WASHINGTON — This morning, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) spoke to Fox News about the “off-ramp from Obamacare” that he, along with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN), proposed this morning in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. The plan comes as the Supreme Court is set to hear oral… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY) introduced the Preserving the Work Requirement for Welfare Act. The legislation prohibits the Obama administration from waiving the work requirement in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. In July 2012, the Obama administration declared it had the authority to waive the work requirement, which has been key to the… Read more

The disturbing news from the Pacific is that China continues to beef up construction in disputed territory and spread its brand of “state capitalism.” At the same time, our allies question whether the United States is truly committed to being a world leader. In Europe, Russia continues its belligerence, and Europe is unable to respond effectively because of its dependence on Russian… Read more

As we pointed out yesterday, expanding trade will help American farmers and ranchers thrive. Today, a bipartisan group of former U.S. Agriculture Secretaries echoed this message in an open letter to Congress: As former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture, we know firsthand the importance of trade to America's farm and ranch families. Access to export markets is vital for increasing sales… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) delivered the following opening statement during the committee markup of a series of health care bills, including the Protecting the Integrity of Medicare Act of 2015 introduced by Health Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Ranking Member Jim McDermott (D-WA). "So before we get started, I wanted to say a… Read more

America's farmers and ranchers will reap enormous benefits from expanding U.S. trade. Rural communities across the country rely heavily on the global economy for their livelihoods, but many of our agricultural exports are hitting trade barriers. That’s why passing trade promotion authority (TPA) is so important. It will help us reach high-standard trade agreements, which will tear… Read more

Farmers and ranchers are rallying behind the bipartisan effort to pass trade promotion authority. Foreign demand for U.S. agriculture products is rapidly increasing, but our exports are hitting trade barriers. Passage of TPA would ensure high-standard trade agreements tear down these barriers and increase export opportunities for U.S. agriculture workers. … Read more

WASHINGTON — In a Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee hearing today, Subcommittee Chairman Sam Johnson (R-TX) put forth a set of principles that form a commitment to addressing the Disability Insurance trust fund shortfall. Chairman Johnson will use these principles, supported by Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI), to guide policy solutions this Congress. As Chairman Johnson said during… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 529, bipartisan legislation introduced by Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Ron Kind (D-WI) that would expand, modernize, and strengthen tax-free 529 college-savings plans. Upon passage, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) issued the following statement. “For many American families, finding a way to pay for… Read more

WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Ranking Member Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced H.R. 1021, the Protecting the Integrity of Medicare Act (PIMA) of 2015. The bill would prevent fraud in Medicare by making a number of commonsense reforms such as removing Social Security numbers from Medicare cards and eliminating unnecessary paperwork for… Read more