Calls for "New American Federalism"

Contact: Matt Lloyd, 202-226-4379 

WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- U.S. Congressman Mike Pence will deliver the following remarks to the Indiana General Assembly this afternoon at the Indiana Statehouse:

"We live in no ordinary times. Our economy is struggling in the city and on the farm. Unemployment is at a heartbreaking 9.4 percent nationally and 9.8 percent here in Indiana. Nearly 42 million Americans are on food stamps. We face a housing crisis and dismal GDP growth.

"And it seems that those in authority have no idea what to do about it. Some in the administration call it the 'new normal.'

"With 14.5 million people still looking for work, liberals in Washington, D.C., have tried to borrow and spend the country back to prosperity resulting in trillion dollar plus annual deficits and a $14 trillion national debt. To this runaway federal spending they added a government takeover of health care, attempted a national energy tax that would have worked a great hardship on Hoosier businesses and families, and approved one bailout after another.

"In so many ways in Washington D.C., government has grown beyond the consent of the governed. But in our nation's capital, like here in Indiana, there is a new majority in town and things are about to change.

"Even though our economy is struggling and America seems at a low point, I believe we can restore our economy and put our national government on a pathway toward fiscal solvency but it will take vision and courage to do it.

"Frankly, it will take policymakers in Washington starting to act more like Hoosier legislators and more like the best governor in America: Governor Mitch Daniels.

"Under your leadership, Indiana has led the nation in fiscal discipline, economic development and government reform. It's time Washington did likewise.

"And everything starts with putting our fiscal house in order.

"But we will never shrink the size of the federal government unless we return to the principles and practice of limited government enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.

"This nation faces serious challenges that will require us to renew our commitment to institutions resilient enough to lead America back.

"I believe those are the institutions of faith, family, community and state government.

"To renew our nation we must have a renewal of American federalism.

"The states were our past.

"They were forged from the wilderness.

"The states hold the promise of the future.

"They will lead America back or not at all.

"If America is to rebuild the foundations of our prosperity and security, we will do so in the families and communities and the states of this great nation.

"As Ronald Reagan said, I believe it is time again to remember that 'the federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government,' and to again 'demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the federal government and those reserved to the states or to the people.'

"And my pledge to you is simple: This new Congress will rededicate ourselves to putting the 10th Amendment into practice. Our Founders knew that government that governed least governed best and it's time the national government got back to recognizing the extraordinary capabilities and responsibilities of our states.

"To grow the economy we must shrink the size of the federal government by renewing American federalism.  Fiscal discipline alone will not be enough to bring jobs and prosperity back to our state and nation, we all need to embrace a new agenda for economic growth.  Here in Indiana and Washington, D.C., we must promote policies that will restore the incentive for Hoosiers to invest and take risks with confidence. 

"Permitting people to enjoy the fruits of their labor is what built our cities, conquered our frontiers, and made America the most prosperous nation in the history of the world.

"In addition to pursing the practice of limited government, new majorities in Congress and Indiana must embrace a bold agenda for economic growth built on timeless free market practices and reform.

"On the national level I submit they include the following: sound monetary policy, tax relief and reform, access to American energy, regulatory reform and trade.

"Some of these are new ideas. Some are timeless. Taken together, they will put us back on track for job creation and prosperity.

"On the state level, I have every confidence that this administration and this legislature will know what to do.

"Lastly, as we restore fiscal discipline, a new federalism and policies that will grow Indiana and America, we must recognize that our present crisis is not merely economic but moral in nature.

"At the root of these times should be the realization that people in positions of authority from Washington to Wall Street have walked away from the timeless truths of honesty, integrity, an honest day's work for an honest day's pay and the simple notion that you ought to treat the other guy the way you want to be treated.

"We will not restore this state or nation with public policy alone. It will require public virtue. 'When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?'

"As we promote policies to restore our economy, we must also reaffirm our nation's commitment to the values that have made our prosperity possible. As we seek to build national wealth, we must renew our commitment to the institutions that nurture the character of our people: sanctity of life, traditional marriage and the importance of organized religion.

"I stand before you as a colleague but also as an ordinary Hoosier, husband of twenty-five years, father of three and I implore you to lead boldly. Keep leading. And seize this moment in the life of our beloved Indiana to continue to steer our state back to the foundations of fiscal responsibility, growth and the kind of reform that will expand opportunities for all our citizens to work and learn and raise a family. 

"As you build an even better Indiana for our children and grandchildren, you can show the way for a better and stronger America; for wherever the Lord leads our little family in the years ahead, our hearts will always be here in Indiana.

"May God bless you in this session and may he keep you and your families as you serve our state and our nation."