Dear Friend,
As Congress continues to navigate this urgent and complicated debt crisis, you can count on me to do the right thing for the right reasons and to approach every vote as a free market, constitutional conservative. I have cosponsored a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution every session since 2001, and I am an original cosponsor of the Cut, Cap and Balance plan that puts America on track for a balanced budget. I will continue to strenuously oppose any tax increases, while pushing hard for massive spending cuts and enforceable spending caps.
My hero, Thomas Jefferson, once said, “Though you cannot see when you take one step what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear their leading you out of the labyrinth – the knot which you thought a Gordian one will untie itself before you.” Applying those basic principles will help avert a default, and ensure the deepest possible spending cuts and the strongest possible spending caps.
I also want to stress that none of the proposed plans will affect Medicare, Social Security, or Medicaid for anyone age 55 or older. However, it would be tragically shortsighted not to reform these entitlement programs since they are unsustainable on their current path.
The gravity of a default is not lost on me, or our leadership. A 1% increase in interest rates will instantly wipe out the spending cuts while inflicting untold damage on our economy and our standing as the global financial leader and holder of the world’s reserve currency.
Unfortunately we fiscal conservatives are temporarily outnumbered in Washington, and we will have to reach some sort of agreement to avoid the catastrophe of default. Since the Democrat led Senate and the White House oppose both the Balanced Budget Amendment and the Cut, Cap, and Balance plan we passed out of the House, Speaker John Boehner’s latest plan appears our best option to avoid a default.
Speaker Boehner’s plan contains no tax increases and achieves 80% of the spending cuts set out in Congressman Paul Ryan’s conservative Roadmap budget plan adopted this spring. The Boehner plan also contains nearly $915 billion in spending cuts over 10 years. Speaker Boehner believes this is the largest cut we can hope to pass through the Democrat controlled Senate, and his plan also ensures that we will get a series of votes on different versions of the Balanced Budget Amendment, which gives us the best chance of sending it on to the States for ratification. The plan would require another vote on raising the debt limit in six months, providing another opportunity to achieve even larger spending cuts. I believe this plan is the best short term solution and it is absolutely imperative that we adopt it.
I am determined to leave America more free and more prosperous for our children and grandchildren just as our parents and grandparents did for us. I know the right thing to do is to cut spending and cut taxes but that is simply not possible with the current president and the current Senate, and we face a default deadline that must be met.
I am confident America will not default on its debt, but I cannot yet say which path we will take to get there. You should rest assured that I will stay true to my core principles as a Jeffersonian, free market constitutional conservative, and as he said, I am confident “the Gordian knot will untie itself.”
Thank you for entrusting me to represent you in the United States Congress.
Sincerely,
John Culberson
Member of Congress
Republicans and Democrats need to work together to find a solution to our debt problem. We don’t need to cut our current programs that go to the American people. We need to cut the money going to other countries and to illegal immigrants. Americans need to benefit from the money they pay in. We do not pay taxes in order for our government to give it away to people that have not contributed to it or to other countries. Congress and the Senate need to take care of legal citizens in this country first. Americans need to come first.
Dear Congressman -
In this very 11:59 hour, I want you to actively help other congressmen or senate members in your party to achieve the signing of the agreement on the debt ceiling and budget balance bill before midnight tonight 7/31/2011.
You see I have my entire retirement funds in the stock market and I am sick and tire of watching my retirement go lower and lower as the republicans are fighting the democrats plan put together by Senator Reid without even a compromise between their plan and the proposed plan by Senator Boehner.
Quit it! And let’s move on and stop this ridiculous political crap. I will remember my 401k plan losses in 2012 when the election comes and will think twice about voting for the republican’s candidate!
George Parra –
A concerned 60 years old male American citizen close to retirement.
Good for you Mr. Culberson! I am so very happy to see that at least one congressman is trying to hold their state accountable in the matter of banning Christian prayers at military funerals.
One of the basic principles America was founded on was Freedom of Religion. We are GUARANTEED to worship, or not worship, as we believe and see fit. We are also guaranteed freedom of choice. I choose Christianity and respect their right not to.
What do they find so offensive about God? The fact that He expects us to live by the 10 commandments? What a wonderful world this would be if everyone lived by the 10 commandments. We could retire all of the military forces of the world, and there would be peace on earth with everyone loving their neighbor. Oh my goodness! How terrible! Just what are they thinking?
Thank you Mr. Culberson. I applaud you.
Vote with the Democrates to raise the debt ceiling. You have lost my vote as well as all republicans running in the next election. Quite playing political games with the very important issue. You know what you’re doing and if the debt ceiling is not raised the people will suffer financially. Find a compromise that allows for some budget cuts and some tax increases that is fair to both side. You know what is right. So take some responsibility and act.
Rep. Culberson,
As an investment professional with a major Wall St. firm, I can attest to how concerned everyone of my friends and clients are about the potential negative and unintended effects of not passing the debt ceiling and reducing the deficit. While I respect and agree with your conservative Jeffersonian principals,standing on your principals without some compromise may end up disasterous for our country. If we can achieve $4+ Trillion in deficit reduction everyone I know would kick in a little more tax to get this done. Digging in your heels without any willingness to compromise, while I know this goes against respected principals, may not be the best way to achieve a solution in time to avoid much bigger problems. I too would love the Republican agenda to pass easily, but that is not going to happen without some compromise.
Please be part of the solution not part of the problem.