The Oklahoman - Time to Look Ahead

Op-Ed

The Oklahoman - Time to Look Ahead
By Rep. Frank Lucas, Opinion

I was disappointed by Sen. John McCain's defeat in his race for the presidency last month. He is a true American hero who has served his country with honor and valor and I proudly supported his campaign. Our country would have greatly benefited from his leadership and experience.

While I was saddened by McCain's loss, I believe now is the time to work in a bipartisan manner to look toward the future and determine what must be done to better this country.
Our country faces one of the worst economic crises in modern history. The housing boom that became a bust has caused our financial markets to stagnate. We're entrenched in a war against terrorist entities around the world whose only goal is to murder innocent citizens, destabilize existing governments, and crush freedom and democracy. The direction we go over the next few years will be critical to solving these problems so that we can leave this country safer and more secure for the next generation while maintaining our role as a world leader.

President-elect Barack Obama has a tough road ahead of him, and I look forward to working with his administration and the majority party in Congress to promote new ideas and initiatives that will benefit the American people. During his campaign, Obama discussed many new proposals he planned to set in motion upon taking office. Some, including lowering the tax burden on American families, I support. Others, including the nationalization of our health care system, funding cuts for our troops and increasing the power of labor unions, concern me greatly. These are delicate times and I hope that Obama will encourage bipartisan discussions on all new pieces of legislation, especially on ones as controversial as these, so that all Americans are represented at the table.
No matter how Obama chooses to work with the minority party, I promise to continue to push for legislation that will encourage economic growth through tax incentives and tax breaks for small businesses and American corporations. I will continue to fight to decrease our dependency on foreign oil by increasing the production of all forms of American made energy. I will continue to be a strong voice for production agriculture and work to ensure that farmers have the necessary resources to not only survive, but to thrive. But most importantly, I will continue to represent the values and voices of the people of the 3rd Congressional District of Oklahoma.

Lucas is a Republican from Cheyenne.

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