9 Hoosier Banker July 2016 legislator, following the tragic death of state Rep. Roland Stine, who was killed by a drunk driver. “Serving as a state representative was a great opportunity to learn from former Gov. Mitch Daniels and Speaker Brian Bosma. They impressed on me that it’s possible to implement big, bold ideas and still win elections. It’s a lesson I’m trying to take with me to Washington.” You served first in the Indiana House of Representatives, and now in the U.S. House. How does state-level service differ from the national arena? “Probably my biggest surprise in going to Washington was learning that parliamentary procedures there are unlike those of state legislatures. At the Indiana Statehouse, there is a rule book to follow that gives a voice to individual legislators. Those individual members, who represent minority opinion, have the ability to drive amendments and legislation to the floor. “But in Washington, a rule has developed over decades in the House that boils down to: Majority rules. When a controversial bill comes to the floor, we first vote to determine which rules will apply to that bill. The Rules Committee may decide that there will be no amendments on a bill, or that there will be four, or 10. “Imagine being at a basketball game if the referee decides to erase the free-throw line and move it up two feet, then the next game moves it back three feet, plus decides that the red team will play with four members and the blue team will have five. It wouldn’t seem fair, but that’s essentially what we have in Washington. “Virtually every day, the rule book is thrown out by majority rule. It’s been happening for so long and so often that it’s barely noticed. It’s a cultural challenge to awaken the institution to the problem. “This is hurting our country, because the minority opinion isn’t heard. As the House Republican Policy Chair of the Conference, I am trying to drive an effort to normalize our rules, so that each individual member has a voice. When each individual member has a voice, the 700,000 to one million people they represent also have a voice.” What are other concerns? “I’m trying to focus our Conference on a positive agenda for working Americans. A driving source of angst in our country is the shrinking paycheck of middle Americans. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, from 1964 to 2014, in real-dollar terms the purchasing power of the average American increased by 84 cents. That’s just 84 cents more purchasing power after a span of 50 years. “Last February I addressed this in a speech to the National Press Club, and I talked about five ideas to help make the average American’s paycheck go further. One idea is to change the tax status of healthcare expenses, so that everyone can pay for their healthcare with pre-tax dollars. “Another idea is to incentivize Americans to deal with day-to-day economics by paying out earned income tax credits on a weekly basis, instead as a single, year-end paycheck. Third, we need to promote school choice, which ensures that everyone has an opportunity for highquality education. “Fourth, we have to eliminate marriage penalties. The marriage penalty tax was abolished a generation ago, but penalties still exist through the loss of some federal benefits upon marriage. And finally, I propose that we pass the REINS Act,* through which Congress would have to approve any new regulation with an economic impact of $100 million or more. “Freedom brings opportunity. One of the challenges of federal policy, especially as it applies to financial services, is that we have created unintended consequences. Many of the regulations surrounding the DoddFrank Act and Basel III came about through the best of intentions, but the results are hurting the very consumers we are trying to protect. “Today it’s much harder for a working American to get a loan than it was a decade ago, and free checking has virtually disappeared. These are unintended consequences of Dodd-Frank. “We want to make sure that consumers are treated fairly, and our financial institutions remain fiscally sound, but we’ve got to be sure that the regulations and laws that we bring forth don’t end up unintentionally hurting consumers. In public policy, we’re not accountable for our intentions; we’re accountable for our results.” How can the bankers of Indiana be helpful in that quest? “Stay engaged. In modern life, if you don’t ‘happen’ to government, government’s going to happen to you. We all have a responsibility to make sure our elected leaders know the consequences of their decisions. Family is a priority to Luke and Jennifer Messer.“In life, you find time for what you prioritize,” Messer observes. Continued on page 10.
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