MILLER: If Democrats ran the House

OPINION:

November’s battle for control of the White House may grab the most public attention, but the House of Representatives is arguably the more vital race. Republican control of the lower chamber since 2011 has slowed spending in Washington and blocked much of the big-government agenda. Losing the House would have significant consequences.

“A second term for President Obama and a return to the speaker’s chair for Nancy Pelosi would inflict more damage on an already disastrous economy,” said Paul Lindsay, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the political arm of House GOP.

To drive home this point, the conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) recently started sending updates to remind members what would happen if Democrats retake the Capitol. The internal emails each spotlight a liberal bill that would hit the floor and potentially pass under Speaker Pelosi.

For example, Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. dropped a bill to raise the minimum wage to $10 on June 6, just four days before taking a mysterious sick leave from Congress for “exhaustion.” His plan would make it more expensive to hire and retain employees and would likely lead to layoffs - the last thing this limping economy needs.

Mr. Jackson this year also proposed adding an amendment to the Constitution to enshrine the principle that, “The Congress of the United States shall tax all persons progressively in proportion to the income which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the United States.” The idea is to kill bipartisan efforts to make the tax code flatter and fairer and, instead, ensure perpetual redistribution of wealth.

That’s a favorite topic for liberals. Rep. Janice Schakowsky’s Fairness in Taxation Act would raise the marginal income-tax rate to 40 percent for those who earn over $379,000. This Illinois Democrat’s theory is Uncle Sam knows better how to spend money than a successful businessman.

Rep. Alcee Hastings proposed an annual “surcharge on high-income individuals” that would range from 5 percent to 20 percent for income over $250,000. Combined with Mr. Obama’s planned tax hikes, the Florida Democrat would, by 2013, boost the top rate to 60 percent. It’s like the Jimmy Carter days all over again.

The left continues to embrace the discredited economic theories and feel-good public policies that have sunk the nation into massive debt, high unemployment and low growth. As RSC Chairman Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, explained, “Americans have some big decisions to make about the future of this country, so it’s important that they understand what the left really believes.” The more the public knows, the more likely the House will stay in conservative hands.

Emily Miller is a senior editor for the Opinion pages at The Washington Times.