Remarks on the House floor by Congressman Paul Ryan (WI-01)

Senior Member of the House Ways and Means Committee; Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee
December 16, 2010

Let me address just a few of the issues that I have been hearing here on the floor. I'm hearing some of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle saying "We just can't afford these tax cuts." Only in Washington is not raising taxes on people considered a "tax cut". What we're talking about here is not cutting taxes; we're talking about keeping taxes where they are and preventing tax increases.

Second point: "We – meaning the government – can't afford this?" Whose money is this after all? Is all the money that is made in America Washington's money, government's money? Or is it the people's money who earned it? I hear all this talk about the death tax, the estate tax: "This is going to give a windfall to these people. All this money going to these privileged people who have built these businesses, made all this money." It's their money! We have a country built on equal, natural rights, where you can make the most of your life, get up, work hard, take risks, become successful, create jobs, grow businesses, earn success – and yes, pass it on to your kids. What on earth is wrong with that? That's the American dream.

To my friends on my side of the aisle, who simply do not like some of the spending in this bill: I do not like it either. Let's cut the spending next year when were in charge. There is junk in the tax code, everybody agrees with this. This is advancing some of the junk in the tax code and what I say to my friends on the other side of the aisle next year: let's get rid of the junk in the tax code when we are in charge. Right now – let's not hit the American people with a massive tax increase.

If we want to get this debt under control, if we want to get our deficit going down, there are two things we need to be doing: we need to cut spending and we need to grow the economy. We need prosperity in the country. We need job creation. We need people going from collecting unemployment to having a job and paying taxes.

Is this a growth package? No, it's not a growth package. It's only a two year extension [of current tax rates]. We're not talking about a pro-growth economic package. We're talking about preventing a destructive economic package from being inflicted on the American people in about two weeks. The last thing you want to do is put more uncertainty in the economy, hit the economy with a huge tax increase, trigger a stock market sell-off and lose jobs. So do we want to make these permanent? You bet we do and that is exactly what we are going to be advancing.

We need economic growth. We need spending cuts. That's exactly what we intend on doing, and I think that's exactly the message that voters sent us. Let's prevent this tax increase from happening. Let's clean up the stuff we don't like in this bill next year. Let's make sure that when people go home for Christmas, they know that they are not going to have a massive tax increase a few days later.

This is a bill that is necessary to prevent our economy from getting worse. This is not a bill that is going to turn it around. Next year, let's pass the policies that will turn our economy around.

Governor Palin Welcomes International Diplomats

Governor Sarah Palin today (Jan. 2nd) is welcoming an international delegation of diplomats who are traveling to Alaska to celebrate Alaska Statehood Day on January 3, 2009. Representatives from several Asian and European countries accepted Governor Palin’s invitation to participate in weekend celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Alaska being admitted to the Union.

“We welcome these representatives with our best Alaska hospitality. We are pleased with their recognition of the importance of our 50th anniversary,” Governor Palin said. “It is a special honor to welcome Ambassador Kislyak and to showcase our state to this high-profile international group.”

Among the traveling dignitaries is Mr. Sergey Kislyak, newly appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States, who is making his first visit to Alaska.

“I am so pleased to be here this weekend,” Ambassador Kislyak said. “As discussed in my meeting with Governor Palin, it is encouraging to note the similarities between Alaska and the Russian Far East. Our existing commercial connections and the mutually beneficial nature of our professional partnerships can only help provide a measure of stability as, together, we face the global economic challenges that lie ahead.”

Ambassador Kislyak also met with representatives of the Aleut International Association, Institute of the North, Alaska Rule of Law Initiative, National Parks Service, ISER Alaska Chukotka Project, and Turnagain Elementary School Russian Immersion Program, all of whom have been involved in multi-year Russia-related projects.

In addition to Ambassador Kislyak, foreign dignitaries include Yuri Gerasin, Consul General of the Russian Federation; Julian Evans, British Consul General; John Mataira, Consul General of New Zealand; Balazs Bokor, Consul General of Hungary; Sten Arne Rosnes, Consul General of Norway; Haryong Lee, Consul General of Korea; Fred Santos, Consul of The Philippines; Mel Knight, Alberta’s Minister of Energy; Marvin Schneider, Alberta’s Executive Director of the U.S. and Americas; and Haijun Wang, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of China’s Heilongjiang Province. Mr. Wang is leading a four-person delegation from Heilongjiang Province, a sister province to Alaska, and China’s northernmost region.

Members of the Alaska consular corps will also be participating in the weekend events. Among them: Karen Matthias, of Canada; Hideo Fujita, of Japan; Hee-chul Kim, of South Korea; and Jose Luis Cuevas, of Mexico. They will be joined by honorary consuls of the Czech Republic, Poland, Finland, Seychelles, and Norway.

“We are thrilled that so many of our esteemed international friends are joining us for the auspicious occasion of our statehood celebration,” said Kris Perry, director of the Governor’s Office of International Trade. “These trade partners have been critical to the economic development of this state in the last 50 years and have helped grow the market for Alaska exports to a nearly $4 billion enterprise. Their presence here this weekend demonstrates how far Alaska has come in the arena of international commerce, and also how much promise we have for the next 50 years and beyond.”

Photo: Governor Sarah Palin meets with Mr. Sergey Kislyak, newly appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States, on his first visit to Alaska. Ambassador Kislyak is part of a large group of foreign dignitaries on hand for weekend celebrations marking Alaska’s 50th anniversary of statehood.

Here's a fun one for you!

It's one of those "common knowledge" things. We all "know" that conservatives are ostracized in Hollywood. It's Lib Town. They all speak the same speak and walk the same walk with few exceptions. However, a few brave souls have garnered enough power that they are able to be open about their conservative values.

I read the article on Fox News earlier to day with interest even though I'm not a movie, TV or theater buff. I don't watch much TV and if I hear an actor or musician talking about anything other than the movie they're in or the songs they're singing, I change the channel.

Yet I do find it interesting that conservatives have been living and thriving in that society of like-minded lefties. One of the articles below mentioned a party where over 600 conservatives attended. Another talks about regular meetings of Hollywood conservatives (organized by Gary Sinise).

I thought I'd pass on the following just in case any of you were interested in doing a bit more research and / or writing about the topic. I think it would be fun to try and make a list of conservatives in the Arts. I kept coming across the same names over and over, but I only rambled through a handful of articles.

Hollywood Conservatives Encouraged to Come Out of the Closet
A once-timid group of social outcasts is emerging from the shadows in Hollywood. If the past year is any indication, Tinseltown may have to get accustomed to the loud presence of a growing minority.
After years of silence, conservatives are coming out of the closet.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,476165,00.html

http://hollywoodconservatives.org/

http://hedgehogcentral.blogspot.com/2005/02/hollywood-conservative-forum.html

Conservatives Try to Make Their Voices Heard in Hollywood
By: Helena Andrews February 27, 2007 09:15 PM EST
Not everybody in Hollywood loves Hillary or thinks that "An Inconvenient Truth" is the only truth. So a growing number of Tinseltown conservatives have launched a counterattack to what they call leftist films like "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Syriana."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2932.html

Hollywood's conservative underground
'Friends of Abe' group meets quietly
Amy Fagan Wednesday, July 23, 2008
A group of politically conservative and centrist Hollywood figures organized by actor Gary Sinise and others has been meeting quietly in restaurants and private homes, forming a loose-knit network of entertainers who share common beliefs like supporting U.S. troops and traditional American values.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/23/hollywoods-conservative-underground/