Last night during a live webcast with Rob, MJ and Dan on the
Herman Cain Channel, we considered the question of what actions the new Republican Congress can and should take immediately. I realize President Obama still has his veto pen, but that doesn't mean he can simply veto everything with impunity.
I think there are four no-brainer actions the Republican Congress can and should pass immediately, and that there is a decent chance they can get Obama's signature on. These are the proverbial low-hanging fruit, and they are as follows:
I. Approval of the Keystone XL pipeline
This has been stuck in administrative hell at the State Department for most of Obama's presidency. The pipeline would not only create a lot of jobs but would also further our energy independence because it would make it easier for us to buy oil from friendly Canada instead of relying on the sheikhs and emirs in the Middle East. But lefty environmentalists hate it because they hate oil, and Obama has been sitting on it because he doesn't want to upset anyone who is part of his political base. Republicans need to push this. They should pass legislation approving the pipeline and put it on Obama's desk. That takes the decision away from the mid-level bureaucrats whose skirts Obama and John Kerry are hiding behind, and puts it right in the Oval Office. I'd love to hear how Obama justifies a veto of this.
II. Get rid of the tax on repatriated profits
This is such a no-brainer it's astonishing. U.S. companies are sitting on $2 trillion in capital that's being kept overseas because they would have to pay a 35 percent tax on it if they bring it back to the U.S. This is capital that could be used to fuel a massive expansion of companies, jobs, production and market development. It is doing the U.S. no good to keep this capital out of the country through foolish tax policy. And they're never going to collect any taxes on it, because as long as the tax is in place, it's not coming here. Get rid of the tax and see that $2 trillion flood in to the country.
III. Change the ObamaCare employee mandate to define a work week as 40 hours
I know it's not as good as getting rid of the mandate altogether, but how can Obama justify keeping a rule in place that is causing employees' hours to be cut back to 29 hours a week or less? This is a European model and it makes no sense. The mandate itself is awful, but we know Obama won't sign a repeal of it. I think there's a chance, if the Republicans play it right, he might sign this.
IV. Change mandate on companies from 50 employees to 500 employees
Along those lines, change the mandate so that instead of requiring every company with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance, you only require that of employers with more than 500. This will spur a huge increase in job creation among smaller companies who are holding back right now because they can't afford the health insurance mandate they will face if they grow. It will be hard for Obama to admit that the mandate is killing jobs, and he would be implicitly doing that if he signed the bill. But it's obvious to everyone else, so it's time to test just how obstinate he can really be.
Folks, I know this isn't everything we want. If a Republican was in the White House, we would obviously be pushing for a much more ambitious agenda. But this is a start, and it represents some things I think we can get done now. We want the new Republican Congress to make a real difference. Start here, and then we'll talk about doing more.
