House leaders present Pledge to America

STERLING, Va., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. House Republicans, recalling their successful Contract with America, Thursday presented a Pledge to America, calling for "urgent action" on the economy.

In a bid to shake the image of "the party of no," GOP House Leader John Boehner presented the 21-page pledge, which is more detailed than the Contract with America forged by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, leading to the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994.

The pledge makes repeal of national healthcare reform a top priority, along with cuts in federal spending, which they characterized as out of control. The pledge says Republicans are dedicated to job creation and shrinking the size of the federal government.

"Congressional Republicans are pledging to ship jobs overseas; blow a $700 billion hole in the deficit to give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires; turn Social Security from a guaranteed benefit into a guaranteed gamble; and once again, subject American families to the recklessness of Wall Street; and take away patients' rights," Nadeam Elshami, a spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told Politico.

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., one of the authors of the pledge, told CNN it is imperative to preserve the Bush-era tax cuts to spur job creation.

"Raising taxes as is being proposed this January on successful small businesses, raising tax rates on half of all small business income will slow down our economy, which is where 70 percent of our jobs come from, will slow down our economy, cost us about 1.2 million jobs according to the Congressional Budget Office and actually worsen our budget outlook," Ryan said.

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

The pledge promises to uphold traditional marriages, make government more transparent, lower taxes, outlaw abortion, uphold American values and support a strong defense.

"We will rein in the red tape factory in Washington, D.C., by requiring congressional approval of any new federal regulation that may add to our deficit and make it harder to create jobs. In addition, we will repeal the costly small business mandates contained in the new healthcare law," the pledge says.

It concludes: "We call on the leadership of the 111th Congress to bring these reforms and policies to an immediate vote, and ask all citizens of our nation -- men and women of good will and good heart -- who share in our beliefs, to join with us today."