This week, the House will vote on another round of spending cuts aimed at ending some of the uncertainty facing job creators so they can begin hiring again. And with high gas prices burdening families and small businesses, Republicans have launched the American Energy Initiative to stop Washington policies that are driving up prices and expand American energy production to help lower costs and create jobs. Learn more below and watch Speaker Boehner discussing the initiative here:

 

 

Obama Administration’s Energy Freeze Is Raising Gas Prices, Destroying Jobs

 

• The Obama Administration’s anti-energy policies are raising gas prices and destroying jobs. The president himself once admitted that his policies would cause energy prices to “skyrocket.”

• WATCH: Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) on Fox News discussing how the White House has blocked American energy production that would lower prices.

• FACT: American energy production has declined by 16 percent on President Obama’s watch.

• The Energy & Power Subcommittee approved the Energy Tax Prevention Act to block the EPA from imposing new regulations that will destroy jobs and drive gas prices even higher.

 

Republicans Focusing on Cutting Spending to Help End Some of the Uncertainty Facing Job Creators

 

• To save taxpayers another $8 billion, the House voted to begin shutting down the TARP bailout program. The White House, defending the indefensible status quo, threatened to veto the bill.

• House Republicans will host a forum this week for American employers to share their ideas for growing the economy and creating new private sector jobs.

• At a hearing on “lifting the crushing burden of debt,” economists told the House Budget Committee that “cutting spending is a pro-growth policy…”

• Bloomberg, Resurgent Republic, Gallup News, and others have all found the American people want spending cuts to create a better environment for job growth. Republicans are listening.

• But Washington Democrats are circling the wagons, leaning on their special interest allies (and “army of lobbyists”) to protect the job-crushing spending binge Americans want stopped.

 

Democrats Divided, Scrambling, Unwilling to Put Forward a Serious Plan that Cuts Spending

 

• Republicans are united with the American people on cutting spending to promote private-sector job creation (and have already taken action), but Democrats remain as divided as ever.

• For example, the House-passed H.R.1 received more votes in the Democrat-run Senate than the status quo proposal put forward by Democratic leaders and the president.

• Rank-and-file Democrats said the spending cuts put forward by their leaders are “too timid.”

• Just one day after President Obama said he was “prepared to do more” to cut spending, his political operation sent an e-mail imploring liberal allies to oppose GOP-backed spending cuts.

• Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) drew a “line in sand” and said Democrats have already been pushed “to the limit” on spending cuts. But just two weeks ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said we should “stop drawing lines in the sand.”

• Democrats keep repeating the debunked claim that they’ve “already put forward specific [spending] cuts that meet congressional Republicans halfway” – they haven’t.

• In fact, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) offered his solution for tackling the deficit: more taxes.  He called raising taxes “a popular thing to do.”

 

Also Happening

 

• While a positive step, the Obama Administration’s reversal on the prosecution of terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay raises more questions than answers. For example: what is the plan for prosecuting 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed?

• WATCH: A new video by the House Oversight Committee on bipartisan legislation to save the landmark DC school choice program for low-income students.

• The new House majority moved one step closer to reversing a government takeover of the Internet that would stifle private-sector job creation and undermine entrepreneurship.

 

As always, we appreciate your interest in the new House majority and encourage you to stay connected with the Office of the Speaker on Facebook, Twitter, and on Speaker.gov. Have a great week!

– Speaker Boehner’s Press Office