By Sean Mahoney

This morning, Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) hosted a conference call with former Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Doug Holtz-Eakin. In discussing the state of the economy, Congressman Paul Ryan made some good points that I agree with wholeheartedly. That’s why I’ve been talking about many of the same issues throughout my campaign.

Economic recovery must come from business growth, not stimulus spending. Although Nancy Pelosi and Carol Shea-Porter would like you to believe that their “stimulus” program has helped, it has been a failure. Unemployment is now close to 10%, not below 8% as promised—which would still be too high. Meanwhile, as Congressman Ryan pointed out, the cost of the program is $1.1T after interest payment on the debt we are creating is factored in.

Congressman Ryan and I agree that the most important thing we can do to get businesses and individuals investing in our economy again is to remove the uncertainty that exists for them. We must do this by controlling spending and cutting taxes. In January of this year, and in 2013, businesses will see tax increases that bring their top tax rate up to 44.8%. That doesn’t even include the costs to businesses if Pelosi and Shea-Porter’s disastrous cap and trade scheme is implemented. We must reverse the trend of increasing taxes and debt.

We must hold the line on spending, which our party failed to do in recent years. Congressman Ryan said that it is important that Republicans own up to these mistakes. I have been critical of this overspending, opposed bank and auto bailouts from the start, and resigned from the Republican National Committee in protest of the party establishment drifting away from conservative principles.

As I have said many times throughout the campaign, my immediate priorities are to repeal Obamacare, redirect any unspent stimulus funds to reducing our debt, and cut taxes and regulations for small businesses. Just the first of these proposals would reduce taxes. Congressman Ryan pointed out Obamacare’s additional .9% tax for Medicare and 3.8% tax on investment income set to take effect in 2013.

Perhaps the most important point that Congressman Ryan made was that, while Democrats are quick to point out Republicans recent mistakes, they have only “magnified” them with greater overspending. Republicans need to lead the fight to correct the mistake of overspending, and definitely not repeat the mistake.