BLOGROLL

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 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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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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Time To Tackle Cyber Attacks

The following originally appeared as an op-ed with Kirsten Gillibrand in Forbes. -Staff

It happens thousands of times each day. Cybercriminals steal Social Security numbers, credit card information or bank account balances, creating havoc for individuals' personal finances and credit ratings.

As the most targeted nation in the world, with losses from online fraud in the billions, the U.S. has experienced large-scale malicious cyber intrusions from individuals, groups and nations. And attacks have dramatically increased in number and complexity. Just last year, Google and over 30 other companies linked to our energy, finance, defense, technology and media sectors fell prey to costly cyber intrusions. Too many nations either directly sanction this activity or give it tacit approval by failing to investigate or prosecute the perpetrators. While the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime has laid out some critical norms and responses for member nations, a significant share of cybercriminals and malicious actors (state and non-state) reside in non-member nations. Many of the major incidents are presently coming out of Russia and China, but criminals are adept and will quickly identify future cybercrime havens.

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The following originally appeared as an op-ed with Steve Ballmer in the Salt Lake Tribune. -Staff

The impact of the Greek economic crisis on U.S. markets shows that the global economy continues to face challenges. Despite some recent positive economic signs, too many Americans who are willing and able to work still can't find jobs. Without new jobs, any recovery will be fragile at best.

While there is no easy path forward, two things are certain. First, American innovation will be central to any sustained recovery, both nationally and globally. Second, opening foreign markets to American goods and services is essential to spurring job growth here at home.

The United States is an innovation powerhouse, but to maintain our competitiveness we need to incentivize and protect innovation. Extending and strengthening the research and development tax credit -- which is really a "U.S. jobs credit" -- would be a great first step. The credit provides a proven and effective incentive for businesses to invest in the R&D that leads to long-term growth and new jobs.

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The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune. -Staff

The U.S. Congress should be forced to take the same oath that doctors take to "first do no harm." Because more often than not, under the guise of "fixing" a problem, Washington makes things much, much worse for hard-working middle-class families and small businesses.

That's precisely the problem with the financial regulation bill that's before the Senate right now. Instead of strengthening our financial system, this legislation will stifle economic growth and job creation, strangle critical credit, send U.S. jobs overseas and add more burdensome, costly and misguided regulation onto the backs of struggling businesses.

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The following originally appeared as an op-ed with Gary Herbert in the Deseret News. -Staff

The price of liberty, President Andrew Jackson said as he left office in 1837, is eternal vigilance by the people. As Americans, we must always protect the fundamental ingredients of liberty, such as intrinsic limits on government powers and a careful division of those powers between the federal and state governments.

We are at a crucial crossroads in our country. All across this great nation we are seeing calls to rein in the power of the federal government and to reassert our rights, as states and as a people, guaranteed by the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

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The following originally appeared as an op-ed in the St. George Spectrum. -Staff

I appreciate the sentiments my friend Ed Kociela expressed in his column ("Orrin, please change your mind on new RECA bill," April 24) on New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall's proposal to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).

As many who are close to people impacted by radiation exposure, I am passionate about ensuring that the victims who were exposed to radiation from nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site are treated fairly and justly compensated. That's why I authored and was able to get the original RECA Act passed into law in 1990 and why I was successful in expanding this important program on several occasions.

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The following originally appeared as an op-ed in Politico. -Staff

Another tax day has come and gone. But the threat of a tax system even worse than the awful one we have is still hanging over our heads.

Unless Congress acts by the end of this year, tax increases of unprecedented size for all Americans are due to kick in Jan. 1, sending jolts throughout our still teetering economy.

These job-killing tax increases include ending the 10 percent tax bracket, which benefits everyone who pays taxes; cutting the $1,000-per-child tax credit to $500 and increasing top rates by double digits, which would apply to small businesses, the ones most likely to begin hiring.

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The following originally appeared as an op-ed in AOL News. -Staff

When President Barack Obama chooses his second Supreme Court nominee, the Senate must determine the kind of justice that nominee would be. The debate about judicial nominees, after all, is really a debate about judicial power and the role federal judges are supposed to play in our system of government.

One side in that debate wants judges who will rule the way they want on the issues they care about. The political ends justify the judicial means and the only thing that matters is which side wins. Judges may mangle, manipulate and manhandle the law so long as they deliver politically correct results. These advocates of a politicized judiciary label as "activist" any Supreme Court decision that does not favor their political interests.

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