(Washington, DC) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) released the following statement after liberals defeated a proposal to save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars by getting rid of the promotional stimulus signs:

“ Washington liberals promised the American people the stimulus would create jobs and keep unemployment under eight percent.  A year and a half later, with unemployment hovering around double digits, the so-called stimulus has unmistakably failed to create long-term private sector jobs. 

“But Washington liberals thought they would cleverly come up with propaganda to sell Americans on this failed policy.  At a cost of $10,000 a pop, stimulus signs are up nationwide to promote stimulus projects.  $20 million could be saved if we eliminated this wasteful use of taxpayer dollars.  When it comes to wasteful Washington spending, all signs point to the stimulus.  

“It is high time for Congress to consider proposals that create long-term private sector jobs instead of wasting money promoting failed policies,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

Wilson thanks Congressman Aaron Schock (R-Il) for developing this proposal to eliminate promotional stimulus projects signs to save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.  The proposal was defeated by a vote of 232 to 184.

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) today expressed his disappointment after the House passed the Conference Report for the financial regulatory bill, H.R. 4173.

“By putting Main Street on the hook for Manhattan’s Wall Street, Washington liberals once again showed exactly how out-of-touch they are with the needs of hardworking Americans,” said Congressman Joe Wilson. 

“This financial regulatory bill will tie the hands of community banks across the country and will make lending to small business owners close to impossible.  Simply put, this bill is a job-killer.  This is labeled a ‘reform’ bill, but it fails to address two major giants in the financial collapse, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Failing to tackle these two cancerous entities in an overhaul bill is like going in for surgery and still keeping the giant tumor in place.”

Small business owners and bankers across South Carolina are extremely concerned about the detrimental impact this bill will have on their businesses.  

Justin Strickland, President of Southern First Bank in Cayce, said, “This bill adds 30 new regulations that will severely limit the ability of small banks to extend credit to South Carolinians .  Low income consumers will be particularly hurt by this bill as services like free checking for basic banking accounts will vanish.”

Hal Stevenson, CEO of Grace Outdoor in South Carolina said, “I appreciate Congressman Wilson’s vote against this big bank bailout as it will discourage lending to small businesses.  This will have a detrimental impact on job creation throughout South Carolina .”

There are better reform plans that do not put taxpayers on the hook and focus on personal responsibility.  One such idea which had overwhelming bipartisan support in the Financial Services Committee and has320 House cosponsors is H.R. 1207 to audit the Federal Reserve System.  This audit is necessary in order to offer transparency to protect taxpayers.

Another idea that doesn’t hinder growth is H.R. 3310, the Consumer Protection and Regulatory Enhancement Act.  This bill would:

• Provide for the orderly resolution of insolvent non-bank financial institutions through the bankruptcy system, regardless of their size. This would allow large, failing firms to be unwound without wreaking havoc on the broader economy.
• End taxpayer subsidies of Fannie and Freddie, forcing them to compete with the private sector on a level playing field.
• Create greater transparency and consistency by consolidating depository institution regulators like the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Comptroller of the Currency into one agency that also possesses the supervisory functions of the Federal Reserve and the FDIC.
• Strengthen consumer protections by creating an Office of Consumer Protection within the consolidated regulatory agency.

(Washington, DC) -  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission legal panel ruled yesterday that the U.S. Energy Department cannot withdraw its licensing application for Yucca Mountain to be a permanent nuclear waste repository.  In a 47-page order, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board ruled Energy Secretary Steven Chu doesn’t have the authority to pull the plug on a process that Congress started when it passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1982.

Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) praised this decision, stating:

“Politics have been at play when it comes to nuclear waste disposal and I’m pleased that a legal panel has finally ruled based on realities and practicalities.”

“Thousands of studies and billions of dollars are invested in this repository, including over $1 billion from South Carolina .  If we are to be serious about an energy future in America , we must get serious about nuclear power and move forward with Yucca Mountain .”

Editorials across South Carolina have highlighted the administration’s reckless decision to abandon Yucca Mountain .

The Post and Courier called President Obama’s decision “breathtakingly irresponsible.”

The Aiken Standard said, “It is time for the president and Department of Energy to listen to the Congressional mandates and the scientific studies and prepare Yucca Mountain for its mission to hold this legacy waste.”

For more than 25 years, the Energy Department has pursued plans to bury at least 77,000 tons of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel in tunnels bored beneath an ancient volcanic ridge 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas . The NRC panel noted Tuesday that $10 billion had been spent on the project to date. 

The states of Washington and South Carolina , plus Aiken County , S.C. , the Prairie Island Indian Community of Minnesota and the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners have filed challenges to the NRC against the licensing removal of Yucca Mountain .

Shot during the recent Take Joe To Work Week, Joe Wilson gets his hands dirty, working alongside Second District constituents. Joe says cutting taxes and reducing big government red tape are the keys to creating jobs in South Carolina. From jobs like changing oil, to helping out at an assisted living facility; Joe feels that meeting up close with employees and small business owners is the key to serving the people of the Second District.

(Washington, DC) -  The Supreme Court rightfully extended the reach of the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms to all 50 states by a vote of 5-4. The case, McDonald v. City of Chicago, is the second ruling on gun rights in three years, and substantially expounds on the 2008 Supreme Court decision in D.C. v. Heller that nullified the handgun ban in our nation’s capital.

Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) applauded the decision, saying,

“This ruling from the highest court in the land is a momentous change in the fight to restore gun rights in America .  For too long, our Constitutional right to bear arms has been inconsistently applied across the United States , and I am confident this ruling will change that.”

Coincidentally, this ruling comes on the same day as Elena Kagan’s confirmation hearings, raising the profile for debate on the Supreme Court nominee.

Discussing Afghanistan Change of Command and Counterinsurgency Strategy  

Congressman Joe Wilson, co-chair of the Afghanistan Caucus, has been to Afghanistan nine times.  He is a 31 year veteran of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard with four sons currently serving in the military.

(Washington, DC) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) today released the following statement as YouCut, a Republican interactive initiative, received its one millionth vote:

“The American people have given Washington liberals one million reasons to finally stop this spending spree on a borrowed credit card.

“Voting to prohibit spending $10 billion on new IRS agents to enforce the unconstitutional government health care takeover is just one of many proposals that hardworking taxpayers across the country have strongly supported. 

“I want to thank all South Carolinians who participated in the interactive initiative, YouCut, to give lawmakers ideas on how to save taxpayer money,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

This week’s YouCut vote prohibited new funding for the IRS to enforce the individual health care mandate, saving taxpayers up to $10 billion.  Unfortunately, the proposal was defeated by a vote of 243 to 181.  Eight Democrats joined with Republicans to support this proposal.