To: Reporters, Editors, Producers
Fr: Democratic Leader’s Press Office
Dt: March 23, 2012
Re: Sunday Show Preview – Paul Ryan’s Rhetoric vs. Reality
This Sunday, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan will continue the promotional tour for his out-of-touch budget that ends the Medicare guarantee while delivering a rousing defense of the GOP’s ideological agenda—a defense that is no doubt high on rhetoric and low on reality.
The facts themselves expose GOP talking points…
Talking Point Number 1: GOP Budget
The GOP budget will shift costs to seniors and end the Medicare guarantee – according to the AARP and CBO.
The wealthiest Americans and Big Oil win while the middle class and working families get the short end of the stick, with millionaires getting an average tax cut of $150,000 – according to the Office of Management and Budget.
The GOP budget will destroy more than 4 million American jobs in the next two years – according to the Economic Policy Institute
And since a pictures is worth a thousand words, be sure to click here for a White House chart on how the wealthiest Americans and special interests benefit most from the GOP budget – while asking the middle class to pay the price.
Talking Point Number 2: GOP Repeal of Patients’ Rights
Numbers to Know – The Affordable Care Act At Two Years
USA Today – Editorial: As health law turns 2, the demonization continues
…Critics suggest that Americans’ lives and liberty will never be the same once the government "takes over" the health care system. Actually, if you have insurance coverage through your employer, you are likely to see little change, even when the law takes full effect in 2014.
The most dramatic changes will come for those who can’t get or can’t afford insurance. Insurers will have to write policies for all applicants, and there will be reasonable subsidies to help people afford them. As for the changes already in effect — well, there haven’t been many complaints from parents who can now keep their children on their health policies to age 26…
"ObamaCare" simply assures that people will have medical care, along with the obligation to help pay for it… [3/23]
Talking Point Number 3: Blame Rising Gas Prices on Inadequate Supply…and Democrats
Associated Press – FACT CHECK: More US drilling didn’t drop gas price (for those who find the AP more credible than Speaker Boehner’s “straight face test”)
Media Matters – 20 Experts Who Say Drilling Won’t Lower Gas Prices
Supply is Up – Domestic energy production has increased, with the number of oil rigs in the United States quadrupling over the past three years. The U.S. has more oil and natural gas rigs operating than in the rest of the world combined and imports at the lowest level in 17 years.
Demand is Down – Demand for gasoline has declined by 17 percent from 391 million gallons per day in 2008 to 344 million gallons per day.
Wall Street Speculation Driving Up Price – CFTC Commissioner Bart Chilton: “One of the big Wall Street banks has said that each million barrels of net speculative length adds as much as 10 cents to the price of a barrel of crude oil…that means if you fill up a Honda Civic, the speculative premium costs $7.39 every time you fill-er-up. If you drive a Ford Explorer or F150, the total is $10.41 and $14.56, respectively. If folks fill up once a week, the Civic owner is putting out $384.28 more per year, the SUV owner $541.32 more, and the pickup owner $757.12 more.” [Newsday, 2/27/12]
Talking Point Number 4: House GOP Transportation Crazy Train Over Job-Creating Senate Bill
The bipartisan transportation bill that passed the Senate creates or saves over 2 million American jobs while providing critical investments in our nation’s highways, roads and bridges.
Instead of taking up a Senate proposal, House Republicans are staying on their transportation crazy train with yet another attempt to salvage “worst transportation bill” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has seen—one that would destroy more than half-a-million jobs, cut highway investments in 45 states, bankrupt the Highway Trust Fund, and weaken our economy.