Tom Price

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. 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. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the chairman, and I want to thank my ranking member on the committee, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen), for his work on our budget that we bring forward and the spirited debate that we had in committee. I want to thank all of our committee members for the productive activity that they brought forward over the last 10 or 11 weeks to work on our budget and produce this product. I want to thank our staff. They have done incredible work to get us to this point. I want to take a special moment to thank Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf, who will be leaving at the end of the month. I know the ranking member and I are going to have some words later on about his service, but I want to thank him and his staff for the work that they have done. Mr. Chairman, I am so proud and pleased to join my Committee on the Budget colleagues and Conference member colleagues on this side of the aisle to present A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. When I talk with folks back home in the district, the Sixth District of Georgia, and across the State of Georgia, truly across this country, individuals are concerned. They are very concerned. Many of them are angry. Most are frustrated about the direction of America. They feel we are adrift, that Washington seems incapable of addressing their concerns, that the Federal Government is getting in the way or impeding the very spirit of the people. The President's response in his budget? More taxes, more spending, more borrowing, more debt, more stagnant growth, and a budget that never, ever, ever balances. Remember, Mr. Chairman--the American people know this--every dollar that is taken for taxes and every dollar that is borrowed, stealing from the next generation, is a dollar that can't be used to pay the rent, to buy a car, to buy a home, to send a kid to college, to open a business or to expand a business and create jobs. We think there is a better way. Framing that issue, as folks read our report, is our introduction, in which we say this: It is often said that a budget is more than a dry collection of numbers and budgeting more than a mechanical act. With respect to the congressional budget, no one has put it better than the renowned political scientist, Aaron Wildavsky, when he said: Taxing and spending, resource mobilization, and resource allocation now take up as much or more time on the floors of Congress than all other matters put together. How large government will be, the part it will play in our lives, whether more or less will be done for defense or welfare, how much, and what sort of people will pay for the services, what kind of society, in sum, we Americans want to have, all these are routinely discussed in budget debates. This resolution proceeds from that conviction. It seeks to restore fundamental principles of budgeting and governing, to reverse the drift toward higher spending and larger government, to reinforce the innovative and creative spirit stirring among the myriad institutions and communities across this country, and to revitalize the prosperity that creates ever-expanding opportunities for all Americans to pursue their destinies. Put differently, this budget resolution expresses a vision, a vision of governing, and of America itself. So what is that vision? Mr. Chairman, we believe in promoting the greatest amount of opportunity and the greatest amount of success for the greatest number of Americans so the greatest number of American dreams may be realized, and doing so in a way that demonstrates real hope and real compassion and real fairness without Washington picking winners and losers. Now, Americans just have a common sense about them, and they understand that something just isn't right, especially with our debt-- very troubling, over $18 trillion. They know that we can't spend more money than we take in forever. They can't do it in their personal lives, they can't do it in their families or their businesses or their communities, and we can't do it right here in Congress. In fact, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said just a few years ago, Admiral Mike Mullen, the highest ranking military officer in our country, he was asked: What is the greatest threat to national security? The highest ranking military officer in our country asked what the greatest threat was, and he said the national debt because he knows what Americans know, that unless we have economic security, we will never have national security. So instead of the insecurity and the uncertainty of the President's plan, we think there is a better way. What are our highlights? We balance the budget in less than 10 years, and we do so without raising taxes. Our budget reduces spending by $5.5 trillion. It stays in balance and sets us on a path to pay off that debt--all of it. We provide for a vote on the balanced budget amendment in the House of Representatives--this Congress--something that folks back home just think makes sense. We support a strong national defense--providing resources above the President's number--when taking into account the base defense budget and the global war on terror funding. We repeal ObamaCare in its entirety. As a physician, I can tell you it is not just harming the health of America; it is harming the economy of America. We stop the raid on Medicare. We eliminate the Independent Payment Advisory Board, where a board of individuals can not pay seniors' doctors for caring for them. We promote patient-centered health care where patients, families, and doctors are making medical decisions, not Washington, D.C. We secure economic opportunity. We call for fair and simple and comprehensive tax reform to get this economy rolling again and get millions of Americans back to work. We repeal Dodd-Frank and end the too-big-to-fail bank bailouts. We reform Fannie and Freddie. We cut corporate welfare. We promote federalism. In fact, a letter sent from Governors across this State recently said: Over the last several decades, the Federal Government has passed laws and promulgated regulations that restrict the ability of States to innovate while requiring States to implement and run programs dictated by Federal dollars and Federal rules. For a long time, States were willing to trade off power and responsibility for Federal taxpayer funds, but we have reached a tipping point where States serve to carry out the wishes of the Federal Government instead of serving as laboratories of democracy. So, we give States flexibility--flexibility in programs like Medicaid and nutritional assistance. The States are the ones that know how best to respond to their population. We return control of education to State and local governments. We hold Washington accountable, reducing the size of the Federal workforce through attrition, and we support selling Federal assets and unneeded Federal lands. We call for regulatory reform to free up small business and job creation across this land. We require fee-collecting programs in the Federal Government to account for that revenue in our own appropriations process so the people's Representatives can have a say about how that money is spent. We cut waste, fraud, and abuse. We would end the double-dipping in disability insurance and unemployment insurance. We require able-bodied adults of working age to work in order to receive Federal welfare benefits. We support the rights of conscience for doctors and health care providers and employers, and we push back on the executive overreach of this administration. We stop the President's war on coal. We prevent the carbon tax. We encourage construction of the Keystone pipeline, and we hold the IRS accountable for targeting American taxpayers. Mr. Chairman, this is a positive vision for our country. It will deliver real results for the American people. We responsibly lay out a path for a healthy economy, an opportunity economy--one that opens doors for people, not subjects them to the dictates of Washington, D.C. Mr. Chairman, we believe in America, and we believe in Americans. We understand our problems are significant, and we hear the people of this Nation crying out for leadership here in Washington, D.C. The Balanced Budget for a Stronger America will result in a government that is more efficient, more effective, and more accountable--one that frees up the American spirit and optimism and enthusiasm to do great things and meet great challenges. We encourage our colleagues and fellow citizens across this country to join us in this exciting opportunity. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, so much misinformation just presented and we will work through that over the course of the next 3 hours as we debate this bill. I guess the most disheartening thing is the rhetoric that divides the American people. This is a time for the country to come together and solve the challenges that we have. An individual who has been leading in that is the current chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, the past chairman of the Budget Committee. I am proud to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to make a comment about the highway trust fund that was referenced. My colleague from Maryland stated there is nothing in this budget that will deal with the problem that is about to occur in a month and a half. And he is right. This budget deals with fiscal year 2016, which begins in October. The good news, Mr. Chairman, however, is that in last year's budget, FY15 budget, which addresses this year, this current year that we are in right now, we also had a proposal to be able to provide for a deficit neutral reserve fund for transportation, which was used previously for MAP-21. So a path to how we are able to actually solve the challenges before us. I am so pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Mimi Walters).

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It saddens me to have our colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about a slush fund when they are talking about the military. I think it maligns our military. It doesn't give the honor and the dignity to the men and women who stand in harm's way every single day to protect our liberty and protect our freedom. It is hard to even recognize the comment when you are talking about those men and women of a slush fund. I have great respect for members of the armed services, incredible respect for their leadership. We believe strongly in their ability to take the resources that we provide them and do the job, do the mission, make certain that this Nation is safe and kept from harm. So I would encourage our colleagues on the other side to rethink their language and their rhetoric. Words mean something. Words mean something. I hope that they are able to recognize that that language doesn't do dignity to this Chamber, it doesn't do dignity to the men and women who stand in the breach. I want to take a few minutes, Mr. Chairman, and I want to recognize those folks who have recognized us in supporting A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America, groups all across this Nation, men and women who stand up and say: We know that there is a challenge out there, we know that the fiscal situation of this Nation is difficult, and we want to support those who are actually providing positive solutions: Council for Citizens Against Government Waste--I have a letter from the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste supporting our budget; Americans for Tax Reform, supporting our budget; Americans for Prosperity, supporting our budget; National Taxpayers Union, supporting our budget; 60 Plus Association, supporting our budget; Association of Mature American Citizens, supporting our budget. And I mentioned before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and National Federation of Independent Business. Mr. Chairman, I include in the Record letters of support that have been provided by these organizations. Americans for Tax Reform Washington, DC. March 17, 2015. Chairman Tom Price, Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives. Dear Chairmen Price: On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform, I write in strong support of the recently released U.S. House of Representatives budget proposal. The budget blueprint authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) will ensure that Washington lives within its means by balancing the budget in less than ten years and cutting $5.5 trillion in federal spending. The budget proposal calls for a fairer, simpler tax code, reforms struggling entitlement programs, clamps down on inefficient and ineffective government programs, and lays the groundwork for strong economic growth. The plan also empowers the states to make their own decisions by restoring the principle of federalism. By keeping to the proposed reforms, Congress stands to secure America's economic prospects, protect jobs, and accelerate economic development to levels which would be unattainable given the current spending policies. Lower, flatter taxes plus a competitive international tax regime would enshrine our place as the world's number 1 destination for entrepreneurship. Simply put, asking taxpayers to pay $160 billion per year is an undue burden that we can do without. Notably, the House budget repeals Obamacare in its entirety and reforms the health care system to increase access to affordable care and provide patients with better medical choices. Repealing Obamacare would eliminate numerous job killing regulations including the employer mandate and the individual mandate. In place of this complex system, the House budget prioritizes a patient-centered approach that gives power back to the individual. Repealing Obamacare will also put a stop to the raiding of the Medicare trust fund. In turn, this will help secure and strengthen Medicare so the program can continue to provide retirees with the care that they deserve. The budget will also build a new premium support program for Medicare that will further empower seniors to make their own choices. Finally, the budget implements improvements to Medicaid. Specifically, it repeals the Obamacare Medicaid expansion and grants increased flexibility to the states, which will allow the states the opportunity to build a strong and sustainable system of Medicaid that suits their needs. The House Budget maintains the spending restrictions mandated in the Budget Control Act of 2011, ensuring the continuation of the savings from discretionary spending. In contrast to the White House budget, which ignores 2011 spending caps and raises spending through misleading promises, the House budget abides by federal law. The budget allocates funding to the DOD's Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) fund to meet the complex and dangerous global threats, balanced by cuts to mandatory spending. It is important to keeps the caps in place that have stabilized federal spending since 2011 and will lead to $1.79 trillion in savings through 2021. You should be congratulated for proposing a more fiscally responsible solution despite the urging of some of his more reckless colleagues to break spending caps and undo years of fiscal restraint. We urge the House Budget committee to support this bold pro-growth proposal. It returns power to states and localities while making great, positive strides in the tax code. Sincerely, Grover G. Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, this appears to be a common theme, moving forward with this rhetoric that is hyperbole and dividing American against American. It is just not positive. It is not what this Nation needs. The gentleman from Maryland said that it is all about math. Math is math. And he is right. We now spend about $12,000 per American every single year, and we collect about $10,000 per every single American each year. It doesn't work. What does it get you? This is what it gets you. This is the debt-to- gross domestic product ratio, the debt since 1940 of this country until 2015. The red line is where the debt is going. This is the President's plan. This is the Democrat plan right here. That is what will crush this country. Our friends want to stick their heads in the sand and ignore that. This is what destroys lives. This destroys every American. We stand for all Americans. We believe that having a balanced budget for a stronger America is the way to solve these challenges. We believe it is important to save and strengthen and secure the programs that are so vital for the American people. I am proud to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita), the vice chairman of the Budget Committee who has been working diligently on this from the very beginning.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I was amused by my friend from Maryland's comments about the global war on terror fund, understanding that in 2015, 2014, and 2013, for those fiscal years, he voted for the appropriations bills that included the defense money and the OCO money. In fact, the levels were $91.9 billion, $91.9 billion, and $98.7 billion that the gentleman voted for.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Maybe I will yield to the gentleman later if I have time. I am pleased to yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McClintock), my friend and a member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I would note for the gentleman that if he reads the budget resolution, we accommodate for appropriate funding for infrastructure and for highways in section 510. With a deficit-neutral reserve fund, that means that we actually accommodate for paying for it, for transportation and for infrastructure, because we believe it is a priority. We believe it is a priority for the American people. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman), a member of the Budget Committee.

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

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett), a senior member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the gentlewoman for her comments because she is absolutely right. The budget is about priorities, and the priorities that we have in our budget, we believe, address in a very responsible way the challenges that we face in this Nation. What is the President's priority? If you look at where his budget would take us, it is debt. This, again, is the chart that demonstrates the debt that this Nation has held since 1940. That is the dark area here. You see the debt has increased since this President came into office. It is at virtually the highest level it has been since World War II. Where does his path go? Where does the Democrats' path go in their budget? Higher than ever before--ever before--that is their plan, apparently. It is what their budget outlines. It is what the President's budget outlines. What does that mean? What that means is the interest on the debt, paying the debt service. Everybody knows what interest means. They pay it on their credit cards. They pay it on their home mortgages. They pay interest when they buy a car. That is money that you pay just to be able to borrow the money that you are using for whatever it is. In this instance, the interest on the debt, when we get to numbers not too far away, consumes the entire Federal budget. That is what we are talking about. In a very short period of time, within the budget window of this 10-year period of time, interest on the debt rises to over $1 trillion a year. That is more than the amount spent on defense. That is more than the amount spent on Medicare. That is more than the amount spent on Medicaid. That is more than the amount spent on education. All of the priorities that the American people have is going to be spent on interest on the debt. That is why we believe it is a moral question. Are we going to leave our kids this kind of debt? Are we going to destine them to a life that has no opportunity, to have them be servants to the Federal Government just to work so they can send their tax money to Washington to pay the interest on the debt? Mr. Chairman, you know that is not the America we want to leave our kids and our grandkids. I don't believe it is the America that our friends on the other side of the aisle want to leave our kids and grandkids. Sadly, that is what their budget does. That is what the President's budget does. That is why we are so excited about A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America, a budget that puts us on a path to balance within less than a 10-year period of time and that saves $5.5 trillion. Our friends on the other side say, Oh, no; it really doesn't get to balance. Even if you conceded that--and I don't--our goal is to get it to balance. Theirs never does. It is more and more and more borrowing, more debt, more taxes, more spending. It is not what the American people want. What we need to do is to come together and address these challenges that we have in a positive way, in a real way, in an honest way, and get real results for the work that we do here. We are proud of the work that this budget does. It lays out a positive path, a path of real solutions, one of saving and strengthening and securing Medicare and Medicaid, one of tax reform that actually works to get this economy rolling again so we can grow the economy in this country and put people back to work. Those are the positive things that this budget does. The safety net programs are vital. They are important. We protect those programs. We actually make them work better for the individuals who are receiving those moneys, and we encourage them, in a moral way, to better their lives and get back on their feet. We assist them in getting back to work. Those are positive solutions, Mr. Chairman, positive solutions. It is A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Moolenaar), a freshman Member and a member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, we have heard our friends on the other side talk about gimmicks. If you want to talk about a gimmick, let's talk about the President's budget and what he does for defense. The President comes out and pounds his chest and says: I am a big defense hawk. I think we need to give our defense folks more money--something that we actually believe--to keep this Nation safe, protect us from the threats we have today. The President says: Oh, oh, I believe in our budget, we will put $566 billion in our budget for defense, in the base defense budget. What the President knows, what our friends on the other side of the aisle know, is that that number is fiction. You talk about a gimmick. The President doesn't lay out any path at all to deal with the sequester cap, to deal with the law of the land right now that says that that number is going to be $523 billion unless the law is changed, which is why we positively, honestly, sincerely bring about appropriate increases for our men and women who are in harm's way and defending our liberty and freedom. If this House actually stuck with the President's number, went with the President's number--and the President lays out no path to be able to change the law--that number would snap right back down to $523 billion as soon as the next fiscal year, the next calendar year begins. That is why we believe it is appropriate to lay out that path, to lay out the path to be able to solve the challenge that we have, and we do that in our budget. You talk about gimmicks, Mr. Chairman, the President's budget is full of gimmicks. What it isn't full of is responsibility, as I mentioned before, increasing the debt beyond where the eye can see. So we have got a positive budget, A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America. I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Georgia (Mr. Woodall), my colleague on the Committee on the Budget, to talk about the responsible things that this budget can do.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Stutzman), a very productive member of the Budget Committee.

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

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

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for bringing up the issue of business in America, jobs in America. I include in the Record letters from the Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America and from the National Federation of Independent Business in support of our budget. Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, Washington, DC, March 18, 2015. Hon. Tom Price, Chairman, Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives, Washington, DC Dear Chairman Price: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation, representing the interests of more than three million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers of commerce, and dedicated to promoting, protecting, and defending America's free enterprise system, appreciates your proposed budget resolution, ``A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America,'' which would establish the budget for fiscal year 2016. This proposal recognizes the importance of restraining federal spending, correcting the unsustainable growth path of entitlement spending, reducing federal budget deficits, containing the growth of federal debt, and enacting comprehensive tax reform--all goals shared by the Chamber. The proposal would balance the budget within 10 years without raising taxes through $5.5 trillion in spending reductions, out of a base spending level of $48.6 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the macroeconomic effects of the proposed deficit reduction and concluded output per person would be 1.5 percent higher at the end of 10 years, which in turn would reduce the budget deficit an additional $147 billion. Such budgetary savings would move the budget from modest deficit to modest surplus by 2024. The nation faces many challenging issues in budget policy that will require sustained debate over many months and, in some cases, years. Over the long term, the budget is a blueprint for restoring fiscal discipline by shrinking the size of government and debt compared to current law. This budget proposal marks an important step toward a more sensible, more sustainable, pro-growth fiscal policy. The Chamber urges the Committee and the full House of Representatives to debate the issues fully and then adopt a budget resolution on a timely basis. The Chamber further urges the United States Senate likewise to meet its responsibility by passing a budget addressing our long-term challenges. The Chamber looks forward to working with Congress on the vital reforms to entitlements and our tax code necessary to get our fiscal house in order. Sincerely, R. Bruce Josten.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the Commonwealth of Virginia (Mr. Forbes), a senior member of the Republican Conference.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner), the former mayor of the great city of Dayton.

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).

Mr. TOM PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, it gives me particular pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from the great State of Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler), one of the most diligent and dedicated Members of this Congress who is a member of both the Armed Services Committee and the Budget Committee.