Washington, DC – Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) today delivered a statement on the House floor in support of repealing the job-destroying health care bill. Below are excerpts, followed by the full statement. The Fundamental Flaw With The Healthcare Bill “The problem with this law – among its many faults – is it puts government at the center of health care decisions; not… Read more

Washington, DC – Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today delivered a statement on the House floor in support of the Tax Hike Prevention Agreement. Below are excerpts, followed by the full statement. The choice lawmakers face:  “This House – the people’s House – has a simple choice to make today.  Raise taxes on families and small businesses or prevent a massive,… Read more

Madame Speaker, the national unemployment rate is 9.8%.  The unemployment rate in my home state of Michigan is 12.8%.  America is desperately in need of jobs, and American workers need Congress to focus on legislation that will help create jobs.  This legislation is a solid step in that direction.  I have often said that the government can’t create jobs -- it is the private sector that… Read more

The unemployment rate in October, the latest data available, was 9.6 percent. That marked 15 consecutive months we were at or above 9.5 percent unemployment in this country – the longest period since the Great Depression.  All told, 48 out of 50 states have lost jobs since the so-called $1 trillion stimulus bill and nearly 15 million Americans remain unemployed. What is the… Read more

Let me start by saying that it is truly disappointing that this is the only trade bill in the past two years that has been marked up by the Ways and Means Committee.  I find it unacceptable that this is the sum total of our trade agenda. While this legislation addresses an important issue, it will not address many more pressing trade concerns with China and will not advance the goal of… Read more

Last Friday, we learned that the unemployment rate is still at 9.5%.  It would be much higher if the official calculations also looked at the fast-growing number of Americans who have become so discouraged that they have given up looking for work. So while Congress should be here trying to find ways to get Americans back to work, we are here instead to complete action on another… Read more

Last night, I intended to offer a motion to recommit that would have eliminated the new, onerous, job-killing 1099 requirement that is in the health care law.  In addition to helping small businesses, the motion to recommit would have better protected taxpayers from erroneously paying too much in health insurance subsidies.  The motion would have cut taxes, cut spending, protected… Read more

It has been nearly one-and-a-half years since the President signed the one-trillion-dollar “stimulus” bill into law and now the majority has come up with a new “make it in America” agenda.  Which begs the question, if stimulus was such a success, why don’t we already make it in America?  The facts are, after stimulus: The unemployment rate continues to hover near 10 percent –… Read more

Madam Speaker, the facts are clear: with unemployment stuck at nearly 10 percent and millions of jobs lost, the Democrats’ trillion-dollar stimulus bill has failed. So, what is the Majority’s response?  Raise taxes on American jobs and give more money to state and local governments.  That won’t create the private sector jobs Americans need. You don’t have to take my word for it.  Here… Read more

Republicans want to help those looking for work, but struggling in the current economic slow down.  But we also agree with the American people that new spending must be paid for.  This latest unemployment insurance extender bill fails to do what the American people want.  Instead, the Democratic approach adds another $34 billion to the already staggering $13 trillion national debt.  And… Read more