Republicans pledge to push ‘conservative solutions’

Republicans must “protect the American Dream for future generations by working to pass conservative solutions to the many problems facing our nation,” the new leader of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) said Thursday.

“The stakes are too high and the consequences too grave for us to fail at this mission. Our nation has overcome countless hurdles and hardships to become the beacon of freedom for the rest of the world,” U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said in a statement. “We cannot let that light fade on our watch, and I will work every day with all our RSC Members to ensure that the American dream is preserved and strengthened for future generations.”

Scalise won a two-year term over U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., to lead the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of more than 170 conservatives serving in the U.S. House. On Twitter, Graves told Scalise he is “looking (forward) to working (with) you to promote conservative principles.”

“The American people chose the Republican House to serve as the only line of defense against Barack Obama’s liberal agenda, and the RSC must stand tall as the conservative rudder, steering the House towards more conservative solutions as we work to get our country back on the right track,” Scalise said. “We must unite as conservatives around our shared beliefs of economic opportunity for all Americans through lower taxes, controlled Washington spending, and more individual freedom.”

Scalise replaces U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, as chairman of the Republican Study Committee. The Louisiana Republican was first elected to Congress in May 2008.

“Steve Scalise will be a strong voice for the conservative solutions House Republicans were elected to champion,” Jordan said in a statement. “His leadership will be critically important as we work to strengthen the economy and defeat the debt.”