House Republican Leaders Outline $375 Billion in Federal Savings in Proposal for President Obama

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today sent a proposal to President Obama outlining $375 billion in taxpayer savings over the next five years. The savings proposal comes after a White House meeting in which the GOP leaders pledged to deliver to the President a plan that expands upon his initial proposal to trim the federal budget. Boehner issued the following statement on the leaders’ proposal:

“We hope the President will work with us to make the reforms outlined in this proposal as the first step in a serious bipartisan effort to crack down on unnecessary and duplicative spending by the federal government. The federal government is too big and wastes much of the money it takes from middle-class families and small businesses. In today’s tough economy, we owe it to taxpayers to get serious about changing the way in which Washington spends their hard-earned money. I commend Rep. Cantor and Members of the House GOP’s Economic Recovery Solutions Group for their work in crafting this proposal and for their ongoing effort to control spending, create jobs, and curb the debt.”


June 4, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Per our last bipartisan leadership meeting on April 23rd, enclosed please find a list of proposals that we believe could generate significant savings for American taxpayers.

As we have expressed to you, we are greatly troubled by the spending and deficit levels adopted in the recent budget. We believe this level of spending and borrowing is not only unsustainable, but unfair towards hard-working American families who will see increased mortgage costs as a result of our reckless borrowing and to future generations who will be required to pay for this profligate spending.

In testimony before the House Budget Committee yesterday, Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke raised similar concerns stating, “Unless we demonstrate a strong commitment to fiscal sustainability in the longer term, we will have neither financial stability nor healthy economic growth."

Of course, reducing spending is never easy. In 2005 when Congressional Republicans enacted the Deficit Reduction Act, which saved taxpayers $40 billion over five years, not one single Democrat in the House or Senate supported the bill. The proposed terminations and reductions your Administration released last month garnered immediate opposition from many Democrats. Likewise, the proposals we have put forward here will not be supported by all Republicans. However, if we work together, we are confident that we can come up with a common-sense package of entitlement reforms, program terminations, and spending reductions that will generate significant savings for the American taxpayer and reduce our current deficit. For example, enactment of the proposals we have outlined in the enclosed document could save taxpayers in excess of $375 billion.

We will continue to work with our Members to identify other potential areas for savings. We firmly believe that given the gravity of the current fiscal situation both parties must dedicate themselves to a sustained program to root out wasteful and unnecessary spending and reforming entitlement programs.

We look forward to working with you in this endeavor.

Sincerely,

John Boehner Eric Cantor
Republican Leader Republican Whip

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Boehner Announces GOP Leader’s Website Will Live-Blog Budget Debate Wednesday

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today announced that Wednesday’s House Budget Committee debate on President Obama’s proposed budget will be live-blogged on the Republican Leader’s website. The Committee is expected to begin consideration of the budget at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, and the Leader’s blog will provide regular updates on its progress, including votes on key amendments, throughout the day. The up-to-the-minute budget coverage will be available beginning Wednesday morning at http://gopleader.gov/Blog. Boehner released the following statement:

“The President’s budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much from our kids and grandkids - and that’s going to do further harm to our economy at a time when it desperately needs our help. Republicans are offering better solutions on the budget. This live-blog will give Americans a front-row seat for this important debate so they can hold their leaders in Washington accountable for their votes on some of the most important issues of the day.”

NOTE: The President’s budget calls for $1.4 trillion in new taxes that will affect every American. There’s a $646 billion national energy tax; tax increases on income and small businesses; new taxes on investors by raising capital gains and dividend rates; a resurrection of the death tax; and a reduction in charitable deductions. Moreover, the Budget relies on misleading assumptions. According to a Congressional Budget Office report released on Friday, the President’s budget is actually $2.3 trillion more costly than the White House initially claimed. In fact, over the next 10 years, the budget will produce an incredible $9.3 trillion in total deficits.

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Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) Delivers Weekly Republican Address

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) delivers the weekly Republican address.

"This week, President Obama shared with all Americans his priorities and concerns about the serious economic challenges we as America are facing. I appreciated his optimism and agree with him that our country has the ability to overcome this significant economic challenge.

"The strongest tool we as Americans have is our ability to rally together and to find solutions with unity of purpose. There is no limit to our ability and potential when we as a nation and as a people work together.

"Many times, disagreements between the two political parties in Washington get all the headlines. What's not reported is the fact that Republicans and Democrats agree on where we want to go, but we disagree on how we're going to get there.

"These uncertain times present us with a defining moment. The actions and decisions we make and the actions we take in our nation's capital and in the state capitals across this country will have a profound impact on the way of life for years to come.

"Families facing tough decisions at home know this because they are confronting the same challenges. Washington needs to understand this reality as well. It's difficult to fully appreciate, but every time Congress and the President spends a dollar, it's actually a dollar PLUS interest that our children and our grandchildren will have to pay back.

"We must remind ourselves of this fact every single day. Unfortunately, Washington is in a state of denial. Our spending habits haven't gotten better, they've only gotten worse.

"It seems that every morning you pick up the newspaper, you're reading about another multi-billion dollar government spending plan being proposed or even worse, passed. The numbers are so large, and the deficits so staggering, it's difficult for the average person to imagine how much money we're talking about. We become numb to what the dollar figures really mean, or the obligation that accompanies them. Let me take a moment to try to explain what is happening in Washington right now, and what it will mean for all of us down the road.

"This week, the president submitted to Congress the single largest increase in federal spending in the history of the United States, while driving the deficit to levels that were once thought impossible. If we just look at what our debt spending will cost us in interest payments alone, we are talking about 4 trillion dollars over the next 10 years, more than a billion dollars of interest payments every day. Think of that 4 trillion as a finance charge on your credit card bill -- you have to pay, but you get nothing for it in return. This finance charge obligates more than $52,000 for every family in America over the same 10-year period.

"These payments don't even make a dent in the balance we owe. In fact, the balance on our credit card continues to grow as we continue to spend. Like a family that finds itself choking under the weight of credit card balances and finance charges, the federal government is quickly obligating the American people to a similar fate.

"This is why we must keep our eye on the big picture. For two centuries, the American Dream has depended on the simple belief that men and women work hard so their children would have a better future. Looking at the spending priorities of Democrats in Washington in the proposed budget and over the past month, it's hard to escape the reality that for the first time we could see the American Dream vanish. Now, instead of working hard so our children can have a better life tomorrow, we are asking our children to work hard so that we don't have to make tough choices today.

"It's long past time to show restraint and to make the tough choices that will help put our fiscal house in order. Generations of Americans past have often been called on to make great sacrifices for their country. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Is it not time for government to make sacrifices for future generations? It's time for those elected to lead. Will we rise to the challenge, and make the tough choices necessary? Or will we simply hand the obligation to our children and wish them good luck?"

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Boehner Statement on President Obama’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) released the following statement on President Obama’s address to a Joint Session of Congress last evening:

“All Americans should be proud to witness the history that will be made in the Capitol this evening. President Obama will make a compelling case that our nation can overcome the immense challenges before us, particularly when it comes to strengthening our economy and creating new jobs on behalf of middle-class families. Republicans want to be partners with the President in finding responsible solutions to the challenges facing our nation, but thus far congressional leaders in the President’s own party have stood in the way. That’s why Republicans take seriously our responsibility to offer better solutions to address the concerns of the American people.

“Middle-class families and small businesses across our nation are making sacrifices and tough budget decisions. It’s time for Washington to do the same. We cannot afford to pile mountains more in debt on our children and grandchildren in order to pay for a spending spree that we simply cannot afford. It is time for both parties in Washington to back up our promises of fiscal responsibility with real action.

“That means instituting a spending freeze so we can get our budget in order – beginning by replacing the half-trillion dollar spending bill Democratic leaders have scheduled for a House vote tomorrow with a clean bill, free of pork-barrel spending. That means not raising taxes in the midst of a recession – a sure recipe for a weaker economy and fewer jobs. That means supporting our men and women in uniform by providing them all the tools they need to defeat our enemies. That means safely developing our nation’s vast energy resources to lower energy costs and create more jobs. And that means ensuring access to affordable, high-quality health care for every American.”

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RNC Chairman's Response to President Obama's Address

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement last night:

"Watching President Obama address our nation -- and feeling the pride that is in every American's heart -- it's worth pausing to celebrate our nation's achievements. Yet even as we mark this historic event, we recognize the deep problems that continue to face our nation. Republicans are eager to work with President Obama on the challenges he discussed, especially restoring fiscal responsibility and growing our economy.

"After last year's State of the Union, then-candidate Barack Obama asked the nation to imagine a time when a President's agenda would draw standing ovations from both sides of the aisle. That sort of bipartisanship is an admirable goal -- and one that unfortunately continues to elude Washington. The Democratic leadership in Congress must be willing to work with Republicans to stop out-of-control spending, promote the creation of jobs, and to keep our troops properly funded.

"Now would be a good time for this young Administration to ask the Democrat leaders in Congress to actually consider working in a bipartisan way to solve the real problems Americans are facing.

"I am more confident than ever that the American people will stand up for the principles our nation was founded on and will hold their representatives accountable to overcome the challenges that this nation faces."

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Governor Bobby Jindal's Republican Address: 'Americans Can Do Anything'

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Republican National Committee (RNC) released the full Republican address entitled "Americans Can Do Anything," that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal delivered immediately following President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress:

"Good evening. I'm Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana.

Tonight, we witnessed a great moment in the history of our Republic. In the very chamber where Congress once voted to abolish slavery, our first African-American President stepped forward to address the state of our union. With his speech tonight, the President completed a redemptive journey that took our nation from Independence Hall...to Gettysburg...to the lunch counter... and now, finally, the Oval Office.

Regardless of party, all Americans are moved by the President's personal story - the son of an American mother and a Kenyan father, who grew up to become leader of the free world. Like the President's father, my parents came to this country from a distant land. When they arrived in Baton Rouge, my mother was already 4 1/2 months pregnant. I was what folks in the insurance industry now call a 'pre-existing condition.' To find work, my dad picked up the yellow pages and started calling local businesses. Even after landing a job, he could still not afford to pay for my delivery - so he worked out an installment plan with the doctor. Fortunately for me, he never missed a payment.

As I grew up, my mom and dad taught me the values that attracted them to this country - and they instilled in me an immigrant's wonder at the greatness of America. As a child, I remember going to the grocery store with my dad. Growing up in India, he had seen extreme poverty. And as we walked through the aisles, looking at the endless variety on the shelves, he would tell me: 'Bobby, Americans can do anything.' I still believe that to this day. Americans can do anything. When we pull together, there is no challenge we cannot overcome.

As the President made clear this evening, we are now in a time of challenge. Many of you listening tonight have lost jobs. Others have seen your college and retirement savings dwindle. Many of you are worried about losing your health care and your homes. And you are looking to your elected leaders in Washington for solutions.

Republicans are ready to work with the new President to provide those solutions. Here in my state of Louisiana, we don't care what party you belong to if you have good ideas to make life better for our people. We need more of that attitude from both Democrats and Republicans in our nation's capital. All of us want our economy to recover and our nation to prosper. So where we agree, Republicans must be the President's strongest partners. And where we disagree, Republicans have a responsibility to be candid and offer better ideas for a path forward.

Today in Washington, some are promising that government will rescue us from the economic storms raging all around us.

Those of us who lived through Hurricane Katrina, we have our doubts.

Let me tell you a story.


During Katrina, I visited Sheriff Harry Lee, a Democrat and a good friend of mine. When I walked into his makeshift office I'd never seen him so angry. He was yelling into the phone: 'Well, I'm the Sheriff and if you don't like it you can come and arrest me!' I asked him: 'Sheriff, what's got you so mad?' He told me that he had put out a call for volunteers to come with their boats to rescue people who were trapped on their rooftops by the floodwaters. The boats were all lined up ready to go - when some bureaucrat showed up and told them they couldn't go out on the water unless they had proof of insurance and registration. I told him, 'Sheriff, that's ridiculous.' And before I knew it, he was yelling into the phone: 'Congressman Jindal is here, and he says you can come and arrest him too!' Harry just told the boaters to ignore the bureaucrats and start rescuing people.

There is a lesson in this experience: The strength of America is not found in our government. It is found in the compassionate hearts and enterprising spirit of our citizens. We are grateful for the support we have received from across the nation for the ongoing recovery efforts. This spirit got Louisiana through the hurricanes - and this spirit will get our nation through the storms we face today.

To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you - the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything.

That is why Republicans put forward plans to create jobs by lowering income tax rates for working families...cutting taxes for small businesses ...strengthening incentives for businesses to invest in new equipment and hire new workers...and stabilizing home values by creating a new tax credit for home-buyers. These plans would cost less and create more jobs.

But Democratic leaders in Congress rejected this approach. Instead of trusting us to make wise decisions with our own money, they passed the largest government spending bill in history - with a price tag of more than $1 trillion with interest. While some of the projects in the bill make sense, their legislation is larded with wasteful spending. It includes $300 million to buy new cars for the government, $8 billion for high-speed rail projects, such as a 'magnetic levitation' line from Las Vegas to Disneyland, and $140 million for something called 'volcano monitoring.' Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, DC.

Democratic leaders say their legislation will grow the economy. What it will do is grow the government, increase our taxes down the line, and saddle future generations with debt. Who among us would ask our children for a loan, so we could spend money we do not have, on things we do not need? That is precisely what the Democrats in Congress just did. It's irresponsible. And it's no way to strengthen our economy, create jobs, or build a prosperous future for our children.

In Louisiana, we took a different approach. Since I became governor, we cut more than 250 earmarks from our state budget. And to create jobs for our citizens, we cut taxes six times - including the largest income tax cut in the history of our state. We passed those tax cuts with bipartisan majorities. Republicans and Democrats put aside their differences, and worked together to make sure our people could keep more of what they earn. If it can be done in Baton Rouge, surely it can be done in Washington, DC.

To strengthen our economy, we need urgent action to keep energy prices down. All of us remember what it felt like to pay $4 at the pump - and unless we act now, those prices will return. To stop that from happening, we need to increase conservation...increase energy efficiency...increase the use of alternative and renewable fuels...increase our use of nuclear power - and increase drilling for oil and gas here at home. We believe that Americans can do anything - and if we unleash the innovative spirit of our citizens, we can achieve energy independence.

To strengthen our economy, we also need to address the crisis in health care. Republicans believe in a simple principle: No American should have to worry about losing their health coverage - period. We stand for universal access to affordable health care coverage. We oppose universal government-run health care. Health care decisions should be made by doctors and patients - not by government bureaucrats. We believe Americans can do anything - and if we put aside partisan politics and work together, we can make our system of private medicine affordable and accessible for every one of our citizens.

To strengthen our economy, we also need to make sure every child in America gets the best possible education. After Katrina, we reinvented the New Orleans school system - opening dozens of new charter schools, and creating a new scholarship program that is giving parents the chance to send their children to private or parochial schools of their choice. We believe that, with the proper education, the children of America can do anything. And it should not take a devastating storm to bring this kind of innovation to education in our country.

To strengthen our economy, we must promote confidence in America by ensuring ours is the most ethical and transparent system in the world. In my home state, there used to be saying: At any given time, half of Louisiana is under water - and the other half is under indictment. No one says that anymore. Last year, we passed some of the strongest ethics laws in the nation - and today, Louisiana has turned her back on the corruption of the past. We need to bring transparency to Washington, DC- so we can rid our Capitol of corruption...and ensure we never see the passage of another trillion dollar spending bill that Congress has not even read and the American people haven't even seen.

As we take these steps, we must remember for all our troubles at home, dangerous enemies still seek our destruction. Now is no time to dismantle the defenses that have protected this country for hundreds of years, or make deep cuts in funding for our troops. America's fighting men and women can do anything. And if we give them the resources they need, they will stay on the offensive...defeat our enemies...and protect us from harm.

In all these areas, Republicans want to work with President Obama. We appreciate his message of hope - but sometimes it seems we look for hope in different places. Democratic leaders in Washingto nplace their hope in the federal government. We place our hope in you - the American people. In the end, it comes down to an honest and fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government. We oppose the National Democrats' view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government. We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, and empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs.

In recent years, these distinctions in philosophy became less clear - because our party got away from its principles. You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington. Republicans lost your trust - and rightly so.

Tonight, on behalf of our leaders in Congress and my fellow Republican governors, I say: Our party is determined to regain your trust. We will do so by standing up for the principles that we share...the principles you elected us to fight for...the principles that built this into the greatest, most prosperous country on earth.

A few weeks ago, the President warned that our nation is facing a crisis that he said 'we may not be able to reverse.' Our troubles are real, to be sure. But don't let anyone tell you that we cannot recover - or that America's best days are behind her. This is the nation that cast off the scourge of slavery...overcame the Great Depression...prevailed in two World Wars...won the struggle for civil rights...defeated the Soviet menace...and responded with determined courage to the attacks of September 11, 2001. The American spirit has triumphed over almost every form of adversity known to man - and the American spirit will triumph again.

We can have confidence in our future - because, amid today's challenges, we also count many blessings: We have the most innovative citizens...the most abundant resources...the most resilient economy...the most powerful military...and the freest political system in the history of the world. My fellow citizens, never forget: We are Americans. And like my dad said years ago, Americans can do anything.

Thank you for listening. God bless you. And God bless America."

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Boehner Statement on Housing Plan Introduced by President Obama

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) yesterday issued the following statement on the housing plan outlined by President Obama in Phoenix, Arizona:

“The housing crisis is at the heart of our economic troubles, and House Republicans want to work with the President on a plan that keeps families in their homes without asking taxpayers to bail out irresponsible lenders, scam artists, and borrowers who knowingly made bad decisions. While we hope to work together, there are many unanswered questions that remain about the proposal that was announced today. Why should we reward Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with $200 billion in taxpayer dollars without first reforming these housing entities that were at the heart of the economic meltdown? Will taxpayers be forced to subsidize the scandal-plagued activist group ACORN under this proposal? Should a responsible plan include a ‘cramdown’ provision that could increase the monthly mortgage payments for responsible borrowers?

“Taxpayers and homeowners who are playing by the rules expect their leaders in Washington to work together on solutions to get our housing industry – and our entire economy – moving again. The President’s announcement of his plan is an important step in that process, and Republicans look forward to working with him and our Democratic colleagues in Congress on this issue in the weeks and months to come.”

NOTE: Boehner and Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) sent a letter to President Obama earlier today seeking clarification on six common sense questions about his housing proposal. Specifically, Boehner and Cantor asked:

What will your plan do for the over 90% of homeowners who are playing and paying by the rules?

Does your plan compensate banks for bad mortgages they should have never made in the first place?

Will individuals who misrepresented their income or assets on their original mortgage application be eligible to get the taxpayer funded assistance under your plan?

Similarly, will you require mortgage servicers to verify income and other eligibility standards before modifying mortgages?

What will you do to prevent the same mortgages that receive assistance and are modified from going into default three, six, or eight months later?

How do you intend to move forward in the drafting of the legislation and who will author it?

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