Rep Ratcliffe delivers message of optimism. hope at Rockwall Chamber Partners Luncheon

(ROCKWALL, TX – August 19, 2015) U. S. Rep. John Ratcliffe provided a message full of optimism and hope for America’s dealings both abroad and at home during the Rockwall Area Chamber of Commerce Partnership Luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at the Rockwall County Courthouse.

The Chamber welcomed Ratcliffe as its special guest speaker, who outlined the three priorities that his office has been focusing on in Washington, beginning with reducing the size, cost and overreach of the federal government.

Ratcliffe stated that the solution for the first priority remains simple: get government out of the way by getting rid of unnecessary and costly federal government programs such as the Open World Leadership Program, which was created back in 2010 as a means to educate foreign leaders about democracy with the cost equating to $150 million over the 15 years of the program. Within his first eight months as a U.S. Rep., Ratcliffe has introduced a total of nine bills and amendments. Of those, seven related specifically to reducing the size, cost and overreach of the federal government, including the Ratcliffe Amendment which eradicated the Open World Leadership Program by a vote of 224-193.

Ratcliffe will also co-author a bill with State Senator Ted Cruz to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which he said was “the only federal agency with no congressional oversight.” The bill garnered 65 co-sponsors within two weeks, and Ratcliffe remains positive that the bill will eventually pass in the House and the Senate.

“I am confident that Ted and I will see that bill pass the House, pass the Senate, and the President will be forced to choose in front of the American people whether or not he wants to veto something that a majority in Congress don’t want,” Ratcliffe said.

Ratcliffe said his second priority deals with regaining America’s strong leadership overseas, and that the American people need better leadership abroad from a leader who believes in American Exceptionalism. Specifically, he pointed to the Iran nuclear deal and how it presents the perfect opportunity for America to stand behind its allies and exert itself as the leader of the free world.

“With respect to Iran, when was the last time Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt all agreed on something? Try never, until now. This is such a bad deal that they’re all in agreement that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. That is the opportunity. We will have a different leader in this country in a little over a year and America will have the opportunity to lead again.”

Standing up for the rights and entitlements of American veterans also remains a strong focal point for Ratcliffe and his staff. To date they have closed more than 300 constituent services cases, including one in which they were able to recover $67,000 that Veterans Affairs had been wrongfully withholding from a veteran. Ratcliffe recently hired Air Force veteran Michelle Zook to act as a veterans rep dedicated solely to serving the 63,000 veterans he represents across the 4^th Congressional District of Texas.

“This has been the best part about my job, and without a doubt what has been most rewarding for me is standing up for a group of folks who have stood up previously for all of us,” he said. “One of the best things I can do is to make sure that our veterans get the treatment that they deserve, and we’ve really focused on that in our office.”

While Ratcliffe remains ever grateful to represent his constituents across the county, and optimistic about his future work in Washington, he said it will take teamwork to keep America operating at its very best.

“We live in the greatest state and the greatest country in the world,” he said. “But it’s only going to remain that way if we all continue to fight for it. I am incredibly humbled and honored and – more than anything else – energized to be leading that fight on your behalf as your representative.”

Story and photos by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News.

To share your good news and events, email editor@BlueRibbonNews.com.

Please click here to LIKE our Facebook page, so we can reach more people with good news like this!

  John Ratcliffe, Partners Luncheon, Rockwall, Rockwall Chamber, washington