Freshman Republican's Rousing Speech Gets Congress Chanting USA! USA!

First-term Congressman Mike Kelly made a splash this week with a speech that roused the House to a rare standing ovation and chants of “USA! USA!”
 
Advocating for a non-partisan, jobs-centric approach to the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act, the Pennsylvania Republican began, “Let me tell you what it means to be in the real world and not inside the Beltway.”
 
Reviewing for the chamber a conversation he recently had with a banker friend, Rep. Kelly expressed anger as he held up a thick, 1,100 page document he discovered the government uses to determine “qualified borrower” eligibility.

Editor's Note: Economist Unapologetically Calls Out Bernanke, Obama For Mishandling Economy. See What They Did.
 
“It only took 1,100 pages for the government to determine whether you’re a qualified borrower. Are you kidding me?” he asked.
 
Watch Rep. Kelly's rousing speech. Story continues below.



Launching into a second anecdote, he told the tale of a ballpark renovated by a veteran in his hometown. The park’s opening day ceremonies — set to welcome a crowd of 1,500 — almost didn’t happen because the bathroom mirrors were deemed “a quarter of an inch too low,” barring an occupancy permit.
 
Kelly stated that red tape costs the U.S. $1.75 trillion dollars every year, but went on to speak fervently of the larger price of over-regulation for America’s future.
 
“You want to know the price of regulation?...You want to talk about creating jobs in America?... Then let them rise. Take the heavy boot off the throat of America’s job creators and let them breathe!” he pleaded as the crowd sent up a shout.
 
“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.”
 
After Kelly’s speech, the chamber stood, cheered and chanted “USA! USA!” before the House was brought back to order.

Editor's Note: Economist Unapologetically Calls Out Bernanke, Obama For Mishandling Economy. See What They Did.
 
The bill subsequently passed with a 245-172 vote.
 
Not expected to pass the Democratically-controlled Senate, the bill itself would stop government agencies from taking any significant regulatory action until the unemployment rate is equal to or less than 6 percent.