A Bad Deal
A Bad Deal
On Tuesday President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry traded the safety of America, Israel and the world for an attempt to save an already tarnished foreign policy legacy. The United States was brought to a negotiating table by Iran, a country that our own State Department labels a state sponsor of terrorism.
From conducting prisoner swaps, to abandoning redlines, to ignoring the violation of sovereign territories by state and non-state actors, President Obama's actions are guided by campaign promises and talking points rather than history and experienced advisers. Now that we can add a ‘trust before verify' approach to President Obama's foreign policy playbook, I will vote to oppose this deal when it comes before Congress.
The House Financial Services Committee, on which I serve, is one of four committees in the House of Representatives that will have the first opportunity to look at the Iran agreement before it is voted on by the entire chamber. I am concerned that the current agreement paves the way for Iran to get the bomb. As the Wall Street Journal wrote this week, "The agreement all but guarantees that Tehran will eventually become a nuclear power, while limiting the ability of a future president to prevent it."
Honoring Fort Hood
Click hereto watch Rep. Williams speak on the House floor.
Last week, in an address to the National Commission on the Future of the Army, I shared my thoughts on the recent troop reduction announcement and how it relates to Fort Hood and the U.S. Army as a whole. In my statement, I explained that Fort Hood is a treasure of Texas, but it is also the gold standard for the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense, and it is pivotal to our nation's overall national security posture.
On Thursday, I expressed similar sentiments on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.
If sequestration takes effect in October as planned the U.S. Army will have to cut 30,000 soldiers in addition to the 40,000 soldiers that will be removed from ranks over the next two years. At this level, our military may not be able to commit to current deployments, let alone successfully take on new challenges. With the expansion of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, the instability of governments in the Middle East and an aggressive Russia and China, this is not the time to be cutting our Army to pre-World War II levels.
For this reason, it is imperative that Congress relieve the strain the sequester has put on Fort Hood and our entire military.
Jumpstart America
My tax reform plan, with a business perspective
Two weeks ago the U.S. Department of Labor released its unemployment report. While the Obama Administration is quick to cite numbers that work in their favor we must remember there are hardworking Americans who are struggling to make ends meet and millions more who are relying on the government as their only source of income.
No matter how this president wants to spin it, the fact is that America's labor force participation rate is the lowest since 1977, and there are nearly one hundred million Americans age 16 and over who are not working. This is unacceptable. Rather than raise wages from the White House, pass blame and fudge numbers, this president should spend his time incentivizing business owners to hire again.
My plan, Jumpstart America, will do just that.
Jumpstart America is a seven bill tax reform proposal that will focus on:
• Repatriation
• Individual tax rates
• Bonus depreciation
• Corporate tax rates
• Payroll tax brackets
• Capital gains
• LIFO accounting
You can read more about Jumpstart America in my op-ed in the Stephenville Empire Tribune, or you can listen to my interview on Sirius XM's POTUS Channel by clicking here or on the image above.