House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy: Government incompetency is not only hurting us, but also threatening our safety. The blunders are failures by the president and his administration

House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

"Restoring government competency

 "President Ronald Reagan once said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.' If you have opened a paper lately, been to an online news site, or tuned into the evening news, it is likely you have seen how true these words are today. The American people are now second-guessing whether a growing and unaccountable government has the ability to perform its most basic functions.

 "This growing distrust didn’t happen all at once, and it’s more than just bad headlines. Government incompetency is actually hurting individuals across the nation, and threatening our safety too. The Veterans Administration for years did not treat patients in a timely manner and covered up the backlogs; the IRS did not adequately preserve basic records; the Administration spent more than $2.1 billion on a broken and unsecure website to facilitate a law that Americans don't like; the Secret Service failed to protect the White House; and on foreign policy, nobody thinks America is safer or stronger than we were six years ago. The list goes on and on.

 "The recent blunders and scandals are not just the product of failed policy, but represent serious management failures by the President and his Administration. Restoring competency in government requires both shrinking government to its appropriate scope and mission and reforming how government operates in its core sphere. We must work to end this cycle of failings and make government functional again.

 "Under my leadership the House of Representatives will continue to focus on reforming and streamlining federal agencies so government works as it should. We have already made progress to this end by passing legislation that streamlines the permitting process for mining and energy development, and have begun looking at reforms to the agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration.

"Performing these functions are important for our community as we continue to work towards treatments and vaccines for Valley Fever and create certainty that will allow our energy producers and farmers to continue to produce the fuel and food that powers our nation.

 "In our daily lives we experience efficiency in the way we bank, shop, and pay our bills. Why should we hold government to a lower standard? Government must be smaller, more effective, and more efficient. That is what we expect and what we demand. That means we must ensure that our goals are feasible, that government changes with the changing times, and we never accept problems, inefficiency, and incompetency just because it’s government. Real, modernizing reform is possible and the House of Representatives is committed to achieving it.

New House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield gives a nod to his humble roots, pledges to fight for the Central Valley

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, newly election House Majority Leader, submits this to Bakersfield Observed. In his own words:

 "I want to thank my colleagues and constituents for the trust they have placed in me as the new Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. To say that I am incredibly humbled and honored would be an understatement. Only in America can the grandson of a cattle rancher and the son of a firefighter have the opportunity I now have to fight for you, your families, and our community’s ideals in our nation’s capital.

 "I was born and raised right here in our community.  It is where I met my wife, Judy, and where we brought up our two children in the first house we ever bought together. More importantly, it is where I learned my conservative values.

 "Here, I started a small business—Kevin O’s Deli—and learned the importance of self-reliance and entrepreneurship; to always show up first and leave last; that anything worth doing is worth doing right.

 "Here, I came to appreciate the importance of good family and friends; of taking care for one’s neighbor; and President Reagan’s wise words that “All great change in America starts at the dinner table.”

 "And it was here I was taught to value the service and sacrifice of those who fought to protect our way of life; to always shake the hand of a veteran; and that we are the land of the free because of the brave.

 "I am reminded of these lessons each day as your Representative, and I am committed to ensuring that our values and priorities will be heard in Washington, D.C. Though we have made many great strides—in combating Valley Fever and in supporting the top-tier research being performed at Edwards and China Lake—there is still much work to be done.

 "I will continue our fight against inflexible and ideological policies that keep vital water resources from our region. I will put the brakes on Governor Brown’s poorly planned high-speed rail project that would cut through our communities and hamstring our budget. I will work to create a better business climate so that the Central Valley will remain a leading energy producer in the nation for years to come. And I will not stop until we reform the broken VA system that has woefully failed to care for those who have bravely fought for our country.

 "To our community, I would like to simply and humbly say, Thank You.