Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI.) accuses Congress of rushing through the health care bill and not allowing public debate. (0:45)

 

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Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says that even though the heath care bill was never read, it passed through the Ways and Means Committee. Ryan says there was not nearly enough time to read the bill in its entirety, nor was the committee able to conclude how much it would cost (0:15).

 

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Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) stated that union representatives he spoke with Wednesday, expressed to him that they do want a public health policy, but they also would like to keep their own health care plans if they so wish. (0:25)

 

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By Courtney Ann Jackson-Talk Radio News Service

More Americans should have the opportunity for affordable health care and the choice of doctors according to GOP Leaders from the House and Senate who introduced new legislation Wednesday. The Patients’ Choice Act of 2009 would allow for universal health care managed outside of government entities.

U.S. Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) said, “We propose to equalize the taxed treatment of health care, giving every American regardless of employment status the ability to purchase health insurance. And if you like what you’ve got, you can keep it.”

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) was present at the press conference to show his support of the legislation and explained that the legislation lets “the patient makes the decision, not Washington D.C.”

The Patients’ Choice Act as laid out in a summary statement released at the press conference, would transform health care by: preventing disease and promoting healthier lifestyles, creating affordable and accessible health insurance options, and equalizing the tax treatment of health care.

The proposed plan will “empower the American people” to have access to their own doctor and their own health care coverage, according to U.S. Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA).

Senator Richard Burr also explained they are hopeful that the Act will “push Congress to enact a more sensible health care reform bill this year.”

The GOP leaders said the American’s need a health care system centered on their individual needs and that is what the Patients’ Choice Act of 2009 could do.

By Suzia van Swol-University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
About a week after President Obama presented his budget to congress, House Republicans and Democrats continue with aggressive tactics. Republicans say the budget will leave the country with staggering debt through reckless spending.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) called the budget “staggering,” adding that such widespread spending will be put at the expense of future generations of Americans. Boehner’s comments that the country has had to tighten it’s belt everywhere except in Washington echoes sentiments made by critics of the budget presented to Congress by the President.

“I think it is wrong to deal with these challenges by mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren,” Boehner said. The proposed budget backed by Democrats “makes the economy worse and will destroy more American jobs,” will double U.S. debt over the next five years and triple economic debt in ten years, he said.

On Wednesday, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (R), who is the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, introduced a budget solution he says will curb spending, create jobs and leave the U.S. with $3.6 trillion less debt than the Democrats’ proposed budget.

Boehner does not support Democrats plan to raise energy taxes in the middle of a recession and said that it could cost every family as much as $3,100 a year in additional energy costs. “Think of the millions of American jobs that are dependent on a lot of energy use,” said Boehner. When asked if there is the possibility for a compromise, Boehner said “Oh yeah, I’m only for losing one million jobs, or I’m only willing to raise taxes on people $2,000 a family…No there is no compromise!”

In the middle of a recession, Congress cannot “throw a wet blanket on a weak economy, you’ll smother it,” Boehner said.

Toxic Asset Relief Program (TARP), allows the United States Department of the Treasury to purchase or insure up to $700 billion of “troubled” assets. “It’s just out of control,” said Boehner. No one has any idea where the money is going, how much is left, or where it went and the American people have a right to know where this money is going, stated Boehner.

Thousands of Americans lost their jobs in January; responding to questions regarding Congress making sacrifices by perhaps taking a pay cut, Boehner replied only that, “I understand.”

Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) blasts Obama’s budget.

Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va,), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) presented the broad outline of the Republican budget counter-proposal, stating that details would be forthcoming next week.
Boehner said the President’s proposal “spends, taxes, and borrows too much,” adding “I think it’s completely irresponsible. Our plan curbs spending, creates jobs, and cuts taxes, while controlling the debt.”

Pence called it “the most fiscally irresponsible budget in American history,” saying it calls for “more spending, more government, more bailouts.”

He said the “national energy tax” (Cap-and-Trade) would cost every American household more than $3,000 per year. The increase on marginal tax rates would fall most heavily on small business owners, he said. “We believe it is our obligation to offer a better solution if we are in disagreement,” he finished.

Cantor said the Republicans had presented an alternative stimulus plan and housing plan and were preparing an alternative energy plan as well. He accused the President of turning from a centrist campaign to “ambushing” and “strong-arming” Congress toward a “more ideological” agenda.

Ryan promised the details of the plan next Wednesday on the House floor, calling the president’s version “reckless and irresponsible. It’s a budget that doubles the national debt in 5 and 1/2 years, and triples it in ten and 1/2 years. It’s a budget that increases our national debt and our borrowing more than in all prior presidencies.”

The pamphlet accompanying the announcement was 18 pages long and contained no specifics, but outlined broad policies, such as promoting nuclear power, encouraging enrollment in private insurance plans, reducing spending, reducing taxes, liberalizing exploration for oil in areas currently protected for environmental reasons, and ending “bailouts.”

Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News

Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said, “The president is proposing to increase our national debt more than all prior 43 presidents combined,” adding $2.3 trillion more “to the national debt in higher deficits” than his own budget office stated.

Ryan said the budget increases taxes and spending. “But what’s so galling about this – we read today the Chinese are talking about a new currency, the Russians are talking about a new currency. We are debasing the value of the American dollar by borrowing way beyond our means,” he said.

“We are consigning our next generation to an inferior standard of living,” Ryan said.

He estimates the national debt will double in six years and triple in ten.

Dan Mitchell, senior fellow at the CATO Institute, a libertarian think tank, said, “That’s just the tip of the iceberg, because … we have trillions and trillions of unfunded liability for entitlement programs, … tens of trillions of dollars of unfunded liabilities in the future. We are in effect on a path to become the next Argentina.”

That other countries would consider a reserve currency other than the dollar is, he says, “a referendum that we are on the wrong track.”

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Task Force of the Republican Study Committee, said that one of the elements of greatness is the willingness of one generation to sacrifice for the next. The next generation, he said, will never be able to repay this debt.

He quoted Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) as saying this budget would bankrupt the country.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said “One of my constituents said it best, ‘I am tired of Congress spending money I haven’t made yet for things I don’t want.’ When you look at the push for nationalizing healthcare, when you look at the cap-and-tax scheme (Cap-and-Trade), this is what people are afraid is going to pile on more and more debt.”

“I look at this as being economic abuse of (her grandchildren’s) future,” she said.

Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) said, ”When you find out you’ve dug yourself a hole, you should quit digging, but we’ve brought in heavy machinery, and we’re making the hole so deep that we’re not going to be able to get out of it.”

“We tell our children we can’t afford to get everything,” he said, and now the children, the public, are telling the parents, the legislators, “We don’t really have to have that.”

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

Senator John McCain (R-Az), Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) spoke of their plans to reintroduce their version of the Line Item Veto Bill.

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico – Talk Radio News Service

Today Senator John McCain (R-Ariz), Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis) and Representative Paul Ryan (R-Wis) spoke of their plans to reintroduce their version of the line item veto bill. Feingold said that the bill would allow the President to mark certain earmarks for reconsideration, have it sent back to Congress, and have each marked spending allocation voted on individually. If either chamber votes against rescinding the money by a simple majority vote, then the project would be funded.

The Supreme Court had previously struck down as unconstitutional McCain’s previous attempt to introduce a line item veto. McCain said that he wants to “get around” that decision by the Court through a new legislative effort, which McCain said would be fully constitutional.

All three members of Congress felt that this would be an important step towards reforming wasteful pork. Ryan said that this would bring accountability and common sense to the earmark process. McCain said that he anticipates it being difficult to pass, but Feingold said that this bill is important, because earmark money is “real money” that comes out of taxpayers pockets. Ryan went on to say that this is not a Republican or Democratic issue, but a “good government issue”.