This morning, Speaker Boehner and congressional leaders joined law enforcement officers and their families on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol for the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service. This annual tradition, which honors officers who gave their lives in the line of duty, is part of National Police Week. President Obama spoke at today’s event.
Here are key points for Speaker Boehner’s address this afternoon to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s 2012 Fiscal Summit. Watch the full address here.
In remarks this afternoon to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s Annual Fiscal Summit, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) will renew his commitment to the principle he set forth at the Economic Club of New York one year ago – noting that the debt limit exists to force Washington to deal with its fiscal problems, and that any increase in the nation’s debt limit must be accompanied by spending cuts and reforms larger than the amount of the debt limit hike.
Failing to again meet this standard – dubbed the “Boehner principle” by Stanford economist John B. Taylor – in conjunction with the next debt limit increase means pushing American prosperity and job growth farther away, the Speaker will argue.
Instead of looking at the coming debt limit decision with a sense of dread, the Speaker will argue, we should see it for what it is: an opportunity to make needed changes that will help to put our country back on a path to prosperity and economic growth.
Our nation's economy is stuck in large part because it is stuck with debt, the Speaker will note, and the solution to what ails our economy is not more government – it's the American people. Pro-growth policies – stopping the tax hike that is scheduled to hit small businesses on January 1, cutting spending, and reforming the tax code – represent the road to prosperity, opportunity and lasting job creation.
Under the policies of President Obama, our economy continues to struggle to create jobs; the U.S. Senate, controlled by the president's own party, has not passed a budget in more than three years; and the United States has lost its gold-plated triple-A credit rating for the first time in its history.
Americans overwhelmingly reject the idea championed by the president that increasing government spending will generate economic growth. A Winston Group/New Models survey conducted earlier this year found that only 30% of Americans believe increasing government spending will generate economic growth, and 66% do not believe increasing government spending will generate economic growth. Americans also overwhelmingly believe our economy would be doing better with better policies in place.
The Speaker will be clear that the U.S. House of Representatives will act before the election on legislation to stop the tax increase that is scheduled to hit American job creators on New Year's Day 2013. He will argue that our nation's leaders should not wait until New Year’s Eve to give American job creators the confidence that they aren’t going to get hit with a tax hike on New Year’s Day.
The House will act to stop the largest tax increase in American history, and give Congress time to work on broad-based tax reform that lowers rates for individuals and businesses while closing deductions, credits, and special carve-outs, the Speaker will note.
With many enormous decisions looming regarding spending and taxes, Washington must use it as an opportunity to end the era of government meddling, micromanagement, and manipulation of our economy and focus instead on reforms that promote long-term economic investment, private initiative, and freedom, the Speaker will argue.
Today, Congressman Boehner hosted an open discussion with Ohio small business leaders and job creators in Hamilton. Boehner opened the discussion by asking the job creators what they needed to see coming out of Washington in order to encourage job creation and grow the economy, here are a few of the responses:
As reported by the West Chester Buzz, Trevor Stansbury, president and founder of a company in Loveland, told Boehner, “One of the things that is killing all of us is the uncertainty and our reluctance therefore to hire people because we don’t know what is around the corner.”
Boehner agreed with Mr. Stansbury’s concerns and replied: “This uncertainty – I have explained to the president so many times that I am blue in the face…When people get that uncertain, they sit on their money. They sit on their hands and they wait for the market or the picture to clear. Until there is more certainty out there, we are not going to see big changes in our economy.”
Laura Doerge-Roberts, president of Vinyl Max Windows in Hamilton, was among the many job creators who expressed their frustrations with ObamaCare and the threat it is posing to employer provided benefits. As reported by WCPO, Mrs. Doerge-Roberts “told Boehner under President Obama's healthcare plan, it's more attractive for her company to violate federal law and pay a $340,000 a year fine for not providing healthcare than to provide what she called the rising costs and decreasing benefits.”
Boehner wrapped up the event by reiterating that House Republicans will continue to stay focused on job creation:
“All I can do, on the House side, is try to be responsible in governing and hope that our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol do the same and hope the President maybe comes back off the campaign trail and works with Democrats and Republicans to get things done that the American people expect us to get done.”
If you are in the Cincinnati area, tune into your local news tonight to catch their coverage of the event.
More from Congressman Boehner’s Discussion with Job Creators here:
American women are being hit hard by President Obama’s failed economic policies, losing the vast majority of jobs during the president’s time in office, and giving up hope of finding work again. Instead of addressing these challenges, Washington Democrats have resorted to the politics of division to paper over the real battle women are facing: getting a job in the Obama economy. Here are a few alarming figures President Obama and Washington Democrats are trying to hide with their politically-motivated rhetoric:
“The Lowest Rate of Labor Force Participation by American Women Since April 1993.” “324,000 women dropped out of the nation’s civilian labor force in March and April as the number of women not in the labor force hit an all-time historical high of 53,321,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. … This year (in both January and April), only 57.6 percent of the women in the civilian noninstitutional population were in the labor force. That is the lowest rate of labor force participation by American women since April 1993, according to historical data maintained by BLS.” (CNSNews.com, 5/9/12)
As of March, Women Accounted for 683,000 of the 740,000 Jobs Lost Under President Obama. “It’s true, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, that between January 2009, when Obama took office, and March 2012, there has been a net decline of 740,000 jobs for both men and women, and that among women there has been a net loss of 683,000 jobs.” (FactCheck.org, 4/12/12)
Women Only Gained 12 Percent of the Jobs Added Since June 2009. (CNN Money, 4/20/12)
“The Number of Unemployed Single Women Has Grown by 12 Percent Since the President Was Sworn-Into Office.” (House Republican Conference, 5/8/12)
“The Poverty Rate Among Women Rose to 14.5 Percent Last Year, Up from 13.9 Percent in 2009 —the Highest Rate in 17 Years.” (The Daily Beast, 9/14/11)
There Are 400,000 Fewer Women Working Today Than When President Obama Signed the Failed ‘Stimulus’ Into Law, Despite His Promise that it Would Create 1.5 Million Jobs “Expected to Go to Women.” (House Ways & Means Committee, 5/11/12)
While Democrats have been busy dialing up the false rhetoric, the Republican-led House has continued to focus on helping the economy create jobs by addressing high gas prices, reining in the debt, and passing more than two dozen jobs bills - part of the Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators - that are being blocked by the Democratic-controlled Senate. The five million American women looking for jobs – and millions more who have given up hope - deserve action on these bills, and it is up to President Obama to call on Senate Democrats to pass them. Learn more at jobs.gop.gov.
Yesterday, House Republicans passed common-sense legislation to protect our troops and reduce the deficit by an additional $242.8 billion beyond the Budget Control Act, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The measure replaces “devastating” defense cuts with common-sense spending reductions and reforms, including reforms that focus on stopping waste, fraud, and abuse in federal programs, eliminating government slush funds, reducing waste and duplication in government bureaucracies. The House Majority Whip’s Office put together a great fact sheet highlighting the waste, fraud, and abuse that the GOP bill targets for elimination. Here it is below:
Fraud, Waste & Abuse in SNAP: Food Stamps For Millionaires & The State Government Strategies For Getting More Federal Money
“Make Me Rich” Lottery Winner Continued To Receive Food Stamps After Becoming A Millionaire. “The attorney for an Auburn man who continues to receive state food assistance despite winning $2 million nearly one year ago says his client has done nothing illegal… ‘He did call the state (Department of Human Services),’ said John M. Wilson, the Midland attorney representing Leroy Fick. ‘Not to mention, the state knows he won. They issued the check.’” (LaNia Coleman, “Auburn Lottery Winner Continues To Receive State Aid, Authorities Say Eligibility Is Based On Federal Guidelines,” The Bay City Times, 5/17/11)
SNAP Program Overpaid Recipients A Total Of $1.8 Billion In 2009 Alone. “Of the total $2.19 billion in payment errors in fiscal year 2009, $1.8 billion, or about 82 percent, were overpayments. Overpayments occur when eligible persons are provided more than they are entitled to receive or when ineligible persons are provided benefits.” (Kay E. Brown, Congressional Testimony (p.6), 7/28/11)
Receiving A Brochure Qualifies You For Food Stamps? Apparently 35 States It Does, And They Have No Limit On Amount Of Assets A Food-Stamp Recipient Can Possess. “According to a mid-2010 report from the Government Accountability Office, 35 states have no limit on the amount of assets a food-stamp recipient can possess. More and more states -- the count was 36 at the time of the report -- are providing “categorical eligibility” for food stamps to anyone who receives welfare services. Merely getting an informational brochure from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program counts as receiving a service. (Ramesh Ponnuru, “Why Gingrich Is Right About Food-Stamp Program,” Bloomberg News, 1/30/12)
A “Strategy For Getting More Federal Money”. “Another way that states and localities can get federal money flowing to them is by providing token amounts of assistance with home heating bills. Even a dollar of energy subsidies can make someone eligible for food stamps, or increase the benefit level for someone already on SNAP. (Ramesh Ponnuru, “Why Gingrich Is Right About Food-Stamp Program,” Bloomberg News, 1/30/12)
Washington State Hands Out $250,000 In Order To Secure $43 Million In Federal Money. “The state of Washington sent out $1 checks to the 250,000 food stamp recipients in the state.The director of the Community Services Division for the Department of Social and Health Services, Leo Ribas, says the checks mailed Feb. 17 trigger an additional $43 million in federal food benefitsState Ribas says the $1 check is a one-time move to leverage the federal money. He says next year the state will be able to trigger the federal assistance through a routine deposit in food stamp accounts.” (“Washington Sends $1 Food Stamp Checks To 250,000,” The Associated Press, 2/23/09)
In The Same Year The State Of Washington Was Rewarded With $6 Million In Bonuses For Program Efficiency. In the same year that the State of Washington sent $1 checks to recipients to ensure they received SNAP benefits, the state secured approximately $6 Million in federal bonuses as a “performance bonus” for their SNAP efficiency implementation. (United States Department Of Agriculture – FY 2009 SNAP High Performance Bonuses, Accessed 5/9/10)
ObamaCare Slush Fund: Your Tax $$$ At Work – Ending Soda As We Know It & Spaying Your Neighborhood Stray Dogs
Full Funding For Slush Fund To Reach $2 Billion Annually After FY 2015 For “Each Fiscal Year Thereafter.”“The legislation authorizes $500 million for fiscal year (FY) 2010, then $1 billion by FY 2012, $1.5 billion in 2013, and finally, $2 billion from 2015 and ‘each fiscal year thereafter’.” (Amanda Carey, “Congress Moves To Repeal Slush Fund Used For Anti-Obesity Campaigns,” The Daily Caller, 4/5/12)
City Of Boston And US Health & Human Services Department Pay Boston Residents $1 Million In Federal Funds To Start Vegetable Gardens. “Mayor Thomas M. Menino showcased Boston’s efforts to bolster urban gardening in underserved communities during a visit today with US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to The Food Project’s Urban Farm in Roxbury. He said the $1 million in federal funding that Boston will spend on gardening” initiatives over the next two years will dramatically increase affordability and access to fresh, healthy food in neighborhoods with the least access to it.” (Mayor Thomas M. Menino & Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Press Release, 7/20/12)
Federal Government Hails Limiting Availability Of Soda, Banning Construction Of Fast Food Restaurants and Tax Hikes On Tobacco As Successful Uses Of Federal Tax Payer Dollars. “One slide indicated the desire to establish policies that would limit the availability of sugary drinks. And in what would seem to be an endorsement for a soda tax, the slide included the suggestion of “changing relative prices” as a way to restrict intake of sugary drinks. Ads by GoogleOn another slide, a California town that banned the construction of new fast food restaurants is hailed as an “early success” of the program. (Amanda Carey, “Congress Moves To Repeal Slush Fund Used For Anti-Obesity Campaigns,” The Daily Caller, 4/5/12)
ObamaCare Slush Fund Money Being Use To Spay Stray Dogs And Cats – Counts As An Anti-Obesity Campaign. “A controversial anti-obesity “slush fund” under Obamacare was used in Nashville, Tennessee to spay dogs and cats. The reasoning: stray dogs scare people from exercising outdoors. The Nashville health department issued a press release last year that told residents in one neighborhood that they could get free pet spaying, neutering, rabies shots and other services as part of $7.5 million grant from the Communities Putting Prevention to Work, which is part of the Public Health and Prevention Fund that will soar to $2 billion in 2015 under Obamacare. The program was initially funded by the Obama stimulus initiative. (Paul Bedard, “Obama Anti-Obesity “Slush Fund” Paid For Pet Spaying,” The Washington Examiner, 5/1/12)
Fraud & Abuse In Child Refundable Child Tax Credit: Non-US Citizens Scheming Tax Code For Billions Every Year
Non-US Citizens Qualify For Child Refundable Tax Credit -- $1,000 Per Child. “Each spring, at tax preparation offices all across the nation, many illegal immigrants are now eagerly filing tax returns to take advantage of a tax loophole, using their ITIN numbers to get huge refunds from the IRS. The loophole is called the Additional Child Tax Credit. It's a fully-refundable credit of up to $1000 per child, and it's meant to help working families who have children living at home.” (Bob Segall, “Tax Loophole Costs Billions,” NBC-13 Indianapolis, 4/30/12)
Whistle Blower Says He’s Seen 10-12 Dependents Listed At A Time. “‘We've seen sometimes 10 or 12 dependents, most times nieces and nephews, on these tax forms,’ the whistleblower told Eyewitness News. "The more you put on there, the more you get back.’ The whistleblower has thousands of examples, and he brought some of them to 13 Investigates.” (Bob Segall, “Tax Loophole Costs Billions,” NBC-13 Indianapolis, 4/30/12)
Internal Revenue Service Inspector General: “The Magnitude of The Problem Has Grown… IRS Has Known About Problem For Years. "The magnitude of the problem has grown exponentially," said Russell George, the United States Department of Treasury's Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). And he says the IRS has known about the problem for years. (Bob Segall, “Tax Loophole Costs Billions,” NBC-13 Indianapolis, 4/30/12)
IRS Inspector General Investigation Finds Non-US Citizens Receiving $4.2 Billion Annually. “In 2009, his office released an audit report that showed ITIN tax filers received about $1 billion in additional child tax credits. Last year, the inspector general released a new report showing the problem now costs American tax payers more than $4.2 billion.” (Bob Segall, “Tax Loophole Costs Billions,” NBC-13 Indianapolis, 4/30/12)
WASTE: A $75 Billion Housing Bailout Fund That Even Administration Officials Say Has Failed
Treasury Inspector General Blasts Administration In Audit Of The $75 Billion Program. “The Obama administration's program to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure has posted "disappointing results" in part because its definition of success is "essentially meaningless," a watchdog said today in a new report obtained by ABC News. In his audit on the administration's $75 billion Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), bailout watchdog Neil Barofsky blasted the Treasury Department for he said were the shortcomings of the program.” (Matthew Jaffe, “Mortgage Modification Program's Definition of Success Called 'Essentially Meaningless,” ABC News, 3/23/10)
GAO Report: HAMP Not Working. “The program had a slow start and has not performed as anticipated. While Treasury has added TARP funded housing program enhancements in an effort to reach more borrowers and address persistently high default and foreclosure levels, the newly announced programs have had very limited activity to date and Treasury continues to face challenges in expeditiously implementing a prudent design for these programs, as GAO recommended in a June 2010 report. Treasury has not yet fully implemented.” (GAO Report, “Status of Programs and Implementation of GAO Recommendations,” 1/11)
Put Simply – HAMP Has Failed Completely. “If you measure success by the housing market, Hamp has failed miserably. According to RealtyTrac, 2.9 million homes received foreclosure filings in 2010, up from 2.8 million in 2009 and 2.3 million in 2008. The bellwether Case-Shiller home price index is falling again. Hamp is one more artificial prop to a housing market that will recover faster if foreclosures are allowed to proceed more rapidly and the homes are resold. By all means give Hamp the hook. (Editorial, “Giving Hamp The Hook,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/7/11)
Boehner said funding for the Department of Defense will already be cut by $487 billion under the Budget Control Act, and further cuts would be “unacceptable.” “Even the White House knows it is unacceptable,” he said. In fact, the Obama administration says they would “hollow out” and inflict serious damage on our armed forces.
The Republican bill stops these defense cuts by shutting down a Dodd-Frank bailout fund, eliminating fraud and abuse in the taxpayer-funded food stamp program, and more.
Under the House plan, “anyone who qualifies for the food stamp program will continue to get their benefits,” said Boehner. The House bill simply stops “abuse of the process” by shutting off government benefits for “people who won lottery jackpots” and millionaires, which will save taxpayers billions.
So far, Democrats haven’t outlined a plan of their own to cut spending and protect America’s troops. “[W]here's the president's plan?” Boehner asked. “He knows it is unacceptable. Why isn't he leading? … It is easy for [Democrats] to criticize what we're doing, but where would they make the reductions?”
Yesterday, Congressman Boehner sat down with Fox Business’ Gerri Willis to discuss House Republicans’ focus on helping the economy create jobs by reining in spending, reforming the tax code, and passing more than two dozen jobs bills that are being blocked by Senate Democrats. Congressman Boehner also highlighted legislation passed by the House that will prevent a rate hike on student loans, and said the onus is now on Senate Democrats to offer a plan that can pass. Following are excerpts from the interview:
On House Republicans Remaining Focused on Jobs and the Economy:
“[R]epublicans here on Capitol Hill are focused in on the economy. The American people are still asking the question, ‘where are the jobs?,’ and our focus is going to continue to be on the economy like it has been for the last year-and-a-half. …
“[T]he American people want us to…focus on the economy, they want jobs, and they want us to control spending here in Washington, but we can’t do it by ourselves. Democrats still control Washington. We only have one Chamber. Democrats control the Senate and White House.”
On Senate Democrats Blocking Bipartisan, House-Passed Jobs Bills:
“The House has done its job. We’ve passed over 40 jobs bills and sent them to the United States Senate, part of our plan for American job creators. We can’t make the Senate do their job. The way the process works is the House passes a bill, the Senate passes a bill. If we disagree, we go to conference and try to resolve the differences, but you can't go to conference if they don't pass a bill. The House is doing its job, and frankly, if you look at all these jobs bills that we passed, they have all passed with bipartisan support. …
“The president checked out last Labor Day. He is nowhere to be found. It’s easy for him to go out on the campaign trail every day and be critical, but why isn’t the president leading? Why isn't he working with Democrats and Republicans to advance the solutions to the problems that the American people are facing? He doesn't do it. Why? Because he doesn't know how to do it. He’s never done it before.”
On House Action to Prevent a Student Loan Hike & the Urgency for Senate Dems to Act:
“The House has passed a bill to keep student loan interest rates where they are at 3.4 percent. It was paid for with a reduction in an ObamaCare slush fund that the president called for reducing in his own budget. We also used money out of that same slush fund to help pay for the payroll tax credit last December. It’s time for the Senate Democrats to pass a bill and if they don't like the way we're going to do it, show us how you’re going to do it. Then, we'll sit down and get it resolved. But, I have no doubts that it’s going to be resolved. … [N]o one wants to make this more difficult for college students, half of whom, today, are either underemployed or unemployed.”
On the Need for Real Spending Cuts & Tax Reform to Boost the Economy & Create Jobs:
“There are two sides that have to be addressed if we're going to solve our fiscal dilemma. One- we have to get our arms around spending. Whether it’s discretionary spending, mandatory spending - we've got to fix entitlement programs because if we don't, they won't exist for the tens of millions of Americans who depend upon them. But, that is only half the equation. The other part of it is that we have to have a real, solid, pro-growth economic plan. Our tax system gets in the way of our economic growth. That's why Republicans want to overhaul the tax code from the personal side and on the business side. Bring down the top rate to 25%, do this by eliminating a lot of the loopholes and special carve outs and a lot of the deductions in order to bring those rates down. It would make our companies more competitive in a world economy. It would spur economic growth and both of those activities have to occur if we're serious about solving our long-term fiscal problem.”
“All options are on the table” for holding the Department of Justice accountable for the “Fast and Furious” operation, Speaker John Boehner said today. Boehner reiterated his support for the ongoing investigation by the House Oversight & Government Reform Committee and Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), and said “we’ve got to get to the bottom of what happened and who’s responsible.”
BOEHNER: “Chairman Issa and the Members of his committee are doing a very good job. And I do believe that when it comes to Fast & Furious that we’ve got to get to the bottom of what happened and who’s responsible. The committee is doing that and I’m supporting their efforts. … I’m supporting their efforts to hold those people in the Department of Justice accountable for what happened. The committee has work to do; they know what they have to do. They’re pursuing a lot of unanswered questions. And I would hope that they would continue that. There’s… all options are on the table.”
The arbitrary military cuts in the Budget Control Act (BCA) signed by President Obama have at least one fan: a Senate Democratic leader Tweeted that these automatic cuts – which would “devastate” our armed forces according to the Obama administration – are a “balanced approach to reduce the deficit.”
The House just passed legislation protecting our troops by making common-sense spending cuts and reforms. But the president still hasn’t outlined a plan of his own. It begs the question: does President Obama agree with Senate Democrats that hollowing out our military is a “balanced approach?”
Unless the president agrees with Senate Democrats – and is willing to allow automatic defense cuts to go into effect that his administration says would hurt our national security – President Obama should outline a plan of his own to replace them.
Republicans are working to reduce our deficit and protect America’s national security this week by replacing an automatic “sequester” the Obama administration says would “devastate” our military. At a time when energy prices are high and jobs are scarce, the GOP bill makes common-sense spending reductions and reforms while protecting our troops and their families.
What is the Democratic-controlled Senate up to? Not a whole lot. Even with a $15 trillion debt – and national security at risk and student loan interest rates about to double – Democrats aren’t even trying to pretend they’re interested in cutting spending. Consider that Democrats…
Haven’t offered a budget in three years. Senate Democrats decided (again) they didn’t need to do a budget, and President Obama’s budget didn’t get a single vote in the House. The House-passed Republican budget,Congressman Boehner says, is “the only responsible budget in town” and is “good for our economy and our future” because it “cuts spending, promotes small business jobs, repeals ObamaCare, and implements a real ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy.”
Have no plan to protect our troops. Senate Democratic leaders seem content with doing nothing and leaving an automatic “sequester” to “hollow out” our armed forces, in the words of the Obama administration. Instead of allowing Washington’s failures to jeopardize our national security, the House bill (read it here) stops Dodd-Frank government bailouts, eliminates fraud in taxpayer-funded benefit programs, and more.
Democrats are even angry with Republicans for passing a budget that spends less and stays under legal spending caps imposed by the Budget Control Act. Why? Because they …
Want higher taxes and more government spending. They’ve added more than $5 trillion to the debt during President Obama’s short tenure, and are insisting on tax hikes that would raise energy prices (after gas prices already doubled under the Obama administration) and weaken our economy (after the longest stretch of 8%+ unemployment since the Great Depression).
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