Stop These Tax Hikes
July 22, 2010
The following originally appeared as an op-ed in USA Today. -Staff
On Jan. 1, Democrats will raise taxes -- the question is whose and for how long. By not extending critical tax relief enacted in 2001 and 2003, our nation would face the largest tax increase in history.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would take a 1.4% hit -- potentially enough to trigger another recession, the last thing out-of-work Americans need.
We need to stop these tax hikes and create a foundation for economic growth that, coupled with spending cuts, will reduce our massive budget deficits.
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The Case Against Confirmation
July 12, 2010
The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the National Review. -Staff
Elena Kagan's record shows her to be an inappropriate choice for the Supreme Court.
After studying Elena Kagan's record, actively participating in her hearing, and listening to the views of folks in Utah and across the country, I do not believe that she meets the standards we should require of federal judges -- especially Supreme Court justices.
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Drug Tests For Public Assistance Would Fight Addictions
June 30, 2010
The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Deseret News. -Staff
I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the June 18 My View ("Hatch's drug-testing proposal has flaws" by Kurt Manwaring) criticizing my amendment that would require passage of a drug test for all new applicants for welfare and unemployment insurance. Although I agree with the author's assessment that "Hatch is right on the money when he says that federal dollars should not be used to support substance abuse," I found no prescriptive solutions or ideas in his article that would help Utah assistance recipients, and their children, who suffer from drug abuse problems in their families.
The writer acknowledges that drug abuse and addiction are serious problems that often lead to criminal activity and may need to be managed with outside treatment options, but then takes my amendment to task for policies that the author admits will lead to more individuals seeking treatment. Isn't that a good thing? Don't we have to first identify and quantify problems before we can solve them? Policy makers need to know where problems are before we can allocate precious resources to solve them. Knowing who has a drug problem is the first step in getting them treatment and adequately funding treatment programs to save individuals and families.
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