[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 24, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E399-E400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING CONOR DEVLIN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 24, 2015

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share them with my House colleagues.
  Conor Devlin attends Tompkins High School in Katy, Texas. The essay 
topic is: in your opinion, what role should government play in our 
lives?

       Our government has evolved far beyond its original 
     parameters. It now regulates entire economic industries, 
     healthcare, going so far as to regulate the types of things 
     we can and cannot buy. Our government has left its original 
     designation as a Lassiz-Faire Democratic Republic to a 
     borderline Socialist country like the rest of the European 
     and the EU. Our government is an overgrown bureaucracy that 
     costs us--the American people--trillions each year, and yet 
     it fails to accomplish its task when its people are spiraling 
     into debt and unemployment is skyrocketing. The job of the 
     American government is to protect its citizens with an up to 
     date military comprised of the most advanced arsenal. 
     Secondly, the government

[[Page E400]]

     needs to protect the welfare of its citizens and by that I 
     mean low taxes that are not crushing small business and 
     forcing Corporations to locate to other places like China and 
     Japan because it is cheaper there, and a dissolution of the 
     current welfare state which would put millions of American 
     back to work if they no longer receive a monthly check for 
     not being productive. The government needs to defend the 
     rights of all its citizens by preventing foreign nations from 
     infringing on our rights or any companies and agencies from 
     infringing on our rights. The government also needs to 
     stimulate the economy by providing a workplace that will 
     foster economic growth in the private sector and not 
     continually grow the bureaucracies in the public sector 
     wasting the revenues generated by its citizens. Additionally, 
     the government needs to step back and change its role in the 
     healthcare system it should not waste taxpayer's dollars 
     providing for other people's healthcare, which is that 
     individual's choice not to be insured by the government. The 
     government shouldn't waste money on useless agencies that can 
     be easily cut down such as the EPA, the IRS, the USDA and 
     many other branches that are full to the brim with useless 
     employees wasting the American taxpayer's money. The American 
     government's job is to protect the American citizens and 
     their welfare. This does not include regulating major 
     economic industries, driving companies and small businesses 
     out of business and out of America, infringing on American's 
     God-given rights and becoming a major player in an American 
     citizen's life.

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