Weekly Columns and Op-Eds
As we observe Memorial Day this May 30th, I hope that we each take a moment to reflect on the high cost paid for the freedoms we enjoy by the men and women in our Armed Forces. Throughout our history, more than one million Americans have given their lives defending our liberty.
*The following column is adapted from Congressman Newhouse’s remarks for the Law Enforcement Memorial Service in the Tri-Cities on May 21st.
Our nation is facing a national epidemic. While many may know that substance abuse is a major crisis in our country, few may understand the exact scope. Drug abuse devastates communities, tears apart families and destroys lives.
Religious freedom is at the very core of our constitutional republic. It is one of the primary reasons that brave men and women of faith crossed the ocean to found our country. Last Thursday, May 5, we marked the National Day of Prayer, acknowledging that prayer has been a critical part of the fabric of American history.
The way Americans use technology to communicate has changed at an incredible pace since 1986. Thirty years ago, cellphones were gigantic, brick-like novelties. Few homes had personal computers. The term “social media” did not even exist. The Internet had existed for only a few years and was unknown to most Americans.
Last week, I was joined by 144 of my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives—one third of the entire House—to demand the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) cooperation with congressional and Inspector General investigations into a very serious matter.
We live in an astounding time of technological progress, during the “Information Age.” Since the 1990s, the internet has flourished and created a digital marketplace, revolutionizing the world economy and the way commerce is conducted. Private enterprise has developed an incredible number of innovative services for millions of consumers.
It may be news to many Americans, but as individual land owners, ranchers, and farmers in Washington already know, the federal government is one of the largest property managers in the nation, and especially in the West. According to a 2014 government survey, federal agencies manage 640 million acres of land, or one million square miles nationwide.
President Ronald Reagan once put it simply: “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So governments' programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth.” Sadly, Reagan’s comments on the lack of accountability for taxpayer dollars are no joke.
Last Tuesday, the world was again horrified by coordinated terrorist attacks at the airport and subway in Brussels, Belgium. Dozens of people lost their lives, and many more were injured. Even before they took official responsibility, there was little doubt that the perpetrators would turn out to be ISIS affiliates, whose attacks in Paris last November took the lives of 130 people.