Showing posts with label Paul Ryan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul Ryan. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Paul Ryan statement on Senate Democratics' budget Failure

Paul Ryan GOP Response to President Obama's 2012 Budget RequestWashington – Yesterday, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan called upon Democratic leaders to join Congressional Republicans’ efforts to advance serious solutions to America’s most pressing fiscal and economic challenges. In response to another solution put forward by Congressional Republicans, Ryan issued the following statement:

“I appreciate the hard work of my friend Senator Pat Toomey in putting forward specific proposals to address our nation’s fiscal and economic challenges.

His proposed FY2012 budget incorporates many of the reforms advanced in the House-passed FY2012 Budget Resolution, which puts the budget on the path to balance and the economy on the path to prosperity. I remain grateful to all Senate Republicans for their leadership in changing Washington’s culture of spending, and for their steadfast commitment to fiscal discipline.

“It is unfortunate that Senate Democratic leaders – along with President Obama – remain unwilling to put forward credible solutions to avert the debt-fueled economic crisis before us. Senate Democrats failed to pass a budget last year, and have already missed the deadline for passing a budget this year. Will they continue to push false attacks and use scare tactics on our solutions, or will they work with Congressional Republicans and the American people to advance a budget that meets the challenges of today?”

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Contact: Conor Sweeney 202-226-7270

TEXT CREDIT: Committee on the Budget: U.S. House of Representatives 207 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

IMAGE CREDIT: c-span.org

Friday, April 15, 2011

Paul Ryan: “This is our generation’s defining moment”

Paul Ryan GOP Response to President Obama's 2012 Budget RequestU.S. House of Representatives Advances The Path to Prosperity April 15, 2011

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget today that puts the government’s budget on a path to balance and puts the nation on a path to prosperity. With today’s vote, the House turned the page on the politics of the past and offered a fresh, optimistic view of a prosperous future – a future of robust economic growth, a debt-free nation, and a government that lives within its means.

H. Con. Res. 34, the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Resolution, passed the House by a vote of 235 - 193

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan issued the following remarks on the House floor in advance of the historic vote:

“We must choose this path. We must not be the Congress that failed to fulfill the American legacy of leaving a better nation to our children.

“We must not leave this nation in decline. We must not be the first generation in this country to leave the next generation worse off.

“Decline is antithetical to the American Idea. America is a nation conceived in liberty, dedicated to equality, and defined by limitless opportunity. Equal opportunity, upward mobility, prosperity – this is what America is all about.

“In all the chapters of human history, there has never been anything quite like America. This budget keeps America exceptional, and preserves its promise for the next generation.

“Colleagues: This is our defining moment. We must choose this path to prosperity.”

Key facts about the House-passed Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Resolution – The Path to Prosperity:

SPENDING

* Cuts $6.2 trillion in government spending over the next decade compared to the President’s budget.
* Eliminates hundreds of duplicative programs, reflects the ban on earmarks, and curbs corporate welfare bringing non-security discretionary spending to below 2008 levels.

DEBT AND DEFICITS

* Reduces deficits by $4.4 trillion compared to the President’s budget over the next decade.
* Puts the budget on the path to balance and pays off the debt.

TAXES

* Keeps taxes low so the economy can grow. Eliminates roughly $800 billion in tax increases imposed by the President’s health care law. Prevents the $1.5 trillion tax increase called for in the President’s budget.
* Calls for a simpler, less burdensome tax code. Lowers tax rates for individuals, businesses and families. Improves incentives for growth, savings, and investment.

GROWTH AND JOBS

* Creates nearly 1 million new private-sector jobs next year and results in 2.5 million additional private-sector jobs in the last year of the decade.

Unleashes prosperity and economic security, yielding $1.1 trillion in higher wages and an average $1,000 per year in higher income for each family.

IMAGE CREDIT: c-span.org

TEXT CREDIT: Committee on the Budget: U.S. House of Representatives 207 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Paul Ryan Responds to President Obama Deficit Speech VIDEO


WASHINGTON – House Budget Committee Chairman Paul D. Ryan made the following statement after listening to the President’s speech on deficit reduction:

“When the President reached out to ask us to attend his speech, we were expecting an olive branch. Instead, his speech was excessively partisan, dramatically inaccurate, and hopelessly inadequate to address our fiscal crisis. What we heard today was not fiscal leadership from our commander-in-chief; we heard a political broadside from our campaigner-in-chief.

Paul Ryan Responds to President Obama Deficit Speech

“Last year, in the absence of a serious budget, the President created a Fiscal Commission. He then ignored its recommendations and omitted any of its major proposals from his budget, and now he wants to delegate leadership to yet another commission to solve a problem he refuses to confront.

“We need leadership, not a doubling down on the politics of the past. By failing to seriously confront the most predictable economic crisis in our history, this President’s policies are committing our children to a diminished future. We are looking for bipartisan solutions, not partisan rhetoric. When the President is ready to get serious about confronting this challenge, we'll be here.”

*****

Key Facts About the President’s Speech

General:

* Counts unspecified savings over 12 years, not the 10-year window by which serious budget proposals are evaluated.

* Postpones all savings until 2013 – after his reelection campaign.

* Runs away from the Fiscal Commission’s recommendations on Social Security – puts forward no specific ideas or even a process to force action.

* Calls for the appointment of another commission, after mostly omitting from his Fiscal Year 2012 Budget any of proposals submitted by the commission he appointed last year.

* Non-specific framework fails to meet Fiscal Commission's definition of sustainability.

Taxes:

* Proposes to raise taxes on the American people by more than $1 trillion, devastating our fragile economy and stifling job creation.

* Endorsed the Fiscal Commission’s ideas on taxes, which specifically called for lower tax rates and a broader base, but then called for higher tax rates. Which is it?

* Government health and retirement programs are growing at more than twice the speed of the economy. At the current rate of spending, revenue would have to rise “by more than 50 percent” just to keep debt at its current level, according to the Government Accountability Office. That means tax increases across-the-board, now and in the future.

Medicare:

* Instead of proposing structural reforms that would actually reduce health care costs, the President proposed across-the-board cuts to current seniors’ care.

* Strictly limits the amount of health care seniors can receive within the existing structure of unsustainable government health care programs.

* Gives more power to unelected bureaucrats in Washington to determine what treatments seniors should or shouldn’t get, against a backdrop of costs that continue to rise.

* Conceded that the relentlessly rising cost of health care is the primary reason why the nation is threatened by debt, and implicitly conceded that his health care law failed to solve the problem.

* Eviscerates the only competitive element anywhere in health-care entitlement programs – the competition amongst Part D prescription-drug plans – which allowed the drug benefit to come in 41 percent under budget.

Medicaid:

* Acknowledges that the open-ended financing of Medicaid is a crippling financial burden to both states and the federal government, but explicitly rejected the only solution to this problem, which is to give states the freedom they need to design systems that work for the unique needs of their own populations.

Defense:

* Proposes more cuts on top of $78 billion in cuts included in his own defense budget, which he proposed just two months ago – all at a time when he continues to task the military with new missions.

* Secretary Gates has said that the military needs 2 percent – 3 percent real growth just to keep executing the missions that DOD has already been assigned.

* Secretary Gates described deficit reduction plans that let budget targets drive defense policy as “math, not strategy.”

Contact: Conor Sweeney (202) 226-7270

VIDEO and IMAGE CREDIT: VideeWell

TEXT CREDIT: U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan Washington, DC Office. 1233 Longworth House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-3031 Fax: (202) 225-3393

Saturday, April 09, 2011

Paul Ryan Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 04/09/11


Podcast of the address: Download MP3 for PODCAST || FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT BELOW. || Download Video MPEG Video || MP4 Video

Paul Ryan Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 04/09/11

Washington (Apr 9)

Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) highlights the Path to Prosperity, the Republican budget that would spur private-sector job growth, stop Washington from spending money it doesn’t have, and lift the crushing burden of debt that threatens our future. Ryan also highlights the bipartisan agreement reached this week on the largest spending cut in history – “good news for job creators in America.” Following is the full text of the address.

Paul Ryan Weekly Republican Address“Hello. I’m Congressman Paul Ryan from Janesville, Wisconsin – and Chairman here at the House Budget Committee.

“It’s no secret our government has a spending problem – and the problem has gotten so bad it’s threatening our future and hurting our nation’s ability to create jobs.

Republicans made a pledge that we would work to change this if given the opportunity to lead. Since January, we’ve been urging President Obama to listen to the people and work with us to reduce spending. The president started this year by proposing a freeze that would make no cuts at all. But now bipartisan legislation is in sight to enact the largest spending cut in American history.

“This is good news for job creators in America – but much more has to be done to put our nation on a true path to prosperity. Earlier this week, the House Budget Committee advanced a new budget for the United States government that will move the debate in Washington from billions in spending cuts to trillions.

“We did so because it is unconscionable to leave the next generation with a crushing burden of debt and a nation in decline. Washington’s obsession with the next election has come at the expense of the next generation.

“We are calling this budget The Path to Prosperity, because it is more than just a budget.

“It is a commitment to honor the American legacy of leaving the next generation a more prosperous nation than the one we inherited.

“By removing the anchor of debt that weighs down our economy and advancing pro-growth tax reforms, this budget is a jobs budget. It sends signals to investors, entrepreneurs, and job creators that a brighter future is still possible – a future in which America is still an engine of growth that leads the world.

“Right now, that legacy is in grave danger. This nation is going deeper and deeper into debt – and the spending choices we make today will determine the kind of lives our children enjoy tomorrow.

“The facts are these: Washington has not been telling you the truth about the magnitude of the problems we are facing.

“Unless we act soon, government spending on health and retirement programs will crowd out spending on everything else, including national security. It will literally take every cent of every federal tax dollar just to pay for these programs.

“The non-partisan experts have been clear about what this means:

“Each day that Congress fails to act, the government takes one step closer to breaking its promises to current retirees. Each year that policymakers kick this can down the road means trillions of dollars in empty promises are being made to future generations.

“If we stay on the current path, we are heading toward a debt-fueled economic crisis – meaning massive tax increases, sudden cuts to vital programs, runaway inflation, or all three.

“Make no mistake: The prospect of a crisis is casting a shadow on economic activity in this country. Uncertainty is keeping job creators from hiring as fast as they should be. Businesses know that all this borrowing and spending today means higher taxes and lower incomes for their customers down the road.

“Economists agree: Advancing a credible solution to this crisis will begin to restore confidence and create better conditions for job-creation immediately.

“The President’s recent budget proposal is worse than just a commitment to this status quo. It would actually accelerate this country’s descent into a debt crisis.

“It would double the debt held by the public by the end of his term, and triple it in a decade from now.

“It would raise taxes by $1.5 trillion, even though the problem is that Washington spends too much, not that Americans are taxed too little.

“It would permanently enlarge the size of government by sending government spending as a share of the economy skyrocketing to levels that a healthy economy simply cannot sustain.

“And it offers no real reforms to save government health and retirement programs, and no leadership.

“Our budget is very different: Instead of locking in the spending spree of the last two years, our budget cuts $6.2 trillion in spending from the President’s budget over the next ten years.

“This keeps government spending as a share of the economy consistent with the historical average of 20 percent, so that individuals and the economy can be free.

“Instead of letting deficits spiral out of control, our budget keeps borrowing in check and puts us on the path to balance.

“Instead of adding $13 trillion to the debt over the next decade and trillions more in the years to come, this Path to Prosperity lifts this crushing burden of debt that is threatening our economy and our children’s future.

“It is not too late to fix America’s problems. It is not too late to get our country back on track so our kids can also realize the American Dream.

“We can – and we must – preserve this nation’s exceptional promise, because that is exactly what previous generations of Americans worked so hard to do for us.

“It is time for officials in Washington to stop acting like politicians, and to start acting like leaders.

“We have a legacy to fulfill. It is time for all of us to get to work, put an end to the empty promises, and advance a plan to prosperity.”

VIDEO and IMAGE CREDIT: JohnBoehner

TEXT CREDIT: Speaker of the House John Boehner Contact H-232 The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 P (202) 225-0600 F (202) 225-5117

AUDIO / VIDEO FILES CREDIT: The House Republican Conference - Digital Communications visual.media@mail.house.gov 202-225-5439

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Paul Ryan Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Resolution FULL TEXT VIDEO


This 3-minute video is a visualization of the House Republicans' budget, "The Path to Prosperity," presented by Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee.

For more information on our plan to avert the US's nearing debt crisis and chart a path of growth and prosperity, visit budget.house.gov

Paul Ryan Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Resolution The Path to Prosperity: Restoring America's Promise Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Resolution FULL TEXT in PDF FORMAT

STATEMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL AUTHORITY

Article I of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to appropriate funds from the Treasury, pay the obligations of and raise revenue for the federal government, and publish statements and accounts of all financial transactions.

By law, Congress is also obligated to write a budget representing its plan to carry out these transactions in the forthcoming fiscal years. While the President is required to propose his administration’s budget requests for Congress’s consideration, Congress alone is responsible for writing the laws that raise revenues, appropriate funds, and prioritize taxpayer dollars within an overall federal budget.

The budget resolution is the only legislative vehicle that views government comprehensively. It provides the framework for the consideration of other legislation. Ultimately, a budget is much more than a series of numbers. It also serves as an expression of Congress’s principles, vision and philosophy of governing.

This Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2012 intends to recommit the nation fully to the timeless principles of American government enshrined in the U.S. Constitution – liberty, limited government, and equality under the rule of law. It seeks to guide policies by those principles, freeing the nation from the crushing burden of debt that is now threatening its future.

This budget is submitted, as prescribed by law, to apply these principles, reflect this vision, and provide a framework for the orderly execution of Congress’s constitutional duties for Fiscal Year 2012 and beyond.

House Budget Committee | April 5, 2011

Statement of Constitutional and Legal Authority Summary of the Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Resolution

I. A Choice of Two Futures .................................................................................... 9
Introduction
Components of the Federal Budget
The Crushing Burden of Debt
A Reform Agenda for the U.S. Government

II. Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Resolution ................................................................... 27
Efficient, Effective and Responsible Government.................................................................................... 28
Providing for the Common Defense
Streamlining Other Government Agencies
Restraining the Growth of Government by Repealing the Health Care Law
Ending Corporate Welfare
Changing Washington’s Culture of Spending
Strengthening the Social Safety Net ......................................................................................................... 38
Repairing a Broken Medicaid System
Stopping the Abuse of Medicaid by Repealing the Health Care Law
Protecting Assistance for Those in Need
Preparing the Workforce for a 21st Century Economy
Fulfilling the Mission of Health and Retirement Security for All Americans .................................... 44
Saving Medicare
Stopping the Raid on Medicare by Repealing the Health Care Law
Advancing Social Security Reforms
Pro-Growth Tax Reform .............................................................................................................................. 50
Simplifying the Tax Code for Individuals
Stopping Job-Destroying Tax Hikes by Repealing the Health Care Law
Making the Corporate Code More Competitive

III. The Path to Prosperity ........................................................................................ 55
Lifting the Crushing Burden of Debt
Removing the Hurdles to Economic Growth
Appendix I:

VIDEO and IMAGE CREDIT: HouseBudgetCommittee

Monday, April 04, 2011

Paul Ryan Preview of FY2012 Budget - no more empty promises from a broke govt VIDEO


Paul Ryan Preview of FY2012 Budget - no more empty promises from a broke govt -

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan previews the House Republicans' FY2012 budget to be launched this week. While Chairman Ryan's budget is determined to deliver a stronger, more prosperous America for the next generation, too many in Washington remain focused on their next election.

VIDEO and TEXT CREDIT: HouseBudgetCommittee

Thursday, March 03, 2011

Paul Ryan Announces House Budget Committee Hearings for March

Paul RyanChairman Ryan Announces House Budget Committee Hearings for March Committee to advance dialogue on budget challenges March 2, 2011

WASHINGTON – House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (WI-01) announced today two upcoming Committee hearings aimed at engaging the public on the Federal’s government unsustainable fiscal trajectory, and the need to repair our health and retirement security safety net.

On Thursday, March 10, the Committee will hear testimony on the subject of “Lifting the Crushing Burden of Debt.” On Thursday, March 17, the Committee will hear testimony on the subject of “Fulfilling the Mission of Health and Retirement Security.” Both hearings will take place at 10:00 a.m. in 210 Cannon House Office Building.

“Lifting the Crushing Burden of Debt”

Thursday, March 10, at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Committee will hear testimony from:

Douglas Holtz-Eakin
President, American Action Forum
Former Director of the Congressional Budget Office
Additional witnesses to address the economic consequences of the debt will be announced.

“Fulfilling the Mission of Health and Retirement Security”

Thursday, March 17, at 10 a.m. ET, the Committee will hear testimony from:

Alice M. Rivlin
Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
Founding Director of the Congressional Budget Office
Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Charles Blahous
Research Fellow, Hoover Institution
Public Trustee for Social Security

James C. Capretta
Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center
Former Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget

TEXT CREDIT: Committee On The Budget U.S. House of Representatives 207 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202.226.7270

IMAGE CREDIT: RepPaulRyan

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Paul Ryan: Americans Deserve Better Than Empty Promises From A Broke Government

Paul RyanHouse Budget Committee Chairman calls for honest leadership and fiscal responsibility.

Washington – House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (WI-01) issued the following statement in response to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s proposal to lock in elevated levels of spending:

“I remain hopeful that the President and his party will work with House Republicans to cut government spending and help grow the economy.
Over the past two years, spending on domestic government agencies increased by nearly 25%. This reckless spending spree failed to create jobs, plunged our nation deeper into debt, and stifled growth by fueling uncertainty.

“Last week, House Republicans sent a bill to the Senate that funds the government for the rest of the fiscal year while fulfilling our pledge to bring spending back to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels. Regrettably, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid insists on locking in elevated spending levels, rejecting warnings from economists and demands from the American people to get Washington’s fiscal house in order. If Senate Democrats block legislation that would fund the government for the rest of the year at more reasonable spending levels, House Republicans intend to pass a short-term bill to keep the government running, but one that actually cuts spending. Republicans remain committed to restraining the explosive growth of government, which is critical to spur economic growth and job creation.

“Responsible leadership requires honestly addressing our nation’s most pressing fiscal and economic challenges. Americans deserve better than continued empty promises from a government heading for bankruptcy. We must advance spending cuts and real reforms to ensure real security and a path to prosperity.”

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TEXT CREDIT: Committee On The Budget U.S. House of Representatives 207 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202.226.7270

IMAGE CREDIT: RepPaulRyan

Monday, February 21, 2011

Paul Ryan CBS Face the Nation 02/20/11 VIDEO


Earlier today, Rep. Paul Ryan joined CBS' Face the Nation to discuss House Republicans' continued efforts to cut government spending and help spur economic growth and job creation. Speaking from his hometown of Janesville, Wisconsin, Ryan addressed the need for honest leadership at all levels of government, putting an end to empty promises and fiscal recklessness: "These governors are telling people the truth; we need to do the same thing in Washington... We have to tell the truth and fix these problems." Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, affirmed the House Republicans' commitment to lead where the President failed with a spring budget that will address the drivers of the debt and chart a path to prosperity.

On Spending Cuts:

Paul Ryan CBS Face the Nation 02/20/11"We're not looking at rubber stamping these really high, elevated spending levels. Congress increased spending by 24% on domestic discretionary programs two years ago - 84% when you include the stimulus, and now they want to keep that status quo locked in place. We want real spending cuts. We don't want to accept these extremely high levels of spending."

On Wisconsin:

"All levels of government have been making empty promises. These governors are telling people the truth; we need to do the same thing in Washington. We can't keep borrowing, we can't keep spending and making empty promises to people. We have to tell the truth and fix these problems. The sooner we act, the better off everybody is going to be."

On Democrats' Efforts to Cling to Failed Spending Spree:

"This is the same economic methodology that was used to say that if we passed the stimulus bill we would keep unemployment from hitting 8%. Well it went up to about 10%. These high deficits today mean high tax increases and interest rate increases tomorrow. High deficits, uncontrolled debt mean job creation goes away today. If you actually get this deficit and debt under control, you can help jobs today. Our goal is to cut spending and grow the economy, and get prosperity in a lasting way back in place in America. Taxing, borrowing, and spending didn't work and it won't work."

On the President's Disappointing Budget:

"Presidents are elected to lead. This President has punted on these issues. He seems to be complicit in this out of control debt because that is what his budget produces. We are going to offer the country a different vision: one of a debt-free nation, one of economic growth and prosperity today by having government live within its means, by getting these programs under control."

VIDEO, IMAGE and TEXT CREDIT: HouseBudgetCommittee

Monday, February 14, 2011

Paul Ryan GOP Response to President Obama's 2012 Budget Request FULL VIDEO

Paul Ryan GOP Response to President Obama's 2012 Budget RequestPaul Ryan GOP Response to President Obama's 2012 Budget Request VIDEO House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan issued the following statement in response to the release of President Obama’s FY2012 Budget STREAMING VIDEO Running time 28:51
Paul Ryan: President Fails Leadership Test, President’s Budget Destroys Jobs with Record Taxes, Spending & Debt.

WASHINGTON – House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan issued the following statement in response to the release of President Obama’s FY2012 Budget:

“The President’s budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much – stifling job growth today and leaving our children with a diminished future. In this critical test of leadership, the President has failed to tackle the urgent fiscal and economic threats before us.”

“Failing to heed the warnings of economists and the demands of the American people, the President’s budget accelerates our country down the path to bankruptcy. Far from ‘living within its means,’ the President’s budget puts the government on track to nearly double in size since the day he took office – a direct result of his party’s reckless spending spree. His budget destroys jobs by imposing a $1.6 trillion tax hike, adding $13 trillion to the national debt and fueling uncertainty in the private sector.

“We cannot tax, spend and borrow our way to prosperity. Where the President has fallen short, Republicans will work to chart a new course – advancing a path to prosperity by cutting spending, keeping taxes low, reforming government, and rising to meet the challenges of our time.”

Key facts from President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2012 Budget:

* Spends Too Much
o $3.8 trillion in spending this year; 25.3% of GDP (highest since WWII)
o $46 trillion in spending over the decade; $8.7 trillion in new spending
* Taxes Too Much
o $1.6 trillion tax hike on families, small businesses, and job creators
o Revenues as a percent of GDP climb to 20%
* Borrows Too Much
o $1.6 trillion deficit for FY2012; a record third straight trillion dollar deficit
o Doubles and then triples debt held by the public since President took office
o $13 trillion added to the debt over the decade

VIDEO and IMAGE CREDIT: c-span.org

TEXT CREDIT: U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan Washington, DC Office 1233 Longworth House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-3031 Fax: (202) 225-3393

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Committee On The Budget Meetings Hearings & Markups 02/15/11 02/16/11 LIVE VIDEO

Committee On The Budget Logo
All Committee meetings are available LIVE on the Internet; web cast links do NOT go live until approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start time High Bandwidth | Low Bandwidth (Audio Only)

Department of the Treasury Fiscal Year 2012 Budget
Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Time: 2:00pm
Location: 210 Cannon House Office Building

Witness:

The Honorable Timothy F. Geithner
Secretary
Department of the Treasury

The President's Fiscal Year 2012 Budget
Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Time:10:00am
Location: 210 Cannon House Office Building

Witness:

The Honorable Jacob J. Lew
Director
Office of Management and Budget

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Committee On The Budget U.S. House of Representatives 207 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202.226.7270

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Paul Ryan Washington’s Spending Spree is Over

Paul RyanHouse Budget Committee Chairman to set spending limit allocations.

WASHINGTON – House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (WI-01) today announced spending limits for the remainder of the current fiscal year, a significant step forward to cut government spending and help spur economic growth and job creation. The measure will bring non-security discretionary spending back to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, as House Republicans called for in their Pledge to America.
For the remainder of the current fiscal year, the measure will save $74 billion relative to President Obama’s budget request.

With respect to today’s effort to cut spending and spur economic growth, Chairman Paul Ryan issued the following statement:

“Washington’s spending spree is over. As House Republicans pledged – and voted to affirm on the House floor last week – the spending limits will restore sanity to a broken budget process and return spending for domestic government agencies to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels. Last year, House Democrats failed to pass, or even propose, a budget and the spending binge continued unchecked. After two consecutive trillion dollar budget deficits and with unemployment remaining unbearably high, we must chart a new course.

“The spending limit measure marks another step in House Republicans’ continued efforts to change Washington’s pervasive culture of spending. In one of our first acts in the new Majority, we voted to cut Congress’s own budget. We voted to cut trillions of dollars in new government spending by advancing a repeal of the President’s health care law. The President has asked for an increase in the national debt limit, but we must first work to enact serious spending cuts and reforms. Endless borrowing is not a strategy. Business as usual in Washington is not acceptable.

“House Republicans will continue to build upon this down payment, working to restrain the explosive growth of government and to help restart America’s engine of economic growth and job creation.”

The Chairman will establish this limit by filing a discretionary spending allocation when the U.S. House of Representatives returns to session next week. The measure will provide enforceable limits on discretionary spending bills for the remainder of the fiscal year until Congress adopts a budget resolution for Fiscal Year 2012.

For additional information: Fact Sheet on the FY2011 Discretionary Spending Allocation for the Appropriations Committee

Contact: Conor Sweeney 202-226-7270

TEXT CREDIT: Committee On The Budget

IMAGE CREDIT: RepPaulRyan

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Paul Ryan Republican Address (Response) VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT 01/25/11


Paul Ryan Republican Address (Response) VIDEO FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT 01/25/11

Republican Address to the Nation 8:30pm
Remarks of Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) – As Prepared for Delivery

January 25, 2011

Good evening. I’m Congressman Paul Ryan from Janesville, Wisconsin – and Chairman here at the House Budget Committee.

President Obama just addressed a Congressional chamber filled with many new faces. One face we did not see tonight was that of our friend and colleague, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona. We all miss Gabby and her cheerful spirit; and we are praying for her return to the House Chamber.

Earlier this month, President Obama spoke movingly at a memorial event for the six people who died on that violent morning in Tucson. Still, there are no words that can lift the sorrow that now engulfs the families and friends of the fallen.

What we can do is assure them that the nation is praying for them; that, in the words of the Psalmist, the Lord heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds; and that over time grace will replace grief.

*****

As Gabby continues to make encouraging progress, we must keep her and the others in our thoughts as we attend to the work now before us.

Tonight, the President focused a lot of attention on our economy in general – and on our deficit and debt in particular.

He was right to do so, and some of his words were reassuring. As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, I assure you that we want to work with the President to restrain federal spending.

In one of our first acts in the new majority, House Republicans voted to cut Congress’s own budget. And just today, the House voted to restore the spending discipline that Washington sorely needs.

The reason is simple.

A few years ago, reducing spending was important. Today, it’s imperative. Here’s why.

We face a crushing burden of debt. The debt will soon eclipse our entire economy, and grow to catastrophic levels in the years ahead.

On this current path, when my three children – who are now 6, 7, and 8 years old – are raising their own children, the Federal government will double in size, and so will the taxes they pay.

No economy can sustain such high levels of debt and taxation. The next generation will inherit a stagnant economy and a diminished country.

Frankly, it’s one of my greatest concerns as a parent – and I know many of you feel the same way.

*****

Our debt is the product of acts by many presidents and many Congresses over many years. No one person or party is responsible for it.

There is no doubt the President came into office facing a severe fiscal and economic situation.

Unfortunately, instead of restoring the fundamentals of economic growth, he engaged in a stimulus spending spree that not only failed to deliver on its promise to create jobs, but also plunged us even deeper into debt.

The facts are clear: Since taking office, President Obama has signed into law spending increases of nearly 25% for domestic government agencies – an 84% increase when you include the failed stimulus.

All of this new government spending was sold as “investment.” Yet after two years, the unemployment rate remains above 9% and government has added over $3 trillion to our debt.

Then the President and his party made matters even worse, by creating a new open-ended health care entitlement.

What we already know about the President’s health care law is this: Costs are going up, premiums are rising, and millions of people will lose the coverage they currently have. Job creation is being stifled by all of its taxes, penalties, mandates and fees.

Businesses and unions from around the country are asking the Obama Administration for waivers from the mandates. Washington should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. The President mentioned the need for regulatory reform to ease the burden on American businesses. We agree – and we think his health care law would be a great place to start.

Last week, House Republicans voted for a full repeal of this law, as we pledged to do, and we will work to replace it with fiscally responsible, patient-centered reforms that actually reduce costs and expand coverage.

Health care spending is driving the explosive growth of our debt. And the President’s law is accelerating our country toward bankruptcy.

Our debt is out of control. What was a fiscal challenge is now a fiscal crisis.

We cannot deny it; instead we must, as Americans, confront it responsibly.

*****

And that is exactly what Republicans pledge to do.

Americans are skeptical of both political parties, and that skepticism is justified – especially when it comes to spending. So hold all of us accountable.

In this very room, the House will produce, debate, and advance a budget. Last year – in an unprecedented failure – Congress chose not to pass, or even propose a budget. The spending spree continued unchecked.

*****

We owe you a better choice and a different vision.

Our forthcoming budget is our obligation to you – to show you how we intend to do things differently … how we will cut spending to get the debt down… help create jobs and prosperity … and reform government programs. If we act soon, and if we act responsibly, people in and near retirement will be protected.

These budget debates are not just about the programs of government; they’re also about the purpose of government.

So I’d like to share with you the principles that guide us. They are anchored in the wisdom of the founders; in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence; and in the words of the American Constitution.

They have to do with the importance of limited government; and with the blessing of self-government.­­

*****

We believe government’s role is both vital and limited – to defend the nation from attack and provide for the common defense … to secure our borders… to protect innocent life… to uphold our laws and Constitutional rights … to ensure domestic tranquility and equal opportunity … and to help provide a safety net for those who cannot provide for themselves.

We believe that the government has an important role to create the conditions that promote entrepreneurship, upward mobility, and individual responsibility.

We believe, as our founders did, that “the pursuit of happiness” depends upon individual liberty; and individual liberty requires limited government.

­­*****

Limited government also means effective government. When government takes on too many tasks, it usually doesn’t do any of them very well. It’s no coincidence that trust in government is at an all-time low now that the size of government is at an all-time high.

The President and the Democratic Leadership have shown, by their actions, that they believe government needs to increase its size and its reach, its price tag and its power.

­­*****

Whether sold as “stimulus” or repackaged as “investment,” their actions show they want a Federal government that controls too much; taxes too much; and spends too much in order to do too much.

And during the last two years, that is exactly what we have gotten – along with record deficits and debt – to the point where the President is now urging Congress to increase the debt limit.

We believe the days of business as usual must come to an end. We hold to a couple of simple convictions: Endless borrowing is not a strategy; spending cuts have to come first.­­­­

*****

Our nation is approaching a tipping point.

We are at a moment, where if government’s growth is left unchecked and unchallenged, America’s best century will be considered our past century. This is a future in which we will transform our social safety net into a hammock, which lulls able-bodied people into lives of complacency and dependency.

Depending on bureaucracy to foster innovation, competitiveness, and wise consumer choices has never worked – and it won’t work now.

We need to chart a new course.

­­*****

Speaking candidly, as one citizen to another: We still have time… but not much time. If we continue down our current path, we know what our future will be.

Just take a look at what’s happening to Greece, Ireland, the United Kingdom and other nations in Europe. They didn’t act soon enough; and now their governments have been forced to impose painful austerity measures: large benefit cuts to seniors and huge tax increases on everybody.

Their day of reckoning has arrived. Ours is around the corner. That is why we must act now.

­­­­*****

Some people will back away from this challenge. But I see this challenge as an opportunity to rebuild what Lincoln called the “central ideas” of the Republic.

We believe a renewed commitment to limited government will unshackle our economy and create millions of new jobs and opportunities for all people, of every background, to succeed and prosper. Under this approach, the spirit of initiative – not political clout – determines who succeeds.

Millions of families have fallen on hard times not because of our ideals of free enterprise – but because our leaders failed to live up to those ideals; because of poor decisions made in Washington and Wall Street that caused a financial crisis, squandered our savings, broke our trust, and crippled our economy.

Today, a similar kind of irresponsibility threatens not only our livelihoods but our way of life.­­

*****

We need to reclaim our American system of limited government, low taxes, reasonable regulations, and sound money, which has blessed us with unprecedented prosperity. And it has done more to help the poor than any other economic system ever designed. That’s the real secret to job creation – not borrowing and spending more money in Washington.

Limited government and free enterprise have helped make America the greatest nation on earth.­­

*****

These are not easy times, but America is an exceptional nation. In all the chapters of human history, there has never been anything quite like America. The American story has been cherished, advanced, and defended over the centuries.

And it now falls to this generation to pass on to our children a nation that is stronger, more vibrant, more decent, and better than the one we inherited.

Thank you and good night. ###

VIDEO CREDIT: PBSNewsHour

TEXT CREDIT: U.S. Congressman Paul Ryan

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Paul Ryan Biography

Paul Davis Ryan Born January 29, 1970 and raised in the community of Janesville and is a fifth-generation Wisconsin native. Paul is a graduate of Joseph A. Craig High School in Janesville.

Paul is the the youngest of four children of Paul M. Ryan, a lawyer (deceased) and Betty Ryan, they put the kids on an incentive system for allowances -- if they got a B on their report cards, their allowance was cut from $4 to $2, and a C meant no allowance.

At 16, he discovered his father dead of a heart attack,  Ryan's father, grandfather and great-grandfather all died from heart attacks at ages 55, 57 and 59 respectively, which inspired his later interest in health and exercise. Paul had to inform his mother and older siblings. His sister is nine years older and two brothers eight and five years his senior. “It threw me for a loop for a couple of years.” Ryan recalls, “I did a lot of soul-searching. A lot of self-discovery. I started forming my beliefs.” His older brother Tobin, a private equity executive, says that one of Paul's chores was brushing and braiding the hair of their grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's.

Paul Ryan developed his political philosophy reading the works of free market authors including Milton Friedman, F. A. Hayek, and Ayn Rand. "The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand," Ryan said at a D.C. gathering four years ago honoring the author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead."

He worked as a marketing consultant for his family's construction business before being elected to Congress. Ryan Incorporated Central began as an earthmoving business created by his great-grandfather in 1884. Ryan Inc. Central, his cousins’ excavating company, is a union shop, Ryan worked there in high school and later briefly as a marketing consultant while running for office. “I grew up in organized labor,” he says. “I have a lot of constituents who are in organized labor. I really do not have this ‘us against them’ mentality.” “He’s an amazing politician,” says John Drew, former president of United Auto Workers Local 72 in Kenosha and now a UAW staff member. “If I called Paul Ryan when I was president of the local, within two hours I would get a personal phone call back. He showed up at my going-away party from Local 72 – on a Saturday night he drove across the district just to see me.

Using the Social Security survivors benefits he received until his 18th birthday, he paid for his education. His grandfather and an uncle were cardiologists, and he went to Miami planning to become a doctor, until the required physics and chemistry courses turned him off. While at school Ryan won a summer internship beginning in 1992 in Wisconsin Sen. Robert Kasten’s office.

Paul Ryan offical Photo (archive)

Paul Ryan offical Photo (archive)

Paul Ryan offical Photo (2012)

Paul Ryan offical Photo (2012)
Ryan turned his focus to economics. and earned a degree in economics and political science from Miami University in Ohio in 1992 and is a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

After graduating Ryan worked as a speechwriter for Jack Kemp and William Bennett at the think tank Empower America (a predecessor to FreedomWorks) and served as a legislative aide to Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas from 1995 to 1997.

Fifteen years ago, Paul Ryan was moonlighting as a waiter at a Mexican restaurant on Capitol Hill.

Ryan won his congressional seat in 1998

After Republicans lost control of Congress in 2006, Ryan became the ranking minority member of the House Budget Committee, he introduced his first version of the "Roadmap" in May of 2008, which formed the basis for his updated proposal released this year. His website Americanroadmap.org outlines his plans to rewrite the entire federal tax, healthcare and Social Security system.

Currently serving his 7th term as a Member of Congress for the 1st Congressional District including Racine and Kenosha Counties and some of Milwaukee’s southern suburbs. He is now the Chairman of the House Budget Committee. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, Social Security, health care and trade laws.

On his his support for federal legislation banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, Ryan says, "I take lot of crap for that vote" from conservatives, says Ryan, who doesn't consider himself a strict libertarian but says his views lean that way on this issue. "The way I see that  . . .  may be informed by just friendships I've had, people I grew up with in Janesville who didn't choose to be gay. It wasn't an orientation they decided to experiment (with) or choose. It's just who they are. They were just created that way."



Paul Ryan on Jobs

Paul Ryan with wife Janna, Sam, Liza & Charlie 2008

Paul Ryan with wife Janna, Sam, Liza & Charlie 2008

Janna Little Ryan

Janna Little Ryan
On Social Security "If we actually accomplish this goal of personalizing Social Security, think of what we will accomplish. Every worker, every laborer in America will not only be a laborer but a capitalist. They will be an owner of society.  . . .  That's that many more people in America who are not going to listen to the likes of Dick Gephardt and Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, the collectivist, class-warfare-breathing demagogues," said Ryan.

Paul and his wife Janna (Janna Little Ryan) live in Janesville with their children, Elizabeth, and two sons, Charles and Samuel. A Catholic He is a member of St. John Vianney’s Parish. Mrs. Ryan, was a Washington tax attorney living in Arlington, Va., when she met him. The Oklahoma native graduated from Wellesley College and George Washington University Law School. Janna worked as an aide to a conservative Oklahoma Democrat in Congress and is the niece of David Boren, a veteran Democrat who served in the Senate and as governor.

Paul spotted her in camouflage at a dinner for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, which bird-dogs legislation affecting hunters’ rights. In April 2000, Ryan asked Janna to marry him at Big St. Germain Lake in northern Wisconsin, one of his favorite fishing spots. The couple was married in Oklahoma City in December 2000.

Ryan can manage long weekends in the district, dinner at home at least twice a week, with time for "my real passion," bowhunting. His former House colleague Mark Green says he has gotten e-mails from Ryan while the congressman was sitting in his tree stand, with BlackBerry, waiting for a deer. He belongs to his hometown's archery association, the Janesville Bowmen as well as Ducks Unlimited.

In Washington during the week, he leads about a dozen congressmen, including former football player Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), through a workout called P90X, a bipartisan series of pushups, pull-ups, karate, and yoga.

On August 11, 2012, Ryan accepted Mitt Romney's invitation to join his campaign as running mate, in front of the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia.

TEXT RESOURCES:
IMAGE CREDIT:
  • Paul Ryan offical Photos - These United States Congress images are in the public domain. This may be because it is an official Congressional portrait, because it was taken by an official employee of the Congress, or because it has been released into the public domain and posted on the official websites of a member of Congress. As  works of the U.S. federal government, these images are in the public domain.
  • ryanforcongress08, Paul Ryan with wife Janna, Sam, Liza & Charlie 2008
  • foxnews.com/ - Janna Little Ryan
VIDEO CREDIT: