Bill's Blog

The Path to Prosperity: America's two futures, visualized

2011-04-05T09:25:00.000-04:00

Shuster Votes to End Onerous Health Care Mandate on Small Businesses

2011-03-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

Today, the House passed legislation Congressman Bill Shuster cosponsored to repeal a useless and burdensome mandate on small businesses contained in the health care law.

The House acted to repeal Section 9006 of the health care law, which requires anyone with a trade or business to file an IRS 1099 form for vendors with whom they do $600 or more in business in a given year. For America’s small businesses this requirement, which would go into effect next year, is nothing more than a paperwork and compliance nightmare.

“As a former small business owner I know the burden wasteful paperwork can have on productivity and administrative costs,” Shuster said. “Our focus should be on making it easier for small businesses to invest, create jobs, and grow our economy. The 1099 reporting requirement in the Obamacare bill is another example of burdensome federal regulation and I enthusiastically voted for its elimination.”

Shuster is not alone in his opposition to the 1099 reporting requirement. Even the Internal Revenue Service’s own National Taxpayer Advocate noticed its negative impact on small businesses. In July the Advocate reported that “[T]he new reporting burden, particularly as it falls on small businesses may turn out to be disproportionate as compared with any resulting improvement in tax compliance.” And that “[S]mall businesses that lack the capacity to track customer purchases may lose customers, leaving the economy with more large national vendors and less local competition.”

Shuster Statement on President’s FY2012 Budget

2011-02-14T15:31:00.000-05:00

Congressman Bill Shuster released the following statement on the President’s FY 2012 budget proposal:

“If you believed the President in his State of the Union Address when he talked about his commitment to ending unsustainable spending, you would think he presented the wrong budget to Congress today. Here we sit $14 trillion in debt with our heads underwater and the President proposes more spending, more borrowing and more taxes on a recovering economy.

You don’t throw an anchor to a drowning man. You don’t create jobs, grow an economy and reduce debt by spending more than you can afford. At no point in the President’s 10 year budget proposal will the government spend less than it will take in. The national debt under the Obama budget will increase by $7.2 trillion, with 40 cents of each indebted dollar paid to foreign creditors like China.

The American people made their voices heard in November. They want to stop the runaway spending binge President Obama and the Democrats started. I look forward to working with my Republican colleagues in working to present our own budget that will cut spending, burdensome regulations and taxes to put the economy back onto the path of growth and opportunity.”

The President's FY12 budget has arrived...

2011-02-14T13:05:00.000-05:00

Remarks Honoring Rep. Giffords and the Victims of the Arizona Shootings

2011-01-12T16:52:00.000-05:00

The House Floor Live: Opening Session of the 112th Congress

2011-01-04T20:41:00.003-05:00

Watch the opening session of the 112th session of the House of Representatives live here!

speakerboehner on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Jobs Report Yet Another Reason for Congress to Act on Taxes

2010-12-03T10:24:00.001-05:00

Congressman Bill Shuster released the following statement on today’s job report:

“The economy added only 39,000 new jobs in November, marking the 19th consecutive month that unemployment has stayed above 9 percent. In the face of these numbers the outgoing Democrat leadership in the House voted yesterday to increase taxes on an estimated 750,000 small businesses.

The economy is still in a state of uncertainty. Businesses are trying to plan for next year under the looming threat of a massive tax increase that will take effect less than 30 days from now unless Congress does its job and extends the current tax rates into 2011 for all Americans.

The American people sent Washington a message on election day that they are tired of false promises and failed leadership on the economy. Instead of taxing more, Congress needs to spend less. I am committed to working with my colleagues in the incoming 112th Congress to roll big government back and let our business community do what it does best: innovate and create opportunities for all Americans.”

Shuster Votes NO on Flawed Tax Bill Opposes Massive Tax Increase on Small Businesses

2010-12-03T10:23:00.001-05:00

“Real tax relief means that all Americans get the chance to keep more of their own money instead of sending it to Washington to be spent recklessly. We don’t need to tax any more, we need to spend less.

The Democrats’ flawed tax bill fails to recognize this by increasing taxes on many Americans who own small businesses and by law report their business income as personal income.

While many of these business owners make over $250,000 a year, they are anything but rich. Their income is used to make payroll and it is reinvested into their enterprises. Raising taxes on the people who create jobs and drive our economy is misguided and damaging to our economic recovery. For that reason, I support the complete extension of the Bush tax cuts for all Americans, not just for those selected for political expediency.”

Shuster Presents A Pledge to America

2010-09-23T12:29:00.001-04:00

Today, Congressman Shuster released the following statement after House Republicans presented A Pledge to America, a new governing agenda focused on addressing the American people’s top priorities:

“Despite the American people’s vocal opposition to the expansion of government, massive spending and the accumulation of crushing debt, those in power have carried out a job-killing, big-spending agenda that is exactly the opposite of Americans are calling for.

Along with all my House Republican colleagues, I have been listening and meeting with American families throughout the year, and we understand that the nation’s focus is on issues like creating jobs, reining in spending and changing a dysfunctional Congress.

We have taken the priorities of the American people and put them together into an agenda that can by put into effect right now. That agenda is the “A Pledge to America.” Through this pledge we are presenting a set of bold solutions, renewing a commitment to our founding principles and offering a new way of doing business in Washington.

With Americans looking for job creation, we are offering a jobs plan to end the economic uncertainty for American small businesses and make America more competitive. As massive debt threatens the prosperity of our children, we have a credible plan to rein in the budget deficit. To honor the will of the people, we have a plan to repeal the new health care law and replace it with solutions to bring down costs. And, as Americans increasingly view Congress as a broken institution, we offer a plan for reform to provide real accountability and transparency.

The Pledge is an inspirational document but it goes beyond rhetoric. Each of the principles outlined in the Pledge is based on an actual piece of legislation that could be taken up in the House today if Speaker Pelosi decides to finally listen to the American people.”

The Pledge is the culmination of a months-long engagement with the American people in which House Republicans sought their ideas and priorities for Congress. The agenda offers concrete solutions that can be implemented immediately to tackle the issues that are most important to the nation, including job creation, spending restraint, national security, health care, and reform to Congress itself. The full agenda, A Pledge to America, can be viewed here.

A Pledge to America

2010-09-23T10:45:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow Marks the 6th Month Anniversary of Obamacare - A Look at the Numbers

2010-09-22T10:28:00.002-04:00

Six months after enactment of the Democrats’ new health care law, a look at the first stages of its implementation reveals how the legislation falls short with respect to costs, premiums, preserving Americans’ existing coverage, and providing full transparency and accountability:

4,103—Pages of regulations issued on the health care law through September 17, 2010

12—Number of final regulations not subjected to public scrutiny before taking effect

5—Missed implementation deadlines to date

16—Unanswered letters from House and Senate Republicans to the Administration on the health law

22—States that have joined legal actions to block all or part of the law from taking effect

667,680—Number of Missouri voters that rejected the health care law’s individual mandate, supporting a ballot referendum objecting to the federal law by a 71%-29% margin

500,000—Individuals with pre-existing conditions who could be denied coverage due to under-funding of the law’s high-risk pool program, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

40,000,000—Firms subject to the health law’s new 1099 reporting requirements, which the National Federation of Independent Business called a “tremendous new paperwork compliance burden”

9—Regulations released to date that will increase premium costs for individuals and employers, according to the Administration’s own estimates

$2,500—Premium reduction promised by candidate Obama “by the end of my first term as President”

750,000—Reduction in the American labor force due to provisions in the law that “will effectively increase marginal tax rates, which will also discourage work,” according to the CBO

$310,800,000,000—Projected increase in health care costs as a direct result of the legislation, according to the Administration’s own actuaries

7,400,000—Reduction in Medicare Advantage enrollment as a result of the health care law, resulting in a loss of choice for seniors and millions of beneficiaries losing their current health plan

51%—Percentage of American workers who will lose their current health coverage by 2013, according to the Administration’s own estimates

0—Public hearings held before President Obama appointed Dr. Donald Berwick—an advocate of health care rationing—to head an agency that “finances health care for one in three Americans” and spends $800 billion annually

Even though we have seen only a few of the law’s initial provisions take effect, the impact can already be felt by American families and businesses, who face higher costs, economic uncertainty, and loss of their current coverage. How much longer will these ill effects persist before the President and Democrats in Congress admit that their legislation will harm, not help, the American people?

Shuster Delivers First-Hand Account of Security Situation in Afghanistan

2010-08-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

Congressman Bill Shuster has just wrapped-up a week long trip to the Middle East as part of a Congressional Delegation to get a first hand assessment of the security situation in Afghanistan its impact on regional allies.

What follows is Shuster’s first-hand report of what he saw in Afghanistan:

“Contrary to reports in the national media, progress is being made in Afghanistan. This improvement is noticeable since my last trip to the region and I believe it is the direct result of President Bush's commitment of additional resources beginning in 2008 and more recently, General McChrystal’s well thought out counterinsurgency strategy and President Obama’s willingness to surge combat troop levels in Afghanistan.

We did not just add over 30,000 troops to the effort in the surge. We also tripled the civilian security force which is critical to achieving stability. The Department of State, USDA, DHS and the FBI have all increased their presence and now have well over 1000 civilian employees in the field helping in stabilization efforts.

Our coalition partners are exceeding recruitment goals for the Afghan Army and Police. The Afghan economy grew a rate of over 20 percent in 2009. I could see and feel the improvements driving through the streets of Kabul. Improvements in infrastructure, roads, sanitation, schools and hospitals are transforming the city. I saw traffic jams and what seemed like thousands of Afghanis in the streets doing everyday business at a rate not seen on my previous tours of the city.

These improvements demonstrate that the strategy put in place by General McChrystal and continued by General Petraeus of protecting citizens and aggressively killing or capturing Talban insurgents is having a positive impact on the security situation in Afghanistan. That being said, significant challenges still remain. Because our troops and the Afghan Army and Police have been aggressively attacking the enemy, we have seen increase in casualties which is unfortunate but predictable. The government of President Karzai is still very fragile. He needs to stamp out corruption or he will lose faith with the Afghan people. I can see that he is fighting, but it is a struggle he must win.

Finally, sanctuaries for the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan remain a significant challenge to the security situation in Afghanistan and the larger region. The devastating flooding that continues to affect large portions of Pakistan has been a set back for the Pakistanis to clamp down on the insurgents.”

Shuster Honors America's Freight Rail System

2010-07-27T16:14:00.003-04:00

Shuster speaks out against stimulus waste notes importance of House GOP YouCut program

2010-07-15T10:00:00.001-04:00

Shuster Condemns Federally Funded Abortions in Pennsylvania

2010-07-15T09:58:00.001-04:00

NRLC Report Shows Pennsylvania will Receive $160 Million in Health Care Funding for Abortion

On Tuesday, the National Right to Life Committee revealed a troubling discovery; a new $160 million federally funded high risk pool health insurance plan established in Pennsylvania will cover abortion. This makes Pennsylvania the first state to receive federal funds for abortion under the health care reform law.

Congressman Shuster joined members of the pro-life community today to condemn this revelation and further express his opposition to federally funded abortions.

“It is morally wrong to support the destruction of unborn life and it is ethically wrong for the federal government to coerce Americans who oppose abortion to fund the practice through their own tax dollars,” Shuster said. “During the healthcare debate, President Obama said he would not support taxpayer funded abortion, but this week’s announcement proves his words were only lip service to move his liberal agenda forward.”

“It has long been the objective of the left to establish abortion as a federally funded right,” Shuster added. “Yesterday’s discovery by the National Right to Life Committee proves that this White House, with the support of Governor Rendell and pro-abortion pressure groups are committed to subverting the will of the American people and the spirit of the promises made when health care reform became law.”

“It gives the pro-life community reason to pause when the President of the United States lies to his constituents by saying, ‘no federal funds will be used to pay for abortions.’ It shows the worthlessness of his executive order prohibiting tax-payer funding of abortion through his health care program. It is our hope that a new Congress will repeal Obamacare and re-institute the Hyde Amendment,” said Scott Manganella of the pro-life organization Precious Life.

Linda Barr with Pregnancy Ministries of Franklin County added: "As a pro-life pregnancy resource center, we do not consider abortion to be health care. There are supportive services and adoption options available that preserve life rather than destroy it."

Shuster Introduces Bill to Improve Government Reaction & Response Times to Future Oil Spills

2010-07-14T09:56:00.000-04:00

Congressman Bill Shuster, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Natural Resources Committee, has introduced legislation to strengthen the federal government’s ability to quickly respond in the event of future oil spills:

“The American people are rightly angry at their government’s inability to react to the devastation of the Gulf oil spill,” Shuster said. “The fact that the federal government did not have the equipment on hand to immediately combat the spill is inexcusable, as is the lack of a system in place before the spill to solicit clean-up proposals from experts and fast-track the deployment of cutting edge technologies to the Gulf.”

“The federal government should have access to the latest oil fighting technology at all times. The prospect of another massive environmental disaster like the Gulf oil spill requires preparation on behalf of the government and my legislation will help accomplish this.”

Shuster’s “Oil Spill Cleanup Technologies Act of 2010” would require the President, acting through the Secretary of Homeland Security, to quickly solicit and deploy oil and hazardous substance cleanup technologies in preparation of a massive oil spill in United States territorial waters.

In addition, Shuster’s legislation would require the federal government to coordinate with academia, small businesses and others to ensure the best oil spill fighting technologies are available to be implemented quickly and efficiently to react to a spill. Finally, the legislation would require the maintenance of a database so that the government knows what cleanup technologies are available and can deploy them quickly in the case of another spill.

“America is a world leader when it comes to technology and innovation,” Shuster added. “There is no reason we shouldn’t have a concrete plan in place to put those resources to use in the immediate aftermath of a spill like the one off the Gulf Coast.”

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass my legislation so America will never have to play catch-up again.”

Shuster at the Somerset America Speaking Out citizen dialogue

2010-06-29T15:54:00.000-04:00

Shuster opposes the DISCLOSE ACT

2010-06-24T17:22:00.001-04:00

Congressman Bill Shuster released the following statement in strong opposition to the “DISCLOSE Act,” legislation that would significantly undermine the First Amendment to the Constitution by restricting political speech in elections.

“The DISCLOSE Act is an outrageous attempt by Democrats in the House to fix the game in their favor when it comes to political speech. I find their contempt for the Constitution and the First Amendment striking since their legislation specifically exempts the Democrats' largest contributors.

I also find it suspicious that the legislation goes into effect after only 30 days – right in time for the November elections and fast enough to avoid judicial review of the Act’s obvious unconstitutionality. The speed of the Act's enactment is designed to protect the Democrats' donor base in the upcoming election.

America’s Founding Fathers didn’t intend for the First Amendment to only protect the free speech of the Democrat Party’s special interest groups. This legislation sends a chilling message to everyone who opposes President Obama’s agenda: ‘shut up or go to jail.’”

Shuster Statement on Military Leadership Change in Afghanistan

2010-06-23T15:32:00.001-04:00

Congressman Bill Shuster released the following statement on today’s announcement of the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal:

“Throughout this week’s events we must not forget that our nation is engaged in a war where our sons and daughters continue to risk their lives every day to protect us all from the spread of Islamic terrorism.

We must remain focused on our objective in Afghanistan. This must remain paramount in the minds of our civilian and military leaders as they move forward with their transition of leadership in the Afghan theater.

That said, while his recent comments were unfortunate, I have a great deal of respect for General McChrystal and the service he has given our nation in Afghanistan and around the world in his previous leadership roles. I respect President Obama’s decision and I have great faith in General Petraeus’ ability to prosecute our strategy in Afghanistan successfully.”

Shuster in "The Hill:" A multitude of missed opportunities

2010-06-23T15:28:00.002-04:00

A Multitude of Missed Opportunities

By Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.)

History will probably regard the disappointing record of the 111th Congress on issues of transportation and infrastructure as a litany of missed opportunities.

Our nation’s infrastructure, once the envy of the world, is rapidly falling into disrepair. These very real problems threaten our economic security and our way of life. The American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gives America’s infrastructure a D grade and our roads a near failing D-. This is simply unacceptable.

Crippling congestion and poor roads cost businesses and commuters almost $90 billion a year in wasted time and fuel. Americans spend more than 4 billion hours per year stuck in traffic. One-third of America’s major roads are in poor or mediocre condition and 45 percent of major urban highways are congested. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the federal government needs to invest a minimum of $62 billion per year just to maintain our roads and bridges in their present condition. Our current annual level of investment is less than two-thirds of that amount.

Addressing these challenges requires leadership and vision that has unfortunately been sorely lacking in Washington. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act represented an unprecedented opportunity to truly invest in our nation’s infrastructure needs, create hundreds of thousands of jobs and contribute to a long-term economic revival.

However, less than 8 percent of the nearly trillion dollars spent on the stimulus was actually dedicated to roads and bridges. Despite promises from President Barack Obama to include a significant investment in the highway system, the stimulus provided a paltry $30 billion towards roads and bridges, most of which has been used for short-term repaving and maintenance projects and not much needed capacity improvements.

Instead of making a serious investment in infrastructure, where every $1 billion creates or sustains roughly 30,000 jobs, the stimulus provided a grab-bag of big government social spending that has done little to nothing to stimulate the economy or address our infrastructure crisis.

While I was encouraged the stimulus promised $8 billion designated for expanded passenger rail service, even this opportunity has been squandered. Instead of focusing on key corridors, scare federal dollars were spread too thin among too many rail projects, leading to incremental progress that could slow our already delayed entrance into high-speed rail. Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity was the failure to invest in the Northeast Corridor, which, for the most part, was kept out of the selection process. Failing to invest in the critical Northeast Corridor will insure continued congestion in our nation’s most densely populated region.

Finally, the failure to pass a long-term surface transportation bill has resulted in massive uncertainly to states, which must plan critical projects years in advance, and to the construction industry, which has been unable to invest, hire new employees, or purchase equipment, sending ripples through the economy. While Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Ranking Member John Mica (R-Fla.) have shown leadership on this issue in the House, President Obama, the Senate and the Department of Transportation have been content to delay any action until next year. These delays only further exacerbate the problems we are facing as a nation and will require even more difficult choices when action finally occurs.

These delays have serious consequences to our aging transportation system as well as the construction, engineering and materials industries that could flourish if the government invested in our roads and bridges.

We must not and cannot wait for another tragedy like the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minn., to occur before our leaders focus on these vital issues. The time for missed opportunities must come to an end. The time for talk and delay is over. The time to act is now.

Rep. Shuster is a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Shuster Congratulates Congressional Art Competition Winner

2010-06-21T16:34:00.001-04:00

Desiree Cavalancia of Indiana Area Sr. H.S., in Indiana, County Wins for the 9th District.

Congressman Bill Shuster is pleased to announce the winner of the 2010 Congressional Art Competition. This year’s winner is Desiree Cavalancia, a student at Indiana Area Senior High School. Desiree won for her wonderfully made pencil work entitled “Yesterday’s Tomorrow.”

“I want to congratulate Desiree for her talent and creativity,” Shuster said. “Her piece is a creative depiction that links our agricultural past to a future open to new possibilities. She has mastered her medium and her art work will proudly represent the 9th district in the Capitol complex.”

Shuster: Don’t Regulate Freight Rail System

2010-06-07T09:16:00.001-04:00

Read Shuster's editorial at Roll Call online:

America has the greatest freight rail network in the world. Our system is the most efficient of its kind and essentially relies on no subsidies from the federal government. More than a century ago, America’s railroads ushered in the great advancements in industry that sparked America’s emergence as an economic power on the world stage. America’s railroads revolutionized transportation, gave promise to freedom of movement and made business more efficient.

Today, we find ourselves in the midst of a freight rail renaissance. America’s freight railroads carried more than 2.26 billion tons of freight in 36 million cars over 140,000 miles of track in 2008. Dollar for dollar, the freight rail industry carried this cargo more efficiently and at a lower operating cost than other modes of transportation, with rail fuel efficiency up 94 percent since 1990.

Railroad’s resurgence could not have come at a better time. Highway congestion and environmental concerns have become increasingly important, and railroads are an effective means of mitigating both issues. A single freight train takes 280 trucks off the road and can move a ton of goods 457 miles on one gallon of diesel. If just 10 percent of the trucks on the road were shifted to freight rail, America would save 1 billion gallons of fuel each year.

This massive gain in fuel economy has an equally important environmental benefit. Freight rail is one of the greenest modes of transportation available. According to recent statistics, if just 10 percent of freight was switched from long-haul trucks to rail, greenhouse gas emissions would fall by more than 12 million tons. You’d need to plant more than 280 million trees to equal what freight rail can do.

Credit also has to be given to CSX Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. for their efforts in developing the National Gateway and Crescent Corridor. CSX’s National Gateway will convert more than 14 billion highway miles to rail. It is expected that this system will reduce fuel consumption by 2 billion gallons and shipping costs by $3.5 billion. Norfolk Southern’s Crescent Corridor will similarly reduce carbon emissions by 2 million tons per year and save 170 million gallons of gas annually.

Yet given its successes and self-reliance, the railroad industry finds itself back in Congress’ cross hairs. The question is this: Will America’s railroads continue to be given the freedom necessary to grow their industry without direct interference by the federal government, or will Congress reregulate the industry?

Reregulation would be a potentially catastrophic public policy that could erase 30 years of positive growth and threaten to reduce the railroads to ruinous decreases in services and disinvestment not seen since the 1970s. I firmly believe that if Congress reregulates rail, it will be only a matter of time before our once self-reliant railroads are forced to rely on taxpayer dollars to invest in infrastructure and safety improvements as federal mandates mount.

If railroads are not free to put their dollars into the projects that make the most economic sense and are instead forced to spend their profits complying with legislative mandates, the long-term viability of the industry is threatened.

Instead of penalizing the rail industry for its success, Washington should be promoting new investment to keep America’s railroads in the driver’s seat of the global economy. That’s why I support tax credits for the expansion and rehabilitation of the nation’s rail infrastructure.

Tax credits are a proven policy tool to encourage businesses to invest in worthwhile projects. Because the railroads still pay for their projects under tax credit plans, tax credits ensure that the railroads will only pursue projects that make sense. Direct grants, on the other hand, could be seen as “free money” that would not be subject to the same rigorous business decisions. There are two tax credit bills that I support, including a 25 percent tax credit for rail projects that expand the rail network and ease congestion, and a short line tax credit that expired at the end of last year.

America’s railroads are at a crossroads. The direction that Congress moves will have a lasting effect on American competitiveness. Washington must resist the urge to overregulate an industry that has proven to be largely self-sufficient and capable of weathering economic stress. I will do my part as a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to make sure it does not happen.

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

Shuster Statement on May Jobs Report

2010-06-04T14:34:00.001-04:00

While a positive employment report is always welcome news, a closer look at May’s jobs report should give every American a reason to be concerned with the way Washington is handling the economy.

Of the 431,000 jobs added in May, 411,000 of them were temporary government census hirings. It is only a matter of time until these census jobs expire, pushing American working families back onto the unemployment rolls.

The American people were never promised a jobless recovery by this President and this Congress, but that is exactly what they have given us. I am very concerned that the current Administration and the leadership in Congress are more concerned with growing the scope and power of the federal government than with growing our private economy. They are more interested in consolidating power than empowering the American family.

The relationship between our anemic growth in our private economy and the reckless spending in Washington cannot be stressed enough. Since President Obama took office two years ago we have seen our debt soar to $13 trillion with an average of $4.8 billion added on each day.

To grow our economy and create real, lasting employment Congress must act to put the breaks on the reckless spending that has put us on the same path as Greece and most of Europe. We must stop governing by debt. The American people are tired of it and the American economy cannot recover under its weight.

Shuster Floor Statement on Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal

2010-05-28T10:56:00.001-04:00

Shuster Asks Questions in Wake of Gulf Oil Spill

2010-05-26T12:05:00.002-04:00

Congressman Shuster asks Interior Secretary Secretary Salazar about the government's response to utilizing new technology in the aftermath of the BP oil spill.

Shuster Encourages his Constituents to Speak Out

2010-05-25T14:31:00.004-04:00

Congressman Bill Shuster is pleased to announce the launch of a brand new social networking initiative that will give Americans the ability to engage in the process of building a new policy agenda for the nation: AmericaSpeakingOut.com.

“Americans from across the country have been speaking out but Washington isn’t listening. Democrats have pursued a partisan agenda instead of dealing with the issues that impact the lives of my constituents on a daily basis. America is ready for a new agenda in Washington and the nation deserves a Congress that acts to implement the priorities of the people not the partisan political whims of Speaker Pelosi and her friends.

The time has come for a new agenda – and a new way of doing business in Washington. It’s time that the party in power remembers that this is a government by and for the people. It’s time the priorities of the American people drive the agenda in Congress.

That is why I am joining my Republican colleagues to introduce AmericaSpeakingOut.com, a never before seen social networking site based on cutting edge technology that will give my constituents and all Americans the ability to discuss issues, promote ideas and enter into a dialogue with their neighbors and Republican members of Congress.

The ideas debated on this site, combined with the bedrock principles congressional Republicans share will help create the agenda that will change the way Washington works for the better. I invite my constituents to take part in the dialogue.”

In addition to this statement, Congressman Shuster wrote a blog post on Liberty Pundits expanding on the "America Speaking Out" project. The media is welcome to link to this post on their websites.

Follow Congressman Shuster online on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rep.shuster, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/repbillshuster, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/repshuster.

Obama Medicare Mailer to Seniors Heavy on Rhetoric, Light on Facts

2010-05-25T09:55:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that seniors will soon be receiving a health care information brochure that looks more like taxpayer-funded propaganda. Recognizing that the vast majority of Americans, especially seniors, are opposed to their health overhaul, the Obama Administration has unleashed a public relations campaign aimed at Medicare beneficiaries and what the government takeover of health care “means for [them].”

Not surprisingly, the Obama Administration failed to tell seniors that their Medicare program would be cut by more than one-half trillion dollars over the next 10 years. Also absent from this mailer is any reference to the more than one-half trillion dollars in tax increases, including new taxes on retirement income.

However, the Obama Administration did use Medicare funds to advertise a number of policies that will have little to no impact in seniors’ lives, mostly because they are ineligible for them, including: early-retiree subsidy for retirees under age 65; high-risk pools; a prohibition on pre-existing condition exclusions for children under age 19; allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until age 26; funding for community health centers; and a federal long-term care insurance program in which retirees are ineligible to enroll.

Moreover, the piece included a number of misleading and/or inaccurate statements, many of which ignored the analysis of the Administration’s very own Medicare actuaries, including:

MYTH: The new health care law “will provide you and your family with greater savings and increased quality health care”

FACT: The Democrats’ health overhaul jeopardizes seniors’ access to providers and eliminates Medicare health plans for millions of seniors.

Medicare’s own actuaries found that the one-half trillion dollars in Medicare cuts are so drastic that they caution: “providers for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and, absent legislative intervention, might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).”

The Medicare actuaries also warn that the $206 billion in cuts to the Medicare Advantage program will result in seven million Medicare beneficiaries no longer being able to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan.

Moreover, Medicare’s own actuaries found that the one-half trillion dollars in Medicare cuts are so drastic that they caution: “providers for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and, absent legislative intervention, might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).” The Medicare actuaries also warn that the $206 billion in cuts to the Medicare Advantage program will result in seven million Medicare beneficiaries no longer being able to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan.

MYTH: Because of the new health law “you will see new benefits and cost savings” and “Medicare will continue to cover your health costs the way it always has”

FACT: According to the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Medicare actuaries, seniors in Medicare health plans will see their benefits cut and costs increase because of the Medicare cuts made in the Democrats’ health overhaul. Currently more than 10 million Medicare beneficiaries receive their Medicare benefits through a Medicare Advantage plan.

CBO notes that “Medicare Advantage plans …provide their enrollees with extra benefits” that traditional Medicare does not offer (e.g. dental and vision coverage, reduced copayments, lower premiums, etc.). However, because of Democrats’ drastic Medicare cuts, the non-partisan CBO predicts the value of extra benefits received by seniors enrolled in MA will be slashed by $816, on average, in 2019.

The Medicare actuaries also predict that, “The new provisions will generally… result in less generous benefit packages. [Medicare Advantage] plans use rebate revenues to reduce Medicare coinsurance requirements, add extra benefits such as vision or dental care, and/or reduce enrollee premiums for Part B or Part D of Medicare.” These rebates, which fund these extra benefits, will be gutted by the $206 billion in cuts to the Medicare Advantage program.

MYTH: “The new law creates a program to preserve [employer-based retiree health plans] and help people who retire before age 65 get the affordable care they need.”

FACT: Retirees and workers’ health benefits are jeopardized by the Democrats’ health law.

Immediately following passage of the health overhaul, some of America’s biggest companies began warning that the tax changes to the retiree drug subsidy program in the Democrats’ health care bill will reduce earnings by billions of dollars, threatening their ability to offer and retain retiree health benefits.

Fortune.com reported more bad news for American retirees as a result of the Democrats’ new health care law. After reviewing internal company documents, Fortune.com found that four major U.S. employers (AT&T, Verizon, Deere and Caterpillar) are considering “dumping the health care coverage they provide to their workers in exchange for paying penalty fees to the government.") These companies currently offer health benefits to well over 2.3 million employees, retirees and their dependents -- a figure which exceeds the population of 15 states as well as the District of Columbia. An AT&T report notes that they spent $4.7 billion on medical costs but would be taxed a much lower amount ($600 million) under the Democrats’ law for not offering their 1.2 million employees, retirees, and their dependents’ health care benefits – a savings of $4.1 billion for the company. Fortune.com estimated Caterpillar could reduce its expenses by 70% if they eliminate health benefits and instead pay the tax.

Unfortunately, the retiree reinsurance program in the Democrats’ law that is touted in the Obama Administration’s brochure will not protect these retirees. The Department of Health and Human Services’ own regulations warn that the new law’s subsidy for retiree insurance is vastly underfunded and will run out of money, stating, “Because funding for this program is limited, we expect more requests for reimbursement than there are funds to pay the requests.” Furthermore, the Administration’s own actuaries estimate that the funds for this program could run out as soon as next year.

MYTH: “The new law provides affordable health insurance through a transitional high-risk pool program for people without insurance due to a pre-existing condition.”

FACT: Despite that fact that Medicare beneficiaries are already insured and have no use for a high-risk pool, the Obama Administration’s statement must be selling a different policy, because it certainly doesn’t reflect what was just signed into law.

First, the Obama Administration actuaries note that the Democrats’ high-risk pool program is significantly underfunded. The actuaries predict, “By 2011 and 2012 the initial $5 billion in Federal funding for this program would be exhausted, resulting in substantial premium increases to sustain the program...”

As a result, 19 states have refused to participate for fear they will be forced to pick up the tab when the federal funds run out. Even states choosing to participate are planning to deal with the unsustainable funding levels. For example, New Mexico plans on limiting the number of enrollees to 1,500, just a fraction of the estimated 50,000 uninsured New Mexicans with a pre-existing condition.

Further, the Democrats’ health law allows the Secretary to establish waiting lists to enroll in these insurance pools, which does nothing to “provide affordable health insurance” to anyone.

MYTH: “More Affordable Prescription Drugs”

FACT: CBO predicts that Medicare Part D premiums will increase because of the Democrats’ law. However, only a small portion of seniors will actually see any real direct benefit, because just one-in-ten beneficiaries are responsible for prescription drug spending in the "donut hole."

CBO predicts that Medicare Part D premiums will increase because of the Democrats’ law. However, only a small portion of seniors will actually see any new benefits. Most seniors will just have to pay more to receive the exact same benefits they have today.

MYTH: “Your choice of doctor will be preserved.”

FACT: The Democrats’ health law, which this brochure is touting, did nothing to address the Medicare physician payment formula (“SGR”).

A physician survey found that because the new health law included no long-term physician payment solution but left a 21% cut to Medicare physician rates, nearly 7 in 10 physicians would no longer participate in Medicare if the cuts go into effect.

American Medical Association President J. James Rohack, M.D., said current Medicare law with no long-term physician payment solution “will also exacerbate the existing physician shortage, as physicians retire early or are forced to limit the number of Medicare patients they can treat – right as the baby boomers enter Medicare.”

MYTH: The Medicare cuts are “a result of reductions in waste, fraud, and abuse.”

FACT: Being able to get health treatment is not wasteful, nor is it abuse.

Medicare’s own actuaries found that the one-half trillion dollars in Medicare cuts are so drastic that they caution: “providers for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and, absent legislative intervention, might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).”

ObamaCare’s “Bait and Switch” on Small Business Employers

2010-05-20T13:37:00.001-04:00

Only 12 percent of small businesses would benefit from the ObamaCare tax credit

The Administration’s claim of a small business tax credit under ObamaCare was fraudulent. What the president failed to tell everyone was pretty important information. The credit drops off sharply once a company gets above 10 workers and $25,000 average annual wages.

Zach Hoffman, a furniture owner in Illinois, pays about $80,000 a year to insure his 24 employees. He thought his company would qualify for ObamaCare’s small business tax credit. After doing the math, he discovered his company won’t qualify for the tax credit, and he would have to eliminate 14 jobs and cuts salaries to get the most from the credit.

ObamaCare includes a tax credit of up to 35 percent of insurance premiums for small employers if they offer health insurance in 2010. It is temporary and available to businesses with 25 or fewer employees and an average annual wage base of $50,000 or less, but the value of the credit drops considerably after 10 employees. Even the Congressional Budget Office estimates only 12 percent of small employers would benefit from the credit.

Business groups, such as National Retail Federation, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, and National Federation of Independent Business, have already panned it because it is too restrictive, too limited, and too complex and won’t help small business owners create jobs.

For previous ObamaCare Flatlines, go to the Hlouse Republican Conference site

Shuster statement on the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2011

2010-05-20T13:11:00.000-04:00

Here is Congressman Shuster's statement on the Armed Services Committee's successful mark of the Nation Defense Authorization Act for FY2011:

“I believe the committee has produced an NDAA that upholds Congress’ commitment to support our nation’s warfighters. Specifically, I am pleased the committee supported amendments to provide our troops in Afghanistan with additional life saving combat enablers and the tools our troops need to protect forward operating bases from attack. I am equally pleased that the committee has continued its support for military families with a 1.9 percent basic pay raise.

“That said, I do believe it is equally important to mention that the committee missed an opportunity to take a strong stance against changes to detainee policy and the Administration’s troubling revisions to our national nuclear posture. Lastly, I believe the committee could have done more to ensure the deployment of a robust comprehensive missile defense system, which is critical to the protection of our interests at home and abroad as we face emerging nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea.”

More statements from Republican members of the committee can be found on their website.

Holden, Shuster Join Forces to Protect Health of Highway Workers

2010-05-12T17:12:00.000-04:00

Bipartisan Bill Calls for National Standard for Engineered Glass Beads

Congressman Tim Holden (D-PA) has joined with his colleague Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA) to introduce legislation to impose a federal standard on manufactured glass beads used for reflective highway markings. The standard would apply to all road construction projects that receive federal funding.

“In 2008, more than 27 million pounds of glass beads were imported from China - the world’s leading exporter of glass beads. A significant number of shipments of glass beads from China were found to contain high levels of both arsenic and lead,” said Congressman Holden. “We believe it is time to act.”

Each year more than 500 million pounds of glass beads are used on U.S. highways to stripe or re-stripe pavement markings. In recent years, imported glass beads used for this purpose have been shown to contain high levels of heavy metals including lead a reproductive toxicant and arsenic a known human carcinogen and poison.

As glass degrades over time from the pounding of traffic, snow plows, trucks and weather, toxic materials can leach out of the glass and run-off into nearby soil and water tables. In addition, the exposure to workers who deal with the application of glass beads that contain high concentrations of heavy metals is an increasing concern.

“Today more than a dozen states have independently imposed standards on their procurement of glass beads for highway use but it is time for a national standard,” said Congressman Shuster. “I am pleased to have been able to work with my colleague Tim Holden on this important legislation that will help safeguard the lives of highway workers and help keep public roads be safe and free of high levels of arsenic and lead.”

“The objective of this legislation is not to halt imports of engineered glass beads, but to make sure beads we use are environmentally friendly and don’t pose a health risk to highway workers,” Shuster added. “This legislation will create a national procurement standard to achieve this goal.”

In response to environmental and health issues, several states have already adopted regulations that require the use of environmentally-friendly, non-toxic glass materials. In particular, California, Iowa, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming have established procurement standards for the safety of glass beads used in highway markings in their states. Several other states have proposals under review. The U.S. military, led by the Air Force, has set standards for procurement of glass beads, and the European Union, China, Australia, and several Canadian provinces have also set standards limiting heavy metal concentration.

Want to cut wasteful government spending? Now you can with YouCut

2010-05-12T10:11:00.005-04:00

Today the House Republican Economic Recovery Working Group launched YouCut, a first-of-its kind initiative that empowers people with the ability to vote online and on their mobile devices for spending cuts they want the House to consider. Everyone knows that Washington has a spending problem. YouCut is an effort to start addressing the culture of spending in Washington that has produced a formidable national debt. Start voting now online here.

Shuster Statement on Unemployment Report

2010-05-07T10:49:00.001-04:00

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Bill Shuster released the following statement on the Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment report:

“290,000 jobs have been added to the economy, but the unemployment rate remains 9.9%; a stark reminder that we are nowhere close to the economy President Obama promised when he signed the trillion dollar stimulus into law.

I agree with Republican Leader Boehner and a growing number of Americans that Democrats in Congress have no coherent agenda to create jobs and are set in the outmoded and wrong way of thinking that big government, not the American people, holds the answer to our economic woes.

To lower the unemployment rate and create a strong economic recovery, Congress needs to stop the wasteful spending that continues to pile on debt that weakens the foundation of our economy and shifts the bill to our children and grandchildren. Speaker Pelosi must stop job killing policies like Cap and Trade and reverse the government takeover of healthcare that will reduce quality of care, increase taxes and shift even more power to the federal government.

House Republicans have a jobs-first agenda that will cut spending, reduce the size of government and create private sector jobs. I invite my constituents to see some of our proposals online at the Republican Solutions website.”

IBD Editorial: America's Two-Tiered Recovery

2010-05-06T09:46:00.001-04:00

From Investor's Business Daily online:

Economy: The recession is over, having ended last summer as we predicted, and now both parties will talk up recovery for different reasons. But it's not that simple. The private sector is only now getting back on its feet.

In March 2009, we predicted an imminent recovery from the brutal recession the U.S. entered in December 2007. It wasn't a tough prediction to make: The Fed had basically started printing money, pushing short-term interest rates to zero in late 2008 and causing the yield curve to go steeply positive.

An upward-sloping yield curve is in fact the most reliable indicator of a coming rebound. Given that, a recovery in GDP was baked into the cake well before the new administration took office.

Which is why we can only shake our heads as President Obama, House Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Reid and other Democrats congratulate themselves for the turnaround.

If anything, their $862 billion stimulus and $700 billion corporate bailout, not to mention the $10 trillion in deficits projected over the next decade, have blunted the sharp rebound that would have created hundreds of thousands more jobs than we have now.

Yet Harry Reid has the chutzpah to accuse Republicans of "making love to Wall Street," a laughable claim given that his own party took twice as much from big Wall Street firms as the GOP.

Then there's Nancy Pelosi, touting her party's policies: "It is all about a four-letter word: jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. We are all about jobs." Really, Madame Speaker? Since Democrats took control of Congress and the White House, we have had one financial meltdown, one steep recession and the loss of 8 million jobs, half of them in the last year alone.

OK, but didn't the economy start to recover last summer? Yes. But which economy are we talking about? The public sector is expanding rapidly and adding jobs. But that's come at the expense of the private sector, the economy in which most Americans live.

Far from recovering last summer, the private economy is only now emerging from its downturn (see chart). It suffered six straight quarters of year-over-year decline — the longest such string since the Depression. In the first quarter, it grew at a modest 2.8% — the first gain since 2008's second period. Hardly rip-roaring.

For those who call this a "V-shaped" recovery, we agree only to a point. Yes, the overall economy has retraced lost ground. But, again, private sector GDP, as the chart shows, tells a different story. It remains well below its peak in the fourth quarter of 2007. Indeed, even after the first quarter's gain, private output is still $233 billion, or 2.1%, below its previous quarterly high.

Better than anything, this explains why we've lost 8 million jobs since the recession began. And why it took until March of this year for the job market to actually start growing again.

In other words, the real economy continues to suffer — thanks to the incompetence of our government and its regulators. What matters isn't the public sector, which only consumes wealth. It's the private economy, where all wealth is created.

Debates over whether this recovery looks like a "V" or a "U" thus miss the point. Our concern is for the future of the private sector, which is grim if current trends continue.

The Fed has added $2.3 trillion to its balance sheet, while flooding the economy with more than $1 trillion in newly created dollars. This is a monetary stimulus the likes of which have never been seen.

What happens when the central bank starts to unwind it? The answer is, interest rates will rise sharply and the recovery will be derailed. This year we'll most likely see a decent rebound with 3% growth or more. But next year is anybody's guess.

The private economy faces so many other imponderables and potential pitfalls that it's safe to say this is the most uncertain period since World War II. What about the collapse of public finance around the world? The planned tax hikes on entrepreneurs? The coming 60% jump in capital gains taxes? What about the soaring new costs to pay for ObamaCare?

For a truly healthy economy, the private sector needs capital, entrepreneurial talent, fair regulation and low taxes. Most of all, it needs a governing class that recognizes that our country was built on free markets, not big government.

Republican Whip Eric Cantor: America Remains at a Critical Crossroads

2010-05-05T17:32:00.000-04:00

Shuster remarks on National Train Day

2010-05-05T17:03:00.000-04:00

Shuster's remarks on National Safe Digging Month

2010-05-05T16:57:00.002-04:00

View more videos on Congressman Shuster's YouTube Channel

PBS Covers GOP New Media Dominance

2010-05-05T11:24:00.003-04:00

Check out this PBS story on the GOP's dominance of new media.

National Safe Digging Month

2010-05-05T11:18:00.001-04:00

My Bill, H.R. 1278, to recognize National Safe Digging Month will be on the floor today. Watch my remarks on the House floor today. Video will also be posted online after debate concludes.

Marcellus Shale: Reigniting state’s energy potential

2010-05-04T09:46:00.001-04:00

By Congressman Bill Shuster:

In 1859, the first commercially successful oil well was drilled in Pennsylvania and our state became the leading producer of oil in America for over a generation. Now, Pennsylvania has the opportunity to recapture its past by becoming a leading producer of another energy source, shale gas.

The Marcellus Shale, which underlies a vast majority of the state, is the largest unconventional natural gas reserve in the world. There is enormous economic potential for Pennsylvania to take advantage of this reserve as new drilling techniques have unlocked vast resources previously impossible to reach. Natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale will generate $14 billion and has the potential to create 98,000 jobs in 2010 alone, and will bring in $800M in state and local tax revenue.

Natural gas is a key energy resource in our quest to become more energy independent. Just a few years ago, we thought domestic production of natural gas had peaked. With the discovery of the enormous amount of shale gas underlying Pennsylvania and several other states, and the mastery of technology necessary to reach it, we have enough domestic gas reserves to last us over a century, allowing us to produce, not import a greater share of our energy needs.

Activity is picking up in Pennsylvania, with numerous companies beginning exploration and operations throughout the Marcellus. They bring with them job potential not only for those directly involved with drilling operations, but for other industries as well. From steel to rail, other industries are already responding to the needs of the growing gas industry. This will lead to more jobs and economic growth throughout the state. It is important that we recognize the enormous potential shale gas holds for Pennsylvania and encourage this growing industry with smart policies that encourage economic development.

The state of Pennsylvania has been doing a good job of this so far, balancing the needs of development with the protection of our environment. Natural gas drilling is effectively regulated at the state level by the Department of Environmental Protection. I believe the state continues to be in the best position to manage and regulate the industry. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency is looking to take over at the federal level and may restrict drilling activities that would limit the potential growth and positive impact on the state.

The federal government is considering regulation of a critical drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing, which is necessary to recover gas from the Marcellus Shale. Hydraulic fracturing has been used safely for 60 years; over 1 million wells have been hydraulically fractured and there has never been a single documented case of groundwater contamination. The practice is regulated effectively at the state level and there is simply no need for the federal government to step in with unduly burdensome regulations.

The successful development of natural gas represents one of our best opportunities to reignite Pennsylvania as a center for innovation and economic growth . In this sense, we stand at a crossroads that will define what our state will look like for generations to come. Will we choose to develop the Marcellus Shale and give our children the chance to prosper or will we allow government, red tape and bureaucracy get in the way? The choice is clear and the choice is development of natural gas.

Morning Must Reads

2010-05-04T09:37:00.003-04:00

CNN: Times Square Bomb Suspect Arrested "At Last Second"

WSJ: Oil Agency Draws Fire

The Hill: House Dems Preparing for Immigration Reform Battle

LA Times: U.S. Discloses Size of Nuclear Arsenal

U.S.A. Today: Shuster: DOT "becoming so knotted up in red tape that it's not keeping pace with the needs of the industries it oversees."

Welch and Shuster join small business owners calling for credit and debit card fairness

2010-04-27T12:45:00.001-04:00

Congressman Bill Shuster joined Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and a group of convenience store owners Tuesday morning as they delivered two million signatures from customers urging Congress to put an end to unfair credit and debit card swipe fees.

At a Capitol Hill press conference, Welch and Bill Shuster called on their fellow lawmakers to support legislation they wrote, the Credit Card Interchange Fees Act (H.R. 2382), which would help level the playing field between consumers, small businesses and credit card companies by requiring greater transparency and prohibiting unfair and abusive practices. The two million new signatures add to 1.7 million signatures delivered by store owners to Congress last September.

Welch also announced during the event that he will be introducing legislation requiring debit card payments to be processed in the same manner as paper checks, resulting in lower fees for merchants. Though debit cards function as the electronic equivalent of checks, debit card issuers charge egregious fees, while checks clear at a nominal rate.

“Today two million Americans added their voices to the chorus calling for fairness for the small businesses that drive our economy. Two million more Americans are recognizing that swipe fees kill good-paying, local jobs and drive up costs for consumers. Two million more Americans are saying ‘enough is enough,’” said Rep. Welch. “We must take action to rein in the abusive practices of the credit card industry and ensure that small businesses get a fair deal.”

American consumers and merchants pay $48 billion each year in hidden credit and debit card fees – more than twice those charged in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia.

“As a former small business owner, I know how hard it is to make a payroll, pay taxes and fees and try to make a profit all at the same time,” Shuster said. “For far too long, Interchange Fees have been an unnecessary impediment for businesses and that needs to change. It is my hope Congress will consider the merits of our bill, as well as the serious struggle of business owners and consumers alike in their need for transparency, simplicity, and fairness when it comes to the issue of Interchange Fees.

Shuster Announces 2010 Congressional Art Competition Entires

2010-04-27T10:50:00.001-04:00

Congressman Bill Shuster is pleased to announce that the student entries for the 2010 Congressional Art Competition are now on display to the public at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort.

The work of seven local art students will be shown at the Bedford Springs Resort until May 4th. The entries submitted for the competition are as follows:

•“Windmills of Somerset County” by Julie Day, Berlin Brothersvalley H.S., Somerset, County

•“Chimney Rocks” by Sarah McCormick, Blair County Christian School, Blair County

•“Yesterday’s Tomorrow” by Desiree Cavalancia, Indiana Area Sr. H.S., Indiana, County

•“Rails to the Future” by Ashley Garner, Central H.S., Blair County

•“Memories of the S1 Engine” by Bryan Housley, Altoona Area H.S., Blair County

•“I Pledge Allegiance” by Melissa McCray, Greencastle Antrim H.S., Franklin County

•“A Scenic View of the Juniata” by Zachary Slaughter, Juniata Valley H.S., Huntingdon County.

One winner will be selected from this group to represent the 9th district in Washington, DC in June and the winning entry will be showcased in the Capitol Complex for a year.

Shuster meets students from Marion Center High School

2010-04-26T16:46:00.003-04:00

Congressman Shuster meets Honors Government students from Marion Center High School. These students recently won the "We the People" Constitution Competition for Pennsylvania This is the first championship for Marion Center in the history of the school's participation in the competition. To mark their effort, Congressman Shuster entered the following extension of remarks into the Congressional Record:

Rep. Bill Shuster

Extension of Remarks

April 15, 2010

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Honors Government class of Marion Center High School, which took first place at the “We the People” Pennsylvania state competition at Valley Forge.

The “We the People” competition measures students’ knowledge and understanding of the Constitution, and Marion Center’s Honors Government class proved well-acquainted with our principles of government. The following students: Emilie Borst, Tori Buzzelli, Toni Corosu, Alycia Frampton, Jed Gallo, Cody Miller, Brandon Snickles, Nick Stanisha, Jozzie Stuchell and Sarah Wolfe have all demonstrated their thorough understanding of the supreme law of our land. These young men and women, as well as their teacher Chris Peters, should be commended on this impressive accomplishment.

Preserving our nation’s unique character requires an understanding of our Constitution that these students have so ably displayed. Their dedication to this important responsibility of citizenship is outstanding. I congratulate Marion Center High School’s Honors Government class on its feat of civic knowledge and academic excellence, and I trust that these promising young citizens will continue to excel in their endeavors.

Obama’s Chief Actuary Says 50% of Seniors Will Lose Their Medicare Advantage Plans

2010-04-26T11:12:00.000-04:00

From GOP Conference:

“If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.”

President Obama, June 15, 2009

Despite President Obama’s pledge that all Americans would be able to keep their health insurance plans, the chief actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) concluded that under ObamaCare, half of all seniors who have Medicare Advantage plans will lose their coverage.

In a new analysis of ObamaCare, CMS concluded:

“We estimate that in 2017, when the MA provisions will be fully phased in, enrollment in MA plans will be lower by about 50 percent (from its projected level of 14.8 million under the prior law to 7.4 million under the new law).” Page 11

For previous ObamaCare Flatlines, go to http://www.gop.gov/obamacare

ObamaCare: CMS Confirms Health Care Spending Will Increase

2010-04-23T09:59:00.003-04:00

Via the House Republican Conference's Press Shop:

“And it [the health reform plan] will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government.” President Obama, September 10, 2009

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new analysis of ObamaCare, confirming that our nation’s health care costs will increase rather than decrease under ObamaCare and violating a pledge President Obama made to the nation on September 10, 2009. CMS concluded:

National health care expenditures will increase by $311 billion.
Health care increases to 21% of GDP by 2019.
ObamaCare spends more than $828 billion for health care coverage. (CMS didn’t analyze all the tax increases, such as HSAs, FSAs, increasing the AGI threshold, etc.)
The government will spend $410 billion to expand Medicaid.
Medicaid enrollment increases by 20 million new beneficiaries.
18 million people will be uninsured (excluding 5 million illegal immigrants).
Uninsured and those employers who don’t offer coverage will pay $120 billion in taxes.
50% of seniors will lose their Medicare Advantage plans.
Some of the Medicare cost-control mechanisms may not be sustainable.
Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) will run a deficit in 15 years.
The $5 billion for High Risk Pools is not enough.
Doctors may drop out of Medicare because of the changes in Medicare reimbursement rates.
Medicare “savings” may be difficult to achieve.

For previous ObamaCare Flatlines, go to http://www.gop.gov

Shuster on Hazmat Transport

2010-04-22T14:15:00.000-04:00

ObamaCare Fails Test

2010-04-21T13:26:00.002-04:00

Via GOP Conference: For previous ObamaCare Flatlines, see http://www.gop.gov/obamacare

- President Obama, June 15, 2009

Well, not really.

According to this story, 45,000 Hoosiers will be forced to drop their current, private coverage and will be dumped on Medicaid.

ObamaCare expands Medicaid eligibility to 133 percent of federal poverty line. Indiana created a private health insurance plan for the workers whose income was below 200 percent of federal poverty level. The innovative program combined an account with an insurance policy, and one satisfied customer is concerned Medicaid won’t be as “flexible” as her current plan.

Ways and Means GOP: Democrats Finally Admit Premiums to Rise Under Government Takeover of Health Care

Shuster Takes Part in New Media Challenge

2010-04-21T11:26:00.002-04:00

Congressman Shuster is pleased to announce that he is taking part in the first ever House Republican Conference “New Media Challenge;” a competition to strengthen the presence of Republican lawmakers on popular social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

“I am pleased to be part of this innovative and friendly competition with my Republican colleagues,” Shuster said.

“There is a popular misconception that Republicans aren’t technologically savvy but in reality, Republican members of Congress have dominated emerging technologies to get our message out to the American people.”

Over the past few years, Congressman Shuster has been developing a strong presence online. In addition to his official website (www.house.gov/shuster), the congressman hosts a popular blog that is updated daily with news, videos and information (www.billsblogpa09.blogspot.com). Shuster also maintains a YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/repshuster) and has an official Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/rep.shuster). The most recent addition to Shuster’s online effort is his Twitter page (www.twitter.com/repbillshuster) where he has over 1,600 people following his posts.

“I invite my constituents to log on and see how I am using sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to communicate with people in Pennsylvania and across the country,” Shuster added. “By following me online, my constituents can have instant access to information and a forum to express their views.”

Armed Services Committee Republicans Draw Attention to New Report on Iran’s Military

2010-04-20T14:11:00.001-04:00

House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), Armed Forces Strategic Forces Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Turner (R-Ohio), and Republican members on the committee today called attention to elements included in and certain information excluded from the Department of Defense’s Military Power Report on Iran. The report, which was mandated in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act, is designed to provide Congress and the Administration with an assessment of the Iranian regime’s current and future military strategy.

Rep. McKeon: “The Pentagon’s new report confirms Iran’s efforts to support and cultivate terrorist surrogates throughout the Middle East to attack American citizens and interests. The rogue regime has re-armed Hezbollah and provides the terrorist group hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The assessment also makes it perfectly clear that Iran has gone to great lengths to protect and hide its nuclear infrastructure. Nearly as troubling, Iran is developing anti-access, aerial-denial capabilities with its investments in mobile coastal defense cruise missiles, rockets launchers, coastal artillery and ballistic missiles.”

“Unfortunately, the report failed to include information that is critical to truly assessing Iran’s military capability and future intentions. The Department of Defense failed to provide adequate information on the funding provided to each branch of Iran’s military, the Revolutionary Guards-Quds Force or the country’s special operations forces. Additionally, the report lacked specific information about Iran’s regional strategy and military doctrine—and failed to provide a sufficient assessment of Iran’s conventional or unconventional capabilities.”

“In addition to my concerns about what is not included in the report, I’m bothered by the Administration’s attempts to downplay Iran’s militant ideology in the report. I question the Department’s assessment that the goal of the Iranian strategy is ‘the survival of the regime’ and its ‘ideological goals have taken a back seat to pragmatic considerations.’ This flies in the face of the regime’s efforts to export the Ayatollah’s radical religious vision beyond Iran’s borders.”

Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio): “Despite the Administration’s insistence last September that the long-range missile threat was slower to develop, the Administration’s own report confirms that Iran could develop and test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the U.S. by 2015. Therefore, I remain gravely concerned that Administration’s Phased Adaptive Approach is not designed to protect our homeland until 2020. I will look to include specific initiatives in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011to address Iran’s development of missile capabilities and the ensure the U.S. homeland and our Allies are adequately protected before the threat develops.”

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.): “The Iranian regime has done nothing to prove itself as anything but a threat to the United States and our allies in the Middle East and Europe. The Administration is doing a disservice to our military by failing to produce a candid report on the military strength of the Iranian regime,” said Congressman Bill Shuster. “I am particularly concerned that the Administration’s report omits significant information about their development and deployment of active denial systems that could defeat our inventory of short and long range missile systems. This is critical information that will have a important impact on the security posture of our interests in the Persian Gulf and that of our allies. This omission must be corrected.”

McKeon and Turner indicated that they will look to include specific initiatives in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 to force the Administration to develop a comprehensive, long-term strategy to deal with Iran’s nuclear ambitions and military build-up. The House Armed Services Committee is expected to consider the annual defense policy bill in May.

I want your suggestions

2010-04-20T09:51:00.002-04:00

As the blog grows and develops, we want to make sure it has the information you want in the format that grabs your attention and presents information smoothly. The blog can't improve without our readers' input so I want your suggestions! Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks!

The design team

The Democrat's Tax Agenda - You Pay More

2010-04-15T10:20:00.002-04:00

“I can make a firm pledge, under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”

— President Barack Obama, September 12, 2008

Thursday, April 15, 2010, is Tax Day, the deadline for Americans to send their-hard earned money to Washington. Sadly, the current level of taxation is not enough to pay for the ongoing Democrat expansion of government. Since January 2009, Democrats have raised taxes by $679.3 billion, including $569 billion for ObamaCare. All told, there have been 14 violations of the President’s pledge not to raise taxes on those who make less than $250,000 a year. But it doesn’t end there - more is in store:

President’s Budget: The President’s Budget proposes to increase taxes by more than a trillion dollars, including:

$968 billion tax increase on upper-income families and small businesses:

$364 billion from expanding the top two income tax brackets and reinstating the 36 percent and 39.6 percent rates.

$105 billion from increasing the tax rate on capital gains and dividends from 15 percent to 20 percent.

$208 billion by reinstating the personal exemption and limitation on itemized deductions.

$291 billion by limiting the itemized tax deduction to 28 percent of value.

$49 billion tax by reducing the “tax gap,” the difference between taxes owed and taxes paid.

$122 billion in higher taxes related to changes in the U.S international tax rules and enforcement.

$90 billion in tax increases imposed on financial institutions, referred to as a “financial crisis responsibility fee,” which will be passed onto consumers.

$59 billion in tax increases associated with the repeal of “last-in, first-out” inventory accounting practices, which assumes that an entity sells, uses or disposes of its newest inventory first.

$40 billion in tax increases related to the repeal of tax credits for the production of natural gas, oil, and coal fuels.

$24 billion in increased taxes on carried interest, levied on investment partnerships by treating carried interest as normal income, more than doubling the tax rate from 15 percent to 39.7 percent.

Fiscal Commission: In an attempt to levy more taxes upon the American people, President Obama created a fiscal commission to address our looming fiscal crisis. The commission, comprised of a Democratic majority, will be tasked with presenting Congress with options for tackling the unsustainable imbalance resulting from entitlement programs. Unfortunately, Democrats have refused to take tax increases off the table and are likely to use the guise of a “bipartisan” commission to further increase taxes on the American people.

Value-Added Tax: The more than a trillion dollars in proposed tax increases in the President’s Budget hasn’t stopped the Obama Administration from searching for additional ways to increase revenues through disguised tax increases. There is now discussion of imposing a European style value-added tax [VAT].

The value-added tax is a type of national sales tax, imposed on the valued-added at each stage of production that applies to countless products and services. With small incremental taxes at each phase of production, increasing taxes is easy— and less noticeable. A tax of this sort would increase the costs of every day household and small business items and services, which would significantly impact low to middle income Americans.

On April 15, millions of American taxpayers will file their income taxes. This day will be a sad reminder of how the Democrats have squandered their hard-earned money to expand the size of government, bail out Wall Street, enact a failed stimulus, and enlarge our unsustainable entitlement programs. Taxpayers should not be further punished because Washington’s fiscal house is out-of-control. It is time, especially during this difficult economic recession, for Congress to help alleviate the tax burden of hard-working Americans and set an example of being fiscally responsible.

Tick Tock: More Democrat Spending

2010-04-08T10:36:00.002-04:00

Must Read Story: EPA to Regulate USe of Airplane Deicers

2010-04-08T09:39:00.002-04:00

EPA aims to regulate airports’ use of deicing fluid, drawing safety concerns from pilots, and airlines

Via the Daily Caller blog:

Pilots, airlines and airports are warning the government’s proposed environmental restrictions on deicing fluid used to keep planes from freezing up and crashing could pose serious safety risks.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal seeks to limit the amount of the toxic deicing fluid that trickles off of runways and into nearby streams and rivers, harming water quality.

Critics say the new rules would have an unintended consequence — imperiling airport safety. They say the record-setting blizzards that recently buried the East Coast show how unworkable the regulation would be during winter weather.

“The EPA must acknowledge … the environment cannot trump all other considerations,” a group representing airports said in February public comments to the rule.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates airports for safety considerations, has completed its own comments on the proposal, which it is preparing to send EPA, sources close to the situation say. Some FAA officials have expressed reservations about the rule in the past. The FAA declined to comment for this article.

In the meantime, EPA is considering the concerns carefully. EPA “is concerned about the safety of the traveling public and the operational challenges that airports and airlines face in efficiently serving air traveler,” an agency spokeswoman said, adding that EPA consulted the FAA before issuing the regulation.

EPA’s proposal requires large airports to collect 60 percent of the deicing fluids to keep them from draining off runways. It also sets a 25-gallon limit for the amount of fluid planes can use for taxiing and stipulations on special platforms for deicing and vehicles that can vacuum up the fluids before the escape from the runway.

One of the top concerns air officials have with the EPA’s proposal is that it will force airports to design runways and other facilities with environment as a top consideration rather than safety. They say EPA’s restrictions could also increase runway traffic, which would increase the risk of collisions.

“EPA … does not attempt to consider these safety imperatives and openly acknowledges that it did not gather sufficient information to evaluate these and other safety imperatives,” the Air Transport Association, which represents the airline industry, said in February comments to the proposal.

They argue the 25-gallon limit is far too little fluid for planes to taxi to their loading slots or other locations at the airport. Especially for a big plane such as a DC-10, taxiing with snow still on the plane could be dangerous or damage the plane, some airport officials say.

Officials at the Air Line Pilots Association wonder how they will follow both the FAA’s safety rules and the EPA’s proposed 25-gallon limit. “If the pilot-in-command does determine that additional [deicing fluid] is required, in excess of the allotted 25-gallons, will ground personnel be authorized to apply the requested additional fluid without penalty or a violation being levied against the airport or airline?” the pilots ask.

EPA did not respond to questions about the individual safety concerns raised by its critics.

In addition to the safety considerations, airlines say the regulation could make winter storms even more unbearable for travelers.

The airline industry says that delays from the proposal would be particularly pronounced at some of the busiest airports in the country where a huge number of delays already occur. But EPA, the officials say, didn’t consider delays in estimating the costs of the rule.

Continental airlines says passengers were already severely burdened by the winter storms this past season. A snowstorm in December resulted in nearly 45 percent of flights canceled at Continental’s Newark hub and 11,000 flights canceled.

“Continental will continue to work with the EPA on these issues, but does not believe that the proposed … regulations adequately allow feasible emergency actions taken,” the airline says.

EPA is also under fire from the air industry for appearing to favor environmental activists in what some call an unfair way.

Under the Administrative Procedure Act, regulations like EPA’s proposal are subject to public comment. Typically, a federal agency announces public comment period on a regulation during which anyone is free to send in in remarks.

According to an e-mail from environmentalists obtained by The Daily Caller, EPA took this process a step further and solicited comment from environmentalists.

“An EPA representative actually called me asking that we submit comments. The most helpful information they can receive is a waterbody specific account of how low dissolved oxygen affects your ecosystems,” the e-mail, which came from a local chapter in New Jersey of the activist group Waterkeeper.

One industry lawyer blasts the e-mail, saying EPA’s request is “unethical” and compares it to the Bush EPA asking for comment from industry officials, which he says never would have happened.

An environmentalist from the local Waterkeeper chapter that sent the e-mail confirmed its provenance but said such requests are typical.

“I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily unusual, I mean we have open communication with the EPA. If they feel like they aren’t getting comments I don’t think it’s unusual they would look for comments,” the source says, “EPA — they see themselves as put in the middle between two competing groups. They had been getting a lot of comments from … airports and had not been getting a lot of comments from [environmentalists].”

The activist source also charged the Bush EPA routinely coordinated with industry officials. EPA did not respond to a request for comment on the matter.

Health care taxes are on their way....and fast....

2010-04-07T11:22:00.001-04:00

The Tax Man Cometh: From GOP Conference

The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates people who use their HSAs, FSAs, or HRAs to pay for over the counter drugs that aren’t prescribed by a doctor will pay an additional $5 billion in taxes.

Open your medicine cabinet and your first-aid kit and take a look:

- Baby aspirin
- Children’s cough syrup
- Band-Aids
- Cold and chest relief
- Antibiotic ointment and first aid creams
- Anti-flu medication
- Pain relievers
- Cough drops
- Throat lozenges
- Antacids
- Sinus medications
- Allergy medications
- Nasal sprays
- Smoking cessation aids
- First Aid creams
- Pedialyte
- Calamine lotion
- Sleep aids
- Motion sickness pills
- Contact lens solution

ObamaCare makes these and additional over the counter medications and health care items taxable withdrawals from an HSA, HRA, and FSA beginning January 1, 2011.

According to AHIP, 8 million Americans used HSAs for routine medical care in 2008 (the most recent date for data). The IRS doesn’t count the number of families who use FSAs, but health care experts estimate that 30 million Americans use FSAs to pay for their family’s medical care.

Morning Must Reads

2010-04-07T10:07:00.003-04:00

Somerset Daily American: Verizon to proceed with cell tower construction

The Tribune Democrat: $300,000 grant to help first responders

Chambersburg Public Opinion: Waynesboro Fire Department Receives $17,149 federal grant

The New York Times: “Rescue workers continued the precarious task early Wednesday of removing explosive methane gas from the coal mine where at least 25 miners died two days before, but they had not received any signs of life from the four people still missing.”

The Washington Times: “The Obama administration's nuclear strategy review made public on Tuesday keeps in place all strategic weapons needed to fight a nuclear war and presents only minor policy changes, a move that upset arms-control advocates who had sought major cuts in U.S. forces.”

The Associated Press: “North Korea has sentenced an American teacher to eight years of hard labor and ordered him to pay a $700,000 fine after he crossed illegally into the country -- the fourth U.S. citizen to be detained by the isolated regime since last year.”

Politico: “A federal appeals court threw a major roadblock into the Federal Communications Commission’s Net neutrality plans as well as its broader National Broadband Plan, ruling that the agency lacks the authority to regulate the Internet.”

Reuters: “The United States should consider raising taxes to help bring deficits under control and may need to consider a European-style value-added tax, White House adviser Paul Volcker said on Tuesday.”

Guess who loves the new government health care plan?

2010-03-25T15:18:00.003-04:00

According to the Washington Post, "Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Thursday declared passage of American health care reform "a miracle" and a major victory for Obama's presidency, but couldn't help chide the United States for taking so long to enact what communist Cuba achieved decades ago."

Obamacare: taxes, spending and kickbacks

2010-03-24T10:28:00.001-04:00

Courtesy: the Republican Study Committee

Morning Must Reads

2010-03-23T10:16:00.002-04:00

The Sentinel: Area shares mixed feelings on healthcare overhaul

Altoona Mirror: Healthy debate

Somerset Daily American: Reaction to health care vote mixed

Indiana Gazette: House vote on health care overhaul makes history

WHAG: U.S. passes historic health care reform bill

The Tribune Democrat: Reade receives $117,325 grant for ambulance

Shuster Statement on Voting Against the Democrat Government Takeover of Health Care

2010-03-21T18:48:00.001-04:00

This evening, the House will vote on one of the most important pieces of legislation in 50 years. Congressman Shuster has opposed the Democrats’ reform proposal from the start and will vote no. Shuster issued the following statement in advance of the House vote:

“Tonight, the House will vote on legislation that will reshape our nation. The federal government will take control over one sixth of our private economy in order to extend government approved health care across America. Never before in our history has such an important issue been brought to the floor on a party line vote. In fact, the only bipartisan agreement on this bill has been the opposition against it.

No one disputes the need for health care reform in America that lowers costs and protects those with pre-existing conditions, but this bill is not the answer. The reality is that we cannot even afford the government we have today and we cannot afford the disastrous fiscal and economic consequences this bill will place on future generations.

The Democrats’ bill will create a $2.4 trillion entitlement when fully implemented. Our deficit, already dangerously in the red, will grow by $662 billion in 10 years. The bill raids Medicare and Social Security to pay for these new entitlements and will require $529 billion in new taxes while national unemployment hovers around 10 percent. This health care bill is nothing short of a road map to fiscal insolvency.

One of the cornerstone principles of this nation is that we have a government by the consent of the governed. For over a year, the President and Congressional Democrats have pushed this health care plan over the vocal objections of the American people, my own constituents and House Republicans who have offered solutions only to be denied at every turn.

It didn’t have to be this way. Health care reform could have been achieved through bipartisan cooperation and a sharing of ideas between the political parties. The American people deserve better than this.”

Shuster Joins Constituents to Rally Against Democrats' Health Care Bill

2010-03-20T15:10:00.002-04:00

Earlier today, Congressman Shuster joined a rally which took place at the Capitol Building against the Democrats’ health care bill.

During the rally, Shuster spoke to dozens of activists from the 9th district and across Pennsylvania who descended on Washington, DC in advance of tomorrow’s House vote on health care reform.

“The American people have been telling Congress for over a year that they don’t want this big government takeover of health care,” Shuster said. “Today, thousands of Americans, including many of my constituents came to the Capitol on their own to make their voices heard again before tomorrow’s vote.”

“I join my constituents here today and the thousands back in Pennsylvania who oppose this bill,” Shuster added.

Tax increases in the Democrats' health care bills

2010-03-19T10:34:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of the Republican Ways and Means Committee staff, this document provides a side by side comparison of the tax increases in the Senate-passed health bill (H.R. 3590), the Senate bill combined with the proposed reconciliation bill (H.R. 4872), and the reconciliation bill alone. The chart also shows tax increases in the bills that violate the President’s pledge to not raise taxes for anyone earning less than $200,000 for singles and $250,000 for couples.

House Democrats Reject Up or Down Vote on Healthcare

2010-03-18T15:21:00.002-04:00

House Democrats Reject Up or Down Vote on Healthcare

What a Way to Celebrate “Sunshine Week” in Washington

Today, House Democrats voted down a Republican resolution to require an actual up or down vote in the House on the Senate health care bill. This is the same resolution Shuster signed onto as an original cosponsor yesterday to defeat the “Slaughter Solution.” Shuster released the following statement on today‟s vote:

“I find it sadly ironic that in the middle of "sunshine week,‟ House Democrats would vote to oppose the most transparent act in American government; the up or down vote.

The American people are calling on their Congress at the top of their lungs to stop this poison pill called health care reform. No matter the volume, Speaker Pelosi and her leadership continue to play deaf to the people‟s demands.

By moving forward on the 'Slaughter Solution,' House Democrats think they are pulling a fast one on the American people. Speaker Pelosi and the White House say that the American people don‟t care about the process. I disagree. My constituents back home care about the Constitution and they want their elected representatives to protect it. I‟ll do my part by opposing the Democrats‟ health care bill.”

NOTE: March 14 to the 20th is the annual “sunshine week” in Washington, DC, a seven day period dedicated to government openness and transparency.

Leader Boehner on the "Slaughter Solution"

2010-03-18T11:09:00.000-04:00

At a press conference this morning with House & Senate GOP leaders, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) dismissed President Obama’s sales pitch to rank-and-file Democrats that “the fate of his presidency” is on the line with the upcoming health care vote and also discussed the House vote expected today on the resolution offered by Rep. Parker Griffith (R-AL) to block the “Slaughter Solution”:

“Well, it’s pretty clear that Democrat leaders here in Congress and the President aren’t listening to the American people. Because the American people are saying, ‘stop!’ and they’re screaming at the top of their lungs. The President’s latest ploy as he’s dealing with Members trying to convince them to vote against their constituents and to vote with him, is to make the point that his presidency is on the line. Well, I’m sorry Mr. President, this isn’t about you. It’s not about the office you hold and it’s not about the Speaker. This is about the American people and the health care system that they want for our country. We’ve made clear that it’s time to scrap this bill and start over on commonsense reforms to make our current health care system better. But no, they are going to continue to ram, ram, ram this bill through the Congress. Every kind of scheme known to man to try and get it through the Congress without a vote.

“We’re going to have an opportunity for the Members today to vote on a straight up-or-down resolution, about requiring a straight up-or-down vote on this bill. It’ll be part of our Previous Question when we get a Rule bill up, and Members will have a chance to vote on that. But I can tell you this, that Republicans in the House and Senate have worked closely together or the last year, and we’re going to continue to work closely together to do everything that we can do to make sure that this bill never, ever, ever passes.”

The American People Deserve an Up or Down Vote on Health Care

2010-03-17T14:06:00.002-04:00

Shuster Cosponsors Bill to Stop the “Slaughter Solution”

Today, Congressman Shuster signed on as an original cosponsor of a resolution that will require an actual up or down vote in the House on the Senate health care bill.

If passed this resolution, originally introduced by Congressman Parker Griffith of Alabama, would prevent Speaker Pelosi from implementing the “Slaughter Solution;” a highly controversial parliamentary trick that would effectively pass the health care bill without actually voting on it:

“Process matters,” Shuster said. “The American people were outraged when the Democrats passed the stimulus without reading it and they are doubly angry today that Speaker Pelosi is endorsing a scheme to pass healthcare without the basic requirement of an up or down vote.”

“A recorded vote on this health care bill will be the kiss of death for many Democrats and Speaker Pelosi knows it,” Shuster added. “Why else would they concoct the ‘Slaughter Solution’ to hide from their constituents?”

“House Republicans will join with the American people to demand accountability from their Congress. It starts with an up or down vote on health care.”

Congressman Shuster speaks out against Democrats' health care plan

2010-03-16T14:44:00.004-04:00

Shuster welcomes Tea Party representatives from Franklin County

2010-03-16T12:11:00.003-04:00

Congressman Shuster met with Tea Party representatives from Franklin County this morning on his way to the House floor to deliver a speech in opposition to the Democrats' health care plan.

MUST READ OF THE DAY: The House Health-Care Vote and the Constitution

2010-03-15T09:38:00.002-04:00

Here is the must read article of the day from the opinion page of the Wall Street Journal on health care reform and the unconstitutional manner it could be forced upon the American people:

The Wall Street Journal

The House Health-Care Vote and the Constitution

No bill can become law unless the exact same text is approved by a majority of both houses of Congress.

By Michael W. McConnell

March 15, 2010

Democratic congressional leaders have floated a plan to enact health-care reform by a procedure dubbed "the Slaughter solution." It is named not for the political carnage that it might inflict on their members, but for Rep. Louise Slaughter (D., N.Y.), chair of the powerful House Rules Committee, who proposed it. Under her proposal, Democrats would pass a rule that deems the Senate's health-care bill to have passed the House, without the House actually voting on the bill. This would enable Congress to vote on legislation that fixes flaws in the Senate health-care bill without facing a Senate filibuster, and without requiring House members to vote in favor of a Senate bill that is now politically toxic.

The Slaughter solution cannot be squared with Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution.

Senate rules protect against majoritarian overreach by allowing a determined minority to filibuster most types of legislation. The majority needs 60 votes to override a filibuster. One exception, adopted in 1974, is legislation that makes adjustments to spending or revenues to reconcile current law to a budget resolution that has passed Congress. These are called reconciliation bills, and they require only a majority vote.

Last Christmas Eve, the Senate approved a health-care bill by 60 votes, overcoming a Republican filibuster. This is the bill that contains the so-called Cornhusker kickback, the Louisiana purchase, taxes on high-cost health insurance plans and coverage for abortions. Virtually no one now supports that version of the bill, but Senate Democrats no longer have enough votes to pass an alternative bill under ordinary procedures.

That is where reconciliation fits in. If the House passes the Senate bill and the president then signs it into law, reconciliation would permit Congress to pass new legislation making changes to that law. Reconciliation might not solve the abortion coverage problem or other nonbudgetary issues, but it would allow Democrats to correct most of the Senate bill's offensive features.

The rub is that, according to the Senate parliamentarian, reconciliation is permitted only for bills that amend existing law, not for amendments to bills that have yet to be enacted. This means that, for the Senate to be able to avoid a filibuster, House Democrats first have to vote for the identical bill that passed the Senate last Christmas Eve. That means voting aye on the special deals, aye on abortion coverage, and aye on high taxes on expensive health-insurance plans. Challengers are salivating at the prospect of running against incumbents who vote for these provisions.

Enter the Slaughter solution. It may be clever, but it is not constitutional. To become law—hence eligible for amendment via reconciliation—the Senate health-care bill must actually be signed into law. The Constitution speaks directly to how that is done. According to Article I, Section 7, in order for a "Bill" to "become a Law," it "shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate" and be "presented to the President of the United States" for signature or veto. Unless a bill actually has "passed" both Houses, it cannot be presented to the president and cannot become a law.

To be sure, each House of Congress has power to "determine the Rules of its Proceedings." Each house can thus determine how much debate to permit, whether to allow amendments from the floor, and even to require supermajority votes for some types of proceeding. But House and Senate rules cannot dispense with the bare-bones requirements of the Constitution. Under Article I, Section 7, passage of one bill cannot be deemed to be enactment of another.

The Slaughter solution attempts to allow the House to pass the Senate bill, plus a bill amending it, with a single vote. The senators would then vote only on the amendatory bill. But this means that no single bill will have passed both houses in the same form. As the Supreme Court wrote in Clinton v. City of New York (1998), a bill containing the "exact text" must be approved by one house; the other house must approve "precisely the same text."

These constitutional rules set forth in Article I are not mere exercises in formalism. They ensure the democratic accountability of our representatives. Under Section 7, no bill can become law unless it is put up for public vote by both houses of Congress, and under Section 5 "the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question . . . shall be entered on the Journal." These requirements enable the people to evaluate whether their representatives are promoting their interests and the public good. Democratic leaders have not announced whether they will pursue the Slaughter solution. But the very purpose of it is to enable members of the House to vote for something without appearing to do so. The Constitution was drafted to prevent that.

Mr. McConnell is a professor and director of the Constitutional Law Center at Stanford Law School and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. He formerly served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

Rail re-regulation may be catastrophic public policy

2010-03-12T09:57:00.002-05:00

Here is the op-ed that ran in today's special transportation section of The Hill newspaper:

Rail re-regulation may be catastrophic public policy

America has the greatest freight rail network in the world. Our system is the most efficient of its kind, and relies on virtually no subsidies from the federal government. Over a century ago, America’s railroads ushered in the great advancements in industry, which sparked America’s emergence as an economic power on the world stage. America’s railroads revolutionized transportation, gave promise to freedom of movement, and made business more efficient.

Today, we find ourselves in the midst of a freight rail renaissance. America’s freight railroads carried over 2.26 billion tons of freight in 36 million cars over 140,000 miles of track in 2008. Dollar for dollar, the freight rail industry carried this cargo more efficiently and at a lower operating cost than other modes of transportation with rail fuel efficiency up 94 percent since 1990.

Yet given their successes and self-reliance, the railroad industry is in Congress’s crosshairs. Stark choices will be made that will have important implications for railroads and the American economy. The question is this: Will America’s railroads continue to be given the freedom necessary to grow their industry without direct interference by the federal government, or will Congress re-regulate it?

Re-regulation would be a potentially catastrophic public policy that could erase 30 years of positive growth, and threaten to reduce the railroads to the ruinous decreases in services and disinvestment not seen since the 1970s. I firmly believe that if Congress re-regulates rail, it will be only a matter of time before our once self-reliant railroads are forced to rely on taxpayer dollars to invest in infrastructure and safety improvements as federal mandates mount.

These debates are occurring at a time when the rail industry is already dealing with massive new mandates that threaten to undermine our rail renaissance. Recent unfunded mandates to retrofit equipment with Positive Train Control systems are expected to cost in excess of $10 billion, with limited operational benefit. This mandate will divert scarce capital from critical investments in one of the most capital-intensive businesses in the world.

The rail industry already spends a large amount of its revenues on capital investment. Between 1996 and 2005 freight rail spent 17.2 percent of its revenue on capital spending. Compare this number to other industries in the same time period. Electrical utilities invested 12.6 percent of their revenues in capital investment; 4.4 percent for the R&D heavy computer electronics industry; and only 2.7 percent of revenues for the petroleum and coal products manufacturing industry.

If railroads are not free to put their dollars into the projects that make the most economic sense, and are instead forced to spend their profits complying with legislative mandates, the long-term viability of the industry is threatened.

The Obama administration’s most recent budget also proposed a new tax on freight rail to pay for the Federal Railroad Administration’s safety enforcement program. However, the rail industry does not have unlimited capital to pay for new regulatory measures imposed by Washington. Fortunately, this proposal has received bipartisan opposition on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. To proceed with this new tax would be both shortsighted and harmful.

America’s railroads are at a crossroads. The direction Congress moves will have a lasting impact on American competitiveness. Washington must resist the urge to over-regulate an industry that has proven to be largely self-sufficient and capable of weathering economic stress. I will do my part as a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to make sure it does not happen.

Shuster is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Morning Must Reads

2010-03-10T09:15:00.003-05:00

Reuters: March 18th health care deadline in doubt

New York Times: Obama health care proposal a 'mixed bag'

Washington Post: Jihad Jane

The Wall Street Journal editorial: "Why Obama Can't Move the Health-Care Numbers"

by Scott Rasmussen and Doug Schoen (The Wall Street Journal Op-Ed)

One of the more amazing aspects of the health-care debate is how steady public opinion has remained. Despite repeated and intense sales efforts by the president and his allies in Congress, most Americans consistently oppose the plan that has become the centerpiece of this legislative season.

In 15 consecutive Rasmussen Reports polls conducted over the past four months, the percentage of Americans that oppose the plan has stayed between 52% and 58%. The number in favor has held steady between 38% and 44%.

The dynamics of the numbers have remained constant as well. Democratic voters strongly support the plan while Republicans and unaffiliated voters oppose it. Senior citizens—the people who use the health-care system more than anybody else and who vote more than anybody else in midterm elections—are more opposed to the plan than younger voters. For every person who strongly favors it, two are strongly opposed.

Why can't the president move the numbers? One reason may be that he keeps talking about details of the proposal while voters are looking at the issue in a broader context. Polling conducted earlier this week shows that 57% of voters believe that passage of the legislation would hurt the economy, while only 25% believe it would help. That makes sense in a nation where most voters believe that increases in government spending are bad for the economy.

When the president responds that the plan is deficit neutral, he runs into a pair of basic problems. The first is that voters think reducing spending is more important than reducing the deficit. So a plan that is deficit neutral with a big spending hike is not going to be well received.

But the bigger problem is that people simply don't trust the official projections. People in Washington may live and die by the pronouncements of the Congressional Budget Office, but 81% of voters say it's likely the plan will end up costing more than projected. Only 10% say the official numbers are likely to be on target.

As a result, 66% of voters believe passage of the president's plan will lead to higher deficits and 78% say it's at least somewhat likely to mean higher middle-class taxes. Even within the president's own political party there are concerns on these fronts.

A plurality of Democrats believe the health-care plan will increase the deficit and a majority say it will likely mean higher middle-class taxes. At a time when voters say that reducing the deficit is a higher priority than health-care reform, these numbers are hard to ignore.

The proposed increase in government spending creates problems for advocates of reform beyond the perceived impact on deficits and the economy. Fifty-nine percent of voters say that the biggest problem with the health-care system is the cost: They want reform that will bring down the cost of care. For these voters, the notion that you need to spend an additional trillion dollars doesn't make sense. If the program is supposed to save money, why does it cost anything at all?

On top of that, most voters expect that passage of the congressional plan will increase the cost of care at the same time it drives up government spending. Only 17% now believe it will reduce the cost of care.

The final piece of the puzzle is that the overwhelming majority of voters have insurance coverage, and 76% rate their own coverage as good or excellent. Half of these voters say it's likely that if the congressional health bill becomes law, they would be forced to switch insurance coverage—a prospect hardly anyone ever relishes. These numbers have barely moved for months: Nothing the president has said has reassured people on this point.

The reason President Obama can't move the numbers and build public support is because the fundamentals are stacked against him. Most voters believe the current plan will harm the economy, cost more than projected, raise the cost of care, and lead to higher middle-class taxes.

That's a tough sell when the economy is hurting and people want reform to lower the cost of care. It's also a tough sell for a president who won an election by promising tax cuts for 95% of all Americans.

Peak Cherry Blossom Dates Announced

2010-03-04T11:49:00.002-05:00

The peak cherry blossom dates have been announced for Washington, DC. The peak times for viewing the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin will range from April 3rd to the 8th. More information can be found here.

The cherry blossom season is a popular time for tourists to come to Washington, not only to view the trees in full bloom, but to partake in some of the cultural activities that surround the event.

Many readers may not know this, but the two week long National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC is the largest event of its kind in the United States. Throughout March and early April, the nation's capital hosts cultural events that highlight US-Japan relations and the cultural exchange between our two nations. More information on the festival, as well as the cherry blossom street fair (sakura matsuri) can be found here.

FACT CHECK: PRESIDENT OBAMA REPEATS DISCREDITED HEALTH CARE CLAIMS

2010-03-03T16:39:00.003-05:00

Courtesy: GOP Leader gopleader.gov

During his health care speech today, President Obama again repeated many claims with a straight face that simply aren’t true. The President’s rhetoric doesn’t change this simple fact: Americans want to scrap the Democrats’ massive bill and start over with a clean sheet of paper so we can work on step-by-step, common-sense reforms that lower health care costs. Following are some of the discredited claims the President repeated today:

CLAIM: “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.”

FACT: If this line sounds familiar, it’s because it was a staple of the President’s rhetoric on health care last year. We haven’t heard it in a while because it’s not true. Media outlets, including the Associated Press and ABC News debunked the claim thoroughly, noting that even White House officials acknowledged the president’s rhetoric shouldn’t be taken “literally.” Eventually, the White House press office took it out of the President’s speeches. Why is it coming back now?

CLAIM: “Finally, my proposal would bring down the cost of health care for … the federal government.”

FACT: Non-partisan experts at the Congressional Budget Office and within the Obama Administration have each respectively said that the Senate bill will raise premium costs for families on the individual market by an average $2,100 and raise national health spending overall. What’s more, a majority of Americans think “the new system would end up costing more than the current health care system – the opposite of its intended effect. Fifty-three percent think their own health care costs would be higher.”

CLAIM: “I don’t believe we should give government bureaucrats … more control over health care in America.”

FACT: The President’s 2,000-page government takeover of health care creates a massive Washington bureaucracy -- nearly 160 new boards, commissions, and programs in all – that would siphon off billions in wasteful spending.

CLAIM: “Now, it’s true that all of this will cost money – about $100 billion per year.”

FACT: “About” $100 billion per year adds up to “about” $1 trillion over ten years. The President’s health care plan has actually gotten more expensive in the six months since he addressed a joint session of Congress and pledged that his proposal would “cost around $900 billion over 10 years.”

CLAIM: “My proposal also gets rid of many of the provisions that had no place in health care reform…”

FACT: The plan the President proposed last week left in place several “controversial special provisions of the Senate health reform bill” including the “Louisiana Purchase.”

CLAIM: “The bottom line is: our proposal is paid for.”

FACT: The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has stated that it lacks sufficient details to evaluate the President’s plan, so this claim cannot be independently verified. As for the Senate bill that the President’s plan is based on, CBO Director Doug Elmendorf has stated in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that “a detailed year-by-year projection for years beyond 2019, like those that CBO prepares for the 10-year budget window, would not be meaningful because the uncertainties involved are simply too great.” The Washington Post stated in an editoria l today that many Democrats reluctant to support a massive government takeover of health care “are justly worried -- as are many of their constituents -- about enacting an expensive new entitlement at a time of rising federal debt.”

CLAIM: “But we do this while protecting Medicare benefits, and extending the financial stability of the program by nearly a decade.”

FACT: The Democrats’ plan slashes seniors’ Medicare benefits by roughly $500 billion and it shortens, rather than extends, the financial life of the program. CBO Director Doug Elmendorf told the Senate Finance Committee last fall that “that seniors in Medicare's managed care plans could see reduced benefits under a bill in the Finance Committee.” As the Associated Press put it last July, “Democrats are pushing for Medicare cuts on a scale not seen in years…” As for the future fiscal health of the program, the President’s own experts have said that projected Medicare savings are “unrealistic.” CBO has stated that Democrats are double-counting by claiming that they are improving the balance sheets of both Medicare and the federal government at the same time.

Shuster's remarks on a successful THON 2010

2010-03-03T10:08:00.002-05:00

Congressman Shuster submitted the following remarks to the Congressional Record yesterday as the House moved to pass H.Res. 1112, "Congratulating the Pennsylvania State University IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON)"

Mr. Speaker,

A little over a week ago, I spent a very memorable and moving afternoon watching Penn State students taking part in THON, the annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. THON at Penn State is no small event. It remains the largest student-run philanthropy in the world which since 1977 has raised over $68 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital to fight childhood cancer.

THON involves over 15,000 student volunteers from Penn State’s University Park campus and its nineteen commonwealth campuses. Over 700 dancers take part in THON’s marquee event: a 46 hour dance marathon at the Bryce Jordan Center. Thousands of other students join in as moralers, family and public relations, entertainment, donor relations, finance, communication, hospitality, logistics, technology, rules and regulations, and ‘OPP’erations team members. These students’ year-long efforts culminate in THON weekend - truly an amazing and uplifting sight to see.

All of the student dancers, volunteers and sponsors who participated in this year’s THON deserve recognition from Congress and the thanks of Americans everywhere for their work to help end the scourge of childhood cancer. Their hard work resulted in raising $7.83 million this year, breaking last year’s record of $7.5 million.

I am proud to say that my own daughter was among the hundreds of students who took part in THON 2010. Ali served on the Morale Committee “Jule Runnings” and helped lift the spirits of exhausted dancers, massage tired feet, and lead the hourly line-dance to keep everyone moving to stay motivated for their cause.

Penn State students are joined by hundreds of Four Diamonds Families from Penn State Children’s Hospital who look forward to THON all year round. Four Diamond Families often develop lifetime friendships with the Fraternities, Sororities, and organizations that “adopt” them and spend time with them throughout the year. At THON weekend you will find the kids running throughout the event, participating in talent shows, playing games with the dancers, getting piggyback rides and even starting water-pistol fights with unsuspecting volunteers. The culmination of the weekend is Family Hour – when families share the struggle in the fight against childhood cancer with everyone in attendance. This was a deeply emotionally moving hour that brought the struggle of childhood cancer into a personal light. Some of the stories had happy endings, some did not. But each story was an inspiration to keep fighting for the cure for childhood cancers. These children and families are why Penn State dances.

THON is a life changing event for anyone who attends or takes part in the event. And while Penn State students are hoping to change the lives of children affected by childhood cancer, more often than not it’s the students whose lives are changed by participating in THON. Love truly does “Belong Here.” We Are Penn State - For the Kids.

82% of PA-09 residents polled think Congress should start over on health care reform

2010-03-03T09:35:00.003-05:00

Here are some interesting results from the monthly Shuster Standard E-Newsletter's health care reform poll. Last month, Shuster asked over 3,000 of his newsletter subscribers for their reactions to the health care debate. Results are still trickling in, but with over 200 respondents answering, here are the results from one of the questions from the poll:

Do you believe Congress should move forward with health care reform in its current form or start over in smaller, more incremental steps?

No, Congress should stop and start over: 82.62%

Not Sure: 5.67%

Yes, move forward: 11.70%

Abuse of Power

2010-03-03T09:20:00.003-05:00

A strong editorial in today's Wall Street Journal on reports that President Obama will trigger the 'nuclear option' on healthcare reform by allowing legislation to pass through reconciliation. Here is a snippit from the piece:

"A string of electoral defeats and the great unpopularity of ObamaCare can't stop Democrats from their self-appointed rendezvous with liberal destiny—ramming a bill through Congress on a narrow partisan vote. What we are about to witness is an extraordinary abuse of traditional Senate rules to pass a bill merely because they think it's good for the rest of us, and because they fear their chance to build a European welfare state may never come again."

****

"President Clinton preferred to use reconciliation to pass HillaryCare in the 1990s, but he was dissuaded by West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, who argued that it would be an abuse of the process. Mr. Byrd, author of a four-volume history of Senate rules and procedures, told the Washington Post last March that "The misuse of the arcane process of reconciliation—a process intended for deficit reduction—to enact substantive policy changes is an undemocratic disservice to our people and to the Senate's institutional role," specifically citing health reform and cap and trade."

Read it all here

CNN Poll: Health care reform bills unpopular

2010-02-25T10:36:00.002-05:00

Read the story here

"Twenty-five percent of people questioned in the poll say Congress should pass legislation similar to the bills passed by both chambers, with 48 percent saying lawmakers should work on an entirely new bill and a quarter saying Congress should stop all work on health care reform.
"Many provisions of those bills are popular, particularly restrictions on health insurance companies," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Roughly 6 in 10 would like a bill that prevents insurers from dropping people who become seriously ill or denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Seven in 10 favor requiring large and mid-sized companies to provide health insurance to their employees. Those proposals are popular among Republicans as well as Independents and Democrats. A cap on medical malpractice awards – something on the GOP's wish list that is not in the current legislation – is also popular."
According to the survey, Americans are split on a public option, and they don't like the idea of requiring everyone in the U.S. to have health insurance. The poll's release comes one day before a critical televised health care summit hosted by President Obama that will include top Congressional Democrats and Republicans."

Watch the healthcare summit live online

2010-02-25T10:26:00.002-05:00

Citizen Tube - a service by YouTube is broadcasting the health care summit live online. You can ask a question which will be answered by Republican leaders on the site.

Watch it live here.