Tom Rice takes stance on less government

Hope and Change. Barack Obama offered an enticing message.

“I'm for the middle class. The government will take care of you. Free healthcare. Cash for clunkers. Free college. Business owners didn't build that, the government did. Successful people are greedy. Rein in the big banks, they are the enemy.”

It was easy to believe. We swallowed it hook, line and sinker. We handed over the government. In 2009 and 2010, the Democrats had something very, very rare. They had complete control of the government. They had a majority in the House of Representatives, a 60-vote majority in the Senate, and the Presidency. They could pass whatever they wanted, without compromise, and without a single Republican vote.

That has happened a few times since the Great Depression, and in most cases they have used the opportunity to move the country decidedly to the left. In the ‘30s, we got the New Deal. In the ‘60s, we got Johnson's war on poverty, which has cost trillions of dollars with little to no effect. And most recently, in 2009 and 2010, we got Obamacare and Dodd-Frank.

Now, seven years later, what is the result?

Healthcare: Free health insurance really isn't so free. Turns out you couldn't keep your plan, and you couldn't keep your doctor. High cost, high deductible plans mandated by Obamacare are great for insurance companies, but unusable for many consumers. Even worse, small employers have been discouraged from hiring new workers, holding back our economy and stealing opportunity from our young people.

Banking: Dodd-Frank's expansive growth of regulation and government hasn't hurt the big banks. They are bigger than ever. But the community banks are being crushed. Before Dodd-Frank, we were forming 100 community banks per year. In the six years since Dodd-Frank passed, less than 20 have been formed nationwide. That's the lowest bank formation rate in 50 years.

Small business: Community banks fund small businesses. If community banks struggle, small business struggles, as well. So it should be no surprise that between 2009 and 2012 more small businesses in America closed than opened. That is the worst business formation rate in decades.

Employment: Almost half of all working Americans are employed by a small business. If small business struggles, you should expect that wages would be stagnant and unemployment would rise. President Obama's Department of Labor will tell you that the unemployment rate in America is around 5%. But not many people believe that. In fact, close to 90 million Americans have left the workforce or have given up looking for a job. That is the worst labor participation rate in close to 40 years.

Household income and GDP: Median household income has dropped 8.7% since President Obama took office. In fact, median household income dropped every year under this President until last year. Two-thirds of our economy is based upon consumer spending. Cash-strapped consumers can't spend what they don't have. Therefore, our economy grows at an anemic rate of 2% or less. That's just over half of the post-war average of 3.25%.

Homeownership: Folks that have left the workforce cannot buy a home. Homeownership has created more wealth for more Americans than any other investment. Homeownership now stands at its lowest level in close to 50 years.

Poverty: The President loves to say he is for the middle class. He touts his love of the middle class in every speech, at every opportunity. So do Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Why then is the middle class disappearing? The number of americans on food stamps has increased by 42% since President Obama took office.

My point is this. By almost any metric, President Obama's policies have been a dismal failure. Our country, our economy, and the American people are far worse off than when he took office. The truth is that whether we are Democrat or Republican, we all want the same thing. We want success. We want our families to be healthy. We want our children to have a brighter future than we've had. Where we differ is on how to get there.

President Obama's promises, like those of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, sound appealing. A siren’s song. “Free this, free that. More tax. Big government will take care of you. I'm for the middle class. Just one more government program will get us there.”

The Republicans have a tougher sell. They believe that government cannot provide for you. That less government and less regulation will create growth and opportunity. And that opportunity, not government, will allow your children to succeed.

The Bible says “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits.”

When you make your choice this year as to who will lead this country, please look beyond the rhetoric. You have a seven-year track record on which to judge. The President's policies have borne fruit. Is your family better off under President Obama? Do your children have a brighter future?

Look at the fruit...

Rice is a Republican who represents the 7th Congressional District.

This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Tom Rice takes stance on less government."