|
|
Ron Lewis on Budget & EconomyRepublican Representative (KY-2) |
Proponent's argument to vote Yes:Rep. BARNEY FRANK (D, MA-4): This economy is in the worst shape that it has been in since the Great Depression. This Congress voted 2 months ago to advance $25 billion to the auto industry to promote innovation. This $15 billion is an additional "bridge loan."
Opponent's argument to vote No:Rep. SPENCER BACHUS (R, AL-6): We all understand that the bankruptcy of either GM or Chrysler would have a cascading effect on other manufacturers. But I cannot support this plan because it spends taxpayer money without any real promise to return the industry to profitability. I see several glaring flaws. We are creating a new car czar to manage these companies from Washington; not a CEO, but a car czar. Second, this legislation actually imposes new and expensive mandates on our automobile companies. Third, this legislation imposes Federal Government management on the Big Three, the wisdom of Washington. It is clear that the management of these companies have made mistakes, many mistakes, but to set up a command and control Federal bureaucrat is exactly the wrong solution.
Rep. RON PAUL (R, TX-14): The problems that we are facing today date back to 1971. But we don't seem to want to go back and find out how financial bubbles form and why they burst. Instead, we just carry on doing the same old thing and never look back. We spend more money, we run up more debt, we print more money, and we think that is going to solve the problem that was created by spending too much money, running up debt, printing too much money. Today, we are talking about tinkering on the edges without dealing with the big problem.
Proponent's argument to vote Yes:Rep. DAVID OBEY (D, WI-7): Congress has tried to do a number of things that would alleviate the squeeze on the middle class. Meanwhile, this economy is sagging. Jobs, income, sales, and industrial production have all gone down. We have lost 600,000 jobs. We are trying to provide a major increase in investments to modernize our infrastructure and to provide well-paying construction jobs at the same time.
Opponent's argument to vote No:Rep. JERRY LEWIS (R, CA-41): Just 2 days ago we were debating an $800 billion continuing resolution. Now in addition to being asked to pay for a bailout for Wall Street, taxpayers are being asked to swallow an additional $60 billion on a laundry list of items I saw for the first time just a few hours ago. The Democratic majority is describing this legislation as a "stimulus package" to help our national economy. But let's not fool ourselves. This is a political document pure and simple. If these priorities are so important, why hasn't this bill gone through the normal legislative process? We should have debated each of the items included in this package.
It doesn't take an economist to tell you that the economy needs our help. But what does this Congress do? It proposes to spend billions more without any offsets in spending. The failure to adhere to PAYGO means that this new spending will be financed through additional borrowing, which will prove a further drag on our struggling economy.
Proponents support voting YES because:
Rep. FRANK: This legislation seeks to prevent a repetition of events that caused one of the most serious financial crises in recent times. We have a worldwide problem economically, with a terrible shortage of credit. Innovations in the mortgage industry, in themselves good and useful, but conducted in such a completely unregulated manner as to have led to this crisis. The fundamental principle of the bill is not to put remedies into place, but to stop future problems from occurring in the first place. We have had two groups of mortgage originators: banks subject to the regulation of the bank regulators; and then mortgage loans made by brokers who were subject to no regulation. The secondary market has been on the whole useful but, having been unregulated, has caused some problems.
Opponents recommend voting NO because:
Rep. HENSARLING: This is a bad bill for homeowners in America. There is no doubt that this Nation faces a great challenge in the subprime market, but this piece of legislation is going to make the situation worse. Clearly, there has to be enforcement against fraud in the subprime market. But what Congress should not do is essentially outlaw the American Dream for many struggling families who may be of low income, who may have checkered credit pasts, for whom a subprime mortgage is the only means to purchase a home.
OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY: Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit an individual to designate three dollars on his or her income tax return (six dollars on a joint return) to be used to reduce the public debt of the United States.
SPONSOR'S INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT: Pres. Eisenhower apparently once said that he believed that there could be no surplus as long as our Nation was in debt. I come from that school of thought, and yet that is not exactly where we are right now in Washington.
Where we are right now is debating whether or not 90 percent or 50 percent, or some number in between, of these projected future surpluses should be allocated to the debt. What struck me is the fact that really more than just the Congress should be involved in that debate. It is for that reason that I introduce today the Taxpayers' Choice Debt Reduction Act.
What this bill would do would be to simply take the 1040, the tax return as we now know it. And right now, we can send $3 to the presidential campaign. This would create another box wherein we could send 3 bucks to debt reduction. That is not enough money to change our national debt, but it is enough money to make a small step in an important debate that we all ought to be a part of.
LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means; never called for a House vote.
[As part of the Contract with America, within 100 days we pledge to bring to the House Floor the following bill]:
The Fiscal Responsibility Act:
A balanced budget/tax limitation amendment and a legislative line-item veto to restore fiscal responsibility to an out-of-control Congress, requiring them to live under the same budget constraints as families and businesses.
| ||||
| Other candidates on Budget & Economy: | Ron Lewis on other issues: | |||
|
KY Gubernatorial: Steve Beshear KY Senatorial: Bruce Lunsford Jim Bunning Mitch McConnell Pending elections: D,IL-5:Emanuel D,CA-31:Solis D,NY-20:Gillibrand Special elections in 110th Congress: R,GA-10:Broun D,IN-7:Carson D,LA-6:Cazayoux D,MD-4:Edwards D,IL-14:Foster D,CA-37:Richardson R,LA-1:Scalise D,CA-12:Speier D,MA-5:Tsongas R,VA-1:Wittman |
GOP Freshmen in 111th Congress: R,OH-7:Austria R,OH-16:Boccieri R,LA-2:Cao R,LA-6:Cassidy R,UT-3:Chaffetz R,CA-6:Coffman R,LA-4:Fleming R,KY-2:Guthrie R,MS-3:Harper R,CA-52:Hunter R,KS-2:Jenkins R,NJ-7:Lance R,NY-26:Lee R,MO-9:Luetkemeyer R,WY-AL:Lummis R,CA-4:McClintock R,TX-22:Olson R,MN-3:Paulsen R,FL-15:Posey R,TN-1:Roe R,FL-16:Rooney R,IL-18:Schock R,PA-5:Thompson |
Dem. Freshmen in 111th Congress: D,NJ-3:Adler D,AL-2:Bright D,VA-11:Connolly D,PA-3:Dahlkemper D,OH-1:Driehaus D,OH-11:Fudge D,FL-8:Grayson D,AL-5:Griffith D,IL-11:Halvorson D,NM-1:Heinrich D,CT-4:Himes D,OH-15:Kilroy D,AZ-1:Kirkpatrick D,NC-8:Kissell D,FL-24:Kosmas D,MD-1:Kratovil D,NM-3:Lujan D,NY-25:Maffei D,CO-4:Markey D,NY-29:Massa D,NY-13:McMahon D,ID-1:Minnick D,VA-5:Perriello D,MI-9:Peters D,ME-1:Pingree D,CO-2:Polis D,MI-7:Schauer D,OR-5:Schrader D,NM-2:Teague D,NV-3:Titus D,NY-21:Tonko |
Abortion
Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty Main Page Profile KY politicians | |