Thank you, Chairman Lewis for convening this hearing to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Gulf Coast. As a proud Louisianian - I’ve witnessed this tragedy unfold over the past 91 days firsthand.  The oil spill devastates Gulf Coast families and workers, the economy and our delicate ecosystems.  Above all we can never forget those brave 11 rig workers that died working to deliver the… Read more

Washington, DC – Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today announced the promotions of Jill Schmalz to Senior Professional Staff and Sarah Swinehart to Press Secretary. “I want to congratulate Jill and Sarah on their hard-earned promotions,” said Camp.  “They provide significant contributions to the Ways and Means Committee to the benefit of our members and the entire House… Read more

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is broad agreement that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) needs to do far more to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare.  In fact, fraud is such an issue in Medicare that the Chief Counsel to the HHS Inspector General, who is testifying on the second panel today, said that, “a lot of career criminals and organized criminals have… Read more

Chairman Stark, thank you for yielding time.  And thank you Chairman Lewis and Ranking Member Herger for your thoughtful statements.  Medicare fraud has been and continues to be a very serious problem.  It costs the American taxpayers billions of dollars every year.  It depletes the Medicare trust funds of money that is desperately needed if we hope to continue providing adequate health… Read more

Mr. Speaker, this bill contains many positive features but also some negative ones and thus I reluctantly plan to oppose it. Like my friend on the other side of the aisle, I am pleased to see that it does include some tax relief, albeit limited, for small businesses, including provisions championed by both Republicans and Democrats. And I am also pleased that, unlike an earlier version… Read more

Washington, DC – With understandably little fanfare and late on Friday night during a Congressional recess, the U.S. Treasury Department met its legal obligation to issue its “Annual Report on Public Debt.”  The document, which came out on the same day the Labor Department reported virtually no private sector jobs were created last month, contained more bad news for the American… Read more

Mr. Chairman, thank you for yielding time.  We are here today to investigate the magnitude of the problem posed by evasion of federal excise taxes on tobacco.   It goes without saying that the smuggling of cigarettes to avoid federal taxes is wrong. It was also wrong of Democrats to inadequately fund the children’s health insurance program with these taxes.  Cigarette taxes are an… Read more

Since Democrats introduced their latest version of H.R. 4213, “The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act,” business leaders and organizations that represent millions of American businesses and their employees have voiced their opposition to the job-killing, deficit extending bill. These employers say that the legislation is anti-job growth, will place American businesses at a… Read more

Washington, D.C- Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today issued the following statement upon the launch of AmericaSpeakingOut.com, which invites active participation from the American people on issues of job creation, health care, tax reform and fiscal accountability among others. America Speaking Out is an effort of House Republicans to engage the American people in an… Read more

Washington, DC – Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today released a list of tax increases totaling $670.341 billion that have been enacted into law under President Obama.  The gross tax increases equate to more than $2,100 for every man, woman and child in the United States and include at least 14 violations of the President’s pledge not to raise taxes on Americans earning… Read more