Archive for February, 2010

1996 may seem like a long time ago, but as I travel the state of Utah, I discover that the anger over former President Bill Clinton’s 1.9 million acre land grab is still white hot.

That was when, with the stroke of a pen, President Clinton created the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, which locked up the largest source of clean burning coal in the world. The president’s irresponsible action deprived Utah’s schoolchildren of billions of dollars in funding because the coal deposits were located on school trust lands.

I remember that day as if it were yesterday. Utah’s congressional delegation had heard rumblings that the president was considering this outrageous action, but just days earlier, the administration assured us that no action was imminent. Then, soon after, President Clinton announced the creation of the monument at a press conference in Arizona. He had neither the decency nor the courage to face the people of Utah directly as he stole their livelihood out from under them without ever receiving input from residents and officials of our state.

This week, I discovered the Obama administration is possibly attempting to repeat history. I am outraged that President Obama is considering rolling over Utah with new monuments that would potentially lock up lands and resources, and increase the power of the federal government. Governor Herbert has received direct assurances from the Obama’s Interior Secretary that no action is imminent, but this time, we’re not taking any chances.

I have introduced legislation in the Senate that would exempt Utah from the Antiquities Act, which was the executive power used President Clinton back in 1996 to shut out Utahns and Congress and unilaterally designate a national monument. My bill would protect Utah from a president who is more interested in placating a environmentalists than he is in listening and respecting the wishes of the people of Utah.

Let the President know where you stand. Please sign the petition on my website to add your voice to the growing number of Utahns who refuse to stand idly by and let the president defy the wishes of the public when it comes to their public lands. You can also sign up to run as a Bennett delegate at your upcoming caucus meetings so I can continue this fight on your behalf.

We have to stop President Obama and keep Utah’s public lands out of the hands of a bloated federal government. We can’t wait to engage in this battle – the fight is now.

I just wanted to write a short note of thanks to the attendees of the Box Elder Lincoln Day Dinner who participated in the Straw Poll event on Saturday night.

We won the straw poll handily with 121 votes.

Our opponents worked as hard as possible to pull off an upset by bringing in people from outside the county to inflate their vote totals, but they were ultimately unsuccessful. Our campaign made no effort to stack the deck, and we were heartened by the fact that the residents of Box Elder County demonstrated their confidence in me, despite the efforts of my opponents to drag in their supporters from across the state to artificially manipulate the result.

It was also a great opportunity to visit with the party faithful one-on-one, where we can discuss the issues that matter and tune out the noise of the campaign. Those who make the effort to attend these events are committed, knowledgeable participants in the political process, and I’m grateful for the chance to get their insights and hear what they have to say.

I’m grateful for your support, and I look forward to visiting with you in the weeks ahead.

Few issues are as divisive and as emotionally charged as the fight over traditional marriage. It’s very difficult to keep the fight from becoming personal, and it becomes all too easy to demonize the people who disagree with you.

Unfortunately, this kind of animosity is not unique to the debate over marriage. Indeed, the fight over abortion has escalated beyond harsh words to violence and bloodshed, and we’re no closer to finding a resolution to that issue than we were almost four decades ago, when the Supreme Court lifted the abortion debate out of the legislative arena entirely with their disastrous decision in Roe v. Wade.

I’m firmly convinced that one of the reasons the abortion debate remains so toxic is that the voters were denied the ability to have their voices heard. By stifling the democratic process and “settling” the abortion issue by judicial fiat, the Supreme Court made the problem far worse. Yes, democracy is messy and difficult, but the best way to settle messy and difficult issues is to ultimately let the people decide.

The people were wrongly denied the right to vote on abortion. They should not be denied the right to vote on the definition of marriage.

The District of Columbia City Council disagrees. They passed a measure that denies the citizens of Washington D.C. the right to define marriage, which is consistent with the way this issue has been raised across the country. In every case where traditional marriage has been redefined, it has happened because a small group of people feels justified in making radical decisions about the fundamental institutions of our society.

Marriage is too important. The people need to decide.

That’s why I’ve introduced legislation in the United States Senate called the District of Columbia Referendum on Marriage Act that would require the District to put this matter to a vote. I’m also grateful to Representative Jason Chaffetz, who introduced this measure in the House of Representatives.

I’m under no illusions that a referendum will produce unanimity, or that the fight on both sides of the marriage debate will end anytime soon. But the fact remains that you don’t do democracy any favors when you try to smooth out its rougher edges.

On a matter as basic and fundamental as marriage, it’s essential that the people get to decide.

Last Wednesday, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich came to Utah to participate in my official campaign kickoff, along with former Senator Jake Garn, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce president Lane Beattie, and over 350 other supporters. It was a great event, and I’m grateful that so many of my fellow Utahns were willing to take time out of a busy workday to help me officially launch my campaign.

Within the next five years, we have to rein in the massive entitlement spending that is bankrupting our nation while, at the same time, keeping the promises we have made to our senior citizens. This will be the central focus of my next term, and I’m running for reelection because we can’t afford to wait to solve this problem.

The fight is now.

I’ve prepared a short video summary of the event that addresses this issue in more detail.

This morning, I announced my intention to seek another term in the United States Senate. I’m running for reelection because out-of-control entitlement spending is jeopardizing America’s future, andit’s essential that we take action now.

President Obama is spending money we don’t have. Today, mandatory entitlement programs – Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security –have grown to over 54% of government spending.And with the interest on the national debt, that’s two-thirds of the federal budget.

But Washington has turned on the autopilot. Congress has abandoned their constitutional power of the purse and committed the majority of government spending to three programs that continue to grow unsustainably.

Under President Obama, we are seeing the greatest deficits we have ever seen. Our national debt of $12 trillion has increased by $1.4 trillion in just his first year in office.

The next five years are crucial.

Within five years, Washington will be forced face the looming crisis that is threatening to bankrupt our country. This is no time for rookies and on-the-job training.

Through my experience as a businessman and understanding of public service, I will lead the fight against the real fiscal threat to our country and offer innovative solutions to secure America’s future.

We can’t wait to solve this problem.

The fight is now.

Please take a moment to read my plan to tackle the problems we face.