The Republican Budget Alternative:
Lower on spending, Lower on deficits, Lower on taxes, Lower on debt and Higher on jobs.
Posted by: Press Secretary
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Office Hours Announced for Bedford County This Friday
**COMMUNITY NOTICE**
On Friday April 3rd at 9:30am, district staff from the office of Congressman Shuster will hold a session of office hours at the Bedford County Courthouse.
These office hours bring Congressman Shuster’s district staff to residents who don’t live close to the congressman’s district offices or are unable to get to the offices during the week.
This Friday, Congressman Shuster’s staff will hold office hours in Conference Room 101 at the Bedford County Courthouse.
WHO: Members of Congressman Shuster’s district staff.
WHAT: Bedford County office hours.
WHEN: 9:30am to 10:30am on Friday April 3rd.
WHERE: Conference Room 101 at the Bedford County Courthouse located at 200 South Juliana Street.
Morning Must Reads
Monday, March 30, 2009
Budget Fact #13
Fall Promises, Spring Budgets
Talk Of Fiscal Restraint Turns Into $8.8 Trillion In Debt: In the fall, the Democrats promised to take a scalpel to the federal budget and go "line by line" to enforce fiscal discipline. Yet, the Democrats' budget, along with the House version to be voted on this week, do little to nothing to curb wasteful spending. Indeed, instead of going line by line to cut spending, the Democrats went line by line to hide spending. In the end, the Democrats have crafted a budget in the House that adds $8.8 trillion to the national debt and raises taxes by $1.2 trillion.
Talk Of Making The Hard Choices Turns Into Choices Deferred Until Later: In the fall, the Democrats promised that they would make the hard budget choices to restrain spending. Yet in light of a budget that spends, taxes and borrows too much, the Democrats will only promise future "adjustments" to the budget.
Talk Of Tax Cuts For 95% Of Americans Turns Into Tax Increases For All Americans: In the fall and during the stimulus debate, Democrats promised a tax cut for 95% of Americans. However, as passed in the stimulus, that tax cut amounts to nearly $13 a week for an average family. Now, the Democrats' budge twill end this tax credit in two years. At the same time that they are ending their tax credit, the Democrats' budget institutes tax hikes on energy, small businesses, housing and charitable giving.
Talk Of Signature Initiatives Turn Into Reserve Funds For Future Tax Hikes: Rather than setting aside funding for new spending initiatives, the House Democrats’ budget establishes 17 deficit neutral reserve funds, twelve of which would permit unlimited amounts of new spending and taxes.
Posted by: Press Secretary
Morning Must Reads
Politico: GM's CEO resigns at Obama's behest
Roll Call: Budget finding new harmony
Local Impact:
Posted by: Press Secretary
Friday, March 27, 2009
Information on the National Cherry Blossom Festival
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is almost here. Around this time of year, thousands of visitors from across the world come to Washington, DC to see the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial. If you are planning on taking part in this year's festival check out the National Cherry Blossom Festival's website for peak bloom dates, weather forecasts and schedules of events surrounding the festival.
Budget Fact #12
Making Budgets Look Better On Paper
The Facts About The Democrats' Budget:
Editorials Criticize The "Gimmickry" In The Democrats' Budget: According toThe Washington Post, Congressional Democrats are resorting to "gimmickry" in an attempt to make the budget "look better on paper." However, this "does nothing to improve a dangerous fiscal picture" under the Democrats' budget which CBO estimates could lead to as much as $9.3 trillion in new debt over the next ten years. The USA Today also wrote about the Democrats' "underwhelming display of short-term tinkering to whittle down the cost" of the budget. Despite the calls for an "honest" budget, the Democrats have produced a budget that now looks better on paper only.
The Democrats' Budget Gimmicks: Last month, the President announced his budget claiming that it would be "honest" and "transparent." However, in light of the analysis from the CBO, Congressional Democrats have made a number of changes to the budget to get costs on paper down:
- Financial Stabilization Efforts: "Mr. Obama put aside $250 billion for more funding for fiscal stabilization. Mr. Conrad and Mr. Spratt strip that, though they have no reason to believe it won't be needed." (Editorial, "The Budget Gimmick's Return," The Washington Post, 3/26/09)
- Disaster Funding: "Mr. Conrad eliminated the contingency fund for natural disasters, and Mr. Spratt cut it in half." (Editorial, "The Budget Gimmick's Return," The Washington Post, 3/26/09)
- The Alternative Minimum Tax: "And Conrad assumes that the alternative minimum tax will strike millions of middle-class families, generating billions of additional dollars in 2013 and 2014, though Congress has acted repeatedly to prevent that." (Lori Montgomery, "Democrats Take Knife To Obama's Budget," The Washington Post, 3/25/09)
- Time Frame: "Mr. Obama's budget endeavored to be more honest. His was a 10-year financial plan. Like President George W. Bush, Mr. Conrad and Mr. Spratt look ahead only five years, which allows a lot of the red ink to be concealed." (Editorial, "The Budget Gimmick's Return,"The Washington Post, 3/26/09)
Rushing To Raise The Deficit: Democrats have crafted budget reconciliation instructions that will be used to force through their high-spending priorities. Reconciliation has traditionally been used for deficit reduction and tax cuts. Instead, Democrats are using the tactic to rush their priorities through Congress. Prominent Democrats like Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) oppose using this procedural tool.
Posted by: Press Secretary
Morning Must Reads
National News:
New York Times: In new Afghan strategy, Obama will add troops
Posted by: Press Secretary
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Budget Fact #11
A Crushing Debt Burden
The Facts About The Democrats' Budget:
Unprecedented Borrowing: According to the CBO, the President's budget will add $9.3 trillion to the national debt. This would lead to unprecedented borrowing, with debt held by the public increasing from 41% of GDP in 2008 to 82% of GDP in 2019.
Crushing Debt Burdens: In 2010, the budget will spend $172 billion on net interest on the national debt. This is almost four times greater than the budgets for the Department of Education ($46.7 billion) and the Department of Homeland Security ($42.7 billion). Piling up more and more debt will mean that we have less to spend on real priorities like education and national security in the future.
Crushing Interest Payments Over The Next Ten Years: Interest alone will cost taxpayers approximately $4.8 trillion over the next ten years according to the Congressional Budget Office estimates.
More Borrowing Than Every Other President Combined: The President's budget will create more gross debt in ten years than every other U.S. President in history combined.
Annual Budget Deficits Higher Than Any Year Before President Obama Took Office: Despite the Democrats' claims, their budget plans for deficits through 2019 that are actually higher than for any year before President Obama took office. This includes a deficit projected by CBO of $672 billion in 2013, the year the Democrats are claiming to halve the budget.
Morning Must Reads
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Republican Whip Eric Cantor on the President's budget
Click here to watch interview
Cantor: We Need To Make The Tough Budget Choices (NBC's "Today," 3/25/09)
NBC's Ann Curry: "Do you trust the President when he says that he's going to tackle more fully this question of cutting the deficit once he's figured out a way to help this economy move forward?"
Rep. Cantor: "We've got to make the tough choices, just as people watching this show are trying to make every morning. They're getting ready to go drop off their kids at school and go to work. They're worried about their family finances. We've got to do the same thing here in Washington. Now, the bottom line is, the tough choices are not being made, and by amassing huge, trillions of dollars worth of debt on the backs of our children is not the way forward. It is not that we have to go an
d ramp up spending right now. We've got to address the critical problems facing the economy right now, and in order to do that, we've got to focus on the people who actually are out there that need to jump back into the game and create jobs."
Click here to watch interview
Cantor: The Democrats' Budget Is More About Debt Than Job Creation (C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" 3/25/09)
Rep. Cantor: "What I think that what ought to really be doing is number one focusing on job creation. From the very beginning when we took up the stimulus bill, we did the omnibus spending bill, the priority needs to be jobs. What I don't understand is if the priority is job sustainment and job creation, how in the world can you tax those who create jobs? This budget goes and does that. In fact, 50% of those who receive a tax hike are the employers, the small business people, who currently have maintained one in four jobs in this country. Overall, Peter, we know that 70% of the jobs in this country have come from the investments of small employers and small business people. We have to focus on the job creators first, that has to be our first priority. Frankly, I don't see that kind of commitment. And then if you look beyond that, what the financial markets have reacted to, I believe, globally, is the fact that this country continues to spend beyond its means. This budget and this President have now called for a budget that creates more debt than the other 43 presidents prior created in total. I've got three kids, Peter. They're going to be the ones who pay the debt on this. And we really ought not be thinking that the way back towards economy recovery is to pile debt on our children and grandchildren."
Posted by: Press Secretary
Budget Fact #10
Assumptions Prove Rosy
The Facts About The Democrats' Budget:
"Rosy" Economic Assumptions: While claiming to be "honest" and "transparent," the Democrats' budget relies on overly "rosy" economic assumptions. Indeed, the Democrats' budget projects much higher economic growth rates than the consensus among economists. The Democrats estimate that the economy will shrink by 1.2% this year and grow by 3.2% in 2010. The Blue Chip Economic projections forecast the economy will contract by 1.9% this year and grow by only 2.1% in 2010. By using unrealistic economic assumptions, Democrats are not being fully honest will the deficits that their budget will cause.
Budgets' Hidden Costs: The Democrats' budget contains at least two areas in which the costs of the Democrats' proposals are likely to be significantly underestimated. The Democrats' health care plan is said to be only a "down payment" at $643 billion over ten years, and their cap-and-tax proposal could be up to three times more expensive than the Administration first said.
Unrealistic Cost Of Dealing With The Financial Crisis: The Democrats' budget does not include the additional cost of their plans for dealing with the financial crisis, and according to the CBO, the rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may prove to be much more costly than the Democrats' estimate.
Calling Gimmicks "Savings": The Democrats' budget relies on reducing operations in Iraq from unrealistically high forecasts to provide them with much of their supposed "savings." Also, as part of their original "savings" estimate, the Democrats counted tax increases. Most Americans would not consider tax increases to be budget savings.
Annual Budget Deficits Higher Than Any Year Before President Obama Took Office: Despite the Democrats' claims, their budget plans for deficits through 2019 that are actually higher than for any year before President Obama took office. This includes a deficit projected by CBO of $672 billion in 2013, the year the Democrats are claiming to halve the budget.
Unprecedented Borrowing: According to the CBO, the President's budget will add $9.3 trillion to the national debt. This would lead to unprecedented borrowing, with debt held by the public increasing from 41% of GDP in 2008 to 82% of GDP in 2019.
Posted by: Press Secretary
REMINDER: Live Blogging the budget debate
House Republican Leader John Boehner will be live blogging the debate on the President's budget starting at 10:30am today at http://gopleader.gov/Blog . The Leader's blog will provide updates on the Budget Committee's progress, including votes on key amendments throughout the day.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Republican Leadership press conference now online
The 3/24/09 Republican Leadership Press Conference has been posted online.
Click here to watch
Posted by: Press Secretary
Live blogging the budget debate
House Republican Leader John Boehner has announced that his office will live blog the debate on the President's budget starting at 10:30am Wednesday at http://gopleader.gov/Blog . The Leader's blog will provide updates on the Budget Committee's progress, including votes on key amendments throughout the day.
Be sure to tune in. The President's budget calls for $1.4 trillion in new taxes that will hit every American's wallet. Moreover, the budget relies on misleading assumptions. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the President's budget will actually cost $3.2 trillion more than the White House actually says it will. Over the next 10 years, the budget will produce an amazing $9.3 trillion in total federal deficits. The President's budget simply spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much from our savings and our children's future.
Posted by: Press Secretary
Budget Fact #9
Halving The Deficit Is Half The Story
The Facts About The Democrats' Budget:
Halving The Deficit Is Only Half The Story. The Democrats' say their budget will halve the deficit in four years. Yet, the Democrats don't give the rest of the story. According to both the CBO and OMB, the budget deficit will increase every year after the Democrats claim they have halved the deficit. Claiming to cut the deficit in half is a useful talking point but it covers up for the fact that by 2013 the budget deficit is increasing each year. This will continue through 2019.
Annual Budget Deficits Higher Than Any Year Before President Obama Took Office. Despite the Democrats' claims, their budget plans for deficits through 2019 that are actually higher than for any year before President Obama took office. This includes a deficit projected by CBO of $672 billion in 2013, the year the Democrats are claiming to halve the budget.
Unprecedented Borrowing: According to the CBO, the President's budget will add $9.3 trillion to the national debt. This would lead to unprecedented borrowing, with debt held by the public increasing from 41% of GDP in 2008 to 82% of GDP in 2019.
According To The CBO, The Democrats' Current Budget Projects Are Off By $2.3 Trillion. "The office's estimates of deficits in the fiscal years 2010 through 2019 'exceed those anticipated by the administration by $2.3 trillion.'" (David Stout, "Much Bigger Deficits Seen In Budget Office Forecast," The New York Times, 3/20/09)
The CBO Estimates That Deficits "Would Exceed 4 Percent Of The Overall Economy Over The Next 10 Years" – A Level That Even The Democrats Acknowledge Is Unsustainable. "Although Obama would come close to meeting his goal of cutting in half the deficit he inherited by the end of his first term, the CBO predicts that deficits under his policies would exceed 4 percent of the overall economy over the next 10 years, a level White House budget director Peter R. Orszag yesterday acknowledged would 'not be sustainable.'" (Lori Montgomery, "Deficit Projected To Swell Beyond Earlier Estimates," The Washington Post, 3/21/09)
Morning Must Reads
National News:
Drudge Lead: China calls for new reserve currency
Politico: Survey says let AIG fail
Local Impact:
Posted by: Press Secretary
Monday, March 23, 2009
Shuster receives award for supporting America's manufacturers
Congressman Shuster and Kennametal Employees
Click to enlarge
Today, Congressman Shuster received the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence at an award event sponsored by Kennametal Inc. in Bedford, Pennsylvania. The NAM Award honors federal lawmakers whose voting records have consistently supported manufacturing in America. The NAM Award is given to members of the House and Senate who support key manufacturing votes 70 percent or more of the time, as determined by an advisory committee composed of NAM members from small and large manufacturers.
Shuster’s NAM voting record was an exemplary 100 percent in the 110th Congress. He was one of 43 senators and 181 representatives who earned the NAM Award. Members of Congress are notified in advance when an upcoming vote has been designated a “key vote” by the NAM.
Voting records for members of Congress -- including those who scored 70 percent or better to earn the NAM Award -- are available at www.nam.org/votingrecord.
Posted by: Press Secretary
Congressman Shuster on the importance of the Franklin County First Responder Alliance
On Friday March 20th, Congressman Shuster announced $500,000 in federal funding for the Franklin County First Responder Alliance. Here is a short video from the announcement where Shuster highlights why interoperable communications equipment is necessary for area first responders and comments on the good job the Alliance is doing to serve its community.
Posted by: Press Secretary
Budget Fact #8
Borrows Too Much
The Facts About The Democrats' Budget:
The Democrats' Budget Will Produce $9.3 Trillion In Total Deficits Over The Next 10 Years. "President Obama's budget proposals, if carried out, would produce a staggering $9.3 trillion in total deficits over the next decade, much more than the White House has predicted, the Congressional Budget Office said on Friday. The office's estimates of deficits in the fiscal years 2010 through 2019 'exceed those anticipated by the administration by $2.3 trillion.' The deficits under the Obama plan would be $4.9 trillion more than the projected deficits if there were no changes in current laws and policies – what the nonpartisan budget office calls its baseline assumption." (David Stout, "Much Bigger Deficits Seen In Budget Office Forecast,"The New York Times, 3/20/09)
CBO: The Democrats' Budget Is $2.3 Trillion More Than The Democrats Currently Project. "The office's estimates of deficits in the fiscal years 2010 through 2019 'exceed those anticipated by the administration by $2.3 trillion.'" (David Stout, "Much Bigger Deficits Seen In Budget Office Forecast," The New York Times, 3/20/09)
CBO: The Democrats' Budget Will Grow The Nation's Debt To 82% Of The Overall Economy By 2019. "By the CBO's estimate, for example, the nation's debt would grow to 82 percent of the overall economy by 2019 under Obama's policies, compared with a pre-recession average of 40 percent." (Lori Montgonery, "U.S. Federal Deficit Soars Past Previous Estimates," The Washington Post, 3/20/09)
The CBO Estimates That Deficits "Would Exceed 4 Percent Of The Overall Economy Over The Next 10 Years" – A Level That Even The Democrats Acknowledge Is Unsustainable. "Although Obama would come close to meeting his goal of cutting in half the deficit he inherited by the end of his first term, the CBO predicts that deficits under his policies would exceed 4 percent of the overall economy over the next 10 years, a level White House budget director Peter R. Orszag yesterday acknowledged would 'not be sustainable.'" (Lori Montgomery, "Deficit Projected To Swell Beyond Earlier Estimates," The Washington Post, 3/21/09)
Even According To The Democrats' Projections, Their Budget Will Double The National Debt. Just based upon the Democrats' projections, their budget would at least double the national debt over the next eight years.
The Democrats' Budget Will Increase Your Families' Share Of The Debt.The current debt per capita exceeds $35,000. The Democrats' budget would more than double the national debt in only eight years, thus ballooning your share to at least $70,000.
The Democrats' Budget Will Not Halve The Deficit. Despite the President's pledge to cut the deficit by the end of his first term, the Democrats' budget projects that deficits will start increasing immediately after that. Thus, the Democrats' budget only halves the deficit for one year before it starts going back up again.
Despite Speaker Pelosi's Claim, Deficit Numbers Do Matter. Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently made clear that she isn't worried about the unprecedented deficits that will happen under the Democrats' budget. Despite new estimates that the Democrats' budget would cost as much as $2.3 trillion more, Speaker Pelosi believes their budget should not change. When asked if the budget will be modified based upon CBO numbers, Speaker Pelosi said,"Our priorities are the same. …You can't say we are going to do less because those numbers are pessimistic."
Posted by: Press Secretary
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)