COLUMNS

Rep. Buddy Carter: A new day in America

Buddy Carter

As 2016 comes to a close, so does the 114th Congress and my freshman term as the United States Representative for the First District of Georgia. Talking heads may be content to complain about partisan gridlock on cable news but the past two years have yielded many accomplishments and conservative victories.

Over the past two years, Congress delivered the first real entitlement reform in a generation, the first long-term highway bill in more than a decade, the largest rewrite of our education laws in fifteen years, the first permanent ban on taxing internet access, a permanent renewal of tax relief for small businesses and families, and an end to the 40-year ban on exporting crude oil.

We also worked to create important reforms to help our veterans, fight human trafficking and sexual assault, and to level the playing field for America's manufacturers.

We also fought to repeal Obamacare - sending a repeal bill to the President's desk for the first time - and to address the growing threat of ISIS. Day in and day out, we have worked to rein in Washington's out of control spending and bureaucracy.

It was an honor to be the voice of the First District over these past two years. I fought to support our military installations and the brave men and women who serve on them. I was able to secure the first reauthorization of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center so it is able to continue to be the preeminent law enforcement training center in the world. I also helped lead a united bipartisan Georgia congressional delegation to advance the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project and provide the Port of Brunswick with the resources it needs to continue growing and supporting jobs in our community.

Despite the heated rhetoric on the campaign, the past year saw shining examples of bipartisanship. Earlier this month, President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act into law to modernize America's health care innovation infrastructure.

One of my proudest legislative accomplishments was serving on the Conference Committee for landmark legislation that delivers solutions to end the opioid epidemic plaguing our nation.

While I am proud of the results delivered in 2016, I am looking forward to a new day in America with the new administration. I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in 2017 with a Republican majority in Congress and President-elect Donald J. Trump in the White House.

Next year Obamacare must finally go. As a lifelong health care professional, I have watched this disastrous law destroy the health care system that I love. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and Congressman Tom Price in his new role as Secretary of Health and Human Services to repeal Obamacare and resuscitate America's health care system to make it more affordable, accessible, and patient-centered.

Americans need tax reform. America's antiquated and overly burdensome tax code is the greatest threat to economic opportunity in this country. We will work to deliver a tax code that empowers all Americans.

For the past eight years, small businesses and citizens across the country have been handicapped by the overregulation of the Obama Administration. Over the next year, the House will work with President-elect Trump to get the government out of the way of our job creators.

As I have always said, the number one responsibility of our government is to protect our citizens and our homeland. Illegal immigration continues to threaten our national security and we will work next year to secure our border.

Another threat to our national security, the greatest I believe, is our national debt. Exceeding nineteen trillion dollars, it is out of control. I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress and the new administration to end Washington's spending addiction.

Finally, our world is a dangerous place with threats growing by the day. The Obama Administration has failed to implement an effective strategy to defeat ISIS and eliminate radical Islamic terrorism. Next year we will work to bolster our national security and ensure our military is supported and has the resources it needs.

I am ready to seize this important opportunity to make our great nation even greater. I will fight every day to advance these goals until they become a reality and I will fight to represent you in the United States Congress.

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter is a Republican who represents Georgia's First Congressional District in the U.S. House.