Sterling, Va., never felt so much anticipation. Last Thursday the House Republicans, led by John Boehner (R-Ohio) unveiled a pledge at a hardware store in Sterling, Va., in hopes in bringing the American people some relief. “It is an encouraging step back onto the road of recapturing America, says David Limbaugh.

Polling the opinions of the grass roots of America through an Internet project called “America Speaking Out” and opinions expressed at town hall meetings, information was gathered of what the American people really wanted. This was then written into a pledge from the Republican House.

The Pledge focuses on five areas: jobs, spending, health care, national security and reforming Congress itself. Within these five general areas there is a breakdown of about four points per topic, making it roughly a 20-point plan.

Rep Paul Ryan (R-WIS) said to George Stephanopoulos in an interview, “We are here trying to reclaim our country by rededicating ourselves to those timeless principles that made us exceptional.” The pledge, he said, “contains the basic building blocks to get us back on the right track.”

It is also a clear pledge to the Tea Party people that the pledge’s focus is on Constitutional principles and government spending. The document states: "With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our Pledge to America.”

What wonderful news this is for our country and all of its citizens. Finally, someone is listening to the American people and promising some results. Finally, we will get back on track with more jobs, less spending, better health care, better national security and keeping control over Congress. We need this pledge desperately as our government has been out of control. Our country needs leaders to step up and take a stand in this out of control spending and law making.

The pledge ends by saying: “To begin the process of implementing a new governing agenda that honors our Constitution and reflects the will of the people we call on the leadership of the 111th Congress to bring these reforms and policies to an immediate vote and ask all citizens of our nation—men and women of good will and good heart who share in our beliefs to join with us and speak out.

Our job is clear. We need to support those who have signed this pledge and continue to speak out to our Congress on what our country needs. With this pledge we can hold those responsible to the agenda proposed and eventually get ourselves back on track pre-2008. This is wonderful news to us all.

Loxley resident Valerie J. Steimle is now the author of four books. Her latest, "Dogs, Blogs and Hobbits: Writings from a Widow's Perspective" is available on Amazon.com. Contact her at valeriesteimle@yahoo.com or visit her website at www.stregthenyourhome.com.