Tom Price

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, a fellow physician from the State of Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to a gentlelady who, prior to coming to Congress, worked as a nurse and who is a pivotal member of the Ways and Means Committee, the gentlelady from Tennessee, Diane Black.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus). (Mr. ROTHFUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup), a gentleman who is engaged in the health profession.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. As we have no more speakers, I am prepared to close.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. There are a lot of folks who've come to the floor on the other side of the aisle to speak about this piece of legislation. Curiously, there aren't any individuals who came from those States that have actually passed legislation to implore Congress not to continue with the individual mandate--Alabama, Arizona, Missouri, Ohio, individuals from the other side of the aisle who didn't come down to the floor. We get asked by folks on the other side about where's the jobs bill? Well, in addition to all the remarkable pieces of legislation on jobs that we have indeed passed and sent over to the Senate and it then gains dust over there, this is a jobs bill. I don't know if our friends on the other side haven't talked to their employers back home. Employers large and small, all of them say, Look, this is damaging job creation. We had one before the committee on Ways and Means that my friend from Washington and I sit on just last week who said he wasn't going to be able to expand his business. He couldn't, because of this bill. So this is a piece of jobs legislation. We have a number of folks on the other side who say, Look, this is just about politics. Mr. Speaker, you talk about politics. You've got the President saying that he's going to delay the reporting requirements for the employer mandate for a year. And, by the way, that just happens to be after the 2014 election. You talk about politics. Then you talk about delay. Some of my friends on the other side, they act as if this is something that we have indeed supported in the past. This is delay. This isn't repeal. In fact, we appreciate that the administration has awakened to the challenge of this piece of legislation. They've recognized that it doesn't work for businesses and job creators because of the uncertainty and fewer jobs being created, so they have promoted a delay of 1 year for the employer mandate. But that uncertainty remains for those employers, and they're not going to be able to hire significant individuals. And that uncertainty and that oppression of government-run health care isn't just for business. It's also true for individuals. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would say that I just encourage my friends to read the bill. This is the bill, H.R. 2668. It's very short and easily read. It simply changes the year requirements for the individual mandate from 1 year, 2014, to a year's delay in 2015. That's all it does. It simply equalizes the treatment for individuals as for businesses. I know that many of them haven't read the bill. If they did, they would recognize that this bill has no change in it for preexisting illnesses or injuries and the rules thereon. It has no change for 26- year-olds being covered on their parents' health insurance. It has no change for lifetime limits. It has no change for the medical loss ratio provision. It has no change for gender equity. It has no change for out-of-pocket limits, and it has no change for anybody's insurance being taken away. All this bill does, Mr. Speaker, is simply say that individuals ought to be treated fairly and equally, just like businesses, that we ought to delay the individual mandate for a year. I call on my colleagues to support and vote for H.R. 2668, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the Chair's leadership on this. This law has been in place now for a little over 3 years. So, as a physician, let's look at the symptoms of this law. Cost of premiums: increasing. Access to your doctor or your plan: already more difficult. Quality of health care going down because of Washington interference. Innovation: terribly affected, harming quality in this country. Choices for patients: decreased. So let me get this straight. Increasing costs, less access, lower quality, less innovation, limiting your choices. Madam Speaker, that's a life-threatening and terminal diagnosis. It's time to repeal the ACA and adopt patient-centered health care, where patients and families and doctors make medical decisions, not Washington and the IRS.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the greatest amount of opportunity, the greatest amount of success for the greatest number of people--ensuring that the American Dream lives for all--that's what we want. That's our goal. And our constituents know that the path to that goal demands real solutions. Sadly, all we hear from the President and the other side is to just stay the course. More failed policies, more debt, more taxes, less American energy, more government control of health care, more dependency on government, less economic growth. That's their plan. And it simply isn't working for American families. And now the President is forcing air travel delays, blaming the action on the sequester. The FAA is spending right now exactly what it spent in 2010. So these are Obama flight delays. The truth is that any spending reduction at the FAA could easily be gained by cutting waste, not necessary services. President Obama, stop playing politics with the American people. We in Congress are used to it, but the public doesn't deserve it. Enough is enough.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and pride that I ask all members of the House to recognize a fellow physician and Georgian, S. William Clark, III, M.D., who has received the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2012 Outstanding Advocate Award. This honor is bestowed upon Academy members who participate in advocacy-related efforts at the state or federal level. Recipients perorm advocacy functions in their capacity as ophthalmologists and demonstrate a pattern of supporting and improving the profession of medicine over a period of years. Dr. Bill Clark, whom I have had the privilege of knowing for nearly 30 years, is a fitting recipient of this honor. As a general ophthalmologist in Waycross, Georgia, Dr. Clark has long been a committed advocate for ophthalmology, and medicine in general, since before completing his fellowship in 1984. A second-generation ophthalmologist, he learned the importance of being an effective proponent for quality health care from his revered father. With great concern for patients and respect for the principles of the healing arts, he has shared his passion with generations of new physicians. Dr. Clark is a Past President and Board member of the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) and has served as Vice President and Academy Councilor representing the Georgia Society of Opthalmology (GSO). Since 1988, he has served in the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates, representing the AMA Young Physicians Section, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and Medical Association of Georgia. He currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Georgia AMA Delegation. For his commitment and devotion to physicians and patients on the state and federal level, I am so very pleased to take this opportunity to recognize my friend, Dr. Bill Clark, and congratulate him on the occasion of his receiving the American Academy of Ophthalmology's 2012 Outstanding Advocate Award.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to a senior member of the Budget Committee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).

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

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend my friend, Mr. Scott, for bringing forward a budget on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. I think it's important that we have all sorts of options here on the floor to be able to discuss as they relate to a budget. I would note a couple of items that he conveniently left out. One is that the budget that the CBC brings to the floor--this will come as no surprise, Mr. Chairman--never gets to balance, which means it continues to spend more money than the government takes in, continues to spend more money than Washington takes in. The people of this great country understand that we can't continue going down this road over and over and over and over. A couple of points that Mr. Scott made regarding the Republican budget, which is the budget that is the base budget here that we're bringing to the floor that, in fact, does get to balance in a responsible way: It saves and strengthens and secures Medicare, as opposed to the misinformation that was provided by the other side; It makes certain that States have the kind of flexibility so that they're able to provide the highest quality of health care to their Medicaid population; It doesn't, as a matter of fact, address in a specific way the issue of Social Security because it provides for a reserve fund so that that is able to be addressed in a more specific way through the committee structure, which is also the important thing to recognize about the issue of taxes. Our friends on the other side are so specific about what they accuse us of regarding taxes, but, in fact, as you know, Mr. Chairman, it's the Ways and Means Committee that will ultimately define that. A couple of items that he conveniently left out on the budget that he is proposing is that they do raise taxes. In fact, they raise taxes by $2.8 trillion--$2.8 trillion over the next 10 years--and much of that increase in taxes is in the area of those who create jobs. We all know that if you tax something, you get less of it. So by taxing job creators, we'll get fewer jobs, and, Mr. Chairman, that's the last place we need to be heading right now. They spend $5.7 trillion more than the Republican budget that's being proposed, and they add another $2.9 trillion to the debt relative to the base budget that we're working on today. I also want to address the issue of business taxes. They talk about removing the incentives that move jobs overseas. Well, Mr. Chairman, the biggest incentive to moving jobs overseas is that the United States now has the highest business tax rate in the industrialized world. If you're a business and you're planning on either expanding your business or you're thinking about starting a business here in the United States and you go to the line that says taxes, the other side of that says, no, go somewhere else, get out of here, because taxes are lower elsewhere, which means that jobs are being created elsewhere. We're driving jobs overseas by virtue of our current tax structure, and our friends on the other side of the aisle, especially with the CBC budget, actually increase that as opposed to decrease that. I do, however, want to commend them, once again, for bringing a budget forward because, as you've heard earlier today and in the conversations around the budget, the President has not. We did find it. I found the President's budget. Here it is. Not a doggone thing on this poster, Mr. Chairman, because the President hasn't brought anything to us. Now, that might be amusing to some, but the fact of the matter is that the law states that the President of the United States is required to present a budget to Congress by the first Monday in February. That was February 4 this year. We're a little over 6 weeks beyond that. The President has flagrantly--flagrantly--ignored his statutory responsibility to bring to the United States Congress a budget. Now, some folks on the other side say, Oh, it happens all the time. Don't worry about that. It happens all the time. Well, as a matter of fact, Mr. Chairman, in just one term, President Obama has missed the budget deadline more than any other President. He's now missed it four out of five times. In the 90 years between 1923 and 2013, President Obama is the only President to miss the deadline 2 years in a row. He's the only President who's missed the deadline 3 out of 4 years in his first term, and he holds the record for the longest delay--98 days. Maybe that's the record he's trying to beat, Mr. Chairman. So I want to commend, again, my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus for bringing forward a budget. As I say, I think it's extremely important that we have all sorts of different ideas out here on the floor to be able to debate and have people take a perspective on and have the opportunity to vote ``yea'' or ``nay'' on. I would respectfully suggest, however, that their budget moves this country in the wrong direction, not the right direction, and we'll urge opposition to their budget proposal. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, what's the time remaining on each side?

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita), a member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I would just point out to the gentlelady that, in fact, multiple economists have looked at the budget that Republicans have brought forward, and a couple from Stanford had an editorial, I believe, in The Wall Street Journal this week and noted that their review, their study, their evaluation of the Republican budget actually demonstrates that 500,000 jobs would be produced in the first year in the Republican budget and 1.7 million jobs in the 10th year. So if you want jobs, there's a way to get jobs created in this country, and it is to reward those individuals who are creating jobs. That's what the Republican budget does. I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to another new member of the Budget Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Nunnelee).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time remains on each side, please?

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. May I inquire of my friend how many more speakers he has?

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

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I have one more speaker outside of myself, and then I will be pleased to close.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I would, once again, remind my friends on the other side of the aisle and those listening that the Republican budget creates 500,000 jobs by the end of the first year, and it will result in over 1 million jobs in the 10th year. It's important to appreciate that. And I agree with my friend on the chart that he has about the jobs decreasing, the deepest and longest period of poor job growth in any recession. He's absolutely right. He's correct on that. But what this budget does that he proposes is doubles down on policies that don't work. Spending money that we don't have is not a prescription for more job creation. A little honesty, Mr. Chairman, on this: only in Washington, as the American people know, is spending at a lower rate a cut. More spending at a lower rate in this town is a reduction, is a cut accused by the other side. The fact of the matter is that the Republican budget increases spending on average 3.4 percent each year over the next 10 years. It's a responsible budget. It's a budget that actually gets to balance, which means that we don't spend money at the end of this budget that Washington doesn't have, and gets us on a path to paying off the debt. It's that way that we realize that we can create jobs for the American people, we can ensure that young people in this country will be able to get out of college and be able to find a job in their sphere of education, and we can make certain that seniors have the kind of services that they need, the kind of things that have been destroyed by the current administration and by the budget being proposed on the other side. The Republican budget is a responsible budget. I urge that Members of our party vote down the budget. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. Ryan for his remarkable leadership on this and many other areas. Mr. Chairman, it is no wonder that folks are confused out there. I tell you, there is so much misinformation that is coming, and the fearmongering that is coming from the other side is truly remarkable. So let's try to set the record and the motive straight. Republicans care about seniors staring at devastating reductions in Medicare under current law. Republicans care about workers and middle class folks fighting to make ends meet with increased gas prices and increased food prices and on and on. Republicans care about young people struggling to get started in careers and being crushed by government rules and regulations. Republicans care about students getting out of school and not being able to get a job in their field. Because we care about seniors and workers and single moms and young people and students, because we care about all Americans, we present this responsible, balanced budget. Budgets, Mr. Chairman, are about priorities. Priorities that the American people overwhelmingly support include getting Federal spending under control--poll after poll tells you that--getting our economy moving again so we can get folks back to work, and getting our debt crisis under control so that we may preserve the American Dream for future generations. These are precisely the priorities of our House Republican budget, the Path to Prosperity. This Path to Prosperity is the way to responsibly balance our budget. American families all across this great land know that the Federal Government shouldn't spend more than we take in, and we agree. Let's look at a couple of specific items. Our friends talked on the other side about loopholes. We're interested in closing loopholes, you bet. The gentleman from Maryland says not one dime of closing loopholes will go to reduce the deficit on our side. He's absolutely wrong, Mr. Chairman. He's just wrong. I've had this discussion with him. He is simply wrong. It's really sad that he perpetuates that misinformation. Second, taxes. The gentlelady from Pennsylvania said that we were interested in raising taxes by some remarkable amount. I can't even remember what it was. In fact, we don't. We actually balance the budget without raising taxes. Mr. Chairman, they can't have it both ways. They can't say that our plan is not specific enough on taxes and then say it's so specific that we increase taxes by a specific amount. The fact of the matter is, Mr. Chairman, as you know and our friends on the other side of the aisle know, it's the Ways and Means Committee that develops the tax plan. That's why the Budget Committee doesn't address it. As a physician, I can tell you, Mr. Chairman, that taking $716 billion from Medicare and spending it on something else means that seniors are not going to have the kind of quality health care that they need, and that's why we go get that $716 billion. We'll bring it right back to the Medicare program. It's imperative to do that to keep quality health care in this country.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Then, finally, they talk about slashing and severe cuts to spending. Mr. Chairman, our budget increases spending by 3.4 percent every single year, on average, and we do that because that's the number that you need in order to bend the curve down so that we do indeed get to balance. Mr. Chairman, the Path to Prosperity ensures that we're honoring America's most important priorities. Our budget saves and strengthens and secures Medicare. We protect national security. It cares for the poor and the sick by repairing America's safety net programs. And we expand economic opportunities for all. We believe in the industriousness and the ingenuity and the dreams of the American people. It's time that we have a government that is worthy of the people that we represent.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.