Rep. Pitts Remarks on the Opening of the 112th Congress
 
Washington–At noon today, the 112th Congress opened with the election of Speaker John Boehner and passage of rules governing House operations. Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16) was sworn in to his eighth term in the House.

Rep. Pitts’ statement follows:

“The top priority of the 112th Congress needs to be getting America working again. With unemployment still near ten percent, the House of Representatives needs to stay focused on passing legislation that allows the private sector to create jobs.
 
“The American people have given our party a second chance to get things right. I hope that Democrats and Republicans will be able to work together to get our economy back on the right track. This is going to require us to make the hard choices to balance the federal budget without increasing already burdensome taxes. Economic growth does not have to be sacrificed to pay for an ever-expanding government.
 
“We need to provide for those looking for work, pass real healthcare reform that fights rising costs, and prevent government red tape from strangling businesses. I’m greatly looking forward to my new responsibilities as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. Americans want better and affordable healthcare. We will work to repeal Obamacare and replace it with better solutions that don’t take away freedom and don’t burden our government with new debt and obligations.”
 
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