From the office of Rep. Kevin Brady (TX): Federal Debt Reaches $13 trillion; new report shows Democrats Twice as Culpable As the U.S. Treasury Department is likely to announce today that the gross federal debt of America has reached a staggering $13 trillion, a new analysis by the Joint Economic Committee undercuts claims by Democrats that they [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks on the House floor today:   “I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his outstanding leadership. This is a challenging time in the life of this country. Families are hurting. Businesses in the city and on the farm are struggling. [...]  More

From The Hill: House Republican leaders introduced a bill Thursday to repeal and replace the sweeping healthcare law adopted in late March. According to Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the measure would repeal the current law and replace it with the alternative the minority party offered to the original healthcare legislation last November. “As [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, a member of the Iran sanctions conference committee, issued the following statement regarding the announcement that Congress will miss the May 28 deadline to produce a final version of Iran sanctions legislation: On April 22, 2010, the House voted 403 – 11 to instruct conferees to complete their work on Iran sanc [...]  More

What They’re Saying About America Speaking Out “The GOP trailblaze on the internet.” "A great forum for those who believe it’s time to stand up and be heard!" "House Republicans deserve credit for a forward looking experiment with public dialog online." "Americans are ready." "GOP leaders in Washington have heard that call a [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, commented on the oil spill in the Gulf Coast and the president’s lack of responsibility on MSNBC’s Morning Joe: Rep. Pence: Let’s just recognize this isn't about a blame game. This is an ecological disaster that is threatening the families and the environme [...]  More

In a new report, President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concluded that 76 percent of children in the nine states studied by HHS did not get one or more of the required medical, vision, or hearing screenings. Officials say access to doctors is one of the leading reasons why children did not get their health care servi [...]  More

House Republicans took to the blogs today as they unveiled America Speaking Out. Please see excerpts from our blogging Members of Congress today below: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA) CNN Washington isn't listening. The disconnect between the American people and the agenda being advanced in Washington is growing by the day. When Americans have spoken up [...]  More

by Rep. Kevin Brady (TX) America Speaks Out Offers Americans a Say in Direction of our Country If you believe America is headed the wrong direction – and want lawmakers to hear your ideas on how to get it back on track - then the new website “America Speaking Out” was created for you. To be heard over the arrogant backroom dea [...]  More

From the Wall Street Journal:Dissecting this week’s stimulus bill. President Obama and Democrats on Capitol Hill are publicly fretting about the dangers of spending and debt, which can mean only one thing: Another big spending "stimulus" bill is in the works. And sure enough, the House plans to vote this week on $190 billion in new spending [...]  More

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents is considering dropping retiree health care coverage for future employees in an effort to control rising health care costs.     Health insurance for the employees, retirees, and dependents at Georgia’s 35 state colleges will cost $422 million in 2010.  ObamaCare will add [...]  More

"America Speaking Out" is an effort by House Republicans to engage Americans across the country and give them a voice in creating a new agenda for Congress.  Under Democratic control, there has been a growing disconnect between the priorities of the American public and the agenda that is debated in Washington.  To return power to the Ame [...]  More

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence published an op/ed in Human Events today entitled "America Following Greece to Economic Ruin?": Greece is a country in crisis and America will be soon. Both countries are flirting with fiscal ruin because of reckless government spending. Greece has given us a stark picture of where endless governme [...]  More

Rep. Tom McClintock (CA) delivered a response to Mexican President Calderon's remarks yesterday. See and excerpt and video of those remarks below:   I rise to take strong exception to the speech of the President of Mexico while in this chamber today. The Mexican government has made it very clear for many years that it holds American sovereig [...]  More

66% of Employers Bracing for Higher Costs;  Consider Cutting Hours for Workers   A new survey from Mercer shows that employers are bracing for higher health care costs under ObamaCare and are considering cutting the number of hours for workers.   Fully, 66 percent of employers that were surveyed expect costs to increase next year un [...]  More

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 [...]  More

Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D. (GA) published a blog post today at Townhall. Please see an excerpt of "Let's Help, Not Hurt, Small Businesses": It is no surprise that the economic downturn in the U.S. has taken a significant toll on small businesses nationwide.  Add in the pending tax hikes courtesy of Obamacare and the effects on these hardworking [...]  More

You can always count on Rep. Peter King (NY), Ranking Member of the Commitee on Homeland Security, to speak out regarding the subject of terrorism, especially when it comes to New York. Apparently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released more transit security grant money for New York after it had been delayed since 2008. King blames [...]  More

House Republicans like to keep it hot in the blogosphere. We want to make sure you know they are out there so check out a few of our favorite blog posts in the past week. If you have a conservative or Republican blog you'd like to see a Member of Congress appear on, put in a request with Ericka Andersen at ericka.andersen@mail.house.gov. Enjoy: Re [...]  More

Watch today's House Republican Leadership Press Conference below and find text of the remarks here.   More

If you missed our "End the Bailouts: A Greek Forum" earlier today, you can view some photos from the event. These are from the House Republican Conference Flickr account but have a look here. Don't forget to check out scenes from all of our events at Flickr. Here you go:   More

CMS says ObamaCare may jeopardize access for seniors   Just as the Obama Administration begins to implement ObamaCare, a large number of doctors are deciding to drop out of Medicare and not treat seniors.   In new data from the Houston Chronicle, more than 300 doctors have stopped seeing Medicare patients in Texas over the last two year [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, gave the following statement today at a Republican Leadership press conference: Good morning. If there was one message from primary elections across the country yesterday, it was this: the American people are tired of business as usual in Washington, D.C. Even the Democrat w [...]  More

The Washington Times: Conservatives Oppose Bailouts in Europe Conservative Republicans are trying to stop the United States from participating in the bailout of overindebted European countries through the International Monetary Fund. Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, chairman of the House Republican Conference, is hosting what he calls a "Greek" forum o [...]  More

All your details are here, including our Live U-Stream coverage. In case you missed our recent paper on this very subject, here is an excerpt of "Bailouts Go International--The IMF, the U.S., and the Fiscal Crisis": The Greek Bailout:  On Sunday, May 2, 2010, the IMF and the EU announced that they had agreed to terms on a $146 billion assista [...]  More

Roll Call's popular "Office Space" series today features the personal office of House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence. The videos give constituents and viewers an opportunity to see and hear why Members of Congress decorate their walls with certain mementos, photos and memories. Pence has an office full of special objects, which Roll Cal [...]  More

Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, along with additional Members of Congress, will host: "End the Bailouts: A Greek Forum" inviting leading economic experts to discuss the current situation in Greece and Europe, and the impact these bailouts have on the U.S. economy and its taxpayers. The "End the Bailouts: A Gre [...]  More

Over the next ten years, ObamaCare will spend $2.5 bilion on comparative effectiveness research, which will research appropriate medical care for everyone in the United States. ObamaCare’s comparative effectiveness research board is modeled after the British Health System, where medical care is rationed.      President O [...]  More

Please see an excerpt of Rep. John Kline's piece from today's Washington Examiner: Across the country, Americans continue to express their frustration with business-as-usual in Washington where special interests secure backroom deals that run contrary to the national interest. Voters expect their elected leaders to fight for a level playing field [...]  More

From the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner: Washington Democrats remain divided and indifferent towards proposing a budget, missing a valuable opportunity to provide the fiscal discipline economists say is needed to create jobs and grow our economy.  It also sends a terrible signal to the American people and the international co [...]  More

Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, along with additional Members of Congress, will host: "End the Bailouts: A Greek Forum" inviting leading economic experts to discuss the current situation in Greece and Europe, and the impact these bailouts have on the U.S. econ [...]  More

ObamaCare included $5 billion for a temporary high risk pool program for two years.  Several states cited insufficient federal  funds and additional costs to their taxpayers as the reason they didn’t want to run the program.  As a result, HHS will run the program in 18 states.   In this Forbes article, a health care analy [...]  More

House Republican Leader John Boehner said Thursday that Democrats do not have the votes to pass their budget, which is why they've not moved a blueprint forward. Additionally, the Congressional Research Service confirms that if the Democrats do not produce a budget, it would be unprecedented. The production of a budget is critical to American jobs [...]  More

Rep. Todd Akin (MO) published a piece today in the Washington Examiner. See an excerpt of this unique post: For nearly a year, the Justice Department has been quietly investigating a group of lawyers sponsored, in part, by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) known as the John Adams Project.  These lawyers have provided photographs of co [...]  More

"American taxpayers should not be forced to bear the risk for nations that have avoided making tough choices.” U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, joined Conference Vice-Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee Rep. Jerry Lewis, Rep. Jeb Hensarling, and Rep. Kay [...]  More

In a new study, actuaries have concluded that ObamaCare could cost Indiana taxpayers an additional $3.5 billion.   The bulk of the additional costs will come from Medicaid expansion.  ObamaCare expands Medicaid eligibility to 138 percent of federal poverty level. Since the mid-‘90s, Tennessee has had an expanded Medicaid program, [...]  More

It isn't surprising given the President's low approval rating and disappointing job numbers but Americans are shifting to favor the GOP in overwelming numbers. Read a piece on the subject from todays Wall Street Journal: Republicans have solidified support among voters who had drifted from the party in recent elections, putting the GOP in position [...]  More

Rep. Mike Rogers (MI), Ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee's Terrorism Subcomittee and a former FBI special agent, wrote a column today for the New York Post: That drove the point home: Somehow, we're back to a 1993 mindset on terrorism. Holder actually boasts that law enforcement is "the backbone of our national-security effort [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives (text below):   “Our country is weary of borrowing and spending and bailouts from Washington, D.C. so the American people deserve to know we are bailing out Greece and future [...]  More

CMS says some Pay-fors may not materialize In a new analysis of ObamaCare, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has concluded that ObamaCare will cost at least $115 billion more than it originally estimated.     In addition, CBO can’t provide an estimate on an additional 52 line items because the legislation left it up to the [...]  More

CBO Confirms Other Negative Impacts for Families and Communities According to a May 5, 2010, CBO report, under cap-and-tax legislation such as the House-passed H.R. 2454 or the Kerry-Lieberman Senate bill, “some people would lose health insurance coverage associated with their previous employer” after they lose their job due to the nat [...]  More

From the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner: Democrats still don’t get it, and they refuse to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government mortgage companies that sparked the meltdown by giving high-risk loans to people who couldn’t afford it.   Standing up for American taxpayers, CNBC’s on-air editor, [...]  More

Rep. Geoff Davis (KY) published his regular column today. Please see an excerpt of "Setting a Responsible Budget for Our Future": Creating a responsible budget is essential for any successful business or cost-conscious family.  For generations, parents have worked and lived within their means to provide a better future for their children.&nbs [...]  More

 52 percent think ObamaCare is a bad bill; 54 percent want it repealed  “At long last, this is what health care reform is achieving.  This is what change looks like.” -- President Obama, May 8, 2010 Since ObamaCare was signed into on March 23, 2010, “this is what change looks like.”   Higher Costs:&nbs [...]  More

With national unemployment now at 9.9 percent, employers are considering whether to provide health insurance or pay a penalty and eliminate jobs under ObamaCare.   The medical device makers have already decided that they will eliminate jobs because of the new tax of medical devices.   Now, some of the nation’s largest employers are [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement today after the Department of Labor reported the national unemployment rate for April rose to 9.9 percent: These are difficult times for America’s families and today’s unemployment report delivers even more bad news. Democrats continu [...]  More

From the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner: Calling it a “government takeover of the Internet,” House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) blasted the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) new plan to impose job-killing “net neutrality” regulations that will undermine our economy and the success of I [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in celebration of the 59th National Day of Prayer (text below):   “Today is the 59th celebration of the National Day of Prayer. Like most Americans, I believe that the effective an [...]  More

ObamaCare included a $20 billion job-killing tax increase on medical devices, and the medical device industry is already preparing to cut costs as a result of the tax increase, which doesn’t begin until January 1, 2013.   A recent survey of the Massachusetts Medical Industry Research Council found that about 90 percent of medical devic [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement today as he joined 35 of his colleagues in signing a letter written by Congressman Trent Franks (R-AZ) to the Secretary of Defense. The letter urges Secretary Gates to reconsider the military’s decision to revoke its invitation to Rev. [...]  More

From the office of House Leader John Boehner: The White House rolled out a little-noticed list of “Top 10 Most Wanted Lobbyist Loopholes” yesterday, but White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer conveniently left out a number of loopholes the White House has strongly supported - some backed by key campaign contributors like mega [...]  More

Rep. Buck McKeon (CA) published a guest blog post on The Foundry today. Please see an excerpt below: During his successful presidential campaign against Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan introduced the American electorate and the broader international community to a new doctrine that would contribute greatly to defeating the Soviet Union.  His idea [...]  More

Fixing the “doc fix” is going to cost the taxpayers more money than previously estimated, according to a new analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).   Democratic leaders had previously tried to pass the doc fix as part of ObamaCare.  However, they decided to take it out, so they wouldn’t have to pay for it si [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in regards to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (text below): “The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is an ongoing tragedy, and the American people deserve action to protect our Gulf and [...]  More

Rep. Paul Ryan (WI), House Budget Committee Ranking Republican, wants Americans to know the truth behind recent claims made by General Motors (GM). GM and Obama Administration officials have said that the automaker's bailout has been fully repaid to the American taxpayer but this is not accurate. As Ryan said in a recent statement, "the automaker [...]  More

From the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner: House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and members of the House GOP Savings Solutions Group sent a letter to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warning the Obama Administration that the government should keep its hands off of the retirement savings of Am [...]  More

Rep. Peter King (NY), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, issued a statement following the arrest of Faisel Shahzad. Shahzad, a Pakistani-born U.S. citizen, was arrested after an attempted car bomb attempt in New York City on Saturday.  King often speaks out on these issues and also appeared this morning to discuss the issue [...]  More

Citing additional costs to their taxpayers and more government bureaucracy, at least 17 states have decided not to participate in the temporary high risk pool program. Late Friday, Florida and Texas notified HHS that they would not participate.   Texas:  “…the state of Texas cannot today commit to operating the new high-risk [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following remarks today on NBC's Meet the Press. See the following excerpts:   On Florida Senate Race   Rep. Pence:  I endorsed Marco Rubio in February. I think the real story here is that Marco Rubio won the primary early. He launched a campaign, a c [...]  More