Rokita Report 3-20-12

Mar 20, 2012

 

 

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to update you on my work in the 112th Congress. I trust this finds you and your family well.

Last week (3/11 - 3/17/12)

Last week, I was in Indiana, where I met with many Hoosiers.  Photos and notes from my time at home are on my Facebook "fan" page, but a few highlights were:

  • Heartland Automotive (Greencastle)
  • Buzzi Unicem USA (Greencastle)
  • Greencastle Defenders of Liberty
  • SENSE Charter School (Indianapolis)
  • Indiana Fusion Center (Indianapolis)

I am always glad to be back home and meet with many of you.  The Washington "bubble" often creates an echo chamber on policy and political debate.  Returning home each week, to see my family, and to connect with many of you, keeps my views grounded in all things Hoosier.  I promise to keep working for what is important to so many of you, and take as much of Indiana's success story to Washington as I can.

This week (3/19 - 3/23/12)

This week, the House Budget Committee will release its Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Budget.  This budget will starkly differ from the budget proposal the President released several weeks ago.  The distinction will be clear and we, as a country, must decide upon the two futures before us. 

The President's budget included proposals to increase taxes and spending.  The House budget will not only reduce spending, and put us on a path to balancing the budget, but also cut spending and reform the largest drivers of our debt - Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

The House budget also offers much-needed tax reform by reducing tax rates and eliminating loop holes and exemptions.  Tax reform is critical in addressing our debt.  As it exists today, our tax code is full of a series of tax credits, exemptions and deductions.  Taxpayers and job creators deserve a simpler, fairer, and flatter tax code, and the House Budget creats the framework to do that.

In addition to the release of the Budget, the House will consider several pieces of legislation (detailed below) and the Education & The Workforce Committee will hold a hearing on access to affordable and quality companion care, as well as hear testimonty from the Secretary of Labor.

On the House Floor
Protecting Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act - H.R. 5
The Path Act would reform medical tort law by imposing a statute of limitations on malpractice claims, and caps on noneconomic damages.  This bill also includes a repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), the unelected bureaucrats, created under ObamaCare, to decide on your health care. 

In addition to H.R. 5, the House will also considering the following bills, links are provided for your convenience:

At the Committees
Two important hearings will be held this week at the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. 

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee will conduct a hearing to discuss the importance of access to affordable and quality companion care and a proposed rule from the Department of Labor that could jeopardize that access.  You can learn more and watch the hearing here.

In addition, the whole committee will hear testimony on the President's FY 2013 Budget Proposal from Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis.  You can watch live, or review the hearing, here. 

Rokita's Reading-

As the House Budget Committee releases the FY 2013 House Budget, Blinder's Wall Street Journal column, "The U.S. Cruises Toward a 2013 Fiscal Cliff," caught my eye yesterday.  Blinder refers to the many pending economic and fiscal decisions Congress must make in January of next year.  Not only are there substantial tax decisions to make, but automatic defense cuts loom.  As I read this article, I was reminded of Thomas Jefferson's quote, "never put off till tomorrow what you can do today."  In that vein, these decisions are easier, and cause less pain, if we make them today and not after falling off the "fiscal cliff."

I also believe that a column I read in the Fall of last year is still relevant.  As the House Budget is debated, calls for compromise and 'Grand Bargains' are not unheard by me, or any other legislator in Washington.  However, Peter Wallison, of the American Enterprise Institute, argues, in this Wall Street Journal opinion piece, "Grand Bargains Are a Budgetary Dead End," compromise is not always the best solution.  Wallison goes on to debunk the false choice of "tax increases" versus "spending cuts."   Shrinking government and encouraging economic growth are the only ways to address our debt.

You can review previous postings on my blog.  

Please take a moment to become a "fan" of my Facebook page by clicking: .

I appreciate your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts in Washington. Take care.

Sincerely,

Todd Rokita