[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 79 (Tuesday, May 15, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WHY I AM A REPUBLICAN

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 15, 2018

  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a 
statement on behalf of Mr. Hunt Wasden.

       I am a Republican because I believe in the freedoms, both 
     economic and social, that were given to us by the founding 
     documents of this great nation. The Constitution begins with 
     ``We the People,'' and later the First and Fourth Amendments 
     solidify the sovereignty of the American Citizen. These 
     documents may be old, but their relevance today is still 
     resounding.
       The role of the government should be to protect the people 
     from foreign and domestic threats, while also preserving the 
     individual rights and freedoms of its people, not regulating 
     or infringing upon those rights and freedoms. One of the main 
     reasons I identify as a Republican is my strong belief that 
     the work of private citizens, not the government, is the 
     foundation of the American economy. Businesses made by the 
     people for the people not only contribute positively to the 
     nation's overall GDP but also supply Americans with jobs. The 
     truth is, a government that is nineteen trillion dollars in 
     debt should not be dictating how private citizens choose to 
     run their businesses. Due to President Trump's aggressive 
     deregulation and tax policies, our economy is growing at an 
     impressive rate, with the labor department reporting in late 
     March that the jobless rate in America has fallen to the 
     lowest rate since 1973. In addition, the unemployment rate is 
     now at 4.1 percent which is below the level the Federal 
     Reserve considers ideal for a stable and growing economy.
       As a Republican I also believe in a tax system that 
     supports businesses, and gives them the means to compete in a 
     global market and also to reinvest not only in the company 
     itself, but also in its employees. President Trump's tax 
     reforms have enabled businesses, from the largest 
     corporations to family-owned small businesses, to give 
     significant bonuses to their employees at all levels, 
     directly citing the new tax plan as the reason why.
       Republican policies are making an undeniable impact in the 
     lives of the working class, as many people are now coming to 
     the realization that a hand up is almost always more 
     beneficial than a hand out.
       Republican policies are also making an impact abroad. 
     President Trump and Secretary Mattis' strong opposition to 
     ISIS has led to a 98 percent loss in territory held by the 
     terrorist organization. The President also showed strength in 
     garnering multinational support in his strong response to 
     chemical attacks from the Assad regime in Syria.
       Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, wrote the 
     Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, an order to free all 
     slaves. Later, in 1865, the Republican-controlled 38th 
     Congress passed the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. The 
     creation of the Fourteenth Amendment, granting citizenship to 
     all persons born or naturalized in the United States, passed 
     soon after, despite opposition from Democrats.
       Ronald Reagan once described the difference between 
     Republicans and Democrats as ``Two visions of the future, two 
     fundamentally different ways of governing--their government 
     of pessimism, fear, and limits, or ours of hope, confidence, 
     and growth. Their government sees people only as members of 
     groups. Ours serves all the people of America as 
     individuals.'' The inspiring track record of the Republican 
     Party follows suit with this philosophy, and this track 
     record is another main reason why I am a Republican.
       While figures like Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan may 
     come to mind when thinking about the Republican Party, 
     powerful women in the party have changed the course of 
     history as well. Republican Senator Aaron A. Sargent 
     introduced the Nineteenth Amendment which was written by 
     Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton, who worked closely 
     with Republicans to further women's rights in America. 
     Republican Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to 
     the U.S. House of Representatives and Margaret Chase Smith 
     was the first woman to serve in both the Senate and the 
     House. In 1981 Ronald Reagan appointed Sandra Day O'Connor as 
     the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. Also, George W. 
     Bush selected Condoleezza Rice to be his Secretary of State. 
     She was the first African American woman to hold this 
     position.
       Republicans also had a great impact on the Civil Rights 
     movement in our country. In 1954 Chief Justice Earl Warren, a 
     former Republican governor, wrote the majority opinion of 
     Brown vs. Board of Education. The Republican-controlled 68th 
     Congress and President Calvin Coolidge granted citizenship to 
     Native Americans. In 1957 Dwight Eisenhower desegregated 
     Little Rock's government schools over the resistance of 
     Arkansas' Democrat governor. Eisenhower also signed the 1960 
     Civil Rights Act after a filibuster by Democrats. Further, 
     the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed when Republican 
     Everett Dirksen defeated yet another Democrat filibuster.
       The Republican Party has been the Party for all people 
     since its creation. Both what the party has done in the past, 
     and what it continues to do today inspires me, and makes me 
     proud to be part of such an important movement. At the end of 
     the day, the principles of economic and individual freedoms 
     defended by the Republican Party have led so many people in 
     America to truly live the American Dream, and will continue 
     to do so for generations to come. AND THAT IS NOT FAKE NEWS.

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