112th Congress
The Supreme Court is still deliberating the constitutionality of President Obama's health care law, but the court of public opinion has already returned its verdict. Surveys show that a majority of Americans believe the law's individual mandate provision, which would force every citizen to purchase health insurance or pay a fine, is unconstitutional. Public opinion polls also show the law remains just as unpopular today as it was when Democrats forced it through the Pelosi/Reid Congress two years ago over widespread protests.
Rep. Tom Cole (OK-04) hosts his monthly program "Cole on Congress" and visits with former Oklahoma First Lady Cathy Keating to provide an analysis on the issues facing our nation. (March 2012)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the House of Representatives approved H.Con.Res. 112, the "Path to Prosperity" Budget Resolution setting spending limits for 2013. The House Republican budget cuts $5 trillion, protects defense funding, reforms the tax system, and brings needed reforms to health and retirement security programs. Cole also voted in favor of the “Cut, Cap, and Balance” Budget. This budget plan was introduced by the Republican Study Committee, a caucus of House conservatives of which he is a member.
I rise to support the Ryan budget. I do so with a great deal of pride. It's the only serious plan either party has put forward that deals with the looming debt crisis we face. It cuts $5.3 trillion dollars over the next decade. It reforms Medicare and Medicaid -- something everybody in this House knows needs to happen. It lays out the blueprint for tax reform. It deals with the sequester in a responsible way.
It's the most predictable economic crisis in history. Driven by four consecutive years of trillion-dollar-plus deficits, the nation's publicly held debt is projected to reach 73 percent of the economy this year. Funding for Medicare, Social Security and portions of Medicaid consume 43 percent of federal spending and will rise to 54 percent in 10 years. The federal government is so enormous, it represents 24 percent of our total economy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the House of Representatives approved the Protecting Access to Healthcare Act (PATH), H.R. 5. The legislation would repeal provisions in President Obama's Affordable Care Act to establish the “Independent Payment Advisory Board” (IPAB), a 15-member panel of unelected bureaucrats granted authority to determine cuts to Medicare. The bill would also help lower health care costs by implementing sensible medical liability reform.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after House Republicans released their Fiscal Year 2013 budget resolution – The Path to Prosperity. Cole serves on the House Budget Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.
"The House Republican budget provides serious, principled solutions to not only lower our crippling national debt but also to grow the economy and strengthen health and retirement security.
Throughout the months of debate and public protest leading up to the 2010 passage of President Obama's health care bill, the White House repeatedly attempted to assure the American people that the government health care takeover wouldn't be all that intrusive. Various members of the Obama administration, as well as the Pelosi-led Democratic majority that controlled Congress at the time, appeared on the news every day to repeat their mantra: "Those who are happy with their current health care can keep it."
I was fortunate to get to meet recently with members of the Norman Chamber of Commerce during their annual trip to Washington. The Capitol's commonsense quotient automatically jumped a few points with so many Oklahomans on the premises, but that's not the only benefit of their visit. It's always educational to hear from people who know what it's like to start and run businesses, to make payroll each month, and to navigate the many hazards of a shaky economy.