The Tea Party Patriots have released their "Contract from America" today to praise from GOP House leaders.
The contract is the result of a months-long effort between tea party groups to discuss then vote on what their members feel are this nation’s most pressing problems and offer their ideas for solutions.
From the Contract from America website:
The Contract from America serves as a clarion call for those who recognize the importance of free market principles, limited government, and individual liberty. It is the natural extension of a movement that began in the local communities and quickly spread across America in response to unprecedented government expansion, reckless spending, and a blatant disregard by our leaders of the nation’s founding principles.
During the past several months, hundreds of thousands of Americans have debated thousands of ideas to solve our nation’s most pressing problems. 454,331 votes were cast. It has been an open process and has provided a genuine opportunity to give voice to a broad cross section of concerned Americans.
You can find the Contract in its entirety at the link.
House Republican leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) praised the effort:
“This ‘Contract from America’ captures the American people’s frustration with a government that has grown too big, too costly, and too arrogant. It is culled directly from the voices of Americans who have said ‘enough’ to permanent bailouts, ‘enough’ to government takeovers, and ‘enough’ to wasteful Washington spending.
“This document is just the latest example of how the Tea Party movement has done this nation a great service by giving Americans who believe their government is no longer listening to them a platform to come together that transcends party and ideology. Republican elected officials must continue to listen to them, stand with them, and walk among them.
“Every lawmaker – Republican, Democrat, and Independent – should consider the ‘Contract from America’ required reading and heed its call for a return to the principles on which our nation was founded.”
House Republican Caucus Chairman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) also responded immediately to the release of the Contract:
“I want to commend the grassroots effort of the Contract from America initiative. Its principles represent a good start toward the essential goals of individual liberty, limited government, and economic freedom.
“I hope that many conservative leaders will join with this bold initiative that’s marked by powerful ideas to get our government’s fiscal house in order. As Republicans move forward developing our agenda for the 112th Congress, efforts like this will be invaluable.”
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) also offered his support:
"Today there is an unparalleled level of frustration directed at Washington from across the country, and for good reason. Washington has become entirely too intrusive in every aspect of our economy and far too irresponsible with taxpayer dollars - and Americans know it. The economic insecurity felt by American families and businesses has not just created a sense of tangible fear, but legitimate disagreement with the agenda being pursued by President Obama and the Democrat Congress. People wonder whether Washington can actually fix anything with the kind of misguided legislation that is being passed and enacted into law. And can anyone blame them? Washington must stop pretending there won’t be severe consequences for their out-of-control spending programs that impede job creation and economic growth, while creating a permanent dependency on the government.
“The Contract from America represents a grassroots awareness that people have been over taxed and Washington has been overspending for far too long. It is born out of love for the Constitution and transcends partisanship in the hope that those controlling the levers of power in Washington finally start listening to the people again. America has long been governed by a common sense conservative philosophy that goes back to the days of our Founding Fathers. We believe in free markets, we believe in individual responsibility, and we don’t believe that the government has all the answers.
“That’s why we will continue to fight to restore balance to Washington by bringing responsible, adult leadership that focuses on job creation, economic opportunity, putting the country back on the path to financial stability, and limited government. We must also work to repeal and replace the Democrats’ overhaul of health care with a system that will improve access to care and make health insurance more affordable for everyone. I want to thank all those Americans who had a hand in developing and putting forward the Contract from America. Our republic benefits from their work.”
