In an appearance this morning on CNN’s State of the Union, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to allow a debate and vote on the Republican plan to make health care more affordable and accessible at a price our nation can afford. Boehner outlined the GOP's smart, fiscally responsible reforms in the weekly Republican address after Speaker Pelosi unveiled a 1,990-page government takeover of health care that raises taxes, destroys jobs, and cuts Medicare benefits for seniors. On the economy, Boehner noted that the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ isn’t working and asked, ‘where are the jobs?’ On Afghanistan, Boehner reiterated his concerns about the dangers of delaying a decision on U.S. troop levels. Lastly, Boehner stated his opposition to the Obama Administration’s decision to provide H1N1 vaccinations to Gitmo detainees before vulnerable American populations. Following are full video and key excerpts from Boehner’s interview with State of the Union host John King:
BOEHNER CHALLENGES SPEAKER PELOSI TO ALLOW A VOTE ON GOP HEALTH CARE PLAN:
“What I’m hopeful for is to take these eight or nine ideas and put them together in a bill that’s being scored right now by the Congressional Budget Office and present it on the House floor during this debate. And I’m hopeful that Speaker Pelosi will allow us to offer an alternative. But what we do is we try to make the current system work better. We take a step-by-step approach by allowing people to buy insurance across state lines, allowing small businesses and other groups of individuals to group together for the purpose of buying health insurance at lower costs – like big businesses and unions can. We need to do something about junk lawsuits. I think that one of our proposals is to give grants to states who have innovative programs to help bring down the cost of health insurance.
“And, 34 states, today, have high-risk pools for those with pre-existing conditions. We want to encourage all states to have these. And we put more money into these high-risk pools so that we can bring down the cost of health insurance. And at the end of the day, what we’re doing with our proposal is lowering health care insurance premiums – lowering cost and expanding access. … I would hope that the Speaker would allow us to have a debate and a vote on our proposal.”
BOEHNER SAYS THE TRILLION-DOLLAR ‘STIMULUS’ ISN’T WORKING, ASKS ‘WHERE ARE THE JOBS?’:
“The President said that when he signed the bill that unemployment would not exceed eight percent. Now, we have unemployment at nearly 10 percent. He also said that jobs would be created immediately and the fact is, they haven’t. Most of the so-called jobs that have been saved or created are government jobs, even though the President promised that 90 percent of these jobs would be private sector jobs. Three million Americans have lost their jobs since the ‘stimulus’ was signed into law. And yes, the economy grew last month. But after $1 trillion of an economic ‘stimulus’ plan was spent, probably another $7 or $8 trillion that the Fed has pumped into the economy, I would hope that we’ve seen some economic growth. But Americans all around the country continue to ask the question, ‘where are the jobs?’”
BOEHNER EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT DELAY IN PRESIDENT'S DECISION ON FUTURE OF U.S. STRATEGY IN AFGHANISTAN:
“The President made clear that we are not going to withdraw from Afghanistan. But it looked for every reason in the world to put off a decision. And, the longer this decision hangs, the more jeopardy and the more danger our troops on the ground there are in the middle of. … I’m concerned about this delay. I would hope that the President would make a decision and make it soon.”
BOEHNER OPPOSES OBAMA ADMINISTRATION PLAN TO PROVIDE H1N1 VACCINATIONS TO GITMO DETAINEES:
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. The Administration probably didn’t think it would be very popular either, that’s why they announced it on Friday night. We have prisoners in my home county who are going to get H1N1 shots while there are vulnerable populations who want the shots who can’t get them. I just think that’s wrong.”
In an appearance on Fox’s On the Record with Greta Van Susteren, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) outlined the impact of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) 1,990-page government takeover of health care that costs Americans at least $1.1 trillion. Boehner noted that Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill will raise the cost of health insurance for most American families, kill jobs with new tax increases and new mandates, and cut seniors’ Medicare benefits. Boehner also highlighted the better solutions House Republicans are offering to lower health care costs for seniors, working families, and small businesses. Following are the full video and excerpts from the interview:
BOEHNER ON SPEAKER PELOSI’S 1,990-PAGE GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF HEALTH CARE:
“Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-page bill is going to raise the cost of health insurance for most American families. It’s going to raise the cost of health insurance, new mandates, new taxes. I think it’s just – it’s a monstrosity. And it’s exactly what the American people have been telling the Congress for months that they don’t want. They don’t want government control of their health care, and that’s exactly what this is.”
BOEHNER ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ BETTER SOLUTIONS TO LOWER COSTS AND INCREASES ACCESS TO QUALITY CARE:
“Well, if you look at their plan, it’s not just the so-called public option that’s there to compete with private insurance companies. You know, I used to run a small business. I can compete with people in the private sector, but I could never compete with the government. They have no cost to capital. They write all the rules. They set the premiums. And what’s going to happen is they’re going to drive every private health insurance company out of business.
“Republicans have much better ideas, I think, that would take the current system and make it work better. And over the coming days, you’re going to hear an awful lot about the specifics of what we would do to lower the cost of health insurance in America and really do this in a step-by-step gradual process.”
BOEHNER ON THE JOB-KILLING TAX HIKES IN SPEAKER PELOSI’S HEALTH CARE BILL:
“Well, if you look at the employer mandate – if you’re an employer that has over a $500,000 payroll annually, you either have to provide health insurance under their proposal or you pay an eight percent tax to the federal government. Many employers pay more than eight percent to cover the cost of their employees’ health insurance. Some of them – all of them are going to have to have their plans re-reviewed by the federal government to make sure that they’re, quote, ‘adequate.’
“Many employers are just going to give up and they’re going to get rid of their employer-provided health care plans, pay the eight percent tax and let their employees go fend out in the private market or in this so-called government option. But what will happen is we’re raising the cost of employment at a time when unemployment is at near record highs. What we ought to be doing is helping employers bring back employees, get our economy going again. And here we are taxing employment, which means that we’re going to end up with less numbers of employees in America.”
BOEHNER ON HOW SPEAKER PELOSI’S HEALTH CARE BILL WILL PILE MORE DEBT ON THE BACKS OF OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS:
“1,990 pages – now, tell me – tell me that this isn’t going to add to the deficit. They have all these estimates that try to predict what’s going to happen over the next 20 years or so with the cost of this plan. But this is the government making these estimates.
“You know, I remember when Medicare was passed. I’ve looked at the estimates. The Medicare cost estimate for this year is one thirty-fifth of what it actually is. And so when the federal government gets involved, the American people know what to expect. It’s going to cost a lot more. The federal government is going to end up making more decisions for the American people and get into the relationship between doctors and their patients. This is exactly what the American people are saying no to.”
BOEHNER ON THE $500 BILLION IN SENIORS’ MEDICARE CUTS IN SPEAKER PELOSI’S HEALTH BILL:
“Well, there are $500 million worth of Medicare cuts over the next 10 years. The most significant change is the $162 billion cut to Medicare Advantage. You know, I’ve got 27,000 Medicare enrollees in my district. And according to the Congressional Budget Office, about 80 percent of them would lose their coverage under this proposal. My seniors love their Medicare Advantage plans. And remember, the President said no one will be forced from the insurance policy they have today. If they like it, they can keep it…that’s not true.”
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today issued the following statement after the Department of Commerce announced that the real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2009:
“Any positive signs for our economy are welcome, but a jobless recovery is not what the American people were promised. President Obama and his economic team said the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ would create jobs immediately and keep the unemployment rate below eight percent. Since then, roughly three million jobs have been lost and unemployment has risen to near 10 percent.
“For millions of out-of-work families struggling to make ends meet, this recession feels far from over. Yet even now, after the Obama Administration’s top economist has stated that the ‘stimulus’ already had its greatest impact on the economy, Washington Democrats are intent on staying the course and trying to spend, tax, and borrow their way to prosperity. Republicans have proposed fiscally responsible solutions to help small businesses create good-paying jobs and get our economy moving again.”
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ON JOBS AND THE ECONOMY:
• President Obama: “This is something that I ask every single one of my economic advisers every single day, because I know that ultimately the measure of an economy is, ‘is it producing jobs.’” (CNN’s “State of the Union, 9/20/09)
• Jared Bernstein, Vice President Biden’s chief economist: "Absent robust job growth, it is not a true economic recovery.” (AP, 10/27/09)
• “Stimulus’ big boost to the economy? It already happened. White House economist Christina Romer said Thursday that the stimulus package's impact on the economy will weaken from here on.” (The Christian Science Monitor, 10/23/09)
HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ SOLUTIONS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES CREATE JOBS:
• Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income.
• Let small businesses join together to purchase health insurance for their workers the way large businesses and labor unions do.
• Enact genuine legal reform and policies that incentivize wellness to reduce health care costs for small businesses.
• Lower taxes for all taxpayers by reducing the current 15 percent rate to 10 percent and reducing the current 10 percent rate to 5 percent. This will provide an immediate increase in income to every taxpaying family in America and free up capital to help small businesses hire more workers.
• Expand health savings accounts (HSAs) to provide additional flexibility to small businesses in providing health care to their employees.
• Increase the net operating loss carry back from 2 to 5 years to provide struggling employers with additional resources to keep their doors open.
NOTE: These proposals, some of which were presented to President Obama as early as his first week in office, were developed by House
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) released the following web video today, where he discussed how Democrat health care plans before Congress will hurt senior citizens, and highlighted Republican solutions to lower costs and increase access to quality health care.
Boehner says:
"In the debate over health care reform, Republicans are offering a number of proposals for a truly bipartisan bill that would lower costs and increase access to quality health care. Specifically, our plans would extend coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, encourage home care and wellness, and expand access to community health centers...
Despite our offers to work together, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid are pushing ahead with backroom negotiations to draw up a trillion-dollar government takeover of health care from several Democratic bills. These plans include a number of troubling proposals that all seniors need to be aware of, including a $500 billion cut to Medicare, and a $172 billion cut to Medicare Advantage."
To learn more about Republican plans for significant, bipartisan health care reform, visit healthcare.gop.gov
Today during a radio interview with Brian Thomas on 55KRC (Cincinnati), Congressman John Boehner discussed the “Chicago-style politics” the majority party is employing to ram its unpopular jobs-killing agenda into law, and highlighted Republican initiatives to bring much-needed transparency and openness to Congress. Boehner also criticized Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) plan for a government-run “public option,” arguing it distracts from a bill that will result in Medicare Cuts for seniors, higher taxes, and is just the first step in a slippery slope toward single-payer government-run health care. Following are excerpts from the audio. To listen to the interview in its entirety, click here.
Boehner Discusses Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Plan for a Government-Run “Public Option”
“I don’t see any provision that allows Medicare recipients to opt-out of Medicare cuts, nor do I see an opportunity for taxpayers to opt-out of paying higher taxes. This is just some smoke and mirrors to try and convince Senate members to vote for this.”
“We are only talking about one little piece of the bill. We still have 53 boards, commissions, agencies, mandates and bureaucracies in this bill. It is going to require tens of thousands of new government employees. All of this is the camel’s nose under the tent, if you will, toward a single-payer government-run health care system.”
Boehner Says Democrats’ Closed-Door Health Care Negotiations Ought to be Open to the Public
“One of the reasons why we are going to continue to push this transparency agenda is that the American people need to know about what happens in our government. They ought to have 72 hours to read a bill before it comes to the floor of the house, bills that come out of committee ought to be posted online within 24 hours, how members vote in committee ought to be posted within 48 hours. We call it the 24-48-72 agenda, and we still believe that these negotiations that are going on with regards to health care ought to be ought to be out in the open, the American people ought to see the conversations and the discussions – I’d like to see it myself.”
Boehner Decries “Chicago-Style Politics” Majority Party is Using To Ram Its Unpopular Jobs-Killing Agenda Through Congress
“They know that their agenda is not popular with the American people so what they are going to do is demonize their opponents. This is Chicago-style politics. These people are engaged in a political fight that is truly beneath the dignity of the President of the United States and members of Congress. We can have a civilized debate and argue the merits or demerits of these proposals, and we ought to do it in a way that informs the public, and doesn’t create these distractions.”
As has been the case for months now, Democrats in Washington continue to engage in a debate among themselves over their government takeover of health care. One issue, however, where House Democrats have stood united from the get-go is paying for these costly proposals in part by implementing drastic cuts to Medicare benefits for seniors “on a scale not seen in years.” As a result, millions would see reduced benefits and be “displaced” from their current coverage, according to independent experts. Last month, Democrats in Washington grew so desperate to conceal the consequences of these drastic cuts that they imposed a “gag order” to prevent America’s seniors from knowing the truth. Even so, more than twice as many Americans said in a recent poll that Democrats’ government takeover of health care would hurt Medicare. Republicans are committed to ensuring seniors know the facts while offering better solutions to make their coverage more affordable and accessible.
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) commented on Democrats’ continued efforts to cut Medicare benefits for seniors:
“Right now, America’s seniors are looking for reassurances that their current coverage won’t be hurt by a government takeover of health care, and Washington Democrats are unable to oblige. That’s because their trillion-dollar, 1,000-page plans would leave seniors with reduced benefits and fewer health care choices. Republicans are committed to ensuring America’s seniors know the facts while offering better solutions to make their coverage more affordable and accessible.”
A GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF HEALTH CARE HURTS AMERICA’S SENIORS:
REALITY:
• “Democrats are pushing for Medicare cuts on a scale not seen in years… The House bill … would reduce projected increases in Medicare payments to providers by more than $500 billion over 10 years, a gross cut of about 7 percent over the period. …. ‘What we hear from our members is that to them Medicare savings sounds like cuts,’ said Nora Super, AARP's chief health care lobbyist. ‘Our members over 65 really value their Medicare program ... and numbers like $500 billion are huge numbers, so that is really scary to our members.’” (Associated Press, 7/30/09)
• “Democrats seek cuts in Medicare Advantage. … Democrats want to cut Medicare Advantage by more than $120 billion over 10 years. It could leave seniors with fewer boutique Medicare options offered through private insurance companies or with private plans that offer fewer of the extra benefits such plans provide. … The White House is scrambling to fight back.” (The Boston Globe, 9/24/09)
• “Budget chief says Medicare benefits could be cut. Congress' chief budget officer is contradicting President Barack Obama's oft-stated claim that seniors wouldn't see their Medicare benefits cut under a health care overhaul. The head of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf, told senators Tuesday that seniors in Medicare's managed care plans would see reduced benefits under a bill in the Finance Committee.” (Associated Press, 9/22/09)
• At Least Three Million Seniors on Medicare Advantage “Displaced.”FactCheck.org found that under H.R. 3200, “it’s probable that some unknown number of the 22 percent of seniors, or more than 10 million individuals, who participate in Medicare Advantage programs would indeed need to pay more out of pocket, change plans or face reduced benefits… Kenneth E. Thorpe, professor and chair of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University] said the number displaced by the House bill would be ‘at least’ 3 million.”
• “More than twice as many Americans (43 percent to 18 percent) say they think the legislation would weaken Medicare. …[M]ost [seniors,] 51 percent, still think reform would hurt the popular program.” (ABC News/Washington Post poll, 10/20/09)
Participating in a radio Town Hall sponsored by the Ohio Christian Alliance, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) expressed Ohioans frustration with Democrats’ jobs-killing agenda that includes a so-called “stimulus,” a “cap and trade” energy plan, and a massive government takeover of health care. In recent days, Congressman Boehner has reminded Americans of Republican efforts to offer better solutions to create jobs and reform our health care system. To listen to the full interview, click here.
Boehner on the American People Speaking Out Against Government-Run Health Care
“If we keep the American people engaged in this fight with us we can win. This health care bill should have passed in June. If they had the votes they would have passed it in July. If they had the votes they would have passed it in September, and trust me if they would have had the votes this week, they would have passed it this week. If we keep the American people engaged, we can stop this bill from becoming law.”
Boehner on Democrats Refusal to Work on Real Bipartisan Health Care Reform
“There has not been an opportunity to discuss this at the White House, there has not been an opportunity to discuss this at the leadership level, and frankly, I don’t know that any of our members have been in a serious conversation with Democrats. They have a 40 vote majority in the House, they think they can do it alone, and they’re going to try to.”
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) released the following web video today, where he continued to urge Gov. Ted Strickland (D-OH) to oppose proposals in the Democrats’ government takeover of health care that would impose a massive unfunded mandate of at least $920 million on Ohio.
Boehner says:
"Handing down unfunded mandates of this magnitude to our cash-strapped state will drain state funding for seniors, school children and force tax increases on all Ohioans. This is no way to reform our health care system.
Why isn’t Governor Strickland standing up and speaking out against unfunded mandates that will hurt Ohio school children, taxpayers and seniors?”
RECAP: Ohio members urge Gov. Strickland to stand up for Ohio; news report shows potential impact on Ohio
Ohio members of Congress to Gov. Strickland: oppose health care bill that would hurt our state. Yesterday, seven Ohio members of Congress joined Congressman Boehner in writing a letter to Gov. Strickland respectfully requesting that the governor clearly oppose unfunded mandates in current Democratic health care bills that would hurt Ohio. Here’s what some of the other Ohio members had to say:
“Ohio has a budget crisis, record unemployment and is having trouble keeping up with its existing Medicaid load … I think promises that the federal government will help financially are about as reliable as ‘the check’s in the mail.’” – Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-Bainbridge Township)
“Like Ohioans, I want to reform our healthcare system, but this is not the way to do it, and it’s time for Governor Strickland to take the lead and denounce this plan. If he sits by and says nothing or even supports this back-breaking plan, he’ll bury Ohioans in debt; and with an $850 million shortfall in the state budget, more debt is not what we need.” – Congressman Pat Tiberi (R-Genoa Township)
As Ohio faces continued job losses and an estimated $850 million state budget hole, Dispatch report shows as Democrats push their trillion-dollar bill, Ohio and other states could be left holding the bill. According to the Columbus Dispatchthe Senate Finance Committee health care bill would add nearly 800,000 Ohioans to the state’s Medicaid program, by raising the current income ceiling of $22,050 to $29,300 for a family of four to be eligible for the program. The bill could impose an unfunded mandate of $922 million on Ohio from 2014 to 2019, and then impose an additional $1.2 billion per year beginning in 2020.
A chart released by the Heritage Foundation shows a state-by-state breakdown of the additional burden this legislation would impose on every state.
Meanwhile, Republicans have a plan for significant, affordable health care reform. To increase awareness of Washington Democrats’ massive government-run takeover of health care, channel new ideas and highlight proposals that will bring about real, responsible change to our health care system, Congressman Boehner has created GOP State Solutions and GOP Health Care.gov.
With out-of-work families continuing to ask “where are the jobs,” we know that it’s the nation’s small businesses that have borne the brunt of recent job losses. That’s one reason it’s so troubling that Democrats in Washington are pressing ahead with a costly government takeover of health care that will squeeze the nation’s entrepreneurs further, keep people out of work longer, and pile up more debt on our children and grandchildren. At the heart of the Democrats’ plan are a massive tax increase that will fall heavily on entrepreneurs who run small businesses and a harsh mandate that requires employers to provide health care or face a steep penalty. According to a model developed by Dr. Christina Romer, the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, the Democrats’ health care plan will destroy as many as 5.5 million American jobs over the next 10 years. House Republicans have proposed better solutions to help small businesses create jobs and provide quality, affordable health care to their employees.
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester), a former small business owner, commented on how Democrats’ costly government takeover of health care will harm America’s small businesses:
“Having run a small business, I know what it’s like to have your plans hampered by the government’s latest round of red tape. Our small businesses, however, have seen nothing that approaches the perfect storm of taxes and mandates in Democrats’ costly government takeover of health care. Under the Democrats’ plan, health care costs will go up and countless small business jobs will destroyed. At a time when out-of-work families are asking, ‘where are the jobs,’ the Democrats’ costly government takeover of health care will keep people out of work longer. Republicans have offered better solutions to help small businesses create jobs and provide quality, affordable health care to their employees and their families.”
DEMOCRATS’ COSTLY GOV’T TAKEOVER OF HEALTH CARE HAMMERS AMERICA’S SMALL BUSINESSES:
Massive tax increases. House Democrats pay for their costly government takeover of health care in part by imposing a massive new tax – up to an additional 5.4 percent – that will hit small businesses and manufacturers hard. The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business association, commissioned a survey of small business owners and found that “the businesses that are most likely to be hit by this tax increase employ about a quarter of the U.S. work force.” Additionally, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) found that the tax increase would affect more than two-thirds of all American manufacturers.
Burdensome, job-killing mandates. Democrats also want to impose burdensome mandates on businesses that cannot afford to pay for employee health care coverage deemed acceptable by Washington. This will directly curtail job creation, according to an analysis by the Heritage Foundation: “the mandate increases the marginal cost of each additional worker, making it less likely that small businesses will hire new employees or give raises to existing ones in a weak economy.” What’s more, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has stated that these mandates “could reduce the hiring of low-wage workers.”
Government-run insurance company that would restrict choice and competition. A broad-based coalition of employer groups representing almost every segment of our economy and employing millions of Americans sent a letter to Congress raising serious concerns about Democrats’ plans to create a government-run insurance company: “Another troubling provision is the creation of a new government-run insurance plan. Employers currently suffer a significant cost-shift from existing public programs, and the program described in House legislation would significantly increase costs for every American who purchases private insurance. We are also concerned that the government plan will not be a fair competitor, and employers will not be able to continue offering their current plans, which cover more than 170 million Americans.”
House Republicans have proposed better solutions to help small businesses create jobs and provide quality, affordable health care to their employees, including genuine legal reform, policies that incentivize wellness, and expanded health savings accounts (HSAs) to provide additional flexibility to small businesses.
With American workers and their families continuing to ask “where are the jobs,” another week has gone by without a small business job creation plan from Democrats in Washington. While they dither, House Republicans have proposed a “bipartisan jobs plan” to help small businesses, assembled a “kitchen cabinet” of economic experts, and convened a working group of lawmakers to review additional job creation proposals. After months of near-record unemployment rates, Democrats, on the other hand, have scheduled a meeting next week to “find a way” to address the jobs crisis. All indications point to Democrats doubling down on their disastrous economic record and proposing a second ‘stimulus’ to complement their costly, job-killing agenda. This means more spending and borrowing at a time when the Obama Administration’s budget already includes trillion-dollar deficits as far as the eye can see. The American people are looking for more than more of the same.
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) addressed the Democrats’ lack of leadership on the jobs crisis yesterday on Fox News’ America’s Newsroom:
“Unfortunately, we’re not hearing anything out of the Administration, we’re not hearing anything from the Democrat Majority in Congress. I’ve been asking the question over the past three or four months, ‘where are the jobs?’ The President promised if we passed the trillion dollars stimulus plan back in February that unemployment would not exceed eight percent and here we are almost at ten percent. Three million Americans have lost their jobs since this trillion dollar stimulus bill was signed into law. And when you look at their bill it was all about growing the size of government, it wasn’t about creating jobs in America.”
HOUSE DEMOCRATS “HAVE SCHEDULED A MEETING” ON THE ECONOMY:
“House leaders have scheduled a meeting with economists for Oct. 21 to discuss efforts needed to help turn the struggling economy around. The 9.8 percent unemployment rate is prompting Democrats to find a way to address concerns about the economy, even as health care dominates the legislative agenda. Republicans have been hammering away at the jobs numbers, arguing that the stimulus has not worked.” (CQ, 10/15/09)
HOUSE REPUBLICANS HAVE LED THE CHARGE FOR A “BIPARTISAN JOBS PLAN:”
A “Bipartisan Jobs Plan” to Help Small Businesses. “House Republicans Press Obama on Job Creation. House Republicans sent a letter to President Barack Obama today, pushing the administration to seek more business tax breaks as a way to boost the number of new jobs. … Republicans say in their letter that they’re hoping to work with the White House toward a bipartisan jobs plan. But they use some tough language – calling the February stimulus ‘unsuccessful,’ and urging Democrats to drop their ‘job-killing’ health care reforms.” (WSJ Washington Wire, 10/7/09)
A “Kitchen Cabinet” of Economic Experts. “House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has assembled a group of economic experts to help Republicans lob attacks at Democratic assertions that the economy has begun to rebound as a result of the Obama administration’s policies. The ‘kitchen cabinet’ of advisers is part of a latest offensive in the GOP’s ‘Where Are the Jobs?’ campaign, launched this summer by House Republicans and being pushed by Boehner.” (Roll Call, 10/14/09)
A “Working Group” of Lawmakers Reviewing Additional Options. “House GOP Calls for Emphasis on Jobs. House Republican leaders Wednesday called on Democrats to do more to create jobs across the country rather than focusing on health care reform legislation. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., the GOP House Whip, said he plans to convene a working group to review options for further stimulating the economy and supporting small businesses, expressing skepticism for a proposal Democrats have floated.” (RTTNews, 10/16/09)
House Republicans’ solutions to help small businesses create jobs: Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income; let small businesses join together to purchase health insurance for their workers the way large businesses and labor unions do; enact genuine legal reform and policies that incentivize wellness to reduce health care costs for small businesses; lower taxes for all taxpayers by reducing the current 15 percent rate to 10 percent and reducing the current 10 percent rate to 5 percent; expand health savings accounts (HSAs) to provide additional flexibility to small businesses in providing health care to their employees; and increase the net operating loss carry back from 2 to 5 years to provide struggling employers with additional resources to keep their doors open.
