One of the best opportunities for you and me to exchange information on the top issues of the day is through my blog. I update my blog daily - sometimes multiple times a day and I encourage lively (and civil) comments and discussion. 

Below you'll find just some of the discussions currently taking place on my blog. I invite you to join in the conversation and share your point of view.

Additionally, over the next several weeks, I will be using my blog to discuss a number of my ideas and solutions on our economy and jobs in America. I want you to be the first to hear about those ideas – and I want you to be a part of that dialogue.

You can follow my blog by simply checking back frequently, or you can subscribe to the RSS by adding it to your feed reader.

Spending Cuts: Underutilized and Overfunded Programs
Posted by Randy
Every year, our federal government spends billions of dollars on duplicative, underutilized and wasteful programs. This type of wasteful spending is wrong any time, but it is especially egregious at a time when our national debt has increased 63% in the past four years and currently stands at more than $14 trillion.

I want to share with you some of the actions I have taken over the past couple of weeks to de-fund and terminate some of those wasteful programs. Keep Reading...


Bring Jobs Back to America 
Posted by Randy
While "jobs" may be the buzzword in Washington, we haven’t seen much movement on the jobs front in terms of our economy. If we really want to encourage job creation for Americans, Washington needs to move away from ineffective stimulus spending and misspent federal dollars. Instead, we need an act of common sense. Keep reading…


Who Owns Our Debt? 
Posted by Randy
I remain concerned that the largest communist nation in the world now owns more of our debt than any nation in the history of our existence. In just one year from April 2009 to April 2010, our debt to China increased by 18%. Keep reading…


“Mostly” Free is Not An Option
Posted by Randy
The Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation released the 2011 Index of Economic Freedom, which tracks economic freedom in countries around the world. The report rates countries' fiscal soundness and openness to trade and investment, government size, business and labor regulation, property rights, corruption, monetary stability and financial competition.

The news for the United States in the 2011 Index of Economic Freedom is not good. According to the report, the U.S. dropped to 9th place and its rating shifted from "free" to "mostly free" in terms of global economic freedom. Keep reading…

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Subscribing is easy - just click on the RSS icon , copy the URL (ending in .rss), and paste it into a feed reader, like Google Reader. You can join in the discussion with other Fourth District constituents by leaving your comments on the blog.

As Chairman of the Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, I am concerned that action in Libya could have a negative impact on our military capabilities. Going forward, there are several questions that I believe must be answered. What vital national security interests are at stake to warrant U.S. involvement? How long and to what extent will military resources be required? What is our exit strategy?

The President has a responsibility to come to Congress with answers to these questions and to outline a clear definition of what his objectives are in Libya. Failure to do so demonstrates a willingness to allow the United Nations, rather than Congress and the American people, to dictate the actions of our military.

Earlier this week, I asked for your feedback on Libya on my instaPoll. Now, share your toughts in a detailed discussion on my blog. What are your thoughts on the situation in Libya? Do you support U.S. military involvement? If not, what are your primary concerns?

Post your comments here.