e-News 3/27/15

• Balancing the Budget, Spurring Economic Growth, Defending America
• Helping Ukraine Help Itself
• “Conquering the South China Sea”
• “A Chilly Wind from the Great White North”
• Not A Happy Birthday, Obamacare!
• Strengthening Medicare
• Attention High School Artists

Balancing the Budget, Spurring Economic Growth, Defending America

The House of Representatives this week passed a pro-growth, balanced budget that is really a blueprint for how to get our economy back on track while expanding job opportunities for the American people.

In stark contrast to the President’s plan of higher taxes and increased domestic spending, the House’s budget provides and balances the budget in less than 10 years – without raising taxes – and cuts spending by $5.5 trillion.

Our plan also calls for Congress to fix our tax code by making it simpler, flatter, and fairer. And with additional proposals to cut red tape and boost American energy, our budget lays the foundation for more robust economic growth. 

This budget also recognizes Congress’ fundamental responsibility under our Constitution: “to provide for common defence.” In the face of major growing terrorist threats, the budget we passed boosts funding for national security. 

Now is the absolute wrong time to cut our military and intelligence budgets:  The Russians have invaded Ukraine. ISIS is spreading. Iran seems to have taken the lead in Iraq and is moving closer nuclear weapons every day. North Korea is pursuing a submarine-launched ballistic missile to go with its nuclear weapons program. Our military just returned from fighting Ebola in Africa and is supporting the fight against Boko Haram in Africa.  China’s military budget continues to spike even as it threatens our friends and allies in Asia. And President Obama’s foreign policy and indecision is a disaster which puts us at even greater risk.

The Department of Defense has already absorbed drastic cuts. The Air Force is the smallest it has ever been in its existence.  The Army is on a path to becoming the smallest Army since before World War II. And the Navy is the smallest it’s been since 1915!

Even if the President refuses to lead, Congress has a responsibility to protect our homeland and our people.

Helping Ukraine Help Itself

Fresh from leading an official Congressional fact-finding mission to war-torn Ukraine, I, and my fellow travelers, dispatched a letter to President Obama urging him to provide additional assistance to the Ukrainian government immediately.

Members of our Congressional delegation wrote the President, “We believe the situation in Ukraine is a matter of critical importance to the national security of the United States.  The world is watching with intense interest how our Nation reacts to the war in Ukraine today.  We are sure you are aware Mr. President, that Russia is not just acting in its near term best interest, but is looking many years into the future.  It is important that we do the same.”

Read the entire letter here.

In addition, the House passed legislation I co-sponsored, House Resolution 162, which calls on the President to provide Ukraine with military assistance to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.  The final vote, 348-48, represents strong bi-partisan support for providing Ukrainians the weapons they need to defend their own country from Russian aggression.  The President needs to act!

You can view my floor speech here.

“Conquering the South China Sea”

“The U.S. dawdles as China extends its maritime domination.”

“China is building military bases on artificial islands hundreds of miles off its coast, in waters claimed by six other countries. These new fortresses in the South China Sea raise the risk of war, yet Washington seems to have no strategy to address them.”

Read the Wall Street Journal’s piece here.

“A Chilly Wind from the Great White North”

Read a good story from Al Kamin in theWashington Post here.

Not a Happy Birthday, Obamacare!

This week marked the 5th anniversary of Obamacare being signed into law, bringing to America cancelled plans, higher deductibles, lost doctors, reduced hours for many workers and more new taxes.  

To be specific, over the last five years, the government has spent $42 billion in regulatory costs and over $1.5 billion on a failed website. Plan prices continue to rise, and Medicare Advantage registrants have seen a $1,300 cut in benefits.

Strengthening Medicare

Many Americans are worried that Obamacare will force many of their doctors to end their practices for various reasons.  Older Americans are particularly concerned that their doctors may leave their practices.

Today, the House took is a significant step for America’s seniors while making necessary, meaningful structural reforms to the Medicare program by passing H.R. 2 - the first of many actions that must be taken in order to ensure our seniors have access to the best doctors and the highest quality of care.

Here are 9 things you should know about this important legislation:

1. H.R. 2 strengthens Medicare and provides stability for seniors and their doctors.  The legislation moves beyond the sustainable growth rate (SGR) to a better system that ensures seniors have access to their doctors and the high-quality care they deserve.

2. H.R. 2 establishes the first real, structural entitlement reform in nearly two decades – offsetting all new spending without tax increases.  These reforms – increased means-testing and prohibition of Medigap “first-dollar” coverage – have long been part of Republican budgets.   For the first time, however, Democrats agreed to these reforms without demanding tax hikes – a breakthrough and a win for American seniors.

3. With these structural reforms, H.R. 2 reduces the deficit over the long term.  Looking ahead – 20, 30, and 40 years down the road – these reforms will produce hundreds of billions in durable savings for taxpayers, while the status quo only provides the illusion of savings.  As an example, former CBO Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin writes that these reforms “will continue to reap benefits in the years beyond the budget window,” estimating $230 billion in savings in the second decade alone.

4. With these structural reforms, H.R. 2 drives more competition into Medicare, bending the cost curve and putting these programs on a more sound financial footing.  While additional reforms are necessary, these policies are an essential first-step toward larger reforms.

5. After 17 short-term patches since 2003, H.R. 2 ends the cycle of cliffs and “must-pass” ‘doc fix’ bills that have often served as vehicles for more spending and new programs.  

6. H.R. 2 strengthens Medicare’s ability to fight fraud, waste, and abuse by, among other things, removing Social Security numbers from beneficiaries’ Medicare cards, preventing Medicare payments for deceased and ineligible individuals, and removing burdensome reporting policies for employers.

7. H.R. 2 extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and traditional Medicare extenders for two years, giving House committees time to lay the groundwork for better reforms under a new President.

8. By extending CHIP, H.R. 2 keeps more than three million Americans from becoming uninsured or enrolled in ObamaCare exchanges.

9. H.R. 2 is supported by leaders of both parties, at least 75 physician groups, and a number of pro-taxpayer organizations, including Americans for Tax Reform, American Action Forum, the Galen Institute and the National Taxpayers Union. 

Attention High School Artists!

It’s your time to shine. Our Congressional Art Competition has kicked off!

I invite all high school-age students from New Jersey’s 11^thCongressional District, which includes 54 municipalities in Morris, Essex, Passaic and Sussex counties, to participate. 

This is an annual event and I continue to be amazed by the artistic talent displayed by students of our district.  I am very excited to view the 2015 submissions!

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district.  Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.

The deadline for art submissions is April 17, 2015 (5:00pm) to my Morristown office: 30 Schuyler Place, Morristown NJ, 07960. 

We are planning a reception honoring the contestants at the Morris Museum, April 27, 2015 (5:30pm-7:30pm).

Specific guidelines and release forms for students can be found here.  Please contact my Morristown office at 973-984-0711 should you have any questions.