WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement on the 2006 election results:
“I’d like to congratulate House Democrats on a hard-fought campaign. We are deeply disappointed in the outcome, but as Republicans we must recommit ourselves to the principles that brought us to the majority and renew our drive for smaller, more efficient, more accountable government.
“I’ve said since January during my run for Majority Leader that that we as Republicans must return to the spirit of ’94 and its focus on reform. The American people strongly supported our ideas and agenda in 1994, and they still do. We made progress this year by instituting greater fiscal discipline, rejecting some $45 billion in wasteful Democrat spending, enacting comprehensive earmark reform, and continuing to provide tax relief, but clearly we must do more and we must do better.
“Our challenge as Republicans is to regain our confidence, our courage, and our energy to address the big issues that matter – balancing the budget by reducing the size of government and cutting wasteful spending, reforming entitlement programs that aren’t sustainable for our children and our grandchildren, providing tax relief to enhance freedom and prosperity for American families, and strengthening national and border security.
“If Republicans stand together and unite behind solutions and ideas that move us closer to our common vision of a freer, more prosperous America, I’m confident the American people will return us to the majority in two years.”