Bipartisan Temporary Legislation to Keep Premiums from Rising 20 Percent, Keep Federal Debt from Spiking $194 Billion in 10 Years

Source: Senator Lamar Alexander  - (R - TN)

Washington, D.C. - October 20, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander spoke on the Senate floor, announcing he and eleven other Republican senators are among 24 senators cosponsoring temporary legislation to keep premiums from rising 20 percent and to keep the federal debt from spiking $194 billion in 10 years.

“Our agreement permanently amends the Affordable Care Act to give new flexibility for states to create insurance policies that have a larger variety and lower costs and it continues the cost-sharing reduction payments during 2018 and 2019,” Alexander said. “Cost-sharing reduction payments are subsidies that pay for copays and deductibles for low income Americans. Every Republican in the House of Representatives who voted to repeal and replace Obamacare this year, voted for a provision that continued the cost-sharing payments for two years.”

Alexander continued: “The president says there should be no bailout of insurance companies. I agree 100 percent. So does Senator Murray. We have a page and a half to make it clear that insurance companies cannot ‘double dip,’ so the benefits go to consumers not insurance companies.

“Some conservatives object to the idea of paying them at all, but I would ask what's conservative about unaffordable premiums? What's conservative about $194 billion of new federal debt? What's conservative about creating chaos so millions can't buy insurance? What's conservative about a four-lane highway that would be the chaos that leads to a single-payer solution for insurance in this country?”

“The people still objecting are listening to the groups around Washington, D.C. I would suggest they listen to some other people. Listen to the waitress, listen to the songwriter, listen to the brick layer, listen to the small businesswoman. The people of America, there are 350,000 in Tennessee, who may be terrified by the prospect of increasing premiums or even the prospect of not being able to buy insurance at all.”

“We haven't moved an inch toward our objectives in the last seven years of giving states more flexibility in creating insurance policies in the individual market. This agreement does.”

“We have a solution here. Senator Murray and I – a total of 24 United States Senators – are offering it today.”

Alexander and Murray released the names of 22 additional cosponsors -- Republican Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), and Democratic Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

Read more about the Affordable Care Act  at The Ponder News by clicking here

CORKER AIMS TO HAVE “BIGGEST IMPACT POSSIBLE” OVER NEXT 15 MONTHS

Chattanooga, TN - October 4, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- In an interview with Chuck Todd that aired on NBC’s “Meet the Press” today, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a member of the Senate Budget Committee, discussed foreign policy, tax reform, and his decision not to seek reelection. Excerpts follow.

On his decision not to seek reelection:

“I told people that I couldn’t imagine serving more than two terms,” said Corker. “And Chuck, I’ve felt a total freedom since I’ve been here to be myself. To speak frankly, to work with the other side of the aisle. That’s obviously needed. I can count. I can do math… And so, I’ve never, ever, ever thought about electoral politics in what I’m doing… I’ve enjoyed the freedom of conducting myself as a businessperson who’s come to Washington to solve problems.”

“And now I’ve got 15 months of even more freedom, in many ways,” added Corker. “And I’m going to do everything I can to have the biggest impact possible.”

On whether he will support tax reform legislation that adds to the deficit:

“I'm willing to accept the realities of where we are, and that is that we have a policy base. In other words, taxes,” said Corker. “It's kind of like the doc fix. You know, we kept making up the fact that this was going to change. So, I'm willing to accept current policy, number one. I think that's rational. And I'm willing to accept a reasonable score on dynamic growth. A reasonable score on dynamic growth. [Joint Committee on Taxation] does those. There're some other groups that do it. But if it, if it looks like to me, Chuck, we’re adding one penny to the deficit, I am not going to be for it, OK? I’m sorry. It is the greatest threat to our nation. The greatest threat to our nation. And so, look, I voted against the NDAA the other day. That was a painful vote. I mean, you know, I support the military. They know that. But when you blow through even the president's budget and you use huge amounts of OCO, overseas contingency operations, to pay for it, I'm sorry, I'm opposed to that.”

“It's like, Chuck, we've entered a party atmosphere here,” added Corker. “You know, everybody was a fiscal hawk, kind of. Not really, but kind of up until the election. Now, it’s like there's a party going on up here, OK? Heck with revenue. Heck with the, you know, constraining spending. So yes, I will remain a deficit hawk until I leave here. And I'm looking so forward to this tax reform debate because the one thing that hasn't been discussed is the $4 trillion in base broadeners that have to occur for this to be successful. And every lobbyist in the world is going to be up here fighting those.”

On North Korea:

“I think that there’s more going on than meets the eye,” said Corker. “I think [Secretary] Tillerson understands that every intelligence agency we have says there's no amount of economic pressure you can put on North Korea to get them to stop this program because they view this as their survival… Should we step it up a little bit? The answer is absolutely yes. I mean, we should step it up. I mean, you know, we're moving to a place where we're going to end up with a binary choice soon.”

“I don't think we're cornering ourselves,” added Corker. “But if we don't ramp up the diplomatic side, it's possible that we end up cornered.”

On the performance of the administration:

“I’m not trying to be critical here, but some of the words have been left out,” said Corker. “What I said is he has not yet demonstrated some of the competence and some of the stability… And that we need for him to be successful. I mean, the country needs for him to be successful.”

“I think that General Kelly has brought in an air of discipline that has been transformative as far as how the White House operates,” added Corker. “I do think they did a great job with Texas and Florida during the hurricane(s). Very professional. I thought it took a lot of courage by the president to change his long held position about Afghanistan. So, I’m seeing changes.”

Treasury Department Reports $20 Trillion National Debt

Source: House Representative Jeb Hensarling (R-TX, 5th)

Washington, D.C. - September 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling (TX-5) released the following statement in response to the recent Daily Treasury Statement from the United States Treasury reporting that our national debt is set to surpass $20 trillion ($61,899 per citizen):

“As I said last week, when it comes to our national debt the familiar refrain from too many in Washington continues to be, ‘we will deal with that tomorrow.’ I’ve been hearing that for years and now the American people are waking up to find out we now have $20 trillion worth of debt today, and tomorrow never seems to come.

“There is a true spending-driven debt crisis in America. It is the greatest existential threat to our country that receives almost no attention in Washington.

“Not only will the national debt break federal and household budgets, but it is a direct threat to our national security. In a time where the world is more dangerous than ever, we cannot afford to short-change the safety and well-being of our citizens.

“When the debt was $17 trillion, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen said, ‘the most significant threat to our national security is our debt.’ Now that number is significantly higher with no sign of stopping.

“$20 trillion in national debt is a dubious and dangerous milestone that was all too avoidable. If we do not, we will soon wake up to find ourselves a second-rate economic power, a second-rate military power, and a second-rate moral authority.”