The new Washington takeover of Main Street

The so-called financial regulation bill passed out of the Senate this past month throws a big wet blanket on the American entrepreneurial system, the real creator of most new jobs. It was supposed to rein in Wall Street, but instead is just another Washington takeover — this time of Main Street — making it harder [...]

Tackle obesity to lower health costs

Childhood obesity is a national problem approaching epidemic proportions. This unprecedented rise in obesity directly correlates to the decrease in physical activity. Helping children adopt a healthier lifestyle now will give them a better chance to live a long and productive life. And given the attention to public health and health care services, healthier children [...]

The financial health of our country is concern

I’m a strong believer in pursuing appropriate fiscal and economic policy, rooted in free market principles, with a strong focus on getting the federal government’s spending under control, lowering taxes and reducing the deficit. And, I am profoundly concerned about the financial health of our country. For far too long our government has failed to [...]

National windmill policy equivalant of going to war in sailboats

Thursday, April 22, was Earth Day, which celebrated its 40th anniversary. Earth Day is a good day to celebrate what I hope will be a national resolve to build 100 new nuclear power plants in the next 20 years, which would be the best way to create the largest amount of pollution-free, carbon-free electricity. Today, [...]

Premiums will go up under Democratic health care bill, some will pay fine

In my opening remarks on behalf of Republicans at the White House health care summit on Feb. 25, I said that millions of Americans under the Democratic plan would pay higher individual insurance premiums. The president said I was wrong. I then cited a Congressional Budget Office report to show I was right, and rather [...]

Health care bill is the same old turkey you didn’t like in August

What Republicans want as we debate the Senate Democrats’ health care plan is very simple. We want to make sure the American people have a chance to read Majority Leader Harry Reid’s bill and know exactly what it costs and exactly how it will affect them. That is not an unreasonable request. Senator Reid’s bill [...]

Expensive health care, the war in Afghanistan and the Guantanamo terrorist trials

Editor’s Note — The following are three speeches made by Rep. Duncan on the House floor during November 2009. Government is the reason for expensive health care Before the federal government got heavily into health care in the mid-sixties, medical care was cheap and affordable for almost everyone. Doctors even commonly made house calls. We [...]

Health care reform, solar power and the highway reauthorization bill

Editor’s Note — The following are three speeches made by Rep. Duncan on the House floor during October 2009. Health care reform Mr. Speaker, Robert Samuelson is a long-time economics columnist for The Washington Post. He is considered to be a very middle-of-the-road writer, neither liberal nor conservative. In yesterday’s Post, he wrote a column [...]

The Obama White House should not make an enemies list

In 1969 and during the first half of 1970, I was a wet-behind-the-ears, 29-year-old staff aid in the West Wing of the Nixon White House. I was working for the wisest man in that White House, Bryce Harlow, who was a friend of President Johnson, as well as the favorite staff member of President Eisenhower, [...]