Winning and Losing

Statement

This week in Washington, the House of Representatives took its first vote on the inaugural YouCut project winner: cutting $2.5 Billion from the Non-Reformed Welfare Program.

Fed up with reckless spending in Washington, the American public flocked to YouCut and chose wasteful welfare spending as the first government largess to hit the chopping block. Over 280,000 Americans participated in the first round of YouCut, an innovative program allowing the American people to vote online or by text message on their top spending cut and then including the winning cut in legislation on the House floor.

Unfortunately for the American people, the Democrat Majority continues to ignore their opinions and showcase an addiction to spending -- defeating the YouCut spending reduction by a vote of 240-177 on the House floor yesterday.

I believe that our nation should look no further than Greece to see the consequences of Democrats' tax-and- spend agenda. Congress must cut spending -- and cut spending now -- to save future American generations from a similar fate. That is why House Republicans will not relent on spending cuts, partnering with the American people in telling the majority in Congress: no more spending binges.

The second round of YouCut voting has begun. To participate in YouCut, click on the image above or visit my website at sessions.house.gov and select the YouCut banner.

Small Biz Out of Luck on Healthcare Help
In last week's newsletter, I highlighted the National Federation of Independent Business' decision to join legal action against the new healthcare reform law because of the unsustainable burden it will place on small businesses.

With plummeting support for the new healthcare reform law, the Obama Administration this week launched a public relations campaign to tout the new "Small Business Tax Credit" for health insurance.

Unfortunately for small business owners, this new tax credit is little more than a "bait-and-switch:" only about 12 percent of small businesses will qualify for the new healthcare tax credit. After enduring a bureaucratic maze to apply for the tax credit, many small business owners will discover that they would need to cut jobs and/or depress wages to qualify for the full tax credit.

Here in excerpts from an Associated Press article published Thursday, small business owner Zach Hoffman describes his experience with the new small business tax credit:

But when he ran the numbers, [Zach] Hoffman discovered that his office furniture company wouldn't get any assistance with the $79,200 it pays annually in premiums for its 24 employees. "It leaves you with this feeling of a bait-and-switch," he said.

Lost in the fine print: The credit drops off sharply once a company gets above 10 workers and $25,000 average annual wages.

To get the most out of the new federal credit, Hoffman said he'd have to cut his work force to 10 employees and slash their wages. "That seems like a strange outcome, given we've got 10 percent unemployment," he said. (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, "FACT CHECK: Tax cut math doesn't add up for some," Associated Press, 5/20/2010)

A guaranteed job-killer, the new healthcare reform law promises most small businesses higher healthcare costs, mandatory insurance purchasing, or fines from the federal government. For small business owners who want to try their luck on healthcare tax credit eligibility, the Ways and Means Committee, Minority Side has released the following navigation chart:

Easter Seals Advocacy Award
On Wednesday, I was honored to receive the Easter Seals Advocacy Award for my work to increase opportunities for children and adults with disabilities. I was pleased to join Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in receiving an award at the Easter Seals Benefit held in Washington, DC.

As you may know, Easter Seals provides advocacy and services for millions of children, adults, and military service members/veterans living with disabilities and for their families. Now with 550 service centers in the U.S. and Australia, Easter Seals offers medical rehabilitation, employment training, children's services, adult and senior services, and social and skill development services.

Individuals with special needs are an important part of our communities, contributing and bringing joy to our lives in their own unique ways. As the father of a young man with intellectual disabilities, I understand firsthand the importance of providing resources and opportunities for people with special needs to develop to the best of their abilities.

That is why I have made disability advocacy one my top priorities in Congress. As you may remember, I worked to enact the Family Opportunity Act, which allows states to create a Medicaid "buy in" for families of children with disabilities whose family income or resources are up to 300% of federal poverty level. I also have championed extending work-study education benefits to individuals with intellectual disabilities.

In addition to these legislative victories, I serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus, which is dedicated to raising awareness and promoting public policies for the benefit of people with Down syndrome. In the 32nd congressional district, I have established a Special Needs Working Group of specialists and other parents of children with disabilities to help develop solutions and increase advocacy for the special needs community.

Easter Seals is a national leader for disability services, and I am pleased to receive the Easter Seals Advocacy Award as a partner in championing greater quality of life for people with disabilities. I look forward to continuing my work with the disability community to build an even brighter future for people with special needs by empowering them to achieve through social, educational, and workplace opportunities.

Source