The Courage to Lead When Others Won’t
by Mark Gonsalves
Historians will long ponder why Congress became a dysfunctional institution 20 years ago. In order to change the Congress, we must change the kind of people we send to Congress. We need to send people to congress whose mission it is to make the hard decisions now, rather than force our children to make brutal decisions down the road.
Historians will long ponder why Congress became a dysfunctional institution 20 years ago. Consider the problems we face today that did not exist two decades ago:
- NATIONAL DEBT: Our national debt is $23 Trillion, up from $6 Trillion a mere 20 years ago, thanks to a Congress that lost all fiscal discipline. The deficit has grown faster in the last 20 years than at any point in the history of the Republic;
- HEALTHCARE: Our health care costs have skyrocketed, and now equal 18% of our Gross National Product, an almost four-fold increase in my lifetime;
- CORPORATE FLEECING: Thanks to a Congress which did nothing to stop it, pharmaceutical giants like Purdue Pharma knowingly peddled pills that destroyed families, killed more than 400,000 Americans and addicted millions more;
- BORDER SECURITY: We ceased to enforce our border, resulting in a massive influx of undocumented immigrants who were never invited or given a background check or medical screening;
- CHINA THREAT: While Congress slept, China stole our secrets, pilfered our manufacturing jobs and became a world superpower with a Navy larger than ours;
- WARS WITHOUT END: We’ve spent two decades fighting wars Congress never declared, even though it is the constitutional responsibility of the Congress. These wars have killed over 6,000 American soldiers, wounded 50,000 and cost six Trillion dollars.
Each and every one of these problems could have been prevented had Congress done its job, and acted like the body our Founders envisioned. Because it didn’t, we face mammoth challenges that will require a level of leadership unseen the past 20 years.
“In order to change the Congress, we must change the kind of people we send to Congress.”
Mark Gonsalves
We need to send people to congress whose mission it is to make the hard decisions now, rather than force our children to make brutal decisions down the road.
Our federal debt will be $35 Trillion in 10 years unless we make a concerted effort to end the spending spree and restore fiscal responsibility.
Americans should know what a hospital visit or specialized medical care will cost before they receive it. It should be as easy as finding a recipe on google.
Congress should demand price transparency. When consumers of health care know who is charging what, the marketplace will begin to work by creating price competition among health care providers. That will drive health care prices down and will improve care.
The crooks behind the opioid epidemic should be hauled into court and prosecuted. Putting them in jail will send a clear message it is unacceptable for pharmaceutical giants to peddle pills that kill their customers.
A country that cannot control its borders is not a country. The border must be secured so our immigration laws can be enforced.
Its time we recognize China is not and will never be our friend. It’s a surveillance state that locks innocent people in concentration camps. Criticism of the government will get you killed. They persecute Christians who worship the same God we do.
Nobody wants a hot, or a cold war, with China. But one thing we do know — China respects strength. China will not challenge the United States as long as we remain the world’s preeminent military superpower. We must.
Never again should this nation start a war absent a declaration of war by the U.S. Congress.
I come from the business world and proud to say I’ve helped build companies that grew, prospered and created thousands of good-paying jobs. Businesses that fix problems before they become a full-blown crisis prosper. Those that don’t perish.
For the sake of our children, and grandchildren, it’s time to rid Congress of the clowns and elect a few with the courage to lead.
Click Here to Watch Mark’s Half-Hour TV Congressional Address
Mark Gonsalves
A Life Spent Getting Things Done,
Mark Gonsalves has spent a lifetime leading businesses through periods of rapid change. Like you, he is tired of watching partisan political food fights when America’s mounting problems demand courageous leadership.
Mark is seeking the Republican nomination in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District.
