As has been my habit I am bringing you the Republican Study Committees newsletter. Much good information in this one. Should read. BB
RSC Update: Monday, November 2, 2009
What Does 2,000 Pages of Takeover Look Like?
by Chairman Rep. tom Price
Click to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUkbAirQ1SQ
RSC Media Activity
Every week, Republican Study Committee members work hard to ensure that the conservative viewpoint is well-represented in all corners of the media.
- Rep. Paul Ryan (WI-01) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (TX-05): Strengthening the Budget; Washington Times, October 29.
- Rep. Steve King (IA-05): Beware Tax Hikes on Small Businesses; Omaha World-Herald, October 31.
RSC Legislative Activity
RSC members have made it a priority to introduce productive, conservative alternatives to the Democrats’ reckless agenda.
- Rep. Jeff Flake (AZ-06) sent a letter to House leadership asking them to remove earmarks from a defense appropriations bill that would go to former clients of the PMA Group, which is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
- Rep. Marsha Blackburn (TN-07) has introduced H.R. 3924, which would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from enacting Net Neutrality rules to regulate the internet.
Outlook
Here is a preview of upcoming Democrat proposals to advance their big-government, anti-taxpayer agenda.
- H.R. 3962, Speaker Pelosi’s 2,000 page takeover of health care, will most likely come to the House floor this Thursday or Friday. It is possible that this timeline will be pushed back to Saturday or even later. A summary of the legislation can be found here.
- The House is also scheduled to consider H.R. 2868, legislation dealing with chemical facilities and H.R. 3639, which would move up the effective date of the CARD Act (legislation enacted earlier this year that results in increased credit card rates for all consumers while reducing the availability of credit).
House Floor Activity
The following key legislation came through the House of Representatives last week.
- Last week, the House passed the conference report to H.R. 2996 the Interior Appropriations bill with a 16.9% increase in spending over last year. The legislation also included a Continuing Resolution to extend current federal funding through December 18, 2009.
- The House also passed H.R. 3854, a combination of eight separate bills dealing with the Small Business Administration.
Budget and Spending
Each week, the RSC Budget and Spending Taskforce compiles a weekly report on the latest budget and spending news. Additionally, the RSC Money Monitor tracks how bills passed by the House affect authorizations, mandatory spending, and federal government revenue. This week’s Money Monitor will be posted here when available.
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House Republican Study Committee
Rep Tom Price, M.D., ChairmanPaul Teller, Executive Director
Brad Watson, Policy Director
Natalie Farr, Professional Staff
Emily Henehan, Professional Staff
Bruce “Fez” Miller, Professional Staff
Jonathan Day, Director of Member Services and Business Outreach
Alex Shively, Director of Conservative Coalitions
Brendan Buck, Communications Director
Brian Straessle, Deputy Communications Director
Curtis Rhyne, Staff Assistant424 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 226-9717
http://rsc.price.house.gov
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Pelosi plan what is in and what is not from Rep. Tom Price
Yesterday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House Democrats unveiled H.R. 3962, their latest version of the health care legislation that’s been hotly debated for months in Congress and across the country. (Read it here.)
One thing is clear. Your concerns about a government takeover of health care have been totally ignored by Speaker Pelosi and her allies, who worked behind closed doors to write this bill. After months of debate, the bill they introduced today is essentially the same bill the American people have already flat-out rejected.
Government-run insurance? Still in the bill. Higher taxes? You betcha. An individual mandate that restricts choices and innovation by requiring Washington to define what qualifies as health insurance? Check. A job-killing employer mandate, a budget-busting expansion of the Medicaid entitlement, and countless provisions that set Washington bureaucrats firmly between you and your doctor? Better believe it.
What about comprehensive lawsuit abuse reform and a ban on taxpayer funded abortion? Not surprisingly, those important items are still not in the bill.
There is one major and obvious difference between H.R. 3962 and H.R. 3200, however. At 1,990 pages, the new version is almost twice as long as the old one. H.R. 3962 has all the “government takeover” of H.R. 3200 with an extra thousand pages thrown into the mix. That’s a whole lot of government involved in personal, private health care decisions.
The American people want reforms that provide them with more choices, more competition, more innovation, higher quality, and lower costs. That’s the approach taken by the numerous patient-centered bills introduced by Republicans, including my own Empowering Patients First Act, H.R. 3400. Unfortunately, our ideas have been consistently and intentionally dismissed by the majority party.
But passage of this monstrosity is by no means certain. Though we expect a vote on this bill in the next week, there is still time to make your voice heard. Please forward this email to your friends, family, and co-workers. Get the word out and don’t delay. The future of American health care is in the balance, and we are on the clock.
Sincerely,
Rep. Tom Price, M.D
