Shutdowns and Debt Ceiling Dominate the Capitol I’m writing this column Saturday from my desk in Washington. The Capitol is vacant except for members of the U.S. House and a gaggle of reporters. By the time you read this, we’ll know who, if anyone, caused the government to temporarily shut down. * * * This weekend, the U.S. House passed legislation that funds the government through mid-December, delays ObamaCare for a year, permanently repeals the job-killing medical device tax within ObamaCare, and ensures the military and their families are paid in case of a temporary government shutdown. Delaying the unaffordable Affordable Care Act only makes sense. I don’t want Washington experimenting with the health care of our Texas families. It’s just too critical and ObamaCare isn’t ready by a long shot. In Texas young people just discovered that ObamaCare health care plans will increase 58% in price for young men and 11% for young women. A worker in Pinehurst wrote me his company is not providing health care next year for he and his daughter due to the new law. On Facebook, Robyn S. told me her insurance premiums just went up 25%. One senior wrote “It really messed up our Medicare Advantage care this next year. We will have a hard time paying for our meds with the new deductibles.” Didn’t President Obama promise that families would see $2,500 savings in their health care? For the sake of our families, their children and those whose health care has already gone up due to this terrible law, I’ll continue to fight to dismantle ObamaCare by any means possible. * * * If the President, Senate Democrats or anybody forces a shutdown of the government I’m fighting to make sure our military men and women get paid. Under a government shutdown the President is granted unlimited power to determine which federal workers get paid and which don’t. Like many families, I have a brother – an Iraq war veteran – serving in the Army. I’m going to make sure our armed forces who risk their lives for our freedoms don’t have families at home waiting for a paycheck that never comes. * * * Lost in all this government shutdown frenzy is an important issue: government spending. Many in Washington want to roll back the modest sequester savings. That’s a huge mistake. While it’s nothing to celebrate, federal spending has actually shrunk in two key areas of the budget for two years in a row. That hasn’t happened since the 1950’s. But with a deficit of more than $700 billion and Social Security and Medicare in deep financial trouble, this is no time for another spending spree. America still has a long way to get back to a balanced budget and start paying off the dangerously high national debt. * * * President Obama keeps declaring “I will not negotiate with Republicans on the debt ceiling” even as he negotiates with Russia’s Vladimir Putin on Syria. Both parties, Democrats and Republicans, have used the debt ceiling as a responsible tool to fix Washington’s financial messes. In 1990 congressional Democrats refused to approve President Bush’s debt ceiling until he agreed to spending reforms, including tax increases. It’s irresponsible to give the White House another blank check. It’s responsible to act now to limit the growth of federal spending and secure the future of important programs like Social Security and Medicare – in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. If this isn’t the time to tackle Washington’s spending addiction, when is?
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 18:20:20 +0000
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