Tom Rice

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. President, can we talk? I am pleased to hear that President Obama, 10 days into a government shutdown, is finally willing to talk with a contingent of House Republicans at the White House this afternoon. After all, there is plenty to discuss. Everybody in this room, Democrat or Republican, knows that too many of our youth are underemployed or unemployed. Mr. President, our youth want to work. Everybody in this room knows that we need tax reform to make our businesses competitive in the world and bring American jobs back to America. Everybody in this room knows that Social Security and Medicare are on a pathway to insolvency and have to be shored up so that we can make our promises good to our seniors. Thank you, Mr. President, at long last for sitting down to talk. Maybe if we could spend more time talking and less time posturing, we might be able to deal with some of these very significant problems. Let's all pray that these talks are fruitful and improve the lives of all Americans.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. President, can we talk? The government is partially shut down. The Nation's debt ceiling is looming. President Obama and Harry Reid have drawn a hard line. They have proclaimed over and over again, no negotiation. They insist the debt limit must be raised at current levels of spending. No negotiation. They're adamant that the status quo must be preserved. And why not? Here is the status quo: 7.3 percent unemployment 4 years after the recession has ended; 15 percent unemployment for those under 25; 50 percent of recent college graduates unemployed or underemployed; household income down 10 percent in the last 5 years. It has fallen every year since the President has been in office, and it continues to decline. Continued economic stagnation 4 years after the recession has ended; continued record deficit spending; Social Security and Medicare on a path to insolvency. Why would the Republicans want to discuss these fundamental problems? Why would we want to alter that course? By any measure, the President's policies are failing miserably: He is failing our seniors. Their safety nets, Social Security and Medicare, are headed for bankruptcy, but he won't negotiate. He is failing our middle class through higher taxes, higher energy costs, higher insurance bills on one hand, and on the other hand, a continued decline in household income. They're getting squeezed from both sides, but he won't negotiate. He is failing our youth, the millennial generation, by piling mountains of debt on our children and our grandchildren, but he won't negotiate. He is failing our youth and millennial generation through his job-killing policies of more regulation, more taxes, and more government. Mr. President, our youth wants to work, and they're counting on us, but the President won't negotiate. Remember, my friends, that the Democrats held the House, the Senate, and the Presidency for only 2 years; but out of that came ObamaCare and Dodd-Frank, the two biggest expansions of government and killers of jobs to come out of Washington in 50 years. I didn't want the government to shut down--nobody did--but we cannot continue to run head-on into failure. If we are to change course, the Republicans can't do it on their own. The President and Harry Reid in the Senate will have to participate. Mr. Reid, we are asking once again for a conference. Mr. President, it's way past time to soften your hard-line stance on no negotiation.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, October 10, 2013, marks the 102nd anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of China, Taiwan. I wish to congratulate the people of Taiwan on their National Day, also known as the Double Ten Day, as they celebrate the birth of their country and the great strides they have since made. The United States and Taiwan have always enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship that stems from our shared values: democracy, the rule of law and free enterprise. Taiwan's strong democracy serves as a beacon and model for East Asia. Through their ingenuity and hard work, Taiwan has become a vital player in the world economy. In 2012, bilateral trade between our two countries reached $63 billion, making Taiwan our 11th largest trading partner. Last year, South Carolina's exports to Taiwan reached $225 million. Taiwanese companies are also heavily invested in manufacturing plants and distribution centers, creating jobs in my home state. On the occasion of its National Day, I would like to reflect on how we can improve on our already strong partnership with Taiwan. As a fellow democratic ally of the United States, we must further support and encourage Taiwan's international participation. Both houses of Congress voted overwhelmingly to support Taiwan's observer status in the International Civil Aviation Organization earlier this year, and consequently, Taiwan has been invited as a guest to its assembly. The United States should also ensure that Taiwan is not excluded from the Trans-Pacific Partnership or other regional trade agreements for any political reasons. Again, I would like to join my colleagues and the people of Taiwan in commemoration of its 102nd National Day and wish Taiwan even greater success in the future and the continued friendship of our two nations.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, we are all concerned about the 800,000 Federal employees who have been furloughed for 3 days in the government shutdown. We can argue back and forth about who caused the shutdown, but the fact is that 800,000 people have been furloughed, and it could stretch into a week or two. While we need to work hard to get these people back to work as soon as possible, we must remember that according to the Congressional Budget Office, ObamaCare is costing us 800,000 jobs permanently. We are not talking about working people being furloughed for a few days. We are talking about the permanent loss of 800,000 American jobs because of this job-killing health care law. Where is the outrage over that? You see, the fact is the President and my friends across the aisle like to say that they are for the working man. They are for American jobs. But if you pay attention just a little bit, their actions belie their rhetoric. The truth is they are not the party of the working man; they are not the party of jobs. My friends across the aisle are the party of Big Government and more regulation. They believe the American people cannot be trusted to make their own decisions, like how to invest their money or whether to buy health insurance. They know better than the American citizen. They want to make your decisions for you, to take care of you. ObamaCare is just the latest job-killing iteration of their Big Government expansion. You see, it is only common sense. You don't have to be a genius to understand it. Big Government and Big Regulation do not grow the economy; they stifle the economy. They don't create jobs; they kill jobs. We have 7.3 percent unemployment right now, anemic growth four years after the recession ended; 15 percent unemployment among those under 25; 50 percent of recent college graduates are either unemployed or underemployed. I have got three sons who are recent college graduates. They have lived it. We are failing our young people. Remember, Mr. Speaker, that the Democrats held the Presidency, the Senate, and the House for 2 years and out of that came ObamaCare and Dodd-Frank, two of the biggest government-expanding job-killing laws to be enacted in decades. It is no accident that the economy remains weak. It is no accident that unemployment rates are so high. And now when the Republican House asks simply for a conference, they won't even sit down to discuss it. They refuse to accept anything but the status quo. What is the status quo? Record deficits, high unemployment, and anemic economic growth. I guess with a record like that I wouldn't want to sit down and discuss it either. Mr. Speaker, I don't think anybody here wanted the government to shut down, but perhaps it is good that we have come to this point. Maybe the government shutdown will be a catalyst that brings us together to make some hard decisions. We have got to stop thinking on six-month time horizons and create long-term certainty if we want our economy to thrive. Tax reform, deficit reduction, entitlement reform--these are issues that everyone knows must be faced to push our economy forward and to return America's competitive edge. If we could resolve just a couple of these issues, we would lift a cloud of uncertainty, our economy would grow again, and all Americans would benefit. Nobody wanted this shutdown, but let's take lemons and make lemonade. Let's use this crisis to come together for once and resolve some of these fundamental issues. These are the issues we were sent here to face. I plead with the Senate and the President to rethink your hard- line no-negotiation stance. America is counting on us.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to read a couple of the letters that have come into my office about the new health care law. I'm a senior citizen working part time. I can no longer see my doctor of 14 years. I know of other people getting their hours cut and not being able to find a job, and they don't know what their health care will be. The next one: We have 24 employees and have been in business since 1982. We currently pay 100 percent of the premium health care insurance for our employees. After discussing this with our health care provider, we've determined that when ObamaCare is put in place, we will no longer be able to provide health care insurance. The next one: Higher premiums, higher deductibles, less coverage. Next: I have been paying insurance to Blue Cross/Blue Shield for 25 years now. A month and a half ago, I got a letter in the mailbox, saying, I am losing my coverage due to the Obama health care law. I thought Mr. Obama promised no one had to change insurance companies. Mr. Obama has told a lie, and there's no other way to say it. Next one: My insurance company is dropping my business. So much for being able to keep your insurance if you want to. Not. A small business owner like me is--up a creek. Well, that's not exactly what he said.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the last speaker for the minority was complaining of these small continuing resolutions because they pick and choose which groups will get funded. That is our exact problem with putting this Affordable Care Act into place--the President's picking and choosing. We hear it's the law of the land; but, actually, the President is deciding what parts of the law of the land he wants to put in place. He says he is for the working man, and he says he is for the middle class; but, in fact, he has exempted Big Business, and he has exempted many of his friends in the unions and so forth. So if this law is so wonderful and if we are going to put it in place and if, as you're saying, we want a whole CR that funds the whole government, let's put the whole thing in place that funds every aspect the law was designed to apply to. Let's put the whole law in effect. If it's the law of the land, let's treat it like the law of the land with no exemptions and no waivers. Let's put it into effect exactly like it's written.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, my friends across the aisle like to say ``therefore, the working class,'' but their actions speak more loudly than their words. The working man just got a $100 a month pay cut with the expiration of the payroll tax cut. The President's war on coal will deny our cheapest fuel and will increase American families' monthly utility bills by another $50 a month. The administration's energy policy is designed to drive up costs at the pump--over $1 a gallon in the last 4 years--costing the average working family $150 per month. And now comes ObamaCare. Forbes Magazine estimates that medical insurance will average 90 percent more for men and 60 percent more for women, costing families hundreds of additional dollars per month. Sooner or later, these $100s per month add up. The administration has a plan: break the middle class with taxes and higher costs so we'll all be dependent on the government. But hey, at least then we'll get subsidized government health insurance.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, my friends across the aisle like to say they're for the middle class, but I can't hear what they say because their actions speak far more loudly. The working man just got a $100-per-month pay cut with the expiration of the payroll tax cut. The President's war on coal will deny our power companies the cheapest fuel and will increase American families' monthly utility bills by another $50 a month. The administration's energy policy is designed to drive up cost at the pump, up over $1 a gallon in the last 4 years, costing the average American family $150 per month. Every day folks will pay more for medical equipment which they desperately need with the medical device tax. Now comes ObamaCare. Forbes magazine estimates that medical insurance will cost 90 percent more for the average man, 60 percent more for the average woman, which will cost families in South Carolina hundreds of additional dollars per month. And if they don't want to buy health insurance, they will be fined. It appears that my colleagues across the aisle have a plan, Mr. Speaker: break the middle class with taxes and higher costs on necessities, and then they will take care of us as we will all be dependent on the government. But, hey, then at least we will get subsidized health insurance.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Jonathan ``Tig'' Willard from Loris, South Carolina today for his commendable bravery and act of selflessness. While driving to training camp for the Tennessee Titans this past Tuesday, he noticed a car with black smoke billowing out of it. Jonathan signaled for the car to pull over and helped to rescue the driver, her three children, and her dog as the car was engulfed in flames. A native of the Seventh District of South Carolina, Jonathan is an exemplary football player who led Clemson University's defense in tackles last season and now plays at the professional level. However, it is an act like this--one that puts the safety of others before the safety of self--that demonstrates Jonathan's compassion and character. I commend his efforts, as this is a reminder that we should all keep our eyes open for ways to be a Good Samaritan and help our fellow neighbors.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, Democratic Senator Max Baucus was dead-on when he called the President's health care law a ``train wreck.'' Its effects are becoming clear and undeniable. It is stifling economic growth and job creation, premiums are skyrocketing, and record numbers of employers are delaying hiring or hiring part time to avoid the employer mandate. I recently heard from a hardworking small business owner, Sue Lee, who owns a hardware store in Latta, South Carolina. Since the passage of ObamaCare, she has seen her insurance premium balloon to more than $2,100 per month, or $26,000 per year, for three employees. That's outrageous. How can we expect our small businesses to grow and expand when they are forced to comply with more and more burdensome Federal regulation? I am so glad we have the Federal Government to dictate to we helpless citizens which coverages we need. We can't be trusted to make that choice ourselves. How can we expect our small businesses to hire when they can't afford to buy maternity coverage on every employee, regardless of their age, mental health coverage on every employee? And substance abuse coverage on every employee is mandated by this ill- conceived and poorly drafted law. The American economy would have already recovered if we could get the Federal Big Brother out of the way. I'm glad we delayed the employer and individual mandates, but the only way to relieve this law's enormous drag on our economy and get hardworking Americans back to work is full repeal.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I recognize the Causey Family today, as they have lost a husband, father, son, and friend. Deputy Sheriff Tim Causey passed away on Sunday from complications he suffered from bravely fighting the devastating fire in Windsor Green this past March. Beloved by family, friends, and co-workers, Mr. Causey served Horry County with a fervor and commitment that residents can only hope to find in a first responder. As we look back on his 25 years of service, his bravery and selflessness in times of crisis will not be forgotten. On behalf of Horry County and the Seventh Congressional District of South Carolina, I ask that we remember today Deputy Sheriff Tim Causey for his service and ultimate sacrifice. Wrenzie and I hope that they may find peace in a time of sorrow, clarity in a time of distress, and strength through the support of family and friends.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my support for this legislation. American competitiveness is my primary focus. The nameplate on my desk says: jobs, jobs, jobs. We've created a regulatory morass in this country that stifles progress on all fronts. We've got to get the government off the backs of our job creators. When I hear that this project has been studied for more than 1,700 days--5 years, that it would create more than 40,000 jobs at a time when jobs are so desperately needed, and that it would drive down the cost of energy and cut our oil imports from OPEC in half, and that the State Department has reviewed it and found that it exhibits no significant environmental hazards, and yet the administration still refuses to issue the permits, I'm appalled. We can study this project forever, and we will never resolve every possible question. This used to be a can-do country. If the administration will not make a decision, Congress should. Let's stop wringing our hands, approve this project and move forward.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. I rise in support of the Keystone pipeline. The Keystone pipeline represents 40,000 American jobs. It's been under study for 1,700 days--5 years. It is a project that could drive down the cost of energy, cut our imports from our enemies in half. It could invigorate our economy, and yet, we continue to study and study. We could study this program for decades, and we'll never resolve all the issues. It's time to move forward. We're the greatest country on Earth. Nobody can beat us if we stand toe-to-toe, but we've got a noose of regulation around our own necks, and we're strangling ourselves. It's time to fish or cut bait. Let's make a decision. Let's move forward with this very valuable project.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, before coming to Washington, I was involved in many organizations working to better the community, including being president of the Myrtle Beach Haven Homeless Shelter. For this reason, the organization New Directions, which gives aid to the homeless in the city of Myrtle Beach, SC, is close to my heart. New Directions provides services to sustain the homeless person and give him or her means to become self-reliant. Life Line is a new program being implemented by New Directions. Life Line's emergency shelter accommodates women and children that have experienced domestic violence. The shelter aids in helping its residents create a new life and get back on their feet. It opened April 12, 2013 and has helped twenty-six women and children thus far. I am fully supportive of New Directions and its program Life Line. Mr. Speaker, I deeply appreciate the work that they do to protect and help the homeless and victims of domestic violence.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I want to start out by saying I ran a small business for 25 years before entering Congress, and I always carried health insurance on my employees. But the required coverages under ObamaCare are far in excess of the coverage I ever carried. We never carried mental health coverage. We didn't carry substance abuse coverage. We didn't carry vision or dental. Guess what, employers? You won't have that choice anymore. The Federal Government will dictate to you what coverages you must carry on your employees. My colleagues across the aisle speak about jobs. This act has had a horrible stifling effect on hiring in this economy. Seventy percent of small businesses indicate this act has created doubt as to whether or not they will hire additional employees. Small businesses are cutting hours of their employees from 40 back to 30 so that they won't be considered full-time employees under this act. Hardworking Americans are suffering today because of this act. Doctors, physicians, are already dropping out of the system. It's been estimated that up to 15 percent of hospitals will close if this act is ultimately implemented. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this may be the 37th time that the House has taken up the repeal of ObamaCare, but this is my first time; and I and the constituents that sent me here want my vote recorded to repeal this poorly crafted, job-killing law. Last week, colleges in my district graduated more than 2,000 students eager to enter our workforce. These week-old college graduates in my district will be met with real-life challenges immediately thanks to the President's health care law. Over 50 percent of recent college graduates are unemployed. Five years after the recession, national unemployment remains unacceptably high. Seventy percent of small businesses cite the Affordable Care Act as a reason not to hire. Businesses large and small are considering cutting their workforce and reducing hours to avoid the requirements of the Affordable Care Act in January. Working families in America are hurting, and the Affordable Care Act is adding to their pain. The CBO estimates that 30 percent of employers will stop offering employer-sponsored health insurance next year.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. I rise to speak about an entirely different topic today. And my topic pales in comparison to the death of children at the hands of this awful clinic, so please excuse me for the diversion. What I rise to speak about today is the sequester and the effects on the Federal Aviation Administration. You see, in my State of South Carolina, our budget is actually less than it was 5 years ago. Whereas, in the last 5 years, the Federal budget has risen by 29 percent. In a time when hardworking Americans are tightening their belts, when State and local governments are tightening their belts, the Federal budget is up 29 percent. We run record deficit after record deficit. Yet with sequester, we're seeking a 2.4 percent cut--after a 29 percent rise in the last 5 years, 2.4 percent. My State has cut its budget with minimal disruption because the Governor and the legislature have worked together to do exactly that, minimize disruption. This administration, on the other hand, is making every effort to make this 2.4 percent cut as painful as they possibly can.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this week, as hardworking Americans across the country submit their tax returns, we are all reminded of the heavy burden placed upon all taxpayers by our country's broken tax system. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, the United States Tax Code has grown and bloated itself over time, resulting in an avalanche of overregulation coming down on the heads of American taxpayers. There have been over 4,400 changes to the Tax Code in the last decade alone. That averages to more than one per day. Is it any surprise, then, that the United States boasts more tax preparers than we do police officers and firefighters combined? We're facing a four-alarm tax emergency in this country, and the House Republicans have a plan to address it. We stand committed to fundamental, comprehensive tax reform that makes our Tax Code fairer and simpler for all Americans, a Tax Code that makes our corporations more competitive, that will stop the hemorrhaging of American jobs overseas and bring jobs back to our shores. Tax reform would increase hardworking Americans' take-home pay so that they have more money to live on, instead of the government having more of their money to spend. Mr. Speaker, that's what American taxpayers deserve.

Mr. RICE of South Carolina

Mr. RICE of South Carolina. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'm honored to serve on the House Budget Committee. I'm honored to advocate on behalf of this budget. There's one thing for sure: we can't keep going the way we are. If you look around the world, if you look at countries like Cyprus, Spain, Portugal and Greece, you will see the consequence of unrestrained spending. The Republican plan balances in 10 years. The plan offered by the Senate never balances. And when we say ``balance,'' we mean matching revenue to spending, not spending more than you take in. When our colleagues across the aisle talk about balance, they use it as a code word for a tax increase. The Republican plan offers protections across the spectrum of American life. It offers our seniors the protection of making our promises good in Social Security and Medicare. No one will deny--OMB will tell you and the CBO will tell you--the Medicare trust fund is going broke. It will expire in 11 short years; and the longer we wait to deal with that, the worse the problem becomes. It protects our middle class through tax reform and through repealing the ObamaCare law with its onerous regulations and taxes. It will structure our system for economic growth. We will stop hemorrhaging American jobs overseas, and we will bring American jobs back to these shores. It's one thing if we lose jobs because of low wages overseas. We don't ever want to compete in that arena. It's another if we lose jobs because our government is inefficient, bloated, and expensive. Finally, it protects our most vulnerable. It protects our young people. I agree with then-Senator Obama when he said it was immoral to continue to incur these massive debts. Of course, since he said it, our debt is multiples of what he was decrying at that time. We are piling mountains and mountains of debt on our children and our grandchildren to fuel our addiction to spending. It's got to stop, and it's got to stop now. I'm proud to stand for this Republican budget, and I urge its passage.