As the American people have discovered, soaring rhetoric is no substitute for effective leadership on the key issues facing our nation: jobs, runaway spending, and an exploding government debt.
My friends and family know I love playing baseball - Little League through college. And every year in the annual Congressional Baseball Game for charity played at Nationals Stadium.
In 2012, I helped lead the successful effort in Congress to allow states to conduct drug testing of people receiving unemployment benefits.
One of America's best investments in peace and security is our special relationship with Israel.
Our compassion for one another, and our individual actions to help, is what makes our nation - and our community - great.
A stronger global hub at Bush means a stronger economic future for Houston.
American jobs are being lost to foreign countries, and U.S. companies are urged to move their manufacturing plants, new technologies and headquarters overseas.
Whole communities have been devastated as good-paying jobs continue to leave the U.S.
One of the most offensive actions by the IRS is its continued unlawful seizures of money and assets of innocent Americans, called civil asset forfeiture.
Washington knows how to spend money.
If Washington were a factory, it would manufacture spending.
We need smarter, 21st-century budget guardrails that would gradually trim the size of Washington in order to spur private investment, create jobs, and boost the income of hard-working Americans on Main Street.
The harsh reality is that we simply cannot tax our way out of our overspending and debt problem. We need a balanced approach that includes both a stronger economy to generate new tax revenues and bipartisan guardrails, which will help ensure that future presidents and congresses spend within our means.
The speakers I value don't just sound intelligent but can boil down complex issues in a clear, understandable way that encourages the public to think about the solutions.
One of my most rewarding congressional duties is nominating future military leaders to study at America's service academies. The exceptional young men and women who receive these coveted nominations earn a top-of-the-line education and the opportunity to serve their country as a military officer.
I think it's important, especially in health care, to take this step by step, whether it's the replacement of the Affordable Care Act, how we make Medicaid work better, how we save Medicare for the long term.
I'm absolutely confident - in fact, I'm optimistic that by focusing on quality and innovation in Medicare - that we can save that program for the long term in a very positive way.
I love trade. I love trade. First, it's economic freedom. It's the freedom to buy, sell, and compete with as little government interference as possible. Secondly, it's a jobs issue.
I wanted to be clear that Republicans will continue to be a champion for expanding economic freedom to trade. It is at the heart of our free-enterprise system.
There are real impacts from lowering tax rates, encouraging savings.
