By U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.)

On Tuesday, President Obama gave the State of the Union address. In it, he painted a picture of a divided government, gridlocked by hyper-partisanship, and focused on the need to strengthen America’s economy through energy security, manufacturing and a renewal of American values.

This is exactly what the House has done for the past year.

The House has already passed legislation that would support what the President Tuesday referred to as an “all-out, all-of-the-above strategy”, including opening up offshore areas to exploration, and using natural gas and shale oil. Bills such as The North American-Made Energy Security Act and the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act have passed the House – with bipartisan support – and now wait in the Senate for consideration.

The House has passed 16 bills this year to reduce burdensome taxes and regulations on businesses so that they can grow and create jobs here.  And for years, I have advocated for the reduction of the United States’ corporate tax rate so that companies can afford to manufacture products and hire workers on our soil.

In December, the House passed a year-long extension of the payroll tax cut, paid for with spending reductions that the President himself has supported.  The President’s own fiscal commission has recommended the repeal of loopholes and deductions that make paying our taxes more difficult and makes our businesses uncompetitive – recommendations the President ignored. House Republicans have not ignored these common-sense policies and have introduced legislation that would make our tax code simpler, flatter and fairer.

While it seems that President Obama is making his upcoming election bid about running against Congress, he should realize that the House has stepped up to the plate. As I have said following the past three State of the Union addresses, I stand ready to work with the President, and my colleagues in the House and Senate to find solutions and get our country back on track.

The Keystone XL Pipeline

Last week, the State Department denied the request for the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. This misguided decision shows how an election year has put politics ahead of the American people.

The Keystone XL Pipeline would create tens of thousands of jobs, while decreasing our dependence on foreign energy sources. The State Department has said that doing this is “not in the national interest”, and that questions remain unanswered.

The Obama Administration has been studying the Keystone pipeline for at least three years. This decision is an example of bureaucracy at its worst.  In an effort to promote job creation, the House Energy & Commerce Committee will continue to push the Administration to stop stalling. If they need answers to questions about environmental impact or other factors, they should find those answers and move forward.

Putting Our Area Back To Work

On Monday, our office held a very successful job and veteran resources fair in Charlotte. More than 20 employers and organizations were on hand to talk with job seekers, accept resumes and applications for available jobs, and talk with veterans about employment opportunities and benefits.  If you were able to attend, we welcome your feedback so that we can improve future events.

As always, thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Please let our office know if we can ever be of assistance.

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