U.S. Senator Jim Risch says new conscience rights rules put forth by the Obama administration chip away at constitutional rights in a speech on the Senate floor on February 29, 2012.
Senator Boozman is a cosponsor of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act. This legislation was offered as an amendment on the Senate floor and Senator Boozman spoke in support of the amendment that would restore conscience protections that President Obama's mandate removes.
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement on the Senate floor Wednesday regarding rising gas prices and the administration's failed energy policies:
Our nation is in dangerous financial territory. Our national debt exceeds $15 trillion, almost $5 trillion higher than it was just three years ago when the president took office. Instead of living up to his commitment to get our nation's fiscal house in order, President Obama has continued to ignore our fiscal crisis and propose spending increases our nation can't afford. Most recently he put forward a budget containing a staggering 62 percent spending increase over the next ten years. Putting our nation back on a sound financial footing will require the exact opposite of what the president has proposed. Instead of spending hikes and tax increases, we need to focus our efforts on cutting spending and growing the economy by encouraging private-sector job creation.
Despite the fact that gas prices have doubled since he took office, President Obama continues to pursue energy policies that discourage or prevent domestic energy production, forcing our nation to rely on imports from unstable regions. Most recently, the president rejected an energy solution supported by members of both parties, the Keystone XL pipeline, which would deliver 830000 barrels of oil per day and create 20000 jobs, greatly enhancing our nation's energy security. It's time for the president to work with members of both parties on a real "all of the above" energy policy that develops all of our nation's energy resources.
