Farmington 411 Information Resource

Dear Friends,

The President is (re-) re-launching his effort to sell a skeptical public on the new job-killing health care law today with a telephone town hall meeting in Wheaton, Md. Complicating matters for the White House are news accounts of mounting evidence the new law is killing small business jobs at a time when our economy can least afford to lose them.

Yesterday, I held a roundtable discussion with constituents at Savage City Hall. During the meeting, an Apple Valley woman (at right) who owns a small business and employs five people shared with me her frustrations regarding Obamacare. Because of the recession, she hasn’t taken a penny of salary this year. “I don’t want to lay off any of my employees,” she said. “And this health care bill will kill us, absolutely kill us… The federal government has to stop looking at the small business as the ‘evil guy.’ We’re tired of legislation that penalizes the companies and ultimately kills jobs.”

Instead of taking real action to address similar fears being voiced by men and women across the nation, the White House is trying yet another public relations reboot. This time, their PR efforts are aimed at seniors, who have been especially skeptical of the new health care law and its Medicare cuts and cost hikes. Unfortunately, the Administration’s spin fail to alleviate some of the largest fears facing seniors:

1. Medicare Cuts. At a town hall meeting last August, the President said, “I just want to assure [you] we’re not talking about cutting Medicare benefits.” But according to the President’s own actuary at the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS), the new health care law includes roughly $575 billion in Medicare cuts. As a result of these cuts, enrollment in the popular Medicare Advantage program will be slashed in half. There seems to be some truth behind Sen. Harry Reid’s statement last year that “Medicare Advantage is gone.”

2. Jeopardizing Access to Care. The President repeatedly promised that under his plan, “if you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor.” But the CMS actuary also determined that as a result of these substantial Medicare cuts, “providers might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).” In fact, one out of every six hospitals, nursing homes, and other similar providers could be operating at a loss by 2019.

3. Higher Costs. One of the benchmarks the President set for the new law was that it would lower Americans’ health care costs. This especially matters for seniors on fixed incomes. But the CMS report found the new law will actually increase the nation’s health care tab. The actuaries also asserted price increases “should be considered plausible and even probable” after the law’s enactment.

4. Rationing of Care. Last summer the President essentially mocked claims his health care plan would lead to rationing. But his nominee to take over CMS, Dr. Donald Berwick, has previously indicated his support for federal restrictions on medical treatments that are too costly. He has noted that because “we have a limited resource pool…the decision is not whether or not we will ration care – the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open.” Is it wise to have the leader of one of the government agencies responsible for implementing the new law be someone who endorses rationing?

5. Protecting Medicare. The Administration recently distributed a mailing stating the new law will “keep Medicare strong and solvent,” but CMS has already concluded these deep Medicare cuts cannot be used to make the program more efficient or solvent. How can the Administration make a claim like this when the Democratic Congress cannot even pass a budget to deal with the growing debt that is increasing the strain on our entitlement programs?

Each day, House Republicans distribute updated information on the impact the new health care law has on small businesses, families, and all Americans. Click here for more information.

According to a recent survey, the majority of Americans continues to support the repeal of the new health care law because they know it will increase costs, destroy jobs, and lead to steep Medicare cuts that will hurt seniors. House Republicans have proposed legislation to repeal this government takeover of health care and replace it with commonsense reforms focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs. To read more, click here.

I encourage you to share this important information with your parents; grandparents; and any other friends, family, or neighbors who are seniors so they too can better understand what impact the new health care law will have on them.

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Honor Our Fallen Heroes
by Supporting Our Veterans
of Today and Tomorrow

Dear Friends,

As I travel throughout the 2nd district in Minnesota and visit with constituents, more and more Minnesotans share with me their frustrations over the increased partisan rancor in Congress. Whether it’s Washington’s inability to recognize the need to enact legislation that helps create private-sector jobs, or the big-spending, overreaching, backroom-dealing culture that has engulfed Congress, I share my constituents’ frustrations.

Americans deserve better.

Fortunately, some of the most important business we do in Congress is still conducted through good old-fashioned respect and cooperation. In recent weeks, I have been pleased to work closely with Democrats and Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense bill that serves as the budgetary blueprint for the Pentagon.

As the father whose son is currently serving his second tour in Afghanistan, the husband of an Army nurse, and a 25-year veteran of the Marine Corps, I was pleased to craft and support legislation that supports our troops, veterans, and their families. Together, members of the Armed Services Committee are sending a unified message to our troops: We continue to support you in your mission.

Included in this year’s defense bill is an amendment I introduced that improves the Yellow Ribbon program, which is modeled on the Minnesota National Guard’s “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Program.” My amendment encourages cooperation among members of the Armed Forces; increases awareness among communities and local organizations; promotes a greater emphasis on families; and encourages their participation in reintegration programs. I have closely monitored the implementation of the Yellow Ribbon program in Minnesota, and I am pleased to have been able to make the national program even better – especially in the wake of the recent announcement that approximately 2,700 Minnesota National Guard troops will deploy to Iraq in 2011.

The defense bill also includes my amendment to deploy additional life-saving combat enablers to Afghanistan. This will provide our troops with the force protection; medical evaluation; and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance assets necessary to accomplish their mission and return home safely.

During these difficult economic times, it is more important than ever to ensure our troops receive the support and assistance they need when they return home to their families, communities, and jobs. While national unemployment hovers near a troubling 10 percent, the rate for unemployed veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is significantly higher – 21.1 percent according to the Department of Labor. In light of these figures, I am pleased my amendment to help our wounded warriors compete for good jobs by expediting bureaucratic delays was included in the defense bill.

I still remain concerned that this bill could do more to defend America and protect her citizens. We could go much further in making a robust commitment to missile defense; strengthening our overall nuclear defense posture; preventing the transfer of terrorists held at Guantanamo Bay to American soil; and refusing to address the future of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. There is still time for Congress to address these shortcomings before a final bill gets sent to the President, and I will work to that end.

This Memorial Day, we once again honor those who gave their lives to defend our freedom. What better way to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and preserve the legacies of these heroes whom we owe so much than by meeting the needs of our veterans of today and tomorrow.

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Dear Friends,

For far too long, Washington has failed to listen to the American people. Whether forcing a government takeover of health care, passing a national energy tax, piling up record deficits, or exacerbating our nation’s jobs crisis, the actions of this Congress have run contrary to the will of the American people.

America is ready for a new agenda in Washington and deserves a Congress that listens to the American people. House Republicans plan to offer the nation a new set of solutions to our nation’s challenges that reflect your priorities. Accordingly,
I am joining my colleagues today in launching an exciting initiative that instantly gives you, the Minnesotans I represent, a voice in creating our national agenda.

AmericaSpeakingOut.com is an interactive website through which you and other Americans can share your ideas for how best to address the many challenges facing our nation. This project will feature innovative web tools and mobile applications that will bring virtual town hall meetings directly to your doorstep.

Changing the course of our nation and putting an end to the big-spending, overreaching, backroom-dealing culture of Washington will require your help. Through AmericaSpeakingOut.com, the people will once again have a voice in Washington, and my colleagues and I stand ready to act on your behalf. Please take part in the new initiative and make your voice heard.

“America Speaking Out” isn’t the only exciting project we have introduced recently to amplify your voice in Washington.

Last week, 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.

Since its launch, YouCut has been an unprecedented success. In just more than one week, more than 450,000 votes have been cast and the first YouCut vote has already been brought to the House floor. Start voting now at http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/

Now more than ever, Americans want maximum transparency and increased oversight on what their elected officials in Washington are doing on their behalf. Anyone with a computer can now watch live streaming video of the U.S. House of Representatives through “HouseLive.”

Much like C-SPAN TV, HouseLive gives visitors to http://house.gov a way to watch the chamber’s proceedings live. But HouseLive also has an easy-to-use archive stretching back to January 2009 – along with a summary of each day’s legislative action. In addition, it includes joint meetings and sessions of Congress.

The Internal Revenue Service is hosting a nationwide Open House on Saturday, June 5 to help small businesses and individuals solve tax problems. The Minneapolis Taxpayer Assistance Center at 250 Marquette Avenue, and the St. Paul center at 30 East Seventh Street are among approximately 200 IRS offices hosting the open house from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

IRS staff will be available on site or by telephone to help taxpayers work through their problems and walk out with solutions. They will be equipped to handle issues including notices and payments, return preparation, and audits. At a similar nationwide IRS open house in March, nearly 90 percent of the taxpayers who sought help had their issues resolved the same day.

Dear Friends,

Last Friday, the Department of Labor reported the nation’s unemployment rate rose to 9.9 percent despite the President’s promise that the trillion-dollar “stimulus” would keep unemployment below 8 percent. The number of long-term unemployed – those out of work for 27 weeks or longer – now account for 46 percent of the unemployed, a new record.

The American people continue to show the strength and determination that will once again lift our nation out of difficult economic times. Yet the latest jobs report is also a stark reminder of the challenges ahead and the cost of the majority leadership’s reckless agenda that has eliminated more than 2.6 million jobs and kept unemployment hovering near 10 percent.

It’s no surprise the American people want their money back and a new direction for our nation. In the past 16 months, Congress passed:

• An $862 billion stimulus package that created debt instead of jobs;
• A federal budget that doubles the national debt in five years and triples it in 10;
• A “cap-and-trade” energy tax that will kill jobs and cost the average family an extra $3,900 each year; and
• A trillion-dollar health care bill marked by accounting tricks, legislative gimmicks, and backroom deals.

The last thing our country needs is to plunge deeper into debt to pay for even more wasteful government spending. We need robust private sector job creation to give workers the long-term stability they and their families need. That’s why I have joined Republican colleagues in proposing commonsense solutions for job creation including tax incentives for small businesses and tax relief for working families. The sooner majority leadership drops their unsustainable spending schemes and takes up our jobs plan, the better.

Each year, I have the pleasure of honoring art students throughout the district who participate in the annual Congressional “Artistic Discovery” competition. Montgomery-Lonsdale sophomore Hannah Young won the competition this year with her acrylic painting, “Autumn,” which will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building. Faribault junior Marci Lessman was the runner-up and Apple Valley senior Rachel Dietz finished third. I continue to be impressed with Minnesota’s young artists, and I look forward to proudly displaying their impressive artwork in my Minnesota and Washington offices.

Recent statements and reports from the administration’s own experts and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office have made clear that supporters of the new health care law were not being truthful about the bill’s full impact on our nation’s finances.

Earlier this week, the nonpartisan CBO released its latest analysis showing that the President’s new health care law will cost at least $115 billion more than originally estimated – more than twice the size originally estimated when the President signed the law in March. The new report nearly wipes out the purported deficit reduction in the law.

• Politico: CBO ups health care cost projections
• YouTube: Real-life Consequences to Government Takeover of Health Care

This is just the latest in a long line of “somber” analyses, reports, and studies regarding the health care law. Last month, an analysis by the Obama Administration’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a report showing that the new law actually increases national health care costs after President Obama pledged it would not. The American people want real health care reform that will bring down costs, not raise them. I continue to urge my colleagues to repeal and replace this flawed law with the commonsense reform the American people deserve.

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus is a bipartisan, bicameral group of members who are dedicated to promoting conservation efforts and preserving our critical habitat. Recently, members of the caucus gathered for an annual shoot-out in which Republicans and Democrats compete in a trap, skeet, and sporting clay competition.

I was pleased to be named one of Washington’s “sharpest shooters” for the third time in four years when I was named Republican Top Gun. Minnesota is well represented in the caucus with Sen. Al Franken and Reps. Jim Oberstar, Collin Peterson, Michele Bachmann, Tim Walz, and Erik Paulsen also belonging.

On Tuesday evening, I hosted a telephone town hall meeting with thousands of constituents. During the call, I also invited them to respond to a survey question that asked which issue is most important to them. Nearly two-thirds of those responding indicated concern with government spending, the economy, and jobs. The question and results are below:

Which one issue is most important to you?

• Government spending – 33 percent (114 votes)
• Economy/Jobs – 30 percent (103)
• Health care – 19 percent (65)
• Immigration – 11 percent (40)
• Taxes – 8 percent (27)