PLEDGE...

[Cliffenstein]

"Pledge To America" Unveiled by Republicans
Brian Montopoli, Jill Jackson / CBS News Political Hotsheet / September 22, 2010

CBS News has obtained a final draft of House Republicans' legislative agenda for the next Congress, a 21-page "Pledge To America" that they will formally unveil Thursday morning at a Virginia hardware store.

"The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people cannot be overstated," the introduction says.

It continues: "With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our pledge to America."

For a breakdown of the document, check out "Pledge to America: The New Republican Agenda," by CBS News Senior Political Producer Jill Jackson. Below are some highlights, and the full document is linked at the bottom.

Jobs:
- Stop job-killing tax hikes
- Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income
- Require congressional approval for any new federal regulation that would add to the deficit
- Repeal small business mandates in the new health care law.

Cutting Spending:
- Repeal and Replace health care
- Roll back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels before TARP and stimulus (will save $100 billion in first year alone)
- Establish strict budget caps to limit federal spending going forward
- Cancel all future TARP payments and reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Reforming Congress:
- Will require that every bill have a citation of constitutional authority
- Give members at least 3 days to read bills before a vote

Defense:
- Provide resources to troops
- Fund missile defense
- Enforce sanctions in Iran

Click here to read the "Pledge To America" full text document.

[SeminiferousButtNoid]

Same old Republican bullshit. Notice how the words "balanced budget" appears nowhere in this plan. They don't want really want to cut spending, just the Democrats spending.

[tin00can]

How about you make a pledge to hit your caps lock key?

[SmokeyRamone]

just a bunch of empty promises I'm sure, but at least they've got the rhetoric right. Obama wants to keep taxing and spending and doesn't seem to give a shit at all about rampant spending, lowering taxes, or doing anything about government waste. Not buying what the republicans are trying to sell for a second, but at least they're giving it some lip service, due I'm sure to the fact that the tea party is really starting to piss on their parade

[LuciferSanchez]

blah, blah, blah...reminds of the "contract with America" back in the 1990s. How soon will the Republicans back away from the pledge.

[St_Augustines_Pears]

reminds of the "contract with America" back in the 1990s.

That was the first thing I thought of when I read about this. Deja vu all over again.