Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today delivered remarks on the House floor condemning taxpayer-funded bonuses for AIG executives and calling for passage of legislation that will allow American taxpayers to get 100 percent of their money back immediately. Full transcript of Boehner's remarks follow:
“Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, I caught a little grief five weeks ago when we had the stimulus bill on the floor. Remember the 1,100-page bill that no one had time to read and that no one did read? Obviously the President didn’t have time to read it either because in that bill was this one sentence. This one sentence that made it clear that someone knew that these AIG bonuses were about to be paid and they didn’t want them stopped. So somehow in the dark of night this one sentence was added to the bill so that AIG would pay these bonuses to their executives.
“This language wasn’t in the House bill. This language wasn’t in the Senate bill. This language showed up in the dead of night and no one got to see it. I’m wondering where did the language come from? Who wrote it? Who asked the conferees to put it in the bill? What conferees on the part of the House agreed to this? I’m looking for somebody to put their hand up.
“That’s the whole issue. This political circus that’s going on here today with this bill is not getting to the bottom of the questions of who knew what and when did they know it. Somebody was responsible to draw up this language. Someone brought it to the conferees. Someone brought it to the Democrat Leadership who wrote this bill in secret and put this language in there. But we have no idea who it was.
“Secondly, the bill before us tempts to recoup 90 percent of these bonuses. Why 90 percent? The American people are outraged. I’m outraged. And we just voted down an opportunity to bring a bill to the floor from our freshmen members that said, real simple, we ought to get 100 percent of this money back. We can get 100 percent back because the Treasury Secretary has the ability to get it all back. The Administration has the ability to get it all back. Why don’t we just get it all back? Why are we bringing this bill to the floor today to give members political cover when in fact the Treasury Secretary has the authority, the Administration has the authority to get all of it back? But, no, that got voted down. Our bill would have been a better bill.
“Thirdly, our colleagues, Mr. LaTourette and Mr. McCotter, have introduced a resolution of inquiry to get all of the documents surrounding communications between the Treasury, the Fed, and AIG to understand who was in the middle of this conversation? People have known about this for months and yet we just found out about it over the last 48 hours. And so we want this resolution of inquiry to be passed by the committee. We want to get to the bottom of all of this. But in the meantime do we have to have this political charade of bringing this bill out here? I don’t think so. I think this is a bad bill with bad consequences. We didn’t see the bill until last night. Nobody in the committee marked it up. Nobody debated it. And nobody understands the consequences of what we are about to do. How can we possibly vote yes on a bill like this? I yield back.”
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Showing posts with label stimulus bill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stimulus bill. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Dr. Coburn Says Conferees Should Postpone Stimulus Vote to Correct Health Care Provisions
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), a practicing physician, released the following statement yesterday regarding ongoing negotiations between House and Senate over controversial and complex health care provisions in the stimulus bill.
“The health care provisions in the House stimulus bill represent ideological and partisan overreach of epic proportions. It is ludicrous to ask a body that can’t track its own spending to determine which medical treatments are best for individual patients suffering from complex diseases. The only reason to fund this project now is to lay the groundwork for establishing a government board that will be empowered to make life and death medical decisions about health care treatments and cost,” Dr. Coburn said.
Dr. Coburn explained that both the House and Senate version of the stimulus bill include $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research. Unfortunately, the House language overreaches by permitting the use of that money to make coverage decisions based on cost to the federal government.
“The practice of medicine is about 40 percent art and 60 percent science. A so-called ‘comparative effectiveness’ formula will replace the professional judgment of doctors and nurses, which is developed over many years, with the political judgments of politicians and bureaucrats. A comparative effectiveness formula will only save money by rationing care and ending lives. Congress is on the verge of enacting the same policy that Great Britain has used to decide, for example, that extending a patient’s life for a year isn’t worth more than $45,000,” Dr. Coburn said.
“Trusting the government to ration care will take away choices and life-saving treatments from sick patients and deny families more time with their loved ones. Doctors and patients should be making decisions based on individual patient conditions and needs. Allowing government to make these decisions would set us on a dangerous path. The unelected staff and career politicians who are negotiating these details have almost zero real world experience in the health care sector. Congress should confess its limited capabilities in this area and debate this issue in the open, not rush through massive policy changes in secret,” Dr. Coburn said.
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“The health care provisions in the House stimulus bill represent ideological and partisan overreach of epic proportions. It is ludicrous to ask a body that can’t track its own spending to determine which medical treatments are best for individual patients suffering from complex diseases. The only reason to fund this project now is to lay the groundwork for establishing a government board that will be empowered to make life and death medical decisions about health care treatments and cost,” Dr. Coburn said.
Dr. Coburn explained that both the House and Senate version of the stimulus bill include $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research. Unfortunately, the House language overreaches by permitting the use of that money to make coverage decisions based on cost to the federal government.
“The practice of medicine is about 40 percent art and 60 percent science. A so-called ‘comparative effectiveness’ formula will replace the professional judgment of doctors and nurses, which is developed over many years, with the political judgments of politicians and bureaucrats. A comparative effectiveness formula will only save money by rationing care and ending lives. Congress is on the verge of enacting the same policy that Great Britain has used to decide, for example, that extending a patient’s life for a year isn’t worth more than $45,000,” Dr. Coburn said.
“Trusting the government to ration care will take away choices and life-saving treatments from sick patients and deny families more time with their loved ones. Doctors and patients should be making decisions based on individual patient conditions and needs. Allowing government to make these decisions would set us on a dangerous path. The unelected staff and career politicians who are negotiating these details have almost zero real world experience in the health care sector. Congress should confess its limited capabilities in this area and debate this issue in the open, not rush through massive policy changes in secret,” Dr. Coburn said.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Stimulus Bill Conferees Urged to Adopt Best Transportation Provisions in Senate and House Bills
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The stimulus bill conferees should adopt the best transportation provisions in the Senate and House bills, according to an adviser to the U.S. Transportation Department who is Transportation Director for Environmental Defense Fund.
The Senate bill provides $2 billion for high-speed rail and $1.1 billion for intercity rail, including Amtrak. It also includes a $5.5 billion competitive grant program for road, transit, rail and port projects. The Senate bill also ensures that local governments would get at least 40 percent of "formula" highway funding under the Surface Transportation Program, which would ensure that transportation dollars address the most pressing local needs.
"This stimulus spending could yield benefits that will last for generations," said Michael Replogle, a civil engineer, a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Intelligent Transportation Systems for the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Transportation Director for Environmental Defense Fund. "The key to realizing this economic potential is for states and local governments to focus on maintaining existing road and bridges and investing in projects that will increase America's energy independence. Public officials must make their spending plans totally transparent as soon as possible, so taxpayers can check to ensure that these billions of dollars are being spent wisely."
The House bill provides $12 billion in transit funding, including $2.5 billion in funding for new projects and $2 billion to modernize existing subways, light rail, and similar facilities.
"Expanding transit options and investing in smart traffic management reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and create more jobs than building new roads," concluded Replogle.
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The Senate bill provides $2 billion for high-speed rail and $1.1 billion for intercity rail, including Amtrak. It also includes a $5.5 billion competitive grant program for road, transit, rail and port projects. The Senate bill also ensures that local governments would get at least 40 percent of "formula" highway funding under the Surface Transportation Program, which would ensure that transportation dollars address the most pressing local needs.
"This stimulus spending could yield benefits that will last for generations," said Michael Replogle, a civil engineer, a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Intelligent Transportation Systems for the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Transportation Director for Environmental Defense Fund. "The key to realizing this economic potential is for states and local governments to focus on maintaining existing road and bridges and investing in projects that will increase America's energy independence. Public officials must make their spending plans totally transparent as soon as possible, so taxpayers can check to ensure that these billions of dollars are being spent wisely."
The House bill provides $12 billion in transit funding, including $2.5 billion in funding for new projects and $2 billion to modernize existing subways, light rail, and similar facilities.
"Expanding transit options and investing in smart traffic management reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and create more jobs than building new roads," concluded Replogle.
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Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Senate Stimulus: 300,000 Jobs for Illegals?
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Senate Stimulus bill currently being considered contains about $104 billion in new government funding for construction projects with the goal of creating jobs for millions of unemployed Americans. Unlike the House version, there is no provision in the bill to bar illegal immigrants from getting these taxpayer-funded jobs. The Center for Immigration Studies says this could result in several hundred thousand illegal immigrants receiving jobs.
-- The current version of the Senate Stimulus bill (The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act) contains $104 billion in construction spending,
including highways, schools, and public housing.
-- Government estimates suggest this spending should create about 2
million new construction jobs.
-- Consistent with other research, the Center for Immigration Studies has
previously estimated that 15 percent of construction workers are
illegal immigrants.
-- This means that about 300,000 of the construction jobs created by the
Senate stimulus could go to illegal aliens (15 percent of 2 million).
Discussion: The $104 billion figure for new construction is based on the current version of the Senate Stimulus bill. Government estimates indicate that each $1 billion spent on construction should create roughly 19,600 construction jobs, each lasting a year.(1) Thus $104 billion for construction projects should create construction-related jobs for about 2.04 million workers over several years. The Center for Immigration Studies has estimated that about one out of seven (or 15 percent) of workers employed in construction in the United States are illegal immigrants.(2) Thus, if no effort is made to bar illegal immigrants from these jobs, it is extremely likely that about 300,000 will go to illegal immigrants. The House of Representatives version of the stimulus package has a provision requiring contractors to use the E-Verify system, which enables employers to quickly determine if new hires are authorized to work in the United States. At present, the Senate has no such provision.
(1) The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates indicate that each $1 billion in construction spending directly creates 19,584 construction related jobs. This number comes from Employment Impacts of Highway Infrastructure Investment, April 2008, FHWA. This figure does not include jobs indirectly created by construction spending.
(2) Steven A. Camarota, "Dropping Out: Immigrant Entry and Native Exit From the Labor Market, 2000-2005," Center for Immigration Studies Backgrounder, March 2006, p. 19. A 2006 Pew Hispanic Center study, "The Size and Characteristics of the Unauthorized Migrant Population in the U.S.," estimated that 14 percent of construction workers were illegal immigrants; see page 3 of that report. Both the CIS and Pew studies were based on the March 2005 Current Population Survey (CPS). The March 2007 CPS shows that the illegal share of construction workers may have grown to 18 percent, but we use 15 percent in the above discussion to be conservative.
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-- The current version of the Senate Stimulus bill (The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act) contains $104 billion in construction spending,
including highways, schools, and public housing.
-- Government estimates suggest this spending should create about 2
million new construction jobs.
-- Consistent with other research, the Center for Immigration Studies has
previously estimated that 15 percent of construction workers are
illegal immigrants.
-- This means that about 300,000 of the construction jobs created by the
Senate stimulus could go to illegal aliens (15 percent of 2 million).
Discussion: The $104 billion figure for new construction is based on the current version of the Senate Stimulus bill. Government estimates indicate that each $1 billion spent on construction should create roughly 19,600 construction jobs, each lasting a year.(1) Thus $104 billion for construction projects should create construction-related jobs for about 2.04 million workers over several years. The Center for Immigration Studies has estimated that about one out of seven (or 15 percent) of workers employed in construction in the United States are illegal immigrants.(2) Thus, if no effort is made to bar illegal immigrants from these jobs, it is extremely likely that about 300,000 will go to illegal immigrants. The House of Representatives version of the stimulus package has a provision requiring contractors to use the E-Verify system, which enables employers to quickly determine if new hires are authorized to work in the United States. At present, the Senate has no such provision.
(1) The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates indicate that each $1 billion in construction spending directly creates 19,584 construction related jobs. This number comes from Employment Impacts of Highway Infrastructure Investment, April 2008, FHWA. This figure does not include jobs indirectly created by construction spending.
(2) Steven A. Camarota, "Dropping Out: Immigrant Entry and Native Exit From the Labor Market, 2000-2005," Center for Immigration Studies Backgrounder, March 2006, p. 19. A 2006 Pew Hispanic Center study, "The Size and Characteristics of the Unauthorized Migrant Population in the U.S.," estimated that 14 percent of construction workers were illegal immigrants; see page 3 of that report. Both the CIS and Pew studies were based on the March 2005 Current Population Survey (CPS). The March 2007 CPS shows that the illegal share of construction workers may have grown to 18 percent, but we use 15 percent in the above discussion to be conservative.
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
CBO: Congressional Democrats' Trillion Dollar Spending Package "Falls Short of Obama Goal"
As the House prepares to debate the trillion dollar spending bill written by a handful of congressional Democrats, supporters of the bloated legislation have endured yet another harsh blow from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). A Reuters story titled “Stimulus Bill Falls Short of Obama Goal-CBO Report” reports that the director of CBO has advised that fast-acting tax relief for families and small businesses – not the slow-moving and wasteful government spending that dominates the congressional Democrats’ bill – would have the greatest impact on the economy in the shortest amount of time:.......
http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=109522
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http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=109522
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