for: soaring rhetoric and scant substance.
“The President repeatedly stated the worthy goal of creating an economy that is ‘built to last’. Unfortunately, the Obama-economy is built to fail. You can’t build a strong economy on the shaky foundations of massive debt, failing entitlement programs and an uncertain regulatory climate. Just as he has so often in the past, the President failed to outline policies to deal with those big problems.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2012
WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman Quayle was joined by two other freshman Members of Congress in sending the following letter urging all Republican Presidential candidates to stop attacking free market capitalism.
Reps. Quayle (R-AZ), Gardner (R-CO), and Kinzinger (R-IL) sent a letter to all six major candidates running in the Republican Presidential Primary. As members of Congress who have not endorsed a Presidential candidate, the three have been greatly alarmed at the recent attacks some of the campaigns have decided to pursue, writing in the letter:
“President Obama took office in January of 2009 and the free market has been under attack ever since. We already have a president who is making it increasingly hostile for businesses to operate in this nation. Our presidential candidates should not be doing the same. Class warfare is a tactic that President Obama has used to divide America and campaign against Republicans. Republican candidates for President should not be stooping to the same level.”
To read the full letter, see below.
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Dear Republican Presidential Candidates,
The Republican Primary presents an opportunity for voters across the country to get to know conservative values and to discover who they believe will be the best person to replace the failed presidency of Barack Obama. As Members of Congress who have not endorsed a Presidential candidate, we are alarmed at the recent attacks on free market capitalism some campaigns have decided to pursue. For the good of the country and conservative values, these attacks must come to an end.
This nation was founded on principles of freedom and liberty. These principles have always extended to the market place and provide businessmen and businesswomen with freedom from government interference so that they may run their enterprise how they see fit. When economic freedom is attacked, it is an attack on the free market principles that help make this the most prosperous nation in the world. Without economic freedom, we have no freedom at all.
President Obama took office in January of 2009 and the free market has been under attack ever since. We already have a president who is making it increasingly hostile for businesses to operate in this nation. Our presidential candidates should not be doing the same. Class warfare is a tactic that President Obama has used to divide America and campaign against Republicans. Republican candidates for President should not be stooping to the same level.
Rather than join President Obama’s attack on entrepreneurship, hard work, perseverance and success, we hope that each candidate takes this opportunity to promote and defend the morality of the free enterprise system. During these difficult times, it is imperative that the American people realize that the free enterprise system has lifted more people out of poverty than any program government has created. A vibrant free enterprise system is the key to economic growth. This, coupled with a reduction in the size and scope of the federal government, will lead our country to a more prosperous future.
We must recapture the simple, yet profound, ideals of freedom and liberty that made this the greatest country in the history of the world. The idea of America has never been based on the promise of success, but the promise of opportunity. The opportunity to succeed and fail, to live your life as you see fit, to raise your family as you see fit, and to operate your business as you see fit. It is this promise that has provided generation after generation of Americans the opportunity to have more success than their parents. The promise of freedom, liberty and opportunity are our most valuable and enduring legacies. It is how we know that when we are gone, our children and grandchildren will succeed at even higher levels than generations before them. The candidate who can clearly articulate these concepts will galvanize support across the political spectrum and will restore that shining city upon a hill.
This is the America we believe in. Please stop attacking it.
Good luck,
Congressman Cory Gardner (CO-4)
Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-11)
Congressman Ben Quayle (AZ-3)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2012
CONTACT: Zach Howell
WASHINGTON (DC) Congressman Ben Quayle released the following statement Thursday regarding President Obama’s request for yet another $1.2 trillion increase to the debt ceiling:
“The President’s decision to seek yet another $1.2 trillion increase to the debt limit reinforces the unfortunate trend of raising the debt ceiling while taking no action to rein in spending.
“Because of President Obama’s lack of leadership, our national debt has surpassed the size of the American economy. House Republicans have passed numerous bills that will start to get our spending under control only to be blocked by the Democrat controlled Senate and the President. It’s time for the President and Senate Democrats to join Republicans in Congress in making substantive spending cuts and meaningful reforms to our entitlement programs.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 5, 2011
CONTACT: Richard Cullen
WASHINGTON (DC) Congressman Ben Quayle released the following statement Wednesday regarding President Obama’s “recess” appointment of Richard Cordray as director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB):
“Today, in an all-too-familiar display of arrogance, President Obama appointed yet another unaccountable czar to head the new CFPB. This appointment circumvents Congress’s constitutional duty to approve appointments to high-level positions. While the President may make temporary recess appointments, the House and Senate are not in recess. Therefore, this move is outside the President’s constitutional authority and rejects decades of precedent that prevents the President from making recess appointments unless the Senate has been out of session for three days or more.
“Disregarding Congress’s constitutional role is always unacceptable but especially when the agency in question is brand new, incredibly powerful and the product of terrible legislation. Protecting consumers is important, but due to the many flaws of Dodd-Frank, the new CFPB is unaccountable to Congress despite the fact that it will have unique authority over individual consumers. If there ever was an appointment that deserved scrutiny by Congress—and therefore the American people—it is this one. President Obama swore to preserve the Constitution not trample on it when it gets in his way.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2011
CONTACT: Richard Cullen
WASHINGTON (DC) Congressman Ben Quayle (R-AZ), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, released the following statement Tuesday calling for the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder:
“Fast and Furious was a fundamentally flawed operation. Since its implementation, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and numerous Mexican citizens have been killed by criminals using weapons that were allowed to ‘walk’ during the program. These weapons continue to pose a grave threat to people living near the Southern border. These facts alone signify a lack of leadership and control within the Justice Department that warrant the removal of those people who authorized and failed to supervise this damaging operation.
“When the incredible failures of Fast and Furious came to light, Attorney General Holder and his subordinates chose the route of evasion over forthrightness. They provided documents to Congress only when compelled to produce them with subpoena. These documents revealed that on February 4, 2011, senior officials at the Justice Department, the ATF and the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s Office responded to an inquiry by Senator Charles Grassley with a letter that contained categorically false information. Ten months later, the Justice Department was forced to rescind that letter—a move the attorney general acknowledged is extremely rare. During last week’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, the attorney general refused to take responsibility or hold any of his subordinates accountable for their handling of Fast and Furious. Mr. Holder himself called the operation ‘wholly unacceptable’ and ‘fundamentally flawed.’
“The fact that he hasn’t fired a single person shows that Attorney General Holder is more concerned with protecting himself and his political appointees than holding individuals accountable for Fast and Furious. I have refrained from calling for his resignation until he had a chance to testify before the Judiciary Committee. Asking for a cabinet member to resign is a serious step and one I take very seriously. After reflecting on last week’s testimony, the operation, and Mr. Holder’s handling of the fallout, I have lost all confidence in his ability to lead the Justice Department. I call for his immediate resignation.”
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