Tom Price

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak in honor of a good friend, a committed patriot, and a great man of faith, Reverend Henry Holley. His remarkable lifetime of service is testament that putting your values to work can lead to real and demonstrable achievements in improving the lives of your fellow man. His tireless efforts to spread the word of God through the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is worthy of our praise and deserving of our thanks. Following his tour in the Pacific during World War II, Reverend Holley continued his service in the United States Marine Corps until 1966. Thereafter, he joined in common purpose with Reverend Graham. In due course, he was ordained into the Gospel ministry at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, located in Marietta. His ministry with Reverend Graham has sent him around the world, from Taipei to Hong Kong, from Manila to Tokyo. Notably, Reverend Holley organized the Korean 1973 Crusade in Seoul. On the last day of the Crusade, there were over 3.2 million people present to hear Reverend Graham in person. Reverend Holley and his devoted wife Bettie have made their home in Marietta, Georgia for the past 44 years. They are blessed to have three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, in 2005, I had the real honor of introducing Reverend Holley before his opening prayer on the floor of this House. Now, I have the privilege of offering thanks, on behalf of all Americans, for his life's efforts. For today, in North Carolina, Reverend Holley is celebrating his well-deserved retirement. Reverend Holley has truly earned a reputation as living out the Gospel, not only in Georgia, but around the world.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Our friends on the other side of the aisle seem to be so stuck in their Washington ways that they can't, they just can't see or recognize a positive solution when one is presented. I remind my colleague on the other side of the aisle that we are mired in the worst recovery, economic recovery in the modern era--the worst economic recovery in the modern era--slowest. In fact, there are fewer people working right now, Mr. Speaker, than there were when the recession began. That is what the other side has brought us. They want to double down on these policies. The American people clearly understand that there is a better way. There are positive solutions that we ought to be putting in place. I want to talk specifically about the Medicare proposal because the distortion and mischaracterization of the positive patient-centered solution that we have put forward in the area of Medicare continues over and over and over from our friends on the other side, and it really doesn't contribute to the important work, the important conversation that we must have as a nation. The fact of the matter, Mr. Speaker, is that, as you know and the American people know, the Medicare program is going broke. That is not Representative Price saying that. That is not me saying that. That is the Medicare actuaries, the folks who are charged with letting us know, as a nation, how the program is doing from a financial standpoint. What they say is that it is not doing very well, and it is getting worse and worse and worse. In fact, in 2030, the fact of the matter is that the program will not be able to provide the services that have been promised to seniors. So the solution for our friends on the other side is what? Do nothing. Stick your head in the sand. Don't worry about that. Don't pay any attention to that man behind the curtain. Nothing. Under their plan, seniors in this country are destined to inherit, in a very short period of time, a Medicare program that doesn't provide the services promised. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that as a formerly practicing physician, folks are concerned. I hear from my medical colleagues daily-- literally, daily--the concerns that they have about our healthcare system, and especially about the Medicare program and about the challenges that exist because of governmental intervention and because of the rules and the regulations that are heaped upon more rules and more regulations to make it more difficult for them to even care for patients. So what do we believe is the appropriate thing to do? We think we ought to save and strengthen and secure Medicare. That is the right solution. So in spite of the mischaracterization of our friends on the other side about the proposal that we put forward, it is, indeed, to save and strengthen and secure Medicare. The fact of the matter is seniors understand and appreciate that, and they desire us, as a body, to come together and solve that challenge, solve that challenge together. So I invite my friends to join us in working together for a positive solution. Further, I do want to thank my colleague for bringing this motion to the floor today because this is an important debate that we are having. The debate is very fundamental. It is about how we are to build a stronger nation, how we are to provide greater opportunity for all Americans. What we believe is that we recognize that the economy is not moving as it should, that wages are stagnant, that the economy is underperforming. At the very least, our friends on the other side ought to admit that we can do better. So it is a bit troubling to see that the policies that they continue to champion look remarkably similar to the sorts of policies that have been tried and, frankly, failed over the past 6 years. While our Nation has piled up trillions of dollars of more debt, our economy hasn't grown as it should. In fact, this has been, as I mentioned, the worst recovery in the modern era, leaving millions of Americans still struggling simply to make ends meet. Our budget is a balanced budget, Mr. Speaker. We adopted a plan that would grow our economy, that would empower individuals, that would empower families and job creators in our local communities, all the while holding Washington accountable and protecting our Nation. Our budget, as you will recall, Mr. Speaker, balances in less than 10 years, and it does so without raising taxes, in contrast to the budget of our friends on the other side of the aisle and the President's budget, I might add, that never, ever, ever gets to balance. We reduce spending at the governmental level by $5.5 trillion over a 10-year period of time, higher than any previous budget proposal. We call for a fairer and simpler Tax Code to promote job creation and a healthy economy. We repeal ObamaCare in its entirety, all of its taxes and regulations and its mandates so that we can put in place patient- centered health care, putting patients and families and doctors in charge of health care, not Washington, D.C., expanding the opportunity for access to quality, affordable health coverage. As I mentioned, we have a plan to save and strengthen and secure Medicare and Medicaid, things that are absolutely vital for the American people, and they understand that. Our budget provides for a strong national defense, through robust funding of troop training and equipment and compensation. We promote innovation and flexibility in the area of Medicaid so that we can save that program, provide flexibility in the area of nutrition assistance and education and other programs. Our budget proposes to cut waste and eliminate redundancies and end the practice of Washington picking winners and losers in our economy, all the while calling for reforms to our Nation's regulatory system to improve transparency and effectiveness and efficiency and accountability. Mr. Speaker, we have endorsed an optimistic vision, a vision for America's future by credibly--credibly--addressing our fiscal and economic challenges so that we can deliver real results for the American people. Since both the House and the Senate have passed our respective budgets, we must now work together to iron out any differences that there may be between the two, and we need to come to an agreement for a unified fiscal year 2016 budget. This conference committee is the next vital step in the days to come, and we will sit down and discuss how to advance these positive solutions in order to secure more economic growth and opportunity, hold Washington accountable, promote patient-centered health care, and ensure a strong national defense. We look forward to working with the Senate and the House Conference Committee and follow that with passage in this Congress of a unified budget to balance the budget in this Nation in less than 10 years. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Well, as I await one of our Members who is heading to the floor to share his concerns about the motion to instruct, let me just revisit, once again, the positive solutions that we have put forward in our budget. This is a balanced budget for a stronger America. It is a budget that gets to balance within a 10-year period of time and does so without raising taxes. It recognizes that the American people have realized not the full glory of ObamaCare yet, but they have seen enough. And they recognize that it is harming not just their health care; it is harming the economy. So we repeal all of ObamaCare--yes, all of it, taxes, regulations, mandates, all of it--and we do so, again, not just because it is harming the economy, but, as a formerly practicing physician, I can tell you it is harming the health care of the American people. We eliminate the Independent Payment Advisory Board. Mr. Speaker, as you know, that is the 15-member panel that was prescribed for by the Affordable Care Act, by ObamaCare, that stipulates to physicians whether or not they are going to pay the doctor for services rendered to seniors not just before the fact of the care being provided, but after the fact, harming the ability of seniors to be able to access quality care in this country. We provide for a strong national defense, the resources necessary for a strong national defense, and do so at a level above the President's level. We secure our future in the area of Medicare and Medicaid and provide an idea for how we make certain that the Social Security disability trust fund does not go broke and moves forward in a positive way. We restore the issue of Federalism, increasing choices and opportunity for the American people at the local level, whether it is in Medicaid or nutrition assistance or in the area of education or other programs. And then finally, Mr. Speaker, we cut waste and corporate welfare and improve accountability. We do so by ending the practice of Washington picking winners and losers. We call for reform for the regulatory system so that we increase transparency and efficiency and effectiveness and accountability. It is a positive solution, a positive solution that the American people have been crying out for. They have been crying out for not just solutions here, but leadership here in Washington. My colleagues on our side of the aisle have talked about how enthusiastic they are about the opportunity to have the Senate and the House come together, come together for a positive solution in the area of budget process and budget activity. So I am pleased that the gentleman from Maryland brought the motion to instruct forward. As I say, I reluctantly have to oppose it because I think it compromises and ties the hands of individuals within the conference committee. I urge a ``no'' vote on the motion to instruct, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Let me inquire, once again, Mr. Speaker, if I may, of how much time remains on each side.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1 of rule XXII, and at the direction of the Committee on the Budget, I offer a motion.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will remind my colleagues that, the week before we left for our Easter break, the House passed a budget in this Chamber and that the Senate passed a budget as well, and this motion does something very simple. It simply says that we will work to combine the best features of those two resolutions: to restrain the size and the scope of government, to reduce spending, and to balance the budget without raising taxes. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the motion. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall), a member of the Budget Committee and Rules Committee.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. May I inquire as to whether or not the gentleman has any more speakers?

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), a wonderfully contributing member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate the comments that have been made by my colleagues to bring into focus the positive solutions that we have been working for with our budget. I reluctantly oppose the motion to instruct, as it compromises the ability of the conference committee to fashion the best possible solution. I will say, Mr. Speaker, however, that the distortions that have been presented, I think they have gone past frustrating the American people. They anger the American people about the distortion of positions here in Washington. The American people are smarter than that. Our side of the aisle, we are interested in making certain that we assist all Americans, every single American, so that he or she has the greatest opportunity to realize the greatest amount of success in their own dreams, in their own lives, in the way that they deem to be most appropriate, not with Washington dictating to them what they must do. I want to touch on a couple of very specific issues that have been mentioned by my friend from Maryland and others on the other side of the aisle. Our balanced budget proposal gets to balance within a 10-year period of time. It does so without raising taxes, and it increases growth. Now, the growth is important, Mr. Speaker, and our friends mentioned it on the other side of the aisle, as if the policies that have been in place over the past 6 years had some magical solution that they increased growth in this country. Well, the fact of the matter, Mr. Speaker, is that as we see it in this chart--this is from the Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, as my friend from Maryland says. These are the projections of growth that the Congressional Budget Office has had over the last 4 years. Four years ago, 3.0 percent. The average, Mr. Speaker, as you all well know, is about 3.3 percent over the last 40 years, growth in this country. That is in the economy, growing every year, 3.3 percent on average. And the projection 4 years ago was that it would be 3 percent. Three years ago, it was down to 2.9 percent; 2 years ago, 2.5 percent; this year, 2.3 percent. This is lost jobs, lost opportunity, fewer dreams realized all because of the policies coming out of Washington, D.C., and our friends on the other side want to double down on those policies. Our proposal, our budget that gets to balance--which our friends on the other side of the aisle and their budget never does; the President's budget never gets to balance; something that folks back home can't do. They can't do it in their personal lives. They can't do it in their businesses. Our budget gets to balance and increases growth--increases growth--because that is what we have got to do. We have got to increase growth in this economy so that more dreams can be realized, more jobs can be created, wages can be increased. The way you increase wages is to increase the vitality of the economy, not have Washington dictate it to people. And then this tired old characterization of our proposal to save and strengthen and secure Medicare and the way that it is characterized is to voucherize it. Well, this is nonsense, Mr. Speaker, and the American people know it. What we propose to do is to save Medicare, not allow it to die on the vine, which is what our friends on the other side of the aisle apparently want to do. Because when you read their policies, they don't do anything to address the insolvency of Medicare that is coming in a very short period of time--not according to me, but according to the Medicare trustees--and what that means is that patients, seniors, won't be able to get provided the services that they have been promised. That is not the right thing to do, Mr. Speaker. Our friends on the other side talk about all the tax loopholes, and goodness knows we have been for cutting tax loopholes and closing tax loopholes before closing tax loopholes was cool. We just can't get out and get folks to rally to the cause in a positive way from our friends on the other side of the aisle. My friend from Maryland knows that the way that that is fashioned is in the Ways and Means Committee. It is not in the Budget Committee. The Budget Committee lays out the vision, lays out the plan, lays out the parameters that are able to be utilized. As my friend from Maryland knows, the Ways and Means Committee is actively working right now-- actively working right now--on appropriate tax reform. It was the tax reform proposal that was put forward by our side of the aisle last year that demonstrated our willingness and desire to close loopholes and to end special treatments through the Tax Code. We believe everybody ought to be treated equally in the Tax Code, not have Washington picking winners and losers, which is what our friends on the other side tend to desire. Then again, this distorted notion about healthcare costs and where healthcare costs are going right now. Healthcare costs are down. That is right, Mr. Speaker. Who are they down for? They are down for the Federal Government. Who are they not down for? The American people. That is who they are not down for. What we have done with the President's healthcare program is to shift huge costs--huge costs--to the American people. If you are an individual out there, you make $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 right now, and the coverage that you are able to purchase right now--because ObamaCare has a deduction, has a deductible in your health plan of between $6,000 and $12,000, which countless Americans have right now. Let me suggest, Mr. Speaker, that you don't have health coverage because you can't afford the deductible. But that is the proposal that our friends on the other side of the aisle embrace. That is the one that they want to put forward. And who are they harming? They are harming the American people, and the American people know it. They know there is a better solution. They know that there is a better way. There is a positive way, a patient- centered solution manner to be able to get health care back on track, and that is what we propose in the area of health care. With that, Mr. Speaker, I think I have got one more speaker who is desirous of coming to the floor, so I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford), another member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains?

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Who has the right to close, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to speak in honor of the wonderful work that linemen do across this great nation. It is a privilege that my office was able to introduce a resolution supporting the designation of April 18, 2015 as National Lineman Appreciation Day. These brave men and women toil every day on behalf of public safety, and for that every American is rightfully thankful for all that they do. Linemen have a long and storied history in this nation. It is a profession that is often passed down from one generation to the next. The danger of working atop power lines channeling thousands of volts of electricity requires courageous and dedicated individuals up to the challenge. When storms and other catastrophic events occur in our communities, linemen are often there as first responders, working hand in hand with other public safety heroes to secure the scene. Mr. Speaker, since these men and women often go unrecognized, and because of the unique danger they often find themselves in by tirelessly working to maintain our nation's energy infrastructure, it is entirely fitting and proper to set aside a day of national recognition, April 18, 2015, as National Lineman Appreciation Day.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize a very important day in U.S.-Taiwan relations. April 10th marks the 36th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). This important statute has been critical in defining the diplomatic, economic, and strategic relationship we have enjoyed with Taiwan over the last four decades. The TRA has strengthened our relationship and helped to encourage a particularly strong economic partnership. Over the course of the last few decades, Taiwan has created a thriving and innovative economy that most countries around the world envy. Taiwan plays a critical role in the supply of everyday products and is fully integrated in the global economy. Also, as we near the 70th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War, it is just and appropriate that we remember the Republic of China's important contributions to the alliance that defeated fascist militarism in that heroic struggle. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to many more decades of cooperation between the United States and Taiwan. I am also confident that if we continue to enhance our economic relationship with this fellow republic, the dynamic partnership that we've built together will continue to thrive in the future.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to the time remaining on each side?

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank all of my colleagues for their work on this. Budgets aren't easy things, clearly. We have navigated some interesting times over the past couple of weeks. But I want to thank my colleagues for their wonderful and remarkable support. I especially want to thank the staff on the Budget Committee, both the majority and the minority staff. They worked tirelessly to get these work products forward. So I just want to say before all the Members of the House of Representatives how proud I am of the staff work that has been done. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Madam Chair, it has been said that budgets are about visions and that they are moral documents, and they are. What is our vision? We believe in promoting the greatest amount of opportunity and the greatest amount of success for the greatest number of Americans so that the greatest number of American dreams can be realized and doing so in a way that demonstrates real hope and real compassion and real fairness without Washington's picking winners and losers. Many of our friends here on this floor have talked about budgets being moral documents, and they are. Let me ask, Madam Chair: Where is the morality in trapping disadvantaged people in a web of welfare programs that discourage self-sufficiency and, instead, shackle them to government dependency? Where is the morality, Madam Chair, in committing retirees to a health coverage program that is going bankrupt and that can't keep its promises if its so-called protectors keep blocking reform? Where is the morality, Madam Chair, in forcing low-income people into second rate health programs in which many can't get appointments and in which doctors are grossly under-reimbursed by the government? Where is the morality, Madam Chair, in stifling medical innovation and preventing new treatments from reaching patients because of ever- expanding Washington bureaucracy and red tape? Where is the morality, Madam Chair, in tying college students to years of crippling debt because of a government-run program loan that drives up tuitions? Where is the morality in heaping trillions of dollars of debt onto future generations to finance today's government spending because today's policymakers refuse to stop overspending? Those are only a few examples of the regrettable consequences of well-intentioned, government-sponsored compassion. This Republican budget aims to break that pattern. It is not about cutting programs. It is about saving and strengthening programs to ensure a sustainable safety net for those who need it while encouraging and helping others to sustain themselves, the most truly compassionate thing that one can do for another. That is the morality of this budget. What does this budget do? It balances in less than 10 years without raising taxes. It reduces spending by over $5.5 trillion. It repeals ObamaCare and the Independent Payment Advisory Board. It ensures a strong defense. It makes sure that we save and strengthen and secure Medicare and Medicaid. We restore federalism and provide greater opportunity and greater choices for individuals in our States across this Nation, and we cut waste and corporate welfare. These are positive solutions for the American people, A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. I encourage a ``yes'' vote so we can get the economy rolling again. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 27.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to commend our friends in the Progressive Caucus for bringing forward a budget. It is not necessarily an easy thing to do, and so we want to thank them for bringing their budget forward. There aren't many times in Congress when we actually get to compare like products to like products side by side, so I think it is important to compare exactly where this budget that is being proposed would take us. These are the three budgets that are going to be offered this afternoon by our friends on the other side of the aisle. The Progressive Caucus is the first one. So how does it compare to the budget, A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America, that we have offered for this Chamber? First, taxes; their budget would increase taxes over $7 trillion over the next 10 years. Spending? Spending increases $9.3 trillion over our budget. Deficits? $2.4 trillion increase over the next 10 years. Debt? $2.8 trillion increase in debt over the Republican option, A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. Defense; decreasing defense spending by $529 billion. When does it get to balance? Never. Never gets to balance. Actually, Madam Chair, it clearly is not the direction that the American people desire or the American people need. So we stand strongly in favor of A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. I yield my remaining time to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control the time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.