Congress Must Find Common Ground, Says House Republican Leader

March 12, 2007 - As the House Republican Leader, Representative John Boehner (R-OH) knows that members on both sides of the political aisle must work together to find common ground on issues important to the American people.

“As we all know, Republicans lost in the last election,” Boehner told the more than 900 IAFF members gathered at the 2007 Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference. “I have a new hand to play, and recognize that we need to earn our way back and come up with solutions to issues that the American people care about.”

Throughout his 25-year political career, Boehner has worked with fire fighters at the local, state and federal level, and enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the IAFF. “Thank you for what you do,” he said. “It’s easy for fellow citizens to assume if there is a fire that it will be put out. As one citizen, thank you all for your commitment to your communities across the country.

A big proponent of working together on key issues, Boehner stressed the need to ensure that our children and grandchildren have a brighter future than we did. “We need to balance the budget without raising taxes, and quit spending money that we don’t have,” he admonished. He called Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid critically important for future generations, and stressed the need to ensure that every child has a chance at a good education. Additionally, Boehner addressed the importance of being energy independent. “We can grow more ethanol and corn, and buy more production in the United States,” he said.

Boehner also offered his views on terrorism and the war in Iraq.

“For 20 years, the United States looked up and looked away from the terrorist movement, and hoped the problem would go away,” he suggested. “But in 2001, the people of New York found out how badly terrorists want to kill us.”

As the terrorist movement expands in Asia, Africa and other nations, Boehner maintained that American can no longer look up and away. “People are being bred and brainwashed to kill Americans and our allies,” he noted. “What else is America to do?”

Most visible is what’s happening in Iraq, continued Boehner. “Failure in Iraq is not an option,” he said. “Who doesn’t believe that if we fail in Iraq, they won’t follow us home and beat us here? It’s time to stand up for our troops and win for the future. Winning in Iraq is in best interest of the United States.”

Relaying a message learned from his college football days, Boehner told a story of how his team won more games than it should have – not because they were bigger or faster, but because “we knew we were going to win.”

He continued, “There is nothing in this world that you can’t accomplish if you work hard enough and make sacrifices. This formula works well. America can be a great country if we want to make it happen.”

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