Republican principles of limited and effective government, lower taxes, strong national security and traditional values are what have made our country free and strong. While we must renew our commitment to these core principles, we must also offer a fresh agenda of reform led by “new blood” so that the changes demanded by the American people do not take place without Republicans in the majority.

The status quo is unacceptable. We have an extraordinary mid-cycle opportunity to push reforms from the way the budget and appropriations process works to limiting the influence lobbyists might claim on our federal representatives. Hurricane Katrina also exposed the pressing need to reform government agencies using models from our brilliant free enterprise system where innovation and efficiency continue to lead the world.

We must demonstrate to the voters that we are truly responsible caretakers of their tax dollars by controlling the growth of the federal budget to levels that we are able to pay for. Our brand identity as the party of limited government and responsible budgets must be reclaimed with action, not just words.

We do need to carefully craft new rules to ensure that lobbyists cannot take Members of Congress on leisure trips to curry their favor on legislation and to keep all former Members who are lobbyists off the floor of the House and Senate.

At the same time, we must not overreact. Despite the hand wringing in the editorial pages of America’s newspapers, people who have violated the law will be held accountable under our system. Some will go to jail and others will have to properly explain their involvement or face the backlash of the voters in November. In east Tennessee we say, “A few bad apples shouldn’t spoil the whole bunch.” Whatever reforms we make, all rules and laws should be clear and enforceable.

We should also reform the appropriations process. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will always defend the constitutional right of Congress to direct the funds of the Treasury through “the power of the purse.” Because we have oversight hearings and listen to the testimony of experts and administrators, we understand what needs to be funded. But “earmarks” or “projects” that are funded by Congress must see the light of day. Full disclosure would call for those projects to come through the original House or Senate appropriations bills so that Members have the opportunity to modify or eliminate these projects. Finally, no earmarks should be inserted at the end of the process without warning into a conference report where the bill is no longer subject to amendment.

At the end of the day, “job one” should be to resist any further growth in the federal government even as we face the difficult challenges of terrorism and natural disaster. We can no longer allow this government to grow beyond our ability to pay. Our approach to the staggering $8 trillion national debt should be fiscal restraint coupled with pro-growth economic policies that increase revenues until they surpass expenditures as we did prior to Sept. 11, 2001.

Finally, as the new Majority Whip I will pull our team together and work more closely with committee chairmen as legislation makes its way to the floor. I will help our Conference articulate a clear and concise agenda that transcends the next election and rises to meet the challenges of the next generation.

Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) is chairman of the Republican Policy subcommittee on energy and technology.