Some in House Look to Roll Back Bush Plans

AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/5/05 | Will Lester - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - Some conservative Republicans in the House want to roll back much of the new Medicare drug benefit and the "No Child Left Behind" education law that President Bush (news - web sites) made domestic hallmarks of his first term, a GOP lawmaker said Wednesday.

While praising Bush's leadership on fighting terrorism and passing tax cuts, Rep. Mike Pence (news, bio, voting record) of Indiana said it was important for Republicans to reassert conservative values that led them to control of Congress.

"The fate of the Republican majority ... will be largely determined by whether or not we rediscover those principles of limited government that more than anything else propelled us to majority status," said Pence, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of more than 100 conservative House members.

Pence told National Press Club members at a breakfast briefing that his stated goal of undoing certain accomplishments of the first Bush term "makes me the skunk at the garden party."

He described several conservative goals for this term of Congress:

_ Change the prescription drug benefit passed recently by Congress from a "one-size-fits-all entitlement" to a benefit for those who need federal help to buy prescription drugs.

_ "Reverse the expanding federal role in primary and secondary education, which conservatives believe is a state and local function."

_ Begin to steer back to the goal of a balanced budget.

_ Restore the First Amendment protection of freedom of speech by pursuing changes in new campaign finance laws.

Pence said he was not speaking for all House conservatives but that many of them had similar concerns.

Republicans gain better results with legislation when they "start from the right and move to the middle," Pence said. That tactic was not followed in the case of the education measure requiring tougher standards for public school students, he said.

"I have no problem with Washington, D.C., finding ways to get resources to the schools, but not red tape, not mandates — not turning Washington, D.C., into a national school board," he said.

The House conservatives may run into resistance from their GOP leaders.

Asked about Pence's aims, John Feehery, a spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, said of the Medicare drug benefit, "Given a chance to work, it will save money in the long run. But he wants to take a look at entitlements — make them more efficient."

Feehery said Hastert "supported the president's education bill. He understands schools are controlled locally, but people want improved schools."

Pence said he is not questioning Bush's conservative credentials.

"I think the president is a conservative in his heart," Pence said, adding that he was "cautiously optimistic" that will show up more often in Bush's policies.

"There was an awful lot of latitude given to this president in the wake of the tragic events of Sept. 11," Pence said, noting the difficulties of starting up the Department of Homeland Security, fighting the war on terror and conducting wars in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq (news - web sites). But Pence said it's critical for conservatives to reclaim their principles or "risk electoral disaster."

[GVnana]

not turning Washington, D.C., into a national school board

That was accomplished long before "no child".

[econ_grad]

I wonder where fellow Freepers stand on this. Do folks support Bush blindly, or do we actually support to roll-back decades of govt largeese? How many Freepers would vote against Bush's pet projects in Congress?

[little jeremiah]

I hope they succeed. "No child" is bad, bad, bad. For a variety of reasons; the main one is get the federal gov't out of the school system. It's so bad it will probably have to self-destruct in order to get reincarnated properly.

A friend whose sister-in-law is in the National Guard says that the NG won't take those who have GEDS or are homeschooled, unless they get to the "second tier" of applicants. If the military won't take homeschooled high school grads, that is a serious loss for the military. She and the charter school teacher who helps with her homeschooled kids thinks it's because of "No child". "No child" may also dismantle this very popular charter/homeschool.

[little jeremiah]

AFAIAC, teh gov't could reduce spending by 50% for a good start. Emphasis on the word "start".

[bahblahbah]

All the money you throw at education isn't going to do a damn thing unless you get the kids interested in learning. We need to cut down on the bureaucracy and try some new approaches.

I think starting at Grade 5 we should ask ever kid in America twice a year what they want to do when they get out of school. Then give them a related book to read and make them do a book report and a project. Then every week in high school, have local professors or industry gurus come to the high schools and talk about their related fields and opportunities for jobs in those fields. We need to get kids to be thinking about the future for them to want to prepare for that future.

Otherwise the only option is to smack the crap out of them and well the libs took that option away. Maybe make all schools military schools.

[investigateworld]

Or even more basic, shut off the TV, unplug the Internet, take away the Gameboy.

[duznshwrnkd]

It seems a lot around here will follow him blindly. I for one supported Bush solely on the grounds that Kerry would be a travesty and would probably have signed Kyoto. But Bush is a tax(cut) and spend liberal and may be worse than a Dem president in many facets because the Republican Congress shows him no resistance. It's time for the real conservatives of this country to take a stand before 2006/2008 and say we will not under any circumstances support another lib from the GOP. If it takes losing an election to prove our point it will be better in the long run. Best to assert ourselves now while the Democrats are in chaos.

[duznshwrnkd]

Or even more basic, shut off the TV, unplug the Internet, take away the Gameboy.

No internet!!!! But how will they get their daily dose of FR???

[investigateworld]

LOL !!! That would be part of the "Carrot". I'm a bit older than most of you'll and I learn something here everyday. (and the Ann Coulter photo's don't hurt)