Wednesday marked the opening of the 112th session of the House of Representatives.
Reflecting the mood of the country to and acting under the clear message voters sent to Congress last November, House Republicans will immediately act on a number of reforms that will change the way Congress works by shrinking the size and scope of government, cutting spending, and better serving the interests of the American people.
Last year, House Republicans united behind a set of policy proposals and institutional reforms that became known as the Pledge to America. This pledge is the foundation on which the new Republican Congress will build its agenda.
As promised, members of the House will not be able to introduce a bill or joint resolution without first citing its authority under the Constitution.
This will serve to refocus members of Congress that government cannot invent or overexert its power and must conform to the Constitution.
No longer will the House, in the words of Nancy Pelosi, "pass a bill to see what is in it." In an effort to create real transparency and accountability, no bill will be voted upon without it first being available online for at least three calendar days.
This will ensure that members, the media and the public have the opportunity to read the bill before a vote takes place.
By cutting the House's budget by 5 percent, Republican leaders will show American families who are struggling to stay afloat in our troubled economy that we are serious about ending the job-killing Washington spending binge and making the tough choices needed to put our nation back on a path of fiscal responsibility.
Reductions in the size of member, committee and leadership budgets will create an immediate $35.2 million in taxpayer savings.
In addition, House Republicans will move to cut overall government spending to pre-stimulus levels, saving at least $100 billion in taxpayer money right out of the starting gate. House Republicans will also hold weekly votes on spending cuts to reign in spending and change the spendthrift culture of Washington.
Finally, one of the first votes taken under the new Republican leadership will be to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's controversial health care law. I look forward to this vote as well as commonsense Republican alternatives to the law that will actually reduce health care costs and improve care.
These are but a few of the initiatives my Republican colleagues and I will put forward in the opening days of the 112th Congress.
I look forward to working with my colleagues in the majority as well as like-minded Democrats in creating an agenda that reflects the priorities of our nation and America's founding values.
