One key area that has been totally ignored in healthcare debate is the jaw-dropping amount of fraud and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. We at the Center for Health Transformation believe that $100 billion a year is a conservative estimate. Our new book, “Stop Paying the Crooks” outlines examples of that waste and offers dozens of suggestions on how to fix the problems. Consider just two examples: In January, 2009 the Government Accountability Office issued a report that said $32 billion of improper payments were made in the …
When skyrocketing energy prices took hold of America last summer, it became clear that developing alternative sources of energy was important to our nation’s economic and national security. Although talk of solar, wind, and biofuels have often dominated alternative energy discussions in the past, today more and more people are recognizing that clean coal and nuclear energy are both key to our nation’s energy future. As the representative of Pennsylvania’s Fourth Congressional District, I represent an area that has long been a national leader in America’s nuclear industry. Westinghouse Electric …
Today, another burden is being placed on America’s small businesses. Effective on this date is the third installment of the increase of the minimum wage that was passed in 2007. Once again, our federal government has provided not a help, but a hindrance to our economic recovery. When the three-phase minimum wage increase was initially signed into law in May 2007, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, and when the first phase went into place, the unemployment rate was 4.6%. Today it stands at 9.5%. At a time of record deficits, …
I am proud my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee succeeded in securing a 3.4 percent pay raise for our troops as well as critical advance funding for twelve new F-22 air superiority fighters in the National Defense Authorization Act. However, I am extremely disappointed that the Democrats failed to take this opportunity to draw a line in the sand and show the leaders of rogue regimes that the United States will not back down from investing in a strong missile defense system. Without question, the Obama administration has a …
The keys to stimulating our economy are private capital, small business innovation, reducing the burden big government imposes on the economy, and job creation. Several months ago, before the Democrats’ cap and trade bill was railroaded though Congress and before we faced their newly announced health care bill, we, along with 46 of our colleagues, introduced H.R. 1431, the No Cost Stimulus Act of 2009. The No Cost Stimulus Act would significantly increase the production of more American-made energy, which, in turn will create close to two million jobs and …
As we celebrated our nation’s birthday, North Korea launched seven missiles, and is now preparing to launch a long-range ballistic missile, just months after testing a nuclear weapon. At the same time, Iran is developing both nuclear capabilities and long range missiles, recently disguised as a “space” launch. Meanwhile in Washington, Democrats in the White House and in Congress are dramatically cutting funds from our national missile defense system. In what world does it make sense to dramatically cut funding for the only system capable of defending our nation against …
After taking office earlier this year, President Obama issued an executive order to close the detention facilities by the end of the year, without a plan for the relocation of over 200 detainees currently housed at the base. One option that I do not support is bringing the detainees here to the States for trial and placing them in our federal prisons. Many of the detainees pose a serious threat to our national security. The Pentagon just released a report stating that one in seven of the detainees that have been released …
Missile Defense Budget Cuts Are a Dangerous Gamble Given the battle going on in Washington over the future of a critical homeland defensive system, it’s unfortunate that much of the American public isn’t aware of what they have and what they stand to lose with the stroke of a pen. Today, while we face increasing threats from ballistic missiles, many Americans don’t know that their government has been deploying a system to protect our country against ballistic missile attack. Unfortunately, they also have no idea that the Obama Administration is …
Repeating the Mistakes From the Iraq War in Afghanistan Yesterday, early in the morning, the House Armed Services Committee finished its work on the Defense Authorization bill for 2010. The bill unfortunately falls short is several areas, including a slashing of our missile defense program and a failure to dedicate the resources necessary to prevail in Afghanistan. I recently took a trip to Iraq and Afghanistan. This was my first trip back to Iraq since having served with the United States Marine Corps in al Anbar province from August 2005 …
