The following response was ghost-written for Tom Sapp, Brunswick County Democratic Party Chair:
Letter from David Rouzer:
Yesterday marks the first 100 days of the 116th Congress with a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives. When you are in the minority you don’t control the schedule of floor votes or what bills come to the floor; nor do you have any control over what is passed except by amendments that the Democrat majority will accept. So far, the Democrat majority has embraced radical socialism, defended infanticide, ignored the crisis at our border and put forth proposals that would redistribute wealth and destroy our economy.
Instead of working on behalf of the American people to grow our economy, create jobs and secure our country, Democrats are spending their time advancing radical and socialist policies that empower government instead of ordinary citizens.
As your representative, I continue to work with the Trump Administration to strengthen our immigration laws and improve border security, rebuild our infrastructure, lower the cost of good quality healthcare and prescription drugs, and grow our economy even more so that every American has an even greater opportunity to get ahead. These are the priorities of the 7th District of North Carolina. These are the priorities of House Republicans.
With a divided government, it means that Democrats must be willing to compromise with Republicans to produce a bill that the President is willing to sign into law. (And even when we had a Republican Majority in the House, to get a bill to the President’s desk it required 60 votes in the Senate meaning Democrat votes were needed for everything except tax reform which was passed under a complicated budget rule that is limited to specific revenue and spending items.)
Despite House Republicans being in the minority, it is more critical than ever that we stand against harmful policies and put forth ideas that build on the successes of the last two years. With a majority in the House during this past Congress (2017-2018), we were able to eliminate job-killing regulations, pass historic tax reform that has made America the most attractive place to do business in the world and driving an economic boom. (One key caveat to this: Historically, the agriculture economy hurts when the general economy is strong and vice versa. That is certainly the case right now.) We worked hard to rebuild our military, strengthen the farm safety net, combat sex trafficking, and provide our law enforcement with the tools necessary to combat the opioid epidemic.
While our Democrat colleagues seek to put forth policies that allow the government to expand its reach and stifle economic opportunity, House Republicans are committed to putting our country, security and workers first. Here is a summary of the major actions taken by the House Democrat majority the past 100 days:
Passed H.R. 1 which takes your hard earned tax dollars to fund campaigns that you may not support. Small donor contributions would be subsidized 6 to 1. Because the Democrats have a computer software platform in place that generates hundreds of millions through many small contributions for their candidates and incumbents, they
want to use taxpayer dollars to match these contributions by six times and fund their campaigns. Ironically, President Trump would be one of the biggest beneficiaries since he has the most small dollar donors in history. Regardless of who it helps, it is bad policy.
Introduced the “Green New Deal” which could cost taxpayers up to $93 trillion to fulfill expensive and unrealistic promises. This proposal includes a number of radical ideas like eliminating air transportation, controlling elements of the agriculture industry, and destroying the entire energy sector.
Passed net neutrality legislation (H.R. 1644) which would enact Obama-era regulations that would effectively result in a federal government takeover of the internet. In fact, the regulatory structure they are trying to impose is identical to the regulatory structure put in place to regulate utilities in the 1930s. Technology is in a very different place than it was ninety years ago.
Passed the so-called “Paycheck Fairness Act” (H.R. 7) which offers no new protections against pay discrimination and instead creates unnecessary regulations, gives handouts to trial lawyers and makes it harder for small business owners to defend against frivolous lawsuits.
Refused to bring forth a budget as required by law.
Voted to override the President's veto of H.J. Res. 46, a resolution to terminate the President's emergency border declaration, which if enacted would have prevented the President from using a proposed $3.6 billion in previously appropriated military construction funding to build new barriers on the border with Mexico.
Passed two measures (H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112) to make it harder for law-abiding citizens to exercise their 2nd amendment rights.
Passed a non-binding resolution expressing opposition to banning service in the Armed Forces by openly transgender individuals. The U.S. military needs to be focused on defending our country and defeating all those forces that threaten our freedoms. Social experimentation and using taxpayer dollars to fund transgender surgeries is far outside the scope of the purpose of the military.
Sincerely, David Rouzer
Our Response:
Thank you for your letter of April 13, 2019 commemorating the first 100 days of the 116th congress. I was a little puzzled by your references to the progress your Republican colleagues made when they were in control of the House. What was missing from your letter, however, was any mention of how you, David Rouzer, performed as a congressman representing the 7th District of North Carolina during that period. So, I decided to see for myself. According to Govtrack, an organization that ranks the effectiveness of legislators, you are ranked at the very bottom of the list of Republican members of the House. You introduced seven bills, none of which came out of committee or attracted a single powerful co-sponsor. In other words, you have accomplished zero. A separate study by Vanderbilt University ranked you slightly higher among your Republican colleagues – 206th – not quite at the bottom, but close. Well done!
Perhaps in your next letter, you can fill us all in on exactly what you have achieved as our congressman to improve the lives of your constituents during your tenure in the House.
But let’s not dwell on your record, or lack thereof. Let’s look at the performance of the Republican party both before they lost their majority and in the last 100 days. According to your letter, you continue to work with our president on several issues. So, how is that going?
Immigration. Thanks to Trump’s chaotic policies, our Southern border is a disaster. Children have been separated from their parents and more refugees have flooded the border than in previous years. And we’re still waiting for Mexico’s check for the wall.
Infrastructure. What infrastructure? Despite all the promises, I cannot think of a single large-scale project that has begun since Trump took office and certainly nothing is happening in North Carolina’s 7th district.
Health Care. What happened to the repeal of the ACA? And where’s the Republican plan for “the greatest health care ever?” The reality is there is no plan other than your efforts to strip those with pre-existing conditions of their guarantee of coverage.
The Economy. Where are all the new and quality jobs in the 7th district? What happened to the resurgence of steel and other heavy industries that Trump promised? And since when do farmers suffer when the economy is strong? I doubt you’ll find many farmers who agree with you on that one. Sadly, your only economic accomplishment is a tax cut for corporations and the wealthy that will add trillions of dollars to our national debt and has done absolutely nothing for the average resident in your district.
You can spend your time bashing Democrats, calling them radical Socialists, and we can disagree on the proposals they are putting forth, but at least they are doing something by advancing legislation aimed at benefitting all Americans, not just the rich.
Unfortunately, your rhetoric glosses over the fact that as our Congressman, your tenure has been marked by your fealty to the most corrupt administration in history. And when it comes to your constituents, you have been totally ineffective. The voters of District 7 know it and in 2020, they will let you know it.
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