Americans have once again peacefully exercised one of their most basic democratic rights and have reelected President Obama to lead our great nation for four more years. We congratulate the president and offer our prayers for him as he prepares to lead our nation through several very significant challenges. 

Americans have once again peacefully exercised one of their most basic democratic rights and have reelected President Obama to lead our great nation for four more years. We congratulate the president and offer our prayers for him as he prepares to lead our nation through several very significant challenges. 

{mosads}This election was long, hard-fought and often divisive. Millions of Americans were heavily invested in the outcome, and for every American who today celebrates Obama’s victory, another is left disappointed in Mitt Romney’s loss. No doubt many are deeply discouraged. But now is not the time to give up on the issues we hold dear. We will continue to challenge the president to represent all Americans and to provide solutions to the nation’s problems. We will continue to stand strong for America’s first freedoms: family, opportunity, limited government and our national security. 

Immediately the president faces a profound threat to the American, and possibly global, economy. But it’s a threat that can be mitigated if we work together. We believe strongly that now is not the time for significant tax increases on families, manufacturers, entrepreneurs and other job creators. Nor is it the time to severely cut back on our commitment to a strong defense. Proposed cuts to our military would leave us weakened and more vulnerable to growing threats abroad. 

Instead, we encourage the president and Congress to work together in the coming days and weeks to reform entitlements. If we want our children’s future to be better than our own, we need principled leadership to address these pressing fiscal issues. Whatever recovery we might be experiencing would immediately stall, and job losses and economic misery for middle-income families would result. And this largely self-inflicted recession would have ramifications throughout the world. 

When Congress returns for the lame-duck session, lawmakers need to take real action to prevent this catastrophe. And I do not mean legislative funny business that papers over these issues and kicks the can down the road for future generations to deal with and neglects the threats — I mean real action that protects American jobs and our economy. 

Mr. President, it’s time to get to work. It’s time to find ways to work with Congress to do what the people have elected you to do. Our fragile economy and our nation’s safety are at stake and there is no more time for delay. Free enterprise and limited government will produce better opportunities for American families than higher taxes and bigger government. We will work with you and believe leadership, common sense and commitment to solutions instead of further procrastination will allow us thrive and flourish as a nation.

Santorum is a former Republican senator from Pennsylvania and was a candidate for president in the 2012 election.