LaMalfa visits Corning, rallies Tea Party Patriots

Dressed in his typical cowboy boots and blue jeans, US Rep. Doug LaMalfa told the Corning Tea Party Thursday that conservatives have plenty of reason to be motivated.

"They are coming at us from all directions: The hostile media, the Senate and the president. It's a tough road," he said.

LaMalfa, R-Richvale, said the past six weeks serving in the House of Representatives have been difficult.

"This job has been hard. It isn't cut and dried. I've already had to agonize over decisions," he said.

LaMalfa served in the Assembly from 2002-08, and as state senator from 2010 to August 2012, when he resigned to make his successful bid for Congress in the newly drawn 1st District.

He encouraged his audience to have faith in their efforts as the "other side" tries to create dissension among conservatives and constitutionalists.

"Already our choices in healthcare have been taken over by Washington, DC. Why in this free country are we letting these people dictate healthcare, religion and more? That is tyranny," he said.

He wants to put the brakes on the "Obamacare takeover" of healthcare, and believes the Supreme Court's ruling on the president's healthcare plan was "completely wrong."

"I am the co-sponsor with Michelle Bachman to repeal Obamacare," LaMalfa said.

Bachman is a Republican representative from Minnesota.

The repeal bill was introduced on Jan. 3, and assigned to a congressional committee for consideration before going to the House or Senate as a whole.

LaMalfa believes there needs to be a demand from the nation's citizens for greater accountability in many areas of spending, such as FEMA.

Referring to the federal emergency funds provided to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the congressman said he was in favor of the first $9 billion allotted, and the $17 billion which came next, because those funds were well accounted for.

"It was the remainder of the funds that I was against because there was a great lack of accountability attached to those funds," LaMalfa said. "This country has a pattern of helping, and I'm not against that. But there has got to be strict accountability attached to those funds."

Concerning deficit spending and the debt ceiling, he said it is important to look at the enormity of the problem while dealing with both.

"Paul Ryan is working on a plan that would balance the budget in 10 years. Some say that would take too long. I want to see all of the options that are out there being proposed," he said. "But one thing I agree with is 'no budget, no pay.'"

He was referring to the bill known as the No Budget No Pay Act, which allowed a four-month extension of the debt ceiling and pressures Congress to adopt a budget resolution for fiscal year 2014 by April 15. If it fails to do so, members of the both houses would have their paychecks put into an escrow account starting on April 16 until Congress adopts a budget.

"In extending the debt ceiling, it has bought us the time to get into discussion on the budget and seek a change," LaMalfa said.

Others have gone so far as to suggest congressmen and senators should lose their pay, not just have it put in an interest-bearing account to get later.

Taking on the issue of Social Security, LaMalfa said things aren't going the way the program was originally set to work.

"We have got to come up with some plan working with real numbers and real intent to make it work. We need to be disciplined," he said, although he did not provide any options.

With the direction government spending is currently moving, LaMalfa said the government is leaving a legacy of debt in the amount of $50,000 to $60,000 to every person born today.

The congressman said he believes President Barack Obama is running the country into the gutter, and if the GOP is going to take back the White House it will have to provide better candidates.

When asked about the president's use of executive order, LaMalfa said the "last time I looked we didn't have an emperor."

"I don't throw the word impeach around lightly, besides, you would never get it through the Senate no matter his crime," LaMalfa said.