The Pledge to America

The Republican Party released a 21 page document entitled “The Pledge to America” outlining their future goals and policy ideas. This is similar to the “Contract with America” that Newt Gingrich released prior to the 1994 midterm elections. It is important to note that even if the Republicans win back both the House and Senate, the chance of them implementing any of their plans and ideas will never materialize. First, it is highly unlikely they will get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate to beat any Democratic filibuster and secondly, President Obama will surely veto their proposed legislation. All of that being said, it is still important for the Republicans to officially put their ideas on paper and introduce them to the public simply because they have to overcome be branded as the “Party of No” by Democrats. Although many of the ideas in the “The Pledge to America” have been suggested by Republicans in the past, Democrats and the media continue to falsely classify Republicans as the “Party of No”. By proposing the “Pledge to America”, this is one way the Republicans can overcome this false image that they offer no ideas. Below is a summary of ideas proposed in the “Pledge to America”.

The Economy:

•Cancel unspent stimulus money (about 260 billion dollars)
•Extend the Bush Tax Cuts that will keep the highest tax bracket at 35% and not 39.6%
•Give small businesses a tax deduction to stimulate the economy
•Repeal job-killing small business mandates like ObamaCare's 1099 reporting mandate
•Cut government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels
•Establish a hard cap on new discretionary spending
•End government control (privatize) of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Health Care:

•Repeal and Replace ObamaCare with new legislation that includes ideas such as tort reform to lower healthcare costs
•Allow health insurance to be purchased across state lines
•Ensure access for patients with pre-existing conditions
•Expand health savings accounts

National Defense:

•Block Obama’s plan to close Guantanamo that will allow detainees to be housed on American soil
•Fully fund missile defense
•Demand an overarching detention policy
•Work with state and local officials to enforce our immigration laws

The Pledge to America is a good start, but it is not nearly as comprehensive as Paul Ryan’s “Road Map for America” which proposes a better tax plan and it explains how to control the costs of entitlements that are bankrupting our nation. The proposed plan could backfire if Republicans are unable to answer how they plan to pay for continuing the Bush Tax Cuts and increased military spending. However, the answers to this are outlined in the pledge: cutting stimulus spending, privatizing Fannie and Freddie, and cutting government spending to 2008 levels. Thus, the plan should work to the GOP’s advantage come November.