McKeon Op-ed: Start by defeating job-killing measures such as card-check
California Congressman Buck McKeon has a great OpEd running in today's The Hill as part of their special report on job creation. It's an excellent read, check it out:
Start by defeating job-killing measures such as card-check
By Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.)
Jobs. They’re the heart of our economic engine, transforming to meet the new realities of a changing global marketplace. They’re also a trusted barometer of economic health, and judging by employment figures, our economy remains far from healthy.
The U.S. economy shed 345,000 jobs in the month of May. More than 2.5 million Americans have lost their jobs this year alone, with a total of 5.7 million jobs lost since the recession began in December 2007.
The unemployment rate is 9.4 percent, its highest level in more than 25 years. It’s also 1.4 percent higher than the Obama administration forecasted as the unemployment peak in its urgent push to pass a nearly trillion-dollar economic stimulus package that — to date — hasn’t delivered the jobs that were promised.
It’s clear that America needs an economic policy that will create jobs. And it’s even clearer that we don’t need policies that will hamper innovation or make it harder for American businesses, large and small, to keep and create new jobs.
That’s why the card-check plan — euphemistically dubbed the Employee Free Choice Act, although it offers employees anything but — is exactly the wrong elixir for what ails our economy.
Jeffries Bill To End Backroom Deals Held Hostage...In A Backroom
As budget delays continue, Californians have made it abundantly clear that they are frustrated with the process and distrustful of the legislature. This has left many wondering what exactly is going on in the halls of the state capital. Hearing and understanding these frustrations, Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries (R- Lake Elsinore) wrote a bill five months ago that would increase transparency and accountability in Sacramento.
Five months later, Democrats have still yet to even schedule a public hearing on the bill, let alone a vote.
Jeffries’ bill, ACA 8, would require public notice on all legislation and prohibit the legislature from voting on bills without notifying the public 72 hours in advance. It would also require each bill to be available in print for at least 24 hours ahead of a vote. This bill would give legislators, members of the press, and the public at large the necessary time to read, review, and react to the measures being proposed.
“I find it ironic that a bill that would put an end to back room deals, is being held hostage in a backroom somewhere,” said Assemblyman Jeffries.
In a fiscal crisis such as the one we are in, it is critical that Californians be given the opportunity to review legislation with far-reaching consequences before they are haphazardly put into place.
“This amendment [ACA 8] reinforces the bedrock principles of the First Amendment and public participation in our government, and I am confident that if the people of this state have the opportunity to vote for this measure, it will pass overwhelmingly. Frankly, I can’t even imagine an intelligent opposition campaign being waged on this issue,” said Assemblyman Jeffries in a press release on the issue. “The only motive for not passing this legislation is to keep the people in the dark.”
Knowing all this to be true, Democrats have still refused to allow the bill to move through the legislative process. Perhaps the Democrats, the majority party in the legislature for the better part of 30 years, are afraid of what a little sunlight on the process might actually reveal.
The Republican Jewish Coalition has announced the date and lineup for its annual Summer Bash on Sunday, June 28 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. This is the RJC’s biggest social event of the year and it’s sure to be a fantastic event
Senator John Thune will deliver the keynote address and Congressman Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield will serve as MC. Also, Assemblyman Chuck Devore and Congressman Dean Heller of Nevada have just confirmed their attendance. Many other elected officials and celebrities have been invited and are expected to attend.
Tickets are $125 per person. Corporate or individual sponsorship levels begin at $1,000, and includes placement in the evening’s program.
If you wish to learn more about the RJC Summer Bash and purchase tickets, please click on the link below or call the RJC at (310) 478-0752.
The doublespeak of the Obama Administration would be funny if it weren’t so depressing. As Obama rolled out proposed new budgeting rules on Tuesday, he touted the necessity of having limitations on spending commonly known as “PAYGO” or “pay as you go.” Meaning for every new dollar the government intends on spending, it must find a dollar in savings elsewhere in the budget.
So what’s the problem with the Obama proposal? The rules he's proposing don’t apply to the whole budget. Obama has carved out exceptions, $2.5 trillion to be exact, to fund his favorite programs and priorities with borrowed money – spending that doesn’t require offsets.
Spending that adds to our current deficit.
Yes, this year’s exploding, all-time record deficit of $1.8 trillion (and climbing).
So when President Obama, his administration officials, and his liberal allies in congress claim they are going back to responsible budgeting of the Clinton years, remember that they support Pay As You Go rules, just not for the $2.5 trillion they’d like to spend first.
Obama: It's Ok To Borrow To Pay For Health Care Associated Press By Andrew Taylor
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed budget rules that would allow Congress to borrow tens of billions of dollars and put the nation deeper in debt to jump-start the administration's emerging health care overhaul.
The "pay-as-you-go" budget formula plan is significantly weaker than a proposal Obama issued with little fanfare last month.
It would carve out about $2.5 trillion worth of exemptions for Obama's priorities over the next decade. His health care reform plan also would get a green light to run big deficits in its early years. …
McKeon Named Republican Leader on House Armed Services Committee
We're very proud to see our own Congressman Howard "Buck" McKeon of Southern California named the Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Committee. At a time when our servicemen and women are engaged in Iraq, Afghanistan and the broader war on terror, it's good to know Congressman McKeon will be there looking out for them, and for our national interest and our allies.
House GOP Leader: Top 10 Facts About Healthcare Reform Legislation
Democrats' Bill Would Increase Taxes, Raise Health Care Costs & Ration Care; House Republicans Are Proposing Better Solutions
Washington, Jun 10 - House Democrats have begun rolling out their long-awaited health care “reform” legislation, and it turns out there’s not much “reform” to it after all. Instead, it would increase taxes, raise health care costs, ration care, and leave key medical decisions to government bureaucrats, rather than patients and their doctors – a proposal that House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) warned in an op-ed published on Townhall.com could cause more than 100 million Americans to “be forced out of their current health care plan and onto the government rolls.” With a debate on health care reform slated to begin in Congress, here are the top 10 facts about the House Democrats’ health care proposal:
1. A Government Takeover of Health Care. The House Democrats’ plan will create a new government-run program, will make health care more expensive, limit treatments and ration care, and put bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions rather than patients and doctors. Translation: higher costs, lower quality, and fewer choices for patients.
2. Forcing More than 100 Million Out of their Health Care. The House Democrats’ plan will force more than 100 million Americans out of their current health care plan and onto the government rolls. A Lewin Group study confirms that under a new government-run health plan millions will lose their current health care coverage.
3. Rationing Health Care Treatments. The House Democrats’ plan establishes an “advisory committee” that will put bureaucrats and politicians in charge of deciding patient treatments and cures. Translation: The government will make health care treatment decisions rather than doctors and patients.
4. A New Mandate on Individuals. The House Democrats’ plan mandates that every American buy health insurance or pay a hefty tax to Washington. This would force more Americans into government-run system that will make health care more expensive, ration care, and put bureaucrats in charge of medical decisions.
5. A New Mandate on Employers. The House Democrats’ plan would impose employer mandates and cost jobs by requiring some employers – especially small businesses – to pay a new tax to Washington. The plan would also slap employers that are unable to offer coverage the government deems adequate with another new tax to Washington. These two new taxes will make it more difficult than ever for small business owners to reinvest in their businesses and create and retain good paying jobs.
6. Harming Small Businesses. The House Democrats’ plan doesn’t yet define “small businesses,” which is troubling news for millions of Americans who depend on these engines of economic growth. One Democratic draft plan revealed to date only provides assistance to ease employer mandates for small businesses with an average of 27 or fewer employees. This leaves a huge number of small businesses to deal with the onerous and expensive mandates of the Democrats’ government defined health benefit plan (“small businesses” are traditionally defined as employing less than 500 people).
Never mind that the state is in the need of closing billions of dollars in debt in the next few weeks: Democrats insist on moving bills forward like SB 250 requiring the spaying/neutering of every day animals.
Talk about a legislature that can't set priorities...
Speaking to the legislature today, Governor Schwarzenegger gave a solid speech that will hopefully give momentum to the effort to close the state's budget deficit and put California on solid financial ground going forward.
Arnold Schwarzenegger clearly sacrificed a great deal by entering politics. Here's a Hollywood star, recognizable around the world, who put aside a movie career to enter the punishing world of politics and government.
He is clearly someone who didn't enter politics in order to get famous, or obtain power and influence, or to punch a clock. In this way, he was the polar opposite of career politician Gray Davis.
For this reason it's easy to see why long term reform has been at the center of his agenda since he was elected. Granted, this drive has taken all kinds of twists and turns, but the mission of reforming government and leaving the state better than when he entered office is an unmistakable motivator for this political leader.
That drive for reform and lasting change took center stage with today's speech to the legislature where the Governor made the case for the cuts he has presented, but also made the even more compelling case for why now is the time to make the reforms we all know are necessary. If people are going to have to suffer because of these cuts, and there is no doubt some will, let's at least make sure we get some positive, common sense reforms out of it. To me, that’s what I heard the Governor saying.
For instance, there is no compelling reason for the state to make it difficult, as it does, for school districts to choose for themselves who mows the lawn or serves lunch. School district officials are perfectly capable of making those decisions for themselves, but the state, in a giveaway to labor union officials, makes it nearly impossible for districts to shop around for who provides those services. And we all know the motive: if those services are provided by district employees they're likely to be unionized, while the small businesses who might be contracted to provide the same service may not be. This doesn’t have anything to do with education - it's just about the politics.
This was irrational decision-making when the economy was roaring, and now with the economy in the tank it's economic and educational malpractice. How many teachers should be laid off because the state forces schools to pay inflated prices for services that have nothing to do with educating kids? This is no longer a matter of convenience - it's about making sure we're minimizing the pain in the classroom.
Governor Schwarzenegger has rightly noticed that too many decisions in education center around what’s best for adults, rather than kids. Maybe -just maybe - we can get some reforms out of this crisis that will allow our neighborhood schools to do what’s in kids' interest: lowering costs by shopping around for services so we can keep the cuts away from the classroom.
Many other solid reform proposals abound: such as performance-based budgeting, and measuring for results before programs are reauthorized. Republicans are on the right track by advancing these ideas so once this crisis is behind us, our government is performing a better job at lower costs for all of us.
