U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader Eric Cantor spoke Friday morning to about 100 students at the Batten School as part of the fourth annual Batten Council Speaker Series, outlining the Congressional agenda leading up to the 2012 election and discussing the United States' changing role on the international stage.
Cantor, R-Va, whose district includes Louisa, Orange and Madison Counties, centered his speech around three major issues he said Congress currently faces: the direction the United States is moving, competition within a global economy, and terrorism and volatility in the Middle East.
Cantor described the United States as a nation of opportunity. "America has always been the Statue of Liberty to the world," he said. "[There's] a unique nature [in] this country... we are about upward mobility."
Much of Cantor's speech was dedicated to discussing jobs and the economy, as he said these issues look likely to be the most important in the upcoming election. "These students here at U.Va.... they're looking for jobs, and what I believe they will be looking for in this election are candidates that are talking about a brighter future," he said. "I would like this country to be there to provide more opportunities, more jobs."
Cantor said the United States may be able to remedy its economic problems by fostering the growth of small businesses. "We need more start-ups," he said. "We should be the start-up country of the world."
The House plans to propose an act which would provide small businesses with a tax cut to encourage the type of growth Cantor discussed. "[Let's] roll back the red tape [and] let them keep more of the money they earn so they can hire more people," Cantor said of the proposal.
Cantor said improving the environment for start-ups need not be a partisan project. President Barack Obama Thursday signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which lets small businesses obtain capital online. The act, which reduces financial regulations for emerging businesses, is an example of bipartisanship in the government which Cantor said shows "there is an ability for us to set aside those [ideological] differences to come together to actually produce results."
Cantor also spoke about health care and argued Congress should "let patients decide what's best for them."
Congress "went beyond its constitutional limits" in signing the Affordable Care Act, Cantor said. "That's the question that's before the [Supreme] Court"
Read More
Who is Interim President Paul G. Mahoney?
By Brandon Kile | 18 hours agoThe former Law dean joined the University Law School faculty in 1990 and served as academic associate dean of the School of Law from 1999 to 2004.
Why a judge ruled against allowing Youngkin appointees to serve
By Nina Broderick | YesterdayThe denied appointees are now not recognized as official members and they can not vote or attend meetings.
Will Ryan’s resignation impact the University’s reaccreditation?
By Leigh Bailey | 4 days agoDr. Janea Johnson, public relations and data specialist at SACSCOC, said in a written statement to The Cavalier Daily July 28 that “a change in leadership does not automatically become a compliance concern.”
