[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 142 (Friday, October 11, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7411-S7413]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GILLESPIE RESPONSE
Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, earlier this week the majority leader
quoted from a speech delivered on September 30 by Ed Gillespie, the
former chairman of the Republican National Committee and the current
chairman of the Republican State Leadership Committee.
[[Page S7412]]
The majority leader used this quotation to attack Congressional
Republicans and defend the hardline strategy embraced by Democrats.
Unfortunately, he took Mr. Gillespie's words out of context and failed
to mention some of the other remarks Mr. Gillespie made in that very
same speech.
Not surprisingly, Mr. Gillespie has responded with a letter. He ends
his letter by saying: ``Republican governors and legislators work
across the aisle daily to solve the most critical issues in their
states. It's an example of executive and legislative leadership you and
President Obama would do well to emulate.''
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record
Mr. Gillespie's entire letter, along with his entire speech to the 2013
Republican State Leadership Committee Annual Meeting.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
RSLC Chairman Ed Gillespie Letter to Senator Harry Reid
Washington, D.C. (October 9, 2013).--Today the Republican
State Leadership Committee released the following letter from
Chairman Ed Gillespie:
Dear Senator Reid, Yesterday on the Senate Floor you cited
remarks by me at the Republican State Leadership Committee
National Meeting to bolster your own flawed policies. I'm
sending you a copy of the remarks as they were released so
you can see that they explicitly criticize your position and
support Republicans in Congress.
Specifically, at the beginning of my remarks you'll see
that I said: ``It's hard to see how President Obama could
oppose a legislative extension of the individual mandate when
he's issued an extension for big businesses by executive
fiat, and it's hard to see how Harry Reid could oppose
funding the rest of the government just to protect a carve-
out for himself and his colleagues.''
You neglected to mention this in your floor statement
yesterday.
Nor did you quote the full context of my RSLC remarks,
which were: ``On top of that, Republicans in the House
majority and Senate minority, are nearly always in the
position of talking about what they're against--what they
want to block or repeal or defund.
``And we join them in staunch opposition to the President's
harmful policies--but our party might be better off if we
spent more time speaking in positive terms about WHY we're
against those policies and, more importantly, why we're FOR
the policies we're for--as our state Republican leaders do so
consistently.''
To be clear, I agree with House Speaker John Boehner when
he said, ``The way to resolve this is to sit down and have a
conversation to resolve our differences.''
Republican governors and legislators work across the aisle
daily to solve the most critical issues in their states. It's
an example of executive and legislative leadership you and
President Obama would do well to emulate.
Sincerely,
Ed Gillespie,
Chairman,
Republican State Leadership Committee.
____
Chairman Ed Gillespie Remarks at 2013 RSLC Annual Retreat, as Prepared
for Delivery, September 30, 2013
As we're meeting here today, things are pretty messy in
Washington, D.C.
And Americans are growing increasingly frustrated with
President Obama and Congress. The approval ratings for
everyone in Washington are dropping, but sadly Republicans in
Congress are the ones in the basement, with approval ratings
below President Obama and Democrats in Congress.
I'm hopeful today's decision by the House leadership to
pass a Continuing Resolution which funds the government while
delaying the individual mandate in Obamacare for a year, and
eliminating its subsidies for Members of Congress and staff
will change that.
It's hard to see how President Obama could oppose a
legislative extension of the individual mandate when he's
issued an extension for big businesses by executive fiat, and
it's hard to see how Harry Reid could oppose funding the rest
of the government just to protect a carve-out for himself and
his colleagues.
So while there has been some very positive developments in
this debate, I also think our Republican friends at the
Federal level could benefit from sounding more like state
leaders like those here today--lieutenant governors,
attorneys general, house speakers and senate leaders--who
talk all the time about improving the quality of life for the
people you serve, in tangible terms.
When it comes to improving schools, growing jobs, creating
opportunities, making communities safer, helping families in
need, providing affordable housing for the working poor,
fixing roads, and effectively responding to natural
disasters--Republicans at the state level practice what they
preach.
And the majority of Americans--53 percent to be exact--who
live in states with a Republican governor and Republican
majorities in their state legislatures, like what they hear
and, more importantly, what they see.
Our caucuses continue to grow, expand and set records
because of the positive leadership people like the elected
officials we're honored to have with us here today are
providing back home.
Now, I worked on Capitol Hill for more than a decade, and
I've served in the White House as Counselor to the President.
I was there for the confrontations between Speaker Gingrich
and President Clinton, and President Bush and Speaker Pelosi.
So I understand the dynamics when one party has control of
congress and the other the presidency, from both ends of
Pennsylvania Avenue--and the advantage of the ``bully
pulpit'' over often competing voices.
On top of that, Republicans in the House majority and
Senate minority, are nearly always in the position of talking
about what they're against--what they want to block or repeal
or defund.
And we join them in staunch opposition to the President's
harmful policies--but our party might be better off if we
spent more time speaking in positive terms about WHY we're
against those policies and, more importantly, why we're FOR
the policies we're for--as our state Republican leaders do so
consistently.
I mean . . . when it comes to health care, Republican
policies would protect people with pre-existing conditions,
hold down premiums which are skyrocketing today, let people
truly keep the health insurance they have if they like it,
and allow workers to earn wages for 40 hours per week instead
of 29.
Republican energy policies mean lower gas prices at the
pump, lower home heating bills in winter, high-paying
American jobs and less reliance on foreign sources of oil.
Republican economic policies mean more working families
enjoying a better quality of life, and more people knowing
the difference between holding a job as opposed to building a
career.
We want American companies to expand jobs here rather than
invest profits abroad by eliminating loopholes and tax breaks
to bring the tax on business down from the highest in the
world, so 401(k)s and pensions get bigger for those wanting
to retire and young people graduating from high school and
college are able to start a life on their own instead of
living with their parents.
A friend once told me, ``The American dream is not just
owning your own home, it's getting your children out of it.''
Those are some of the positive impacts of Republican
policies in people's lives, and voters of every kind would
welcome hearing about them--and they could lead more
minorities, women and young people to think about voting
Republican.
Unfortunately, all they too often hear from us is, ``Repeal
Obamacare. Approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Pass tax
reform.''
Repeal. Approve. Pass.
Short-hand process arguments that resonate strongly with
people who already agree with us, but not really music to
independent ears. We need to break out of a speech pattern
that dwells on process, and discipline ourselves to talk
about the benefits of Republican policies.
Democrats talk more than we do about lifting people out of
poverty, expanding the middle class, and addressing income
inequality.
And yet it's our policies that actually do those things and
their policies that make them worse.
Most Americans realize that the constant stream of taxes,
mandates, regulations and programs coming from the Obama
Administration are not making our lives better, and certainly
not helping our economy.
And I think deep down, many worry that these policies are
not only killing U.S. jobs, but--worse--they run the risk of
destroying the American work ethic.
They're worried about themselves and their families, and
are pessimistic about our country's future.
Now, I sometimes find myself feeling angry and frustrated
that more of my fellow Americans aren't more angry and
frustrated. But while expressing anger and frustration gives
voice to our core voters, it doesn't do much for all those
worried and pessimistic voters.
They want hope and optimism.
They want to know how Republican policies will make things
better, and it's our job in the states to explain that in
relatable terms and demonstrate it with tangible solutions
based on our conservative principles of freedom, liberty and
equal opportunity.
Republicans understand that prosperity results from an
economy based on creating wealth, not just redistributing it;
and that if you truly care about helping the least among us
and lifting millions of people out of poverty and expanding
the middle class, history proves you should favor a system of
democratic capitalism over a government managed economy.
We need to start measuring compassion not by how many of
our fellow Americans are living off government programs, on
food stamps, or in public housing but by how . . . many have
become able to provide for themselves and their families
through good jobs, like we're seeing more and more in
Republican-led states.
It is no coincidence that the boom in natural gas occurring
across our country is taking place in the one sector of the
energy industry regulated by the states rather than the
Federal government--and no coincidence that so much of that
is taking place in states with Republican governors and
legislatures who know how to protect our environment and
property rights while also unleashing a transformative source
of abundant domestic energy.
[[Page S7413]]
Republican policies promote equal opportunity. We know that
eliminating discrimination is a moral imperative, but it does
not alone guarantee the equal opportunity we all believe in.
So Republican attorneys general not only enforce anti-
discrimination laws, Republican state legislators fight to
improve our schools, empower parents and give children in
poor neighborhoods a quality education that enables them to
get into college or qualify for a good paying job.
The quality of a child's school should not be decided by
the zip code in which she lives, and state legislators like
the ones in this room are the ones who consistently stand up
for those children against entrenched education
establishments.
Another issue that's being resolved in the states is a very
sensitive one, and it's being worked out in a more respectful
way than it would be at the Federal level. I'm talking, of
course, of same sex marriage.
As with, I'm sure, many of you, I have friends and family
who are gay. And according to the tenets of my Faith, I
accept them for who they are and love them. But the tenets of
my Faith also hold that marriage is between one man and one
woman. Indeed, in the Catholic Church, marriage is one of
seven holy sacraments.
You see, for me, this is not a matter of opinion, or even
really a choice. But I understand that what is a sacred rite
to tens of millions of Americans is also in our civil law the
means by which couples garner survivorship benefits, hospital
visitation rights, insurance coverage and other benefits. So
while I don't support same sex marriage, I do not begrudge
its advocates their position on the issue.
And, I don't believe that everyone who supports same sex
marriage is anti-Catholic, or a religious bigot. But in the
same vein, it would be nice if so many of them would stop
accusing everyone who doesn't share their views of being
anti-gay or homophobic. Freedom of Religion is still in the
very first Amendment to the Constitution.
We may not all agree on whether we should redefine what
constitutes marriage, but hopefully we can agree not to
redefine what constitutes tolerance.
So on the state level, and in particular in states with
Republican leadership, we're seeing the benefits of
respectful dialogue, problem solving policies and fiscal
responsibility. Republicans are balancing budgets, reducing
tax burdens, improving schools and making families safer and
better off.
I know you're all familiar with our Future Majority Project
at the RSLC, where we are recruiting hundreds of candidates
for state legislatures who more fully reflect the growing
diversity of our nation. So in addition to a positive
message, we'll have fresh-faced messengers as well.
The RSLC's sole purpose is to help elect Republicans. Doing
that means getting a majority of votes in thousands of
different districts, and dozens of states.
We understand that Republican legislators here in Hawaii
will not pass legislation identical to those in Texas or Ohio
or North Carolina; and that attorneys general in North
Dakota, Georgia, or Idaho won't have the same list of
priorities.
But their shared beliefs, principles and values take each
of their states in a much better direction than their
Democratic opponents would.
Republicans don't seek to win elections to gain power, but
to translate our principles into policies that make our
country stronger and make lives better for our fellow
citizens. And that means winning majorities in legislative
chambers, electing governors and other statewide
officeholders, and--ultimately--winning a majority of the
Electoral College again.
If Republicans can have unified state government where a
majority of Americans live, we can win back the White House.
But to do so, we'll have to learn valuable lessons at the
national level, and those lessons are being taught at the
state level.
The United States of America is a great nation, but we can
see how President Obama's policies are making us weaker--here
at home and in the world. The Republican Party is a great
Party. But we have not won the national popular vote in five
of the last six presidential elections.
For our country to be stronger, our party must be stronger.
And that begins with all of us.
____________________