When government flounders

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Throughout our history, America has been guided to prosperity and strength by virtues of individual responsibility, optimism and accomplishment. Our successes reflect a spirit of individuality that promotes the greater good of our citizens. We have prospered through a trust in the capabilities of our people.

Somewhere along the way, however, we have lost our faith in individuals. We have stopped trusting the potential of our people. And as a result, today, more than ever, people have given up their trust in Washington.

It is undeniable that we have strayed from the limited government vision of our Founders. In 1965, the federal budget was an inflation-adjusted $750 billion. This year we will spend $2.7 trillion. And more and more of this spending is automatic and formula driven. This portion of the budget has increased over 600 percent. Meanwhile, the majority in Congress continues to tell us the answers to our problems are found through more government.

There is an alternative to this Washington-knows-best philosophy. There are those who are committed to stopping the growth of bureaucracy and restoring faith in ourselves. The current leadership void allows for the opportunity to successfully work toward a government that puts people first and restores the trust of the American people. We need to assert our proud heritage and reaffirm American self-reliance. Our culture and our ideals will lead us forward not politicians in Washington.

Of course, there will always be a place and time for government. In times of great turmoil and unrest, Americans have turned to it to promote our common beliefs. And the American government has long advanced the ideal of equal opportunity. But this is not an endorsement of ever-increasing federal spending.

Our guiding principle is confidence in the individual. Whenever faced with challenges, the spirit of the American people has led us to overcome obstacles.

Diseases were not cured by presidents or Congress; they were eradicated by the passionate pursuits of scientists. We have not become the wealthiest country in the world because of government spending, but rather through a trust in people and free markets.

A system of government will never match the ambition and drive of the American people. This energy should be what leads us to prosperity. Ronald Reagan once said, There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder. The American people are truly only limited by our capacity to imagine.

Throughout history, Americans have fought for this right to dream big. We have fought to free ourselves from oppression. We have even fought to free others from the grip of tyranny because we value and respect individual inalienable rights.

But how should these rights, values and trust in government be restored? We should put our trust in the people. Allow patients and doctors to make the health care choices that are best for them. Give local communities the flexibility to best teach our children. Support small businesses with policies that reward, not punish, success. And, above all, limit the growth of our government so that we can return more money to hard working taxpayers.

We all share similar hopes and dreams of a brighter tomorrow in which our children are prosperous and free, our country strong and united. How this is to be achieved is the crux of the debate. To their credit, some of our erstwhile colleagues remain unapologetic in their wholehearted belief that Washington knows what is best for American families.

Many of us, however, must stand behind a vision of an individual-first America. We must lead with trust in people. And if we are to err, let it be on the side of confidence in the individual. Let our principle of personal responsibility be our critics' most valid indictment.

And if resolute and unwavering, we will return to the ideals of building a bright future, not upon our paychecks, but upon the spirit of the American people. The trust of the people will return once government returns its trust in the people.

Rep. Tom Price, a Republican who represents the 6th Congressional District of Georgia, is a member of the Republican Study Committee.