Boehner: Republicans need to make sacrifices

White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. — House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) challenged House Republicans to make a few sacrifices in the next year that will help the GOP sell their agenda to voters in the fall elections.

The Republican leader is scheduled to lead his members in a broad, potentially rancorous debate over lawmaker-requested projects Friday during their annual retreat here.

The reform proposals include a one-year moratorium on earmarks for all Republicans, the creation of a special panel to review the process, including the abuses that have occurred, and a litany of smaller guidelines to curtail wasteful earmarks or member-requested projects that benefit campaign contributors or other private entities.

“We're here today to ask ourselves: Are Republicans the party that can fix Washington?" Boehner asked his members Friday morning, according to excerpts of his speech. "If so, what sacrifices are we willing to make to PROVE we are that party? We cannot do this without being bold and putting forth fresh solutions.”

For more excerpts, click on the link below.

“The American people believe Washington is broken. Middle class families see the cost of living rising. They see more and more of their hard earned dollars being eaten up by college costs, health care costs, housing costs, food costs.”

“With all this happening in their daily lives, they're watching the news — and they see politicians in Washington WASTING their money. While families are struggling to make ends meet, they look up and see politicians using taxpayer money to build monuments to themselves ... funding hippie museums ... letting entitlement spending spiral out of control. ”

“Our mission is simple, if we choose to accept it: show the American people we're different. Americans believe Washington is broken. They're right. We need to show them we're ready to fix it. The mission is simple — but that doesn't mean the mission is EASY. ”

“We're here today to ask ourselves: Are Republicans the party that can fix Washington? If so, what sacrifices are we willing to make to PROVE we are that party? We cannot do this without being bold and putting forth fresh solutions. ”

“In 1994 we made sacrifices. We gave up perks. We gave up privileges. We took risks. We thought big. We rolled dice. We need to go through this process today and tomorrow with the same mentality."

“If we woke up suddenly tomorrow and found ourselves in the majority, would we be any different? How would we be different from the Republicans of the past AND the Democrats of the present? If we can't answer these questions for Americans over the course of the next year, we will stay in the minority. ”

“If we're going to pick up seats in 2008, we have to strike a chord in the hearts of the American people — our base, and Republican-leaning independents alike. We cannot win by singing the same old tune. Washington is broken. We need to give the American people reasons to believe we'll fix it. ”

“We're not starting from scratch. We had a good year last year. In 2006 we warned the American people a Democratic Congress would be like this: a majority devoted to higher taxes, bigger government, and retreat. In 2007 we gave the American people reasons to believe we were right. We showed that the Democrats are exactly who we thought they'd be. This is something we can build on. Our challenge in 2008 is to give Americans reasons to believe we'll be different. ”

“Our goal is to walk out of here Saturday with a sense of unity on the BIG reforms we're going to drive together in 2008 ... our common agenda ... our "reasons to believe." We need an agenda worthy of us — an agenda that takes the best of what we have to offer, and pushes it forward. We need an agenda that gives Americans reasons to believe Republicans will fix Washington. We need an agenda that gives Americans a reason to believe we're different from the Republicans of the past, and the Democrats of the present. It all starts here ... now.”