Jack's Blog
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Posted by
Legislative Staff
on
November 07, 2009
Jack spoke on the House floor today during debate on the Pelsoi Plan to takeover health care and highlighted what Pelosi's Plans have done so far this year. From her trillion dollar spending scheme she dubbed a "stimulus" to Cap & Tax, Pelosi's plans have killed jobs. Now she's at it again but this time she wants to take your health care freedom with her. To learn more, visit http://kingston.house.gov/healthcare
Posted by
Legislative Staff
on
November 07, 2009
Jack spoke on the floor of the House today during debate on the Pelosi Plan to takeover health care. He notes that, in January, the House passed the Pelosi Plan for the Economy and unemployment rose. In May, the House passed the Pelosi Plan for Cap and Tax and the unemployment rate rose. Today, there are more unemployed persons in America than ever before and the House debates the Pelosi Plan for Nationalized Medicine. How many more people will have to lose their job before the House rejects Pelosi's plans? To learn more, visit http://kingston.house.gov/healthcare
Posted by
Legislative Staff
on
November 07, 2009
Health care reform should address the rising costs of health care, preserve the fundamental tenet that medical decisions be made between doctors and their patients and help American families and small businesses gain access to affordable, high-quality health care. H.R. 3962 will achieve none of these objectives. Instead, this legislation is a brazen $1.3 trillion government takeover of health care that will raise premiums, ration care, suffocate economic growth and cost jobs, make damaging cuts to Medicare and pave the way for federally funded abortions. House Republicans strongly oppose the bill for these reasons, and have offered a better, common-sense plan to improve our health care system in a way our nation can afford. In a series of analyses, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has shown that the true intent of H.R. 3962 is a government takeover of our health care system, which comprises one-sixth of our nation’s economy. Rather than reduce health care costs for families, small businesses, large employers and federal and state governments, the legislation actually increases premiums for millions of families by $5,000 per year compared to the Republican plan and increases federal and state spending on health care by more than $600 billion. The enormous amount of additional spending is necessary to finance layers upon layers of bureaucracy and new healthcare entitlements, spending that will increase the nation’s already exploding deficit and bury our children and grandchildren further under a mountain of debt. The layers of bureaucracy created by H.R. 3962 will eviscerate the doctor-patient relationship by empowering a government juggernaut to make critical care decisions in place of physicians and increase the cost of care for working families. Financed by more than $730 billion in new taxes on families, small businesses and large employers, this legislation contains several controversial proposals including the establishment of a government-run plan and empowering bureaucratic decision-makers such as the “Health Choices Commissioner,” the “Comparative Effectiveness Research Commission” and others with unprecedented power and authority to ration care through waiting lists for coverage and treatment, determine which health benefits Americans have access to, and decide which physicians and hospitals may participate in the government-run plan and in private plan provider networks. As radical and harmful as these changes will be to the delivery of care in our nation, new taxes and mandates created to finance these changes are also of great concern. Particularly at a time when unemployment is in excess of 10 percent for the first time since 1983, new taxes on job creators stand in stark contrast to effective policies to achieve economic growth. H.R. 3962 delivers a devastating one-two punch to small businesses: a new $135 billion employer mandate tax and a new $150 billion small business surtax. According to a model created by the chief economic advisor to President Obama, these tax increases will cost our economy 5.5 million jobs. New taxes and mandates on employers are not the tonic small businesses or our economy need to prosper, create jobs and reduce the ever-rising costs of health care. Working families will also face higher tax burdens as well as higher insurance premiums under H.R. 3962, despite oft-repeated but abandoned promises by President Obama to the contrary. The legislation contains a host of new taxes on working families, regardless of income: counter-intuitive taxes on insurance policies and medical devices, taxes on Health Savings Accounts and Flexible Savings Accounts that will make health care even less affordable for many, and a 2.5 percent tax on the income of individuals earning as little as $9,350 per year who still cannot afford health insurance coverage under a bill that raises some premiums by 30 percent more than doing nothing at all. These new taxes make clear that working families will pay a high price for the government takeover of health care proposed by this legislation. H.R. 3962 also makes more than $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, leaving seniors with reduced benefits and fewer choices. More than $150 billion of these cuts are to the Medicare Advantage program. Currently, 11 million seniors have chosen Medicare Advantage plans as the best choice for their needs. Yet the Congressional Budget Office has determined that a total of 6 million seniors will be denied access to an affordable Medicare Advantage plan because of the legislation, including 3 million seniors who will lose the plan they currently have. Other provisions of H.R. 3962 will result in at least 20 percent higher premiums for seniors in the Medicare prescription drug program, and legislation advancing through the House of Representatives in tandem with this legislation (H.R. 3961) will increase seniors’ Medicare Part B (doctor visits) premiums by tens of billions of dollars. The legislation also utilizes inadequate measures to verify citizenship which the Social Security Administration is ill-equipped to administer, creating an unacceptable avenue for illegal immigrants to receive government subsidies to purchase health insurance. H.R. 3962 allows for a simple check of Social Security number and place of birth to verify citizenship status, yet more than 46 million Social Security numbers have been issued to non-citizens and the mere possession of a Social Security number does not demonstrate a legal presence in the United States. Moreover, the verification provisions in the legislation allow an individual who self-certifies eligibility presumptively to enroll in federal programs and remain in these programs for up to 120 days after a discrepancy is discovered. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 2.5 million more illegal immigrants would receive taxpayer subsidized health insurance under H.R. 3962 than its previous iteration (H.R. 3200). House Democratic leadership has made in order an amendment offered by Representatives Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Joe Pitts (R-PA) which would prohibit the government-run plan from covering abortion services and prohibit individuals who receive federal subsidies from purchasing a plan that provides elective abortions. House Republicans support adoption of the amendment, but remain opposed to H.R. 3962 regardless of its adoption. Absent adoption of this amendment, the government-run plan established by the legislation is directed to cover elective abortions, and H.R. 3962 establishes an accounting mechanism which requires individuals to pay abortion premiums into a health care trust fund used to pay for abortion services. Claims that the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, applies to the government-run plan are incorrect since the government-run plan will not be funded through the traditional appropriations process. As a result, H.R. 3962 will unequivocally use federal funds to pay for abortions under the government-run plan and to subsidize individual plans that include abortion. Republicans have offered an alternative, common-sense solution focused on lowering health care premiums for families and small businesses. The Republican plan will lower health care premiums by up to 10 percent and increase access to health insurance coverage, including for those with pre-existing conditions. The Republican plan achieves these objectives and decreases the deficit without intervening in the doctor-patient relationship, raising taxes on families and small businesses, cutting Medicare benefits for seniors, or instituting a government takeover of health care. House Republicans agree that health care in America is too expensive and too many people lack access to affordable, high-quality health care, but disagree that a government takeover of our nation’s health care system is the answer. H.R. 3962 is a fundamentally flawed government takeover of our nation’s health care system and will cost millions of jobs. House Republicans oppose the legislation. Provided by the Republican Leadership and the Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor Republicans. http://repcloakroom.house.gov/
Posted by
Spokesblogger
on
November 07, 2009
Yesterday, the Department of Labor reported that unemployment reached a staggering 10.2 percent for the month of October, the highest level in 26 years. While Americans suffer, Democrats are spending their time trying to force Pelosi’s health care takeover through Congress. The shocking 10.2 percent unemployment only tells part of the story of the struggles of average Americans that Democrats ignore. A deeper look at the numbers reveals the true cost of the Democrats’ economic policies, especially for the nation’s most vulnerable people. 15,700,000: Americans unemployed and looking for work—the highest number ever. Since the trillion dollar Democrat “stimulus” was passed, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by nearly three million. 190,000: Individuals whose jobs were eliminated in October. 1,737,000: People unemployed in October because they have been laid off. 2,804,000: Jobs lost since Democrats’ “stimulus” was passed in February. 9,284,000: People who are working only part-time because they cannot find full time employment. 2,373,000: People who want work, but who are not currently looking because of the state of the economy. 5,594,000: People unemployed and searching for work for more than 27 weeks—the highest level ever. 1,090,000: Job seekers that are new entrants to the workforce and have yet to find a job. 26.9: Average number of weeks job seekers are unemployed after losing their jobs—the highest number since the statistic was first recorded in 1948. 27.6%: Unemployment rate among job seekers between the ages of 16 and 19—the highest level since the statistic was first measured in 1948. 15.7%: Unemployment rate among African Americans—the highest level since 1985. 13.1%: Unemployment rate among Hispanics and Latinos. 17.5%: Rate of underemployment, accounting for the unemployed and those who are unable to find adequate work. 15.5%: Unemployment rate among job seekers without a high school degree. 65.1%: Rate of the U.S. population in the workforce. Courtesy House Republican Conference
Posted by
Spokesblogger
on
November 06, 2009
Congressman calls on Administration to repeal failed ‘stimulus’ In response to new unemployment figures showing that more than one in ten Americans are out of work, Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) called on the Administration to change economic course and abandon it’s failed stimulus program. “If government spending were the answer, we’d be doing great by now,” Congressman Kingston said. “It’s not, though, and it’s time to admit that fact. It’s time for change we believe in. If we want to truly jumpstart the economy, we’ve got to restore confidence and empower the real economic engine of America – small business and entrepreneurs – with the tools they need.” Congressman Kingston opposed the $1 trillion spending scheme when Speaker Pelosi rushed it through the House in February. At the time he cosponsored a bill that would create twice the jobs at half the price when using the same math as President Obama’s economic advisors. That bill was centered on targeted tax cuts for small businesses and working families as well as economic assistance for the hardest hit areas. Congressman Kingston also used the numbers to highlight his opposition to Speaker Pelsoi’s planned takeover of health care. Citing the failed stimulus, he expressed little faith the government would effectively manage the nation’s health care. “Time and again we’ve seen the government fail when it tries to insert itself in the private sector,” said Congressman Kingston. “But this time we’re supposed to believe them that it will all be alright? I don’t buy it and neither do the American people. We can’t afford the Pelosi Plan – its bad medicine for an already hurting economy.”
Posted by
Spokesblogger
on
November 06, 2009
What do you get from a 1,990 page monstrosity crafted by Speaker Pelosi to nationalize medicine? Jack answers that question on the House floor: premium increases, tax increases, and Medicare cuts to pay for a $1 trillion bill to insert a bureaucrat between you and your doctor. After President Obama and Speaker Pelosi got their $787 billion “stimulus,” what happened? Unemployment went up. Why follow that model for health care? Republicans have offered a targeted alternative. To learn more visit http://kingston.house.gov/healthcare
Posted by
Spokesbloggette
on
November 06, 2009
As the health care debate continues in Washington, the Republican Whip's office released the following videos featuring one of the House's strongest features: House Republican Women. A Discussion on Health Care Reform: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc3nF8XIFlo Medical Care and the National Debt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IWpnZIKj5s The Doctor-Patient Relationship: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z87IyxeXlcQ
Posted by
Jack
on
November 04, 2009
House Republican Leader John Boehner has introduced a commonsense alternative to the Pelosi Plan for nationalized medicine. To read a summary, click here. To read the full text, click below:
Posted by
Legislative Staff
on
November 03, 2009
The House Republican Conference released a series of updated one-pagers outlining how Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill is bad for whole cross-sections of the American population. Links to the specific documents are below:
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