FOR IMMEIDATE RELEASE                                                                                  CONTACT: John Donnelly
September 23, 2010                                                                                                     (317) 848-0201

Burton Statement On The GOP Pledge To America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement after House Republicans released a new governing agenda entitled “A Pledge to America”:

“We have listened to the people, and our Pledge is a united response.  The major policies in this new governing agenda—job creation and tax cuts, spending cuts and caps, strong national defense and border security, ensuring new laws have Constitutional authority, and the repeal and replacement of Obamacare—give voice to the American people, whose demands have largely been ignored by the current Majority.

“Our Pledge to America is an easy one for me to take, as its philosophies and policies are all things I have championed throughout my public life, if not already supported specifically through legislation.  Above all, our Pledge is something I am proud to take back to my constituents in Indiana.  Hoosiers who read our Pledge will find a genuine commitment to governing through our founding principles and for the priorities of our people. ”

NOTE:  “A Pledge to America” can be found in full here: http://pledge.gop.gov/

The preamble to “A Pledge to America” reaffirms Republicans’ commitment to principles of smaller, more accountable government; economic freedom; lower taxes; fiscal responsibility; protecting life, American values, and the Constitution; and providing for a strong national defense.  This new governing agenda is comprised of five specific policy plans that could be implemented right now if President Obama and Democratic Leaders would allow it:

•    Creating Jobs.  “A Pledge to America” reflects Americans’ demand for immediate action on policies that will end uncertainty for small businesses and help our economy get back to creating jobs.  This new governing agenda contains a plan to create jobs, end economic uncertainty, and make America competitive – including stopping all tax hikes, reining in red tape, and repealing ObamaCare’s ‘1099 mandate.’

•    Cutting Spending.  “A Pledge to America” embodies Americans’ rejection of the now-thoroughly discredited notion that we can simply tax, spend, and borrow our way to prosperity.  This new governing agenda contains a plan to cut spending and reduce the size of government – including cutting government spending to pre-‘stimulus’, pre-bailout levels, imposing a hard cap on future discretionary spending, and ending TARP once and for all.

•    Reforming Congress.  “A Pledge to America” acknowledges that we cannot get our arms around the issues of the day when we have a government that refuses to listen to the people and ignores their priorities.  This new governing agenda contains a plan to reform Congress and restore trust – including implementing ‘read the bill’ reform, allowing for more open and fair debate, and requiring that every bill contain a citation of Constitutional authority.

•    Repealing and Replacing The Job-Killing Health Care Law.  “A Pledge to America” recognizes that the American people continue to squarely oppose the government takeover of health care, with its higher costs, higher taxes, job-killing mandates, and Medicare cuts to pay for a massive new entitlement.  This new governing agenda contains a plan to repeal and replace the job-killing health care law with common-sense reforms focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.

•    A Strong National Defense.  “A Pledge to America” reinforces Congress’s responsibility to help provide for a strong national defense and fashion a coherent strategy to confront and defeat the terrorist threat.  This new governing agenda contains a plan to keep our nation secure at home and abroad – including passing clean troop funding bills, keeping terrorists off American soil, and fully funding missile defense.

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FOR IMMEIDATE RELEASE                                                                                  CONTACT: John Donnelly
September 9, 2010                                                                                                      (317) 848-0201

Burton To Tour Roche Diagnostics On Friday

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN-05) will tour the Roche Diagnostics' Indianapolis campus on Friday, September 10th.  Since Congress began consideration of a health care overhaul in 2009, Congressman Burton has met with local leaders and toured local companies in the healthcare industry in order to learn about their contributions to healthcare in America.

Said Congressman Burton about Friday's tour, "Roche is at the cutting edge of healthcare and their diagnostics tools and research and development are a huge force behind how people are diagnosed and receive treatment around the world.  I'm proud that Roche is in Central Indiana, and I am really looking forward to learning about their latest projects and how Hoosiers are contributing to improving healthcare in America."

Joyce Irwin, director of State Government Affairs for Roche, said, "We are pleased to welcome Congressman Burton to Roche Diagnostics and to have the opportunity for him to gain an overview of our business and products. At Roche, our goal is to provide healthcare professionals with innovative and powerful diagnostics tools and we appreciate Congressman Burton’s support in understanding the value of diagnostics.”

Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s biggest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS.

Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in the area of diabetes management. Roche personalised healthcare aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients.

For more information about Roche, please visit www.roche.com.

MEDIA NOTE: There will not be a media availability during this event, however, any outlet seeking to report on this is invited to contact John Donnelly at 317-848-0201 to arrange an interview with Rep. Burton.

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MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                        CONTACT: John Donnelly
July 8, 2010                                                                                            (317) 848-0201

Burton: President Obama Has Imposed His Rationer-In-Chief On America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement about President Obama's decision to dodge the Senate confirmation process and place controversial Harvard professor Donald Berwick as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):

"President Obama's recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick as head of CMS smacks of dictatorial governance and shows blatant disregard for the checks and balances that ensure the continuity of our democracy.  The White House excuse for the power grab, that the President's hand was forced because Republicans could stall the nomination process, does not pass the straight face test.  The fact is, nomination paperwork was left unfinished for the past three months, and Senate Democrats had not even scheduled a hearing for Dr. Berwick before the President pulled this maneuver.  Moreover, Democrat Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Finance Committee, was among the first to say he was 'troubled' by the President's circumvention of Congress, describing Senate confirmation as 'an essential process prescribed by the Constitution that serves as a check on executive power.'

“To be clear, I understand that presidents have used recess appointments before, but the American people must understand that the appointment of Dr. Berwick is the most important use of this tactic, ever.  Without public vetting, a man who subscribes to socialism is about to assume control over a massive government agency that directly affects 100 million Americans.  In 2008, Berwick said, ‘Any health care funding plan that is just, equitable, civilized, and humane must, must redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and the less fortunate. Excellent health care is by definition redistributional.’  Dr. Berwick’s philosophy of wealth redistribution—socialism—is anathema to Americans.

"I am not surprised that President Obama wants to hide Dr. Berwick from the public.  With Dr. Berwick's well documented praise for rationing health care and numerous controversial quotes like, 'The decision is not whether or not we will ration care—the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open,' the President's nominee was bound to run into bipartisan resistance in Congress.

"Similarly disturbing is how Dr. Berwick described his inability to lead.  In an interview with U.S. News and World Report in 2006 he said, 'I don't feel like a leader, so it's very hard for me to project myself into that situation. But inattention to detail is my biggest defect. I'm always leaning forward into something new. I can create a mess.'  This man is now entrusted with disbursing $803 billion in benefits to America's Medicare and Medicaid users.  Our seniors ought to be extremely concerned about this.

"Rather than stand behind Dr. Berwick and his beliefs in a public confirmation process, President Obama has imposed his rationer-in-chief on America.  This backdoor approach to governing is reminiscent of how ObamaCare was passed--without transparency or concern for the wishes of the American people."

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On Tuesday June 22, 2010 Rep. Burton spoke to congress about the direction of the economy and suggested that the way to turn the economy around is to cut taxes, not raise them.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                              CONTACT: Joshua Gillespie
April 27, 2010                                                                                             (317) 848-0201

Obama Administration Confirms:
Recently Passed Health Care Law Increases Health Care Spending

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN-05) issued the following statement after hearing that the non-partisan Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), within the Department of Health and Human Services, released an analysis of the newly enacted Health Care overhaul which concludes that national health care costs will increase significantly over the next decade under the new law.

“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously said that Congress “must pass the bill to find out what’s in it.”  Turns out Pelosi and the Liberal House leadership got what they wanted as the CMS released a detailed analysis confirming what Republicans in Congress have been saying for months; that the bill which the Democrat leadership rammed through with no Republican votes, does not lower costs and, in fact, increases them.”

Among some of the findings, the CMS reports that:

•    National health expenditures under the health reform act would increase by a total of $311 Billion (0.9 percent) during calendar years 2010-2019
•    There will be over one-half trillion in Medicare cuts.  The Medicare actuaries found that the new health law cuts “$575 Billion from Medicare
•    As a result of the cuts to Medicare, absent legislative intervention, [providers] might end their participation in the program
•    Two million Americans who currently have employer-provided health coverage will be dumped into Medicaid.  Additionally,  millions of seniors will lose their Medicare plan because massive cuts to the program will result in “about 50 percent” of seniors no longer being in a plan
•    Americans should be prepared for doctor and hospital shortages under the new law
•    By 2011 and 2012 the initial $5 Billion in Federal funding for [high risk pools] would be exhausted, resulting in substantial premium increases to sustain the program
“In addition to taking over 1/6th of the American economy, this new law tramples on our Liberty, our Constitutional government, and our common values.  This is why I favor a “repeal and replace” strategy and why I introduced H.R. 4910 which would repeal H.R. 3590, the Democrats' unconstitutional health care bill, and replace it with H.R. 3400, the Empowering Patients First Act". 

H.R. 3400 would provide for:

•    Access to coverage for all Americans
•    Coverage that is truly owned by the patient
•    Improve the health care delivery structure
•    Rein in out-of-control costs

“Republicans support health care reform.  But that reform must be real and cost effective.  It should not be cost prohibitive.”

(source: House Ways and Means Committee Republicans)

Background:

Rep. Burton introduced H.R. 4910 on March 22, 2010, which would repeal H.R. 3590, the Democrats' unconstitutional health care bill, and replace it with H.R. 3400, the “Empowering Patients First Act"

http://burton.house.gov/posts/burton-introduces-bill-to-repeal-obamacare-and-replace-it-with-real-reform

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