Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) took to the House Floor in anti-big government rant that brought a standing applause from the members of the House. The speech is well worth listening too as he blasts the “re-commitment” of the House to “change the way business is done in this town,” calling it a “joke.”
Rep. Kelly took several examples from the real world to demonstrate how much government has gotten in our lives.
The first was an appeal to a business that he run that was started by his father back in 1953. He owns a auto body shop. When he called up to find out the prices of the tape they use in the business, he found out that the green water proof tape costs $4/roll, while the regular yellow tape case $2/roll. He then asked how much red tape costs and when the person didn’t know, he exclaimed it costs $1.75 trillion!
His second example was when he called up his banker, the one that provides loans for him and his business. His banker informed him that things were tough since the federal government has issued an 1,100 page definition of what a qualified buyer is. He joked in asking, “Are you serious?” while waving the 1,100 page definition in the air.
Finally he pointed to a hometown ballpark, which had spent millions of dollars to renovate. Here’s how Rep. Kelly tells it:
We renovated a ballpark in my hometown. A guy named Tom Bernadowski — veteran — [spent a] couple million dollars to renovate our ballpark. The day we were gonna open up, I got a call at the dealership. It said, “Mike, would you come down?” I said, “Why? What’s going on?” He said, “We’re having trouble with the occupancy permit.” So I went down to see it. I said, “What’s the problem?” He said, “Well, here. Come in the men’s room. Let me show you what the problem is.” I said, “We have 1,500 people want to come see the opening ball game tonight.” “Yep, but we’ve got a major problem. You see the mirrors in the restroom are a quarter of an inch too low.”
“So you can’t possibly open that ballpark!”
So you want to know the price of regulation? You want to talk about the thousands and thousands of pages that we put on the back of the job creators? You want to talk about creating jobs in America? When you want to see a nation that doesn’t want to participate but wants to dominate in the world market, then let them rise! Take the heavy boot off the throat of America’s job creators and let them breathe!
There was thunderous applause and cheers, but Mike Kelly wasn’t done. Oh no, he still had a minute and a half to go!
The jobs we are talking about are not red jobs or blue jobs. They are red, white, and blue jobs. They are not Democrat jobs or Republican jobs or independent jobs or Libertarian jobs. They are American jobs!
We are so out of touch with the American people. And you know what all this does? It adds layer after layer after layer of cost. And that cost is ultimately paid for by the American consumer. You want to have more revenues, then let the tide rise for all boats! Let us be able to not only survive, but to thrive. I urge all my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle. This is not a left or right issue. This is an American issue. I urge you to rise today and vote for HR-4078, and let’s let America get back to work! With that, I yield back.
The place broke out in a standing ovation as chants of “USA! USA!” echoed in the chamber.
Apparently this is such a rare thing to speak like this that it actually gets an applause. I know I was applauding watching it on YouTube. However, this doesn’t need to just be a one time deal. This needs to be repeated over and over with various examples of how big government does nothing but get in the way of the American people and by the way, it isn’t just jobs they are holding back. They are holding back freedom itself. Kudos to Rep. Mike Kelly!
