Word From Washington:?The First 100 Days

April 11, 2013

Depending on what youre doing, 100 days can either seem like a lifetime or go by in the blink of an eye.

Id have to say, my first 100 days in Washington certainly falls into the latter category.

I wanted to take some time to share with you what Ive been working on in Washington for the people at home in Northeast Ohio.

As the son of a World War II veteran, my dad always talked about how, if our country didnt get its financial house in order, the debt would be passed on to our children and grandchildren.

Well, no longer can we talk about our debt in terms of how it will affect the next generation, because its impacting us today right now.

Let me throw a couple of facts at you. We have borrowed as much as $3.8 billion a day and spent close to $200 billion last year just to pay the interest on our debt.

I grew up in Geauga County thinking a million dollars is a lot of money and I still do so it’s hard to wrap my head around people in Washington talking about billions and trillions like they are nickels and dimes.

The last fact Ill give you is one you might have heard before: that we have borrowed as much as 40 cents for every dollar that we spend. That means we are borrowing from places like China.

We need to re-establish American economic independence. If we owe less to others, we own more of our own future. And when the American people are free to succeed, theres no limit to what we can accomplish.

That’s the main reason why I was proud to support balancing our budget. Its time for Washington to live by the same rules as every American family. Its so simple: Dont spend what you dont have. Its what my wife, Kelly, and I do with our own budget.

And when we do spend money, it needs to be in a more efficient and effective way. For example, last year the federal government spent $3.5 trillion. It’s just common sense that we should use your hard earned tax dollars on American made products whenever possible.

Lets jump start the U.S. economy by using American made steel and iron, instead of spending on products from places like China or India. Lets rebuild our country before others. Let’s invest in the American people first.

Now, in order to move these ideas of controlling our spending and investing in America, Ive made an effort to get to know both Republicans and Democrats in Washington. I believe its not only important to changing the culture of Washington, but its my hope that by getting to know these people, I can convince them to support important priorities for Northeast Ohioans, like protecting our Great Lakes, which contains one-fifth of the worlds fresh water supply.

Thats also why I joined the United Solutions Caucus, a group of bipartisan freshmen members of Congress who have pledged to work together on the most serious problems facing our nation. I joined because Ohioans deserve a functional government and I know most people are sick and tired of partisan bickering.

We shouldnt have to fight about everything in Washington. What Ive heard time and time again from people across the district is that they just want us to get things done.

Political party membership should not determine if an issue passes or fails. Rather, the issue should be judged on whether or not it is good for the country. That’s why I was proud to reach across the aisle to support the Violence Against Women Act. Violence is violence, and as a former prosecutor, I know how important this law was.

While weve made some headway, theres still a long road ahead of us. My dad had a saying, My word is my only real bond. I took that saying to heart. So, I pledge to you that Ill try my best each and every day Im in office to work hard and say what I mean, and mean what I say.

So please, contact my office anytime. One of the most important parts of my job is making sure Im hearing from you and I know that the solutions to our nations problems wont be found in Washington, theyll be found among Ohio small business owners, parents, teachers and families.

Let me know what youd like to see happen over the next 100 days and Ill promise to keep working hard every single day on your behalf.

Rep. David P. Joyce

Ohio 14th District

@RepDaveJoyce

facebook.com/RepDaveJoyce

440-352-3939