Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. Madam Speaker, what a mess. Truly, what a mess.

Just about 9 months ago, I stood on this floor when we were debating the Biden bailout bill, and I warned the gentleman from Nevada how much the seniors in his State were going to lose in Medicare cuts. I said it State by State for everyone who spoke. You know what? Everyone on that side of the aisle, Madam Speaker, acted like it wouldn't happen. They still wanted to spend $2 trillion.

But guess what? Reality has set in, and we are here. Unless you try to wipe away the scorecard for your reckless spending, seniors are going to have cuts. Why? Because of a law that Democrats passed in 2010, the Pay-As-You-Go Act.

Nancy Pelosi loved the act then. President Obama signed that act into law, Madam Speaker. You guys just want to wipe the slate clean.

Madam Speaker, we are here today for two reasons. First, because Democrats blew up a bipartisan agreement this afternoon--this afternoon--and second is because there are looming cuts to seniors and farmers and to programs that millions of Americans rely on because of reckless Democrat spending.

Republicans have warned since March that these cuts would happen. In fact, the $2 trillion Biden bailout bill that Democrats rammed through Congress is what triggered a sizable portion of these cuts in the first place under the Pay-As-You-Go Act.

Their bailout bill is the largest tranche of spending ever added to a paygo scorecard in the history of Congress--in the history of Congress--the $2 trillion expenditure back in March.

Speaker Pelosi said in 2009 that pay-as-you-go budgeting ``will help return our Nation to sound fiscal health.'' It was President Obama who signed paygo into law, as I stated. But now the Democrat deficit spending is forcing cuts, and they are singing a much different tune.

In fact, just today--just today--the chairman of the House Budget Committee said about paygo: It ``has never been an effective tool of fiscal policy.''

The fact is, Democrats should be working in a bipartisan way to protect seniors from these cuts, including those stemming from the Budget Control Act sequester and the Medicare physician fee schedule. But in typical fashion, Democrats have decided to abandon bipartisanship and just kick the can down the road over and over again.

We can stop these cuts, but we should do it in a responsible way, one that addresses wasteful spending and puts in place some commonsense reforms.

How about rescinding money from the Biden bailout bill that is fueling inflation? Maybe Congress could tighten up our laws so Federal benefits and payments aren't flowing to illegal immigrants instead of American citizens, or put commonsense work requirements in place for Federal programs so American businesses can reopen.

Legislation I have introduced today does just that, and I would hope my colleagues across the aisle would support this effort to save seniors and others from cuts.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SMITH of Missouri. This includes those cuts Democrats have directly caused with their reckless spending this year. Since the beginning of this Congress, House Democrats have passed $7 trillion--$7 trillion--in new spending.

We have an inflation crisis, a border crisis, an energy crisis, and Democrats also chose to create a debt limit crisis that they want Republicans to help solve. One party, one rule, this is what you get.

We have been clear from the beginning: If Democrats are going to pursue a partisan agenda that adds trillions to the debt, they can find the votes to raise the debt limit themselves. Republicans will not cosign a loan to enact a radical socialist agenda.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source