John Boehner We’ve Got to Cut Spending If We’re Serious About Creating Jobs VIDEO

Washington (Apr 8) House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) made the following brief statement following a meeting of the House Republican Conference:

“We just met with all of our Members to try to bring them as up to speed as we can, considering that we’re still in discussions. And I might add that these discussions continue to be respectful, we continue to work together. Most of the policy issues have been dealt with and the big fight is over the spending. You’ve heard me say time and time again that we’ve got to cut spending if we’re serious about creating an environment for job creators in America to do what they do best – and that’s to create jobs.

“It’s been a difficult several weeks. Our intention has been to keep the government open. We have no interest in shutting down the government. That’s why we sent the troop funding bill over to the Senate yesterday and attached to it was a seven day agreement to keep the government open while continuing to cut spending. And I’m hopeful the Senate will take this up.

“I’m also hopeful that we’ll be able to come to some agreement. But we’re not going to roll over and sell out the American people like it’s been done time and time again here in Washington. When we say we’re serious about cutting spending, we’re damn serious about it.”

VIDEO 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

Hal Rogers Continuing Resolution Protects our Troops and Their Families, Prevents Government Shutdown H.R. 1363 FULL TEXT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers today offered legislation on the floor of the House to prevent a government shutdown by extending federal funding for one additional week. The bill will provide time for House and Senate negotiators to come to a final budget agreement, while funding the Department of Defense – including pay for troops and their families – for the rest of the fiscal year. H.R.1363 -- Department of Defense and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 FULL TEXT in PDF FORMAT The floor statement by Chairman Rogers follows: “Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 1363 - the Department of Defense and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011.

I ask my colleagues support for this bill so we can avoid a government shutdown and provide the necessary time to finally complete negotiations on a final funding agreement for the rest of the 2011 fiscal year.

“This bill funds government operations for one more week, while reducing spending by $12 billion. These cuts include funding rescissions, reductions and program terminations from nearly all areas of the government. Virtually all of these cuts were also included in HR 1, and many were included in the President’s budget requests, the Senate’s alternative to H.R. 1, or the recent OMB CR proposal.

“Most importantly, the bill supports our troops and our national security by providing funding for our national Defense for the remainder of the fiscal year. Our troops and their families deserve to have the financial security we promised them while we continue to work towards a final budget agreement.

“After months of uncertainty, it is high time we provide for our national security in a responsible way. This means common-sense funding that ensures the safety of our war fighters and the success of our missions abroad.

“However, while this legislation points us in the right direction on security and spending cuts, what we all want right now is to wrap up these negotiations, complete the process for 2011 and move our many other important legislative items.

“As I have said many times before, short-term measures are not the preferable way to fund the government. So while no one wants to fund the government in one- or two-week bursts, this short-term CR is what we must do to prevent a government shutdown and allow time to pass a smart and thoughtful bill for the rest of the year.

“Mr. Speaker, coming into this Congress, the Democrats left us with a financial mess – soaring deficits, unchecked spending and no budget or Appropriations bill for 2011. And now that we are more than three months in – and six months into the fiscal year – the Senate Democrats have yet to produce any plan to help clean up this mess.

“Despite all the roadblocks we’ve faced throughout the process, we must continue down the path to fiscal solvency, and this CR both affords us the time required to complete negotiations as well as makes the spending cuts needed to continue to help balance our budgets.

“We are committed to making real spending cuts like these to reduce our deficits both now and in the future. We are determined to complete this work where Democrats failed to do so.

“While answering our constituents’ calls to reduce excessive government spending, this bill provides time to negotiate in an honest way to do what is not only right for our constituents, our nation, and our financial future. Let’s pass this bill, and finally get this leftover work from last year behind us.”

Contact: Jennifer Hing, 202-226-7007

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TEXT CREDIT: Committee on Appropriations H-307, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Main Number: (202) 225-2771

IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Hal Rogers

Overwhelming Bipartisan Majority of Senators Vote to Stop EPA Overreach

64 vote for one or more EPA amendments; McConnell-Inhofe amendment garners most votes, a bipartisan group of 50

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued the following statement Wednesday after an overwhelming bipartisan majority of senators voted in favor of proposals to stop job- and economy-destroying EPA regulations:

"An overwhelming bipartisan majority of the Senate today voted to rein in job- and economy-destroying EPA regulations, underscoring the fact that both Republicans and Democrats oppose giving unelected bureaucrats at the EPA the power to impose a new national energy tax on American job creators and families. Altogether, more than 60 senators voted in favor of four amendments that, to one degree or another, would restrain the EPA’s power to regulate carbon emissions from farmers, manufacturers and power plants. I welcome the House’s expected approval today of legislation similar to the McConnell/Inhofe amendment, one of the four amendments voted on by the Senate. McConnell’s amendment garnered 50 votes, significantly more than the other three combined.

We in the Senate will continue to fight for legislation that will give the certainty that no unelected bureaucrat at the EPA is going to make efforts to create jobs even more difficult than the administration already has." IMAGE CREDIT: RepublicanLeader TEXT CREDIT: U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Washington Office 361-A Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-2541 Fax: (202) 224-2499

McConnell-Inhofe Amendment Would Protect all Job Creators From EPA Overreach VIDEO

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday regarding the McConnell-Inhofe Amendment to job-destroying EPA regulations:

“Later today, the Senate will vote on an amendment that one leading newspaper described last week as one of the best proposals for growth and job creation to make it onto the Senate docket in years.

“More specifically, this amendment, which is based on legislation proposed by Senator Inhofe, would prevent unelected bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing a new national energy tax on American job creators.

“Everyone knows that this attempt to handcuff American businesses with new costs and regulations is the last thing these job-creators need right now.

“That’s why even Democrats in Congress have sought to secure the same kind of exemptions from the law for favored industries in their own states that we saw others from their party trying to secure for favored constituencies in the health care law.

“Democrats from auto states tried to have the auto industry exempted. And Democrats from farming states tried to have farmers exempted.

“What these efforts show, is that Democrats themselves recognize the dangers of these EPA regulations. Yet instead of just voting for the one amendment that solves the problem, they’re hiding behind sham amendments designed to give them political cover.

“Well, Republicans have a better idea — let’s try to make sure everybody is exempted. Let’s not pick winners and losers. Let’s let America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs compete and grow on a level playing field without any more burdensome government regulations, costs, or red tape.

“The McConnell Amendment would do that.

“The McConnell Amendment would give businesses the certainty that no unelected bureaucrat at the EPA is going to make their efforts to create jobs even more difficult than the administration already has.

“So once again, I want to thank Senator Inhofe for his strong leadership on this issue.

“He’s led the way in protecting American jobs from this burdensome proposal with determination and common sense. He deserves the credit.

“And I also want to thank Chairman Upton and my good friend, Congressman Whitfield, for fighting against this effort by the EPA and moving legislation to prevent it in the House.”

VIDEO CREDIT: RepublicanLeader

TEXT CREDIT: U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell Washington Office 361-A Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-2541 Fax: (202) 224-2499

Mike Johanns commends Colleagues For Passing 1099 Repeal VIDEO

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) today commended his Senate colleagues for rising above the partisan fray and pushing the 1099 repeal effort onward to the President's desk. Over the past eight months Johanns introduced 1099 repeal seven times, and today it finally passed in the Senate by a vote of 87-12.

"Today, the wrench has finally been pulled from the gears of progress," Johanns said. "I appreciate that my colleagues have seen the wisdom of avoiding further delays and getting this costly, looming paperwork burden off the backs of our job creators. We now need only a simple signature from the President and this bill will become law, saving jobs and much needed capital for our small businesses." Background: • The 1099 repeal passed today is identical to a stand-alone bill Johanns had previously introduced, and which has already passed in the House of Representatives.

Since both houses have passed identical versions, 1099 repeal will not have to go to a Conference Committee, and now only needs the President's signature to be enacted into law.

• An amendment that would have resulted in further delay of 1099 repeal was rejected.

• Johanns has introduced legislation to repeal the 1099 mandate seven times. Click here for more on his efforts, and for a list of businesses supporting full repeal of the 1099 provision.

VIDEO CREDIT: SenatorMikeJohanns

TEXT CREDIT: Mike Johanns Washington, D.C. Office: 404 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Tel: (202) 224-4224 Fax: (202) 228-0436 Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET.

IMAGE CREDIT: This United States Congress image is 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 a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain

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

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

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

Reince Priebus Meet the Press 04/03/11 TEXT VIDEO

Reince Priebus the chairman of the Republican National Committee tells Meet the Press moderator David Gregory of his work to rebuild trust and credibility in the organization and offers his take on some potential GOP presidential contenders.

TEXT IMAGE and VIDEO CREDIT: www.msnbc.msn.com/

Mike Rogers Meet the Press 04/03/11 TEXT VIDEO

MR. GREGORY: We're going to turn now to House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers, Republican from Michigan. Rogers was elected to Congress back in 2000. Since the 9/11 attacks, he's had a major role in forming key legislation involving the intelligence community, like the Patriot Act, as well as developing counterterrorism strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was a special agent for the FBI, also served in the Army. And he took over the gavel as the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence at the beginning of this year. The committee has operational and budgetary oversight over the country's intelligence agencies. His appearance this morning comes on--just as news is breaking this week of covert CIA operations on the ground in Libya.

Chairman Rogers, welcome to MEET THE PRESS.

REP. MIKE ROGERS (R-MI): David, thanks for having me.

MR. GREGORY: Good to have you here. Let's pick up on Libya here and specifically about the CIA's role. What are they doing on the ground? And is this part of the strategy to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Libyan rebels?

REP. ROGERS: Well, first of all, I can't comment on any intelligence operations anywhere in the world. They're classified for, for a reason. But let me back up. The CIA was developed and has grown into a pretty robust organization that's designed to go places, even where there are dangerous places, to collect information for policymakers like the United States Congress, like the president, like the military, so that they can make real-time, up-to-date decisions based on what we know on the facts on the ground, so.

MR. GREGORY: But here the major facts are what are the, the rebels doing, what are they, and what do they need? You've said it's not a good idea to supply arms for the rebels. But without it, without the air cover, can they topple Gadhafi?

REP. ROGERS: Well, I supported the no-fly zone early on, as a matter of fact, and support the continuation of the no-fly zone with the ability to strike targets on the ground, armored columns, other things. But what we need to know is who they are. We know what they're against, the rebels.

MR. GREGORY: Hm.

REP. ROGERS: We know that they're against Moammar Gadhafi remaining in power. But we don't know what they're for.

MR. GREGORY: Is there a terrorist element among them?

REP. ROGERS: Well, in most Middle East countries there are elements of al-Qaeda. Now, that doesn't mean they're a part of the government, it doesn't mean they're the majority, it doesn't mean that they're having major influences in the, in the country that--of which they reside. But yes, it's a concern. We know that they're there. They, in the past--the Libyan al-Qaeda element, or al-Qaeda in the Maghreb--provided foreign fighters in Iraq to target U.S. citizens. But that didn't mean that was a part of the Libyan government. It's very tribal, 140 tribes, 30 are which politically active. We just need to know a lot more before we give them advanced weapon systems.

MR. GREGORY: Would you like to see Arab special forces units in a lead role, rather than the CIA on the ground?

REP. ROGERS: Well, I mean, special forces and, and intelligence collection I think are two very, very different things. The special forces on the ground would be designed to, to go and hit targets and, and cause some chaos, if you will, for the enemy. If the Arab League is putting those types of forces on the ground, you know, good on them. The rebels could certainly use that help and support from the Arab League. And I think what you're seeing now amongst the rebels is a little bit organization. One of the good things I think has happened is we've found the, the thousand soldiers or so that have defected. They're getting organized, they're now interfacing with the rebels, getting them more tactically oriented. The pressure on the Gadhafi regime is intense. You know, the--Moussa Koussa, his foreign minister, former head of intelligence, has defected. They're treating him well. He is providing, I think, valuable information to the British and the United States and to the rebels at this point, just by his fact that he is cooperating, being treated well. The pressure on the regime--and more defections, I do believe, will follow--is adding a lot of pressure.

MR. GREGORY: Right. But you heard, you heard Senator Durbin talk, talk about pressure on the regime. The Wall Street editorial this week argued for a more robust, unified voice from the Republicans, saying this: "Republicans ought to prod Mr. Obama," the Journal wrote, "to push for a faster resolution that ends with toppling of Gadhafi and his sons from power. Any result short of that guarantees a divided Libya that may well require international peacekeepers to separate the warring factions. If there is any leader whose terrorist nature the American people understand, it is Gadhafi's." Should that be the view of the Republican Party, to topple him? Is that realistic?

REP. ROGERS: Well, I, I do think Gadhafi remaining in power is not an option, it's not the--an option. But this is--shouldn't be a Republican issue, a Democrat issue, it shouldn't be an Obama issue vs. a John Boehner issue.

MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.

REP. ROGERS: This is an American issue.

MR. GREGORY: But how do you get him out? How do you get him out?

REP. ROGERS: Well, continued sustained efforts here. The rebels are getting better organized. We're putting lots of pressure for defections. And people in the regime have to make choices. They're going to have to decide, do they want to be prosecuted when this is all over for war crimes, or do they want to defect early on and be part of the solution for the future of Libya? And believe me, that's, that's an intense amount of pressure. He's running out of money. We--the United States and Europe has seized some $60 billion-plus worth of assets of Libya that will be turned back over to a Libya to rebuild itself. All the components here and a smart way of going forward so that we don't get embroiled in, in owning the problem of the cleanup, if you will.

MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.

REP. ROGERS: And we don't arm people that we don't know who they are and if they're going to use those weapons against civilians or maybe us in the future. And so you have this growing in the region fight for liberty so that these governments are less hostile to the United States. There are so many reasons for us to be here and show leadership. And I argue Republicans and Democrats ought to stand together with the president to get--to make sure that this thing ends well for the United States and the people of Libya.

MR. GREGORY: But are we in a conflict that it has at its core a vital U.S. interest? I posed that question to the secretary of Defense on this program last week, this is what he said.

(Videotape, last Sunday)

MR. GREGORY: Is Libya in our vital interest as a country?

SEC'Y ROBERT GATES: No, I don't think it's a vital interest for the United States. But we clearly have interests there. And it's a part of the region which is a vital interest for the United States.

(End videotape)

MR. GREGORY: And part of that interest, as the president outlined it in a speech that a lot of people thought was about Libya but about something of an Obama doctrine, was humanitarian. And yet you read the papers this morning, about 800 civilians killed in the Cote d'Ivoire. I mean, how do we form a policy around when we intervene and when we don't if this is not a, a, a war that's in our interest?

REP. ROGERS: Well, I argue it is in our interests, and we ought to stand with the president on making this a, a positive outcome for the United States, again, the people of Libya. Here's--the humanitarian component of it was real and it was something we should have done, stopping the slaughter of tens of thousands of people that we knew was going to happen. But here's somebody who is a state sponsor of terrorism; the bombing of the German discotheque killed American soldiers, planned thought Gadhafi's regime, the Pan Am bombing. This is somebody who still has a chemical weapon stockpile and he has other weapon systems that keeps me up at night thinking about if these things were to, to happen to fall into the wrong hands.

MR. GREGORY: Is Libya a terrorist threat?

REP. ROGERS: Listen, I think if you have a stalemate with Moammar Gadhafi still in power, when you have this split country where he still possesses stockpiles of some pretty awful stuff, I think you have to worry that he is a terrorist threat.

MR. GREGORY: That's significant...

REP. ROGERS: I believe...

MR. GREGORY: ...that this is what the endgame is about for the U.S. is preventing a terror strike by a, by a cornered Gadhafi.

REP. ROGERS: Well, it's a whole host of things. I think that clearly has to be one of them. I mean, we know he has it. He used chemical weapons in his fight against Chad in 1987, that's a fact.

MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.

REP. ROGERS: We have seen--I've been in Libya, I have seen his chemical stockpile. We know it's there, it exists. He has other weapon systems that concern us. But it can't be just that, it has to be all of the other factors.

MR. GREGORY: Just a couple more points in our remaining time. I want to ask you about what I asked Senator Durbin about...

REP. ROGERS: Yeah.

MR. GREGORY: ...these protests that we're seeing throughout Afghanistan because of the Quran burning here in the United States; a publicity stunt for sure, but also an act of extremism. It has real consequences.
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REP. ROGERS: Absolutely has consequences. And we've asked Americans in every tough conflict we've had in the history of this country to be thoughtful and mindful of each citizen's responsibility to make sure that you're doing your part for our soldiers to come home safely with an accomplished mission. When you do something like this, clearly the First Amendment has--protects that individual from doing that. But when you jeopardize our soldiers and the folks who are--and our civilians who are trying to put Afghanistan back together so we can come home, I would hope that you would stop with that bit of extremism and pull yourself back and look at the bigger, broader, more important picture as a unified and successful United States overseas.

MR. GREGORY: Let me ask you about Iraq because the politics there, the sectarian division is started to tear at the seams a little bit. Of course, we have 47,000 troops there, they're due home by the end of the year. The Washington Post's editorial just this morning poses a pretty provocative question, which is "Iraq's ticking clock: What will happen when the last U.S. troops depart?" If we leave, does Iran become the dominant player in Iraq? And what does that mean for the U.S.?

REP. ROGERS: I don't think it becomes the dominant player in Iraq. It certainly has the potential and they have been a very bad actor in the entire region--which I think is why you saw many Arab countries, both overtly and quietly, support the United States from keeping check on Iran's ambitions in the region. That's not going to go away anytime soon. Their proxy state, Syria, clearly is acting on Iran's behalf. Their activities in Bahrain, very concerning of what they're doing. We're going to have to watch it in Iraq and around the rest of that region. Again, why Libya's important? Imagine now a change where you have Libyans, free democracy of some sort, at least of their choosing, that is less hostile to the United States and more inclusive of other Arab League partners. That's a positive outcome for the United States. When liberty is on the march, we ought to be with it in ways that we can, and responsibly, but we ought to be with it.

MR. GREGORY: Just 20 seconds. You're a former FBI agent. What's the key quality the next FBI director should have?

REP. ROGERS: They need to understand the agent culture. The next 10 years of the FBI are critical. Director Mueller has pulled, pulled the FBI along with some serious changes. Understand the agent culture, the core value of being an investigator first, and applying that to their new mission of counterterrorism and analysts.

MR. GREGORY: Counter--yeah, and counterterrorism.

REP. ROGERS: Yes.

MR. GREGORY: Really, that experience is important.

REP. ROGERS: Yes.

MR. GREGORY: All right, Chairman, thank you very much.

REP. ROGERS: Thanks, David, for having me here.
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MR. GREGORY: We appreciate you being here.

TEXT IMAGE and VIDEO CREDIT: www.msnbc.msn.com/

John Boehner Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 04/02/11

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

John Boehner Weekly Republican Address TEXT PODCAST VIDEO 04/02/11

Washington (Apr 2) Delivering the Weekly Republican Address, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) discusses the new House majority’s efforts to cut spending and tackle the big challenges facing job creation in America. In the address, Boehner, a former small business owner, talks about how the spending binge in Washington is creating uncertainty for private-sector job creators and holding our economy back. He reiterates Republicans’ commitment to fighting for the largest spending cuts possible, and says it’s important to resolve last year’s budget mess so we can tackle the bigger challenges facing job creation. Those challenges include the job-crushing $1.5 trillion tax hike in President Obama’s budget for next year, and his request for an increase in the national debt limit without a commitment to ending runaway spending. Following is the full text of the address.

“Hello, I’m John Boehner. Before I had the honor of representing the people of Ohio’s 8th Congressional District, I ran a small business back in West Chester, Ohio.

Small businesses are the engine of job creation in America: they actually create jobs, the government doesn’t. That’s why I ran for Congress – to do my part to get government out of the way of American prosperity. Despite some recent signs of life, our economy still isn’t creating enough jobs. And one of the reasons for that is the spending binge that’s been going on in Washington.

“Washington’s inability to get spending under control is creating uncertainty for our job creators. It’s discouraging investment in small businesses, and eroding confidence in our economy. To put it simply, the spending binge in Washington is holding our country back and keeping our economy from creating jobs.

“Last year, when the President tried to put forward another big-spending budget on top of his ‘stimulus,’ Americans rose up and demanded we stop the spending binge and start working together to create a better environment for job creation. They put a new majority in charge of the House with clear orders: crash the spending party in Washington so our economy can get back to creating jobs.

“We’ve made some early progress. This year, the federal government will spend at least $51 billion less than it would have if the president had gotten his way. And because we’ve kept the pressure on, Democrats in the White House and the Senate are being forced to talk about a bill that would cut tens of billions more. Over the next decade, the savings will be hundreds of billions of dollars. This is nowhere near enough, but it’s a clear change in direction.

“Now, you’ve heard Democratic leaders claim an agreement has been reached on this issue, but let me be clear. There is no agreement. Republicans continue to fight for the largest spending cuts possible to help end Washington’s job-crushing spending binge.

“To support job creation in America, we need to keep the cuts coming, and we need to do much, much more. That’s why it’s important for Congress to get moving and pass a final bill that resolves last year’s budget mess while making real spending cuts – so we can tackle the bigger challenges facing job creation.

“One of those challenges is stopping the $1.5 trillion tax hike the president called for in his budget for next year. This tax hike will affect every family and small business in America, and it will destroy jobs. The president has also asked Congress to increase the national debt limit – without any commitment to stopping the runaway spending that got us into this mess in the first place. If the president gets his wish, it would send the signal that America has no plan to deal with her spending illness – and that’s going to have the effect, again, of destroying more American jobs.

“We also need to address all the red tape and regulations that are making it harder to create jobs and driving up the cost of health care and energy.

“To put America on a path to prosperity, we need to remove regulatory obstacles to job growth, expand American energy production, end the threat of tax hikes, approve stalled trade agreements that would open new markets, and get government spending under control once and for all. These are the pillars of the Republican plan to help get our economy back to creating jobs, and this is the focus of our new majority in the House.

“Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend.”

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

Rand Paul Congressional Correspondents' Dinner VIDEO

Rand Paul M.D. U.S. Senator [R] KY, United States Length: 9 minutes, 25 seconds. The Radio and Television Correspondents Association gathered for their annual dinner. The 67th annual dinner was the first to be called the Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner.

Ben Quayle Congressional Correspondents' Dinner VIDEO

The Radio and Television Correspondents Association gathered for their annual dinner.

Ben Quayle (R-AZ) takes on Obama, Biden, Gingrich, Weiner, Spitzer, and many others at Wednesday evening's Congressional Correspondents' Dinner (formerly the Radio-Television Correspondents' Dinner). The 67th annual dinner was the first to be called the Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner.


VIDEO CREDIT: PoliticoLach

Charles Boustany Conducts Hearing on IRS Practices and the 2011 Filing Season

Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., MD (R-Southwest Louisiana) today held a Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight hearing to discuss the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the 2011 Tax Return Filing Season. IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman was on hand to testify. “Charged with administering this growing tax code, the IRS must simultaneously respect the rights of taxpayers, provide assistance to the millions of taxpayers who have questions about their taxes, and go after those who seek to cheat the tax system,” Boustany said in his opening statement. “The IRS’s dual mission of both revenue collector and social policy program administrator diverts IRS resources from its core mission and can diminish taxpayer service.

Among the biggest contributors to this problem is the new health care law, which gives IRS a host of new responsibilities, including the indoor tanning tax, new taxes and fees on employers and individuals, and a complex small business tax credit.”

Boustany indicated the committee’s desire to work on ways to reform the tax code. When asked if he felt the tax code was too complex, Commissioner Shuman responded, “Yes, it has become incredibly complex.”

As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Boustany plans to hold several hearings to look into government waste and spending in federal agencies.

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Boustany Opening Statement: Hearing on Internal Revenue Service Operations and the 2011 Tax Return Filing Season

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Good morning. I would like to welcome everyone to today’s hearing on the Internal Revenue Service and the 2011 Tax Return Filing Season.

Today’s conversation about the IRS should begin with a topic too often ignored: the taxpayer. The National Taxpayer Advocate’s recent report to Congress provided some alarming facts on what the federal tax code has become, and how it affects the average taxpayer.

Every year, taxpayers face a tax code of growing complexity. For instance, there have been nearly 5,000 changes to the tax code in the past ten years. Between the period of 1975 and 2005, the code tripled in size. As a result of the growing length and complexity of the tax code, individual taxpayers and businesses spend an estimated 6.1 billion hours and $163 billion every single year simply complying with tax-filing requirements. The cost of compliance for your average individual taxpayer was over $250 in 2007.

As we meet today, we are in the middle of the 2011 tax return filing season and millions of individuals and businesses are working to meet their annual tax return filing obligations. As of March 18, IRS had processed over 73 million individual tax returns and issued nearly 65 million refunds totaling $193 billion. With two and a half weeks to go until the April 18 filing deadline, the Subcommittee looks forward to hearing more about the ongoing tax return season and any problems the agency and tax return filers might be encountering. The Subcommittee would also like to learn more about efforts the IRS has undertaken to improve the efficient processing of returns and refunds, including its e-filing modernization program.

Charged with administering this growing tax code, the IRS must simultaneously respect the rights of taxpayers, provide assistance to the millions of taxpayers who have questions about their taxes, and go after those who seek to cheat the tax system.

And the agency has to do this against a backdrop of ever increasing responsibilities to administer social policy programs. The IRS’s dual mission of both revenue collector and social policy program administrator diverts IRS resources from its core mission and can diminish taxpayer service. Among the biggest contributors to this problem is the new health care law, which gives IRS a host of new responsibilities, including the indoor tanning tax, new taxes and fees on employers and individuals, and a complex small business tax credit.

For FY 2012, the IRS has requested nearly $6 billion dollars, an increase of more than 8 percent from the FY 2010 appropriation. Included in this $6 billion is a request for nearly half a billion dollars, and over 1,200 new employees, to implement the health care law’s provisions. And the costs of the health care law do not end there. IRS’s implementation of the health care law is estimated to cost between $5 and $10 billion over the next ten years. So in addition to the current tax return filing season and the IRS budget request, I hope we can take this opportunity to discuss this dual mission and whether it hampers IRS’s core revenue collection responsibilities.

With that, I would like to welcome Commissioner Douglas Shulman here today, and I look forward to a fruitful discussion of his agency, its mission, and the ongoing tax return filing season.

I am now pleased to yield to our Ranking Member, Mr. Lewis.

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TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Congressman Charles Boustany Washington, DC Office 1431 Longworth House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515-1807 Phone: (202) 225-2031 Fax: (202) 225-5724

TEXT CREDIT: House Committee on Ways & Means 1101 Longworth HOB, Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone (202) 225-3625 Fax (202) 225-2610

John Boehner Calls For House to Renew D.C. School Choice Program H.R. 471 VIDEO FULL TEXT

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) speaks on the House floor in support of H.R. 471, legislation renewing the bipartisan, successful D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which has helped thousands of disadvantaged students gain access to a quality education. Boehner also submitted for the record letters from a parent and several students who hope the Obama Administration will work with Congress to ensure the program will continue.

H.R. 471 To reauthorize the DC opportunity scholarship program, and for other purposes in PDF FORMAT

TEXT and VIDEO CREDIT: JohnBoehner

John Kline, Michele Bachmann, Erik Paulsen and Chip Cravaack Voice Concern Over Medical Device Tax

Last night, Reps. John Kline (MN-02), Michele Bachmann (MN-06), Erik Paulsen (MN-03) and Chip Cravaack (MN-08) sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman voicing their concerns about the $20 billion medical device tax included in the new healthcare law. In January, Rep. Paulsen introduced the “Protect Medical Innovation Act” which would repeal the job-crushing medical device tax. Reps. Kline, Bachmann and Cravaack are among the bill’s 110 co-sponsors. Minnesota is home to over 400 medical device companies employing 35,000 people.

“The planned $20 billion excise tax on medical device manufacturers will lead to higher prices for devices and increased health care premiums. We also believe the tax will force medical device companies to reduce US employment and research and development expenditures,” said the letter. “We encourage you to look toward established industry sources to better understand the practicalities of the medical device market. As you work through this process, we need to learn more about your approach to these issues to ensure that the regulations do not exacerbate the impact on jobs and competitiveness resulting from the excise tax on medical devices.”

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Contact: Becky Rogness 202-225-2331

MN Letter to IRS Commissioner Re Medical Device Tax in PDF FORMAT

H.R.436 -- Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2011 in PDF FORMAT

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Proudly Serving the 6th District of Minnesota. # Washington Office 107 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-2331 Fax: (202) 225-6475.

Spencer Bachus We will reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac H.R. 1182 FULL TEXT

WASHINGTON (March 29) – Congressman Spencer Bachus (AL-6) released the following statement about the proposals introduced today by several Republicans on the Committee to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Bachus is Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. “In our Pledge to America, House Republicans said: ‘We will reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by ending their government takeover, shrinking their portfolios, and establishing minimum capital standards.’ As Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, I want to make it clear: We are fully committed to these goals.

“On March 17, the Committee’s Vice Chairman, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, introduced H.R. 1182, a bill that represents Republicans’ ultimate objective, as articulated in the Pledge to America, to end the $150 billion bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and make sure that such a bailout is never again forced on the American taxpayer.

Bill Text 112th Congress (2011-2012) H.R.1182.IH in PDF FORMAT To establish a term certain for the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to provide conditions for continued operation of such enterprises, and to provide for the wind down of such operations and the dissolution of such enterprises.

“This comprehensive reform of the U.S. mortgage market will be supplemented by targeted bills which Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Scott Garrett will shepherd through his Subcommittee, all of which advance the same goal as the Hensarling bill: to create a well-functioning, private, competitive secondary mortgage market to price mortgages according to risk, be more innovative and efficient, and operate with less political interference.

“Finally, Insurance and Housing Chairman Judy Biggert will begin a parallel legislative effort to reform the Federal Housing Administration. This effort will focus on legislation to clearly define FHA’s mission and prevent it from simply replacing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a source of taxpayer exposure to the mortgage market.

“The strength of the Republican Financial Services Committee team has been and will continue to be the cooperation and collaborative effort of its subcommittee chairmen. The reform of housing policy, which spans the jurisdiction of several subcommittees, will display the power of this willingness to work together and accomplish great things.”

TEXT and IMAGE CREDIT: Spencer Bachus Washington Office 2246 Rayburn Building Washington, DC 20515 (p) 202-225-4921 (f) 202-225-2082

Rand Paul Responds to President Obama's Address 03/28/11 VIDEO FULL TEXT

Following President Obama's national address this evening regarding the situation in Libya, Sen. Rand Paul released the following remarks in response to the President.

VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT: Sen. Rand Paul Response to President Obama’s Address Time to consult Congress, follow Constitution before action Monday, March 28, 2011.

FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT:

The President of the United States often faces unforeseeable dilemmas that demand tough decisions based on reliable intelligence. The recent events in Libya presented President Obama with such a scenario. But how our Commander in Chief chose to handle this new dilemma raises serious questions about his understanding of constitutional checks and balances.

Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi is every bit the madman Ronald Reagan once said he was, but are the rebels adherents to Jeffersonian democracy or Bin Laden’s radical jihad?

In 2007, then-candidate Obama said that “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

I agree with candidate Obama. Unfortunately, President Obama has failed to heed his own advice. He has ignored our constitution and engaged us in a military conflict without congressional debate and approval

What imminent threat did Gadhafi or Libya pose to the United States? Obviously, the decision to take military action of this magnitude is something that should not be taken lightly, and should first require determining whether it is in the United States’ vital national interest.

Over the weekend, even Defense Secretary Robert Gates admitted that America has no vital interest in Libya.

Our brave men and women in uniform are patriotic defenders of our nation. They are members of the greatest military in the world, and in times of war, I am confident of their willingness and ability to ensure that our vital interests are protected.

But they should not be asked to be nation-builders or the world's policemen. And they should serve in wars authorized and called for by the United States Congress, not the United Nations.

At the moment, there are uprisings taking place across the Middle East. The problem with sending U.S. military to help rebels in Libya or anywhere else is that we are taking sides in a conflict and on behalf of a people whom we know nothing about.

When, or if, there is regime change in Libya, what kind of leadership, exactly, will replace Gadhafi? Who are the Libyan rebels exactly? The Daily Telegraph newspaper in London reported over the weekend that some Libyan rebel leaders now claim they have members of al-Qaida within their ranks and are glad to have them. Why do we have American soldiers, our best and bravest, helping people in Libya who may be the very same people we ask our military to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq?

Intervening in a civil war in a tribal society in which our government admits we have no vital interests to help people we do not know, simply does not make any sense. Libyan society is complicated, and we simply do not know enough about the potential outcomes or leaders to know if this will end up in the interests of the United States, or if we are in fact helping to install a radical Islamic government in the place of a secular dictatorship.

Of even more lasting concern is how our troops were committed to this battle by President Obama.

The Founding Fathers understood the seriousness of war and thus included in our Constitution a provision stating that only Congress can declare war. The decision to wage war should not be taken cavalierly. As Madison wrote:

The Constitution supposes what the history of all Governments demonstrates, that the executive is the branch of power most interested in war and most prone to it. It has accordingly with studied care vested the question of war in the Legislature.

If President Obama had consulted Congress, as our Constitution requires him to do, perhaps we could have debated these questions before hastily involving ourselves in yet another Middle Eastern conflict.

The Constitution doesn't say the president can wage war after he talks to a handful of Congressional leaders.

The Constitution says Congress – all of Congress – is responsible for declaring war.

While the President is the commander of our armed forces, he is not a king. He may involve those forces in military conflict only when authorized by Congress or in response to an imminent threat. Neither was the case here.

We are already in two wars that we are not paying for. We are waging war across the Middle East on a credit card, one whose limit is rapidly approaching. And this is just wrong.

We already borrow money from countries like China to pay for our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and it would be interesting to know how many Americans believe we should continue borrowing money and saddling future generations with debt to pay for our current actions in Libya.

The subtext to the President’s speech concerning Libya tonight was “What if we had done nothing?” But a better question might be, What if helping Libya’s interest actually hurts America’s interests? What if we are sending our military to places where we might actually be helping the same terrorists we fight in other countries or potential future terrorists?

It’s time that we re-examine these policies by once again consulting the Constitution on such matters and the common-sense principles that made this country great. We can no longer afford to spend what we don’t have. And we can’t afford to address every other nation’s problems before we can address our own.

Over the coming days and weeks, Congress will force President Obama to confront these questions. Our brave young men and women have answered the call of duty time and time again over the past decade. Our soldiers deserve, at the very least, that before we send them into a third war that Congress – the People’s House – deliberate, debate, and decide whether this war is in our vital national interests.

We will gather information, ask questions, and deliver our best advice about whether we, as the people's representatives, believe we should be at war. Whatever the outcome, we stand square behind our troops, and seek that their mission be clear and true.

Thank you for listening tonight, and God bless the United States of America.

TEXT CREDIT: Senator Paul, U.S. Senator for Kentucky:

VIDEO IMAGE and TEXT CREDIT: SenatorRandPaul

John Boehner asks Five Simple Questions for Democrats on Spending Cuts

It was 37 days ago that House Republicans passed H.R. 1, a clear plan for cutting spending to create a better environment for job growth and keeping the government funded for the rest of this fiscal year. But here we are, more than a month later, and nobody knows where the Democrats who run Washington stand on cutting spending – including Democrats themselves. To help move the process along, we’d like answers to these five simple questions: * 1) When will Senate Democrats offer a serious plan for cutting spending and funding the government for the rest of the fiscal year? AP noted that “[t]he House has voted for $61 billion in cuts” – H.R. 1. But Politico says “Senate Democrats haven’t put forward a long-term spending plan that can move through their chamber.” In fact, Democrats have “shown no ability to rally behind a long-term budget proposal.” So where is their plan?

* 2) Where does the White House stand on cutting spending and funding the government for the rest of the fiscal year? “Democrats on both sides of the Capitol say they have no idea where the White House stands or who’s running the show,” reports Politico. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said on the Senate floor, “Our president has failed to lead this debate or offer a serious proposal for spending and cuts that he would be willing to fight for.” And Rep. Mike Capuano (D-MA) asked, “Where is the president going to lead? And are we going to follow?”

* 3) What exactly is the White House willing to cut? The Washington Post says “Democrats are being disingenuous by suggesting they have already worked hard to reduce spending or to reach out to Republicans.” Despite repeated claims by the White House and top Democrats, “when they're translated into real numbers, the White House is arguably meeting the GOP just one-sixth of the way — not halfway at all,” says AP.

* 4) What exactly are Congressional Democrats willing to cut? “The top two Democratic leaders in the House have twice split on whether to approve short-term government funding bills that cut billions from federal accounts,” reported Politico. And remember: the House-passed H.R.1 received more votes in the Democrat-run Senate than the status quo spending plan put forward by Democratic leaders.

* 5) Do Democrats intend to shut down the government because they can't agree among themselves? Politico says Democrats have been “wobbly in their budget message, divided on major votes and out of sync…” To mask these ongoing divisions – and their desire to keep the job-crushing spending binge going – Democrats have repeatedly rooted for a government shutdown. As CNN reported, “it is the Democrats talking most about shutting down the government.”

The new Republican Majority is working to clean up the mess left behind when “the Democratic-controlled Congress failed to pass a budget” last year. But we need to know – as Speaker Boehner asked the other day – “when it comes to cutting spending and keeping the government running, where are Washington Democrats?”

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

Donald Trump if Pesident Obama was born in the United States he shoud have a birth certificate VIDEO

“They give you a certificate of live birth which anybody can get. Just walk into the hospital. This guy either has a birth certificate or he doesn't.”

Michael Hayden Stephen Hadley CNN's State of the Union VIDEO

CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crowley talks to two former intelligence officials. Michael Hayden and Stephen Hadley about the task of removing Moammar Gadhafi from power.

Stephen John Hadley (born February 13, 1947, in Toledo, Ohio) was the 21st U.S. Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (commonly referred as National Security Advisor), serving under President George W. Bush.

Michael Vincent Hayden, (born March 17, 1945 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency. On May 8, 2006, Hayden was nominated by President George W. Bush to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

VIDEO CREDIT: State of the Union with Candy Crowley