With America Entering a Period of Divided Government, the Ripon Forum asks 12 GOP Leaders from Around the Country what they Want from Washington Next Year.

WASHINGTON, DC – With Republicans remaining in control of the Senate and the White House and Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives in 2019, The Ripon Forum reached out to 12 GOP leaders around the country and asked them a simple question: “What would you like to see Congress and the President reach agreement on in the coming year?”

The Republican leaders featured in this latest “Beyond the Beltway” edition of the Forum include:

–G.T. Bynum, the Mayor of Tulsa — “The greatest contribution President Trump and Congress could make in 2019 is to follow the lead of cities across America and balance their budget,” Bynum writes.

–Connie Lawson, the Secretary of State of Indiana —“Congress can be helpful by providing states with the tools to protect elections and, just as importantly, funding those protections,” Lawson writes.

–J.D. Mesnard, the Speaker of the House in Arizona — “It’s my hope that out of this gridlock, the federal government finds a renewed sense of federalism,” Mesnard writes.

–Kristin Olsen, the Former Assembly Leader in California — “Millions of Americans are waiting for Congress to lead,” Olsen writes.“Transportation and water infrastructure, policies to drive economic mobility, and balancing the budget would be three good places to start.”

–Paul Pate, the Secretary of State of Iowa — “As Iowa’s Secretary of State, I have made it a priority for my office to work at the speed of business, not the speed of government,” Pate writes.“That is the way the federal government needs to work.”

–David Ralston, the Speaker of the House in Georgia — “If you want to make Congress, and the federal government as a whole, more responsive and more accountable to the will and needs of the nation,” Ralston suggests, “perhaps limiting the amount of time it can be in session per year would serve to apply some gentle pressure.”

–Leslie Rutledge, the Attorney General of Arkansas — “As we begin a new Congress,” Rutledge declares, “I will wipe the dust off my ‘Fire Pelosi’ sign dating back to my Republican National Committee days — because I feel the energy of a strong America continuing to rise.”

–Linda Upmeyer, the Speaker of the House in Iowa — “If they are all willing to put aside party differences, put less focus on scoring points, and work together,” Upmeyer writes of Republicans and Democrats in Washington, “I think we could see some real progress on priorities that Americans care about.”

–Robin Vos, the Speaker of the House in Wisconsin — “The new Congress and President Trump need to free the states of the labyrinth of government regulations and give more decision-making powers back to the states,” Vos writes.

–Wayne Williams, the Secretary of State of Colorado — “When it comes to the federal government, we work with them, not under them,” Williams writes.“Congress would be well served to honor this distinction.”

–Jackie Winters, the Senate Minority Leader in Oregon —“Effective forest management is a must have discussion if we ever hope to stop these massive wildfires,” writes Winters.“This needs to be an equal partnership between state and federal agencies to ensure tangible outcomes, save lives,and preserve our lands.”

–Kim Wyman, the Secretary of State of Washington — “Maintaining our elections system is not a partisan issue,” Wyman writes. “Democrats and Republicans, state and federal, must support responsible budgeting that weighs strategic spending against the onerous costs that inevitably follow years of neglect.

In addition to featuring the voices of these 12 Republican leaders, and in honor of his passing on November 30th, the Forum also features a 1990 interview the journal had with President George H.W. Bush. In the interview, the late President discussed a number of topics, including the future of the GOP and why seeking out and welcoming diverse opinions — like the Forum does in this latest edition — is so critical to growing and strengthening the Republican base.“A political party,” he stated, “is like a choir because it needs two things: a single songbook — and lots of different voices.”

The Ripon Forum is published six times a year by The Ripon Society, a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.