I am honored to be re-elected to a third term representing the 5th District of North Carolina in Congress. 

First, I want to thank God for the many blessings He has given me this year and for the past four years that I have served in Congress.  I thank my family including my husband Tom, my daughter Theresa, my son-in-law Mustafa, and my grandchildren Kenan and Rana for their love and support. 

I also would like to thank my staff and the many volunteers for their hard work and dedication.  And thank you to all who supported me with your time, your hard work, your contributions, and your prayers.  Your support is invaluable. 

You have my promise that I will continue to work hard to fix a broken Washington and to reform the old, worn out Washington way of thinking.

In Washington we need to focus on smarter regulations and smarter government—not simply more regulations and more government.  It’s time we energized our tradition of American innovation.  And of course, ensured lower taxes for hard-working Americans.  These things will create jobs and restore America ’s economic vitality.

I will also fight for tax policies that help American employers create new jobs for hard-working Americans.  Congress can encourage employers to pour investment into jobs back here in North Carolina by reducing the high taxes that companies pay on job-creating investments right here in America .

In order to get our economy back on track, over the next two years I will continue to work to decrease our dependence on foreign oil.  Energy independence is not just a matter of national security; it’s a matter of economic security.   It will fuel our economy with new investments and create good jobs for Americans. 

Back in Washington I will renew my fight for accountability and openness in every level of the federal government.  Washington ’s tax-and-spend model of government is broken and prone to abuse.  And I will not sit idly by while Washington fritters away your tax dollars.  For the next two years you can count on me to take steps similar to the no-earmark pledge that I made last year to the people of North Carolina .  

I would again like to thank all my supporters who considered my record of reform and my commitment to service and gave me two more years in Congress.  I promise you a strong voice for North Carolina values in Washington .

Last week a bill that I authored to keep down the cost of the federal government was signed into law. 
 
It’s called the Electronic Pay Stub Act and it directs the federal government to give all federal employees the option of receiving their pay stub electronically. 
 
Not only does this legislation have the potential to save millions of taxpayer dollars and reduce the government’s paper consumption by thousands of pounds each year, it will also make paystub delivery faster and more secure for federal employees. 
 
This kind of common sense legislation helps keep the government nimble, lean and out of taxpayers’ wallets.  I will continue to champion legislation to make the federal government more efficient so you can keep more of your hard-earned money.  After all, keeping the federal government accountable to taxpayers is one of my priorities as your representative.

With all the talk these days about government bailouts of Wall Street firms it’s looking like Washington thinks that more and bigger government is the answer to our economic problems. 
 
Even though big-spending liberals are pushing massive plans to jack up government spending, big government is not the answer.  A big-spending government will give you a big-taxing government.  And if there’s anything our economy can’t afford right now, it’s a big-spending, big-taxing government. 
 
By keeping taxes low and cutting government spending we can ensure that businesses small and large can invest and grow, and create the new jobs that will get economy back on track.  But with big government on their backs, growth will be slow and painful.
 
An affordable and secure supply of energy is a bedrock of American economic vitality.  But paying $4 a gallon for gas has taken a heavy toll on North Carolina’s families and businesses.  I am fighting for a comprehensive approach to America’s energy needs that will help make America free from the Middle East’s oil.   
 
Opening up America’s vast oil and gas reserves will free us from the trap of Middle Eastern oil and spur economic growth.  We can safety drill for oil in our deep sea reserves and in Alaska’s Arctic north.   If we combine the use of our own resources with increased investment in alternative and renewable energy we can be energy independent.
 
Our economy can recover from the current economic downturn.  But not if Washington liberals are allowed to promote policies that halt our recovery.  I will fight to keep your taxes low, to protect your tax dollars from the bloated spending habits of Washington’s bureaucracy, and to chart a course for making our economy run on affordable, American-made energy. 
 
Check out my latest video about keeping your taxes low and cutting government spending.