Message from Congressman Allen West

Congressman West addresses President Obama's attempt to position himself as a government reformer while grabbing more power! ~Lynn

Greetings to our constituents, fellow Floridians, and all Americans, it is time again to reflect on another week and look forward to the next.


In reviewing this week, I must begin with another in a series of political gimmicks emanating from President Obama masquerading as policy. The President is actually attempting to position himself as a “government reformer” by presenting an idea to consolidate a few offices and programs in the United States Department of Commerce.

Truly the President cannot believe the American people are that gullible! The absurdity of this posturing must be patently obvious to most -- well, except for those still intoxicated by the vaporous promises of “hope and change.”

Let us break down the President’s proposal, which will result in three billion dollars in savings over the next 10 years.

The day prior, the President sent a letter to Congress requesting another $1.2 trillion line of credit by raising the debt ceiling. I for one shall vote YES on the “Motion of Disapproval.” President Obama has accumulated more debt, just shy of $5 trillion, than all Presidents from President Washington to the conclusion of President Clinton’s eight years.

President Obama once called President George W. Bush “unpatriotic” for accumulating $4 trillion of debt in eight years. One has to wonder, what does President Obama call himself?

In the past three years, President Obama has supervised budget deficits of $1.42 trillion, $1.29 trillion, and $1.3 trillion. As a comparative analysis, President George W. Bush’s highest annual deficit was in 2008, his final year (Nancy Pelosi was Speaker of the House, Harry Reid was Senate Majority Leader) and it was $500 billion.


It seems ludicrous that President Obama would believe the American people would consider him a fiscally responsible government reformer. After all, the federal government spends $4.24 billion per DAY. President Obama crowing about a savings of $3 billion over 10 years is meaningless in the overall conversation on reducing spending.

Let us see this for what it is: another attempt for the President to attack Congress and try to convince the American public they just want to disagree with him on every point.

Mr. President, we do not just want to disagree with you, we wish you would follow the paradigm of President Bill Clinton. After the 1994 mid-term elections when the Republicans won the Majority in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, President Clinton pivoted away from a far-left liberal agenda, and worked with a Republican House and Senate. President Clinton altered his objectives, resulting in government reform, budget surpluses, a balanced budget, and welfare reform.

Instead Mr. President, you have tripled down on failed economic policies while attempting to brand House Republicans as your declared enemy in your re-election campaign.

My recommendation to President Obama: If you are serious about streamlining government, start with the 2011 GAO report that listed between $200 and $300 billion in redundant and duplicative government programs. Click here for that report.

Our small business owners, with whom I speak often, want clarity and certainty in tax policies and a reduction in the regulatory nightmare your administration has created. Taking the Small Business Administrator and making it a cabinet level position means nothing for the countless closed storefronts down here in South Florida.

Along with the concerns about the lack of a clear fiscal policy emanating from the Obama administration, we saw Standard and Poor’s downgrade nine Euro-zone countries this week. We must start to ponder what collateral effect may occur to the American financial sector in the future.

Never forget that as a community organizer, President Obama aided the 2008 financial meltdown with his efforts supporting what became the “sub-prime” mortgage crisis. Now, President Obama is not prepared for what could be another fiscal crisis coming our way. We must strengthen our economy.


Mr. President, take a page from President Clinton, and let’s work together for the best for America, rather than a personal ideological agenda which is anathema to our fundamental principles.

Lastly, after seeing and hearing much rancor in reference to the recent Marine incident I published a short statement, read here. Today, I want to share a quote, which I believe should put this issue to rest, from President Theodore Roosevelt, on April 23, 1910, from a speech entitled, “Citizenship in a Republic.”

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Steadfast and Loyal,
Allen West