Congressman-elect tours 14th District

Congressman-elect Randy Hultgren set the bar for his freshman term in office that's even higher than goals stated by his more experienced Republican peers Wednesday.

Hultgren spent Wednesday on a victory tour of the 14th Congressional District. Jobs and health care reform will be the measuring sticks of his next two years in Congress, he said.

His first goal will be addressing the so-called Bush tax credits that will expire on Jan. 1. Like his Republican peers, Hultgren views letting those tax credits lapse as a tax increase, particularly on small business income.

“It's absolutely the worst time to be raising taxes,” Hultgren said. “If the lame duck Congress doesn't address this, then we'll need to address it immediately when we get into office.”

Hultgren said reducing unemployment levels across the district, and the nation, is also an attainable goal in the next two years. Hultgren wouldn't say how low unemployment must drop for Republican efforts to be considered a success, but he did say the answer is restoring business owners' confidence in the federal government.

“It's probably going to take some time, but I just want to see unemployment headed in the right direction,” Hultgren said. “We've got to get people working in jobs again. There is too much uncertainly right now for businesses, and they aren't hiring. They just don't know how much their taxes are going to be.”

A big part of that is a feeling of unknown impact of President Barack Obama's health care reform package, Hultgren said. He set a lofty goal of repealing the package in its entirety within the next two years. Even longtime Hultgren colleague, Congressman Peter Roskam, didn't go that far in a list of goals posted in a blog entry Wednesday. Roskam focused on the 1099 provision in the new law that forces business owners to file a 1099 form whenever they conduct a transaction of at least $600. Roskam said he believes there's realistic bipartisan support to do away with that part of the health reform package.

Hultgren said the Republican majority in the House should take it further than just that provision.

“I do think we can pass a full repeal out of the House,” Hultgren said. “Then it's up to the Senate to see what they'll do. I think voters sent a pretty clear message last night. And I do believe the Senate got that message.”