Two senior officials made startling admissions on yesterday's Sunday talk shows -- the President may increase taxes on the middle class. This despite the President's own promise: "I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your… Read more

As Members of Congress prepare to head back to their districts for the month of August, without having voted on a health care reform bill, it is a fitting time to summarize the state of the debate. According to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC poll, more Americans believe the President’s health plan is a bad idea (42 percent) than a good idea (36 percent).  A New York Times/CBS poll… Read more

Washington, D.C.- Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today made the following comment on the release of the advance estimate of the second quarter GDP: "Today’s GDP data simply confirms what American families already know – our economy is shrinking and causing thousands of Americans to lose their jobs.  The national unemployment rate is approaching 10 percent and the unemployment rate in… Read more

President Obama¸ when speaking before the American Medical Association (AMA), stated: “I understand some doctors may feel the need to order more tests and treatments to avoid being legally vulnerable. That's a real issue…I want to work with the AMA so we can scale back the excessive defensive medicine that reinforces our current system, and shift to a system where we are providing… Read more

Washington, DC -- Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) today testified at a joint hearing held by the U.S. State Department and U.S. Trade Representative on U.S. investment policy and the language in the U.S. Model Bilateral Investment Treaty.  His full remarks are provided below. *** Thank you, Mr. Scholz and Mr. Kallmer, for the opportunity to testify… Read more

Despite unemployment fast approaching 10 percent, a new analysis shows the Democrats’ health care plan could force as many as 61% of small businesses who already provide health insurance and as many as 40% of large firms that already provide health insurance to pay a new 8% payroll tax.  So, while Democrats tell the millions of employees who have coverage today not to worry, the reality… Read more

The non-partisan number crunchers at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) were busy this weekend.  In addition to fending off partisan attacks from the White House, CBO released two key findings after Congress left town Friday.  The first concerned the President’s much ballyhooed Independent Medicare Advisory Commission (IMAC), while the second focused on the deficits caused by the House… Read more

In his prime-time press conference Wednesday night, President Obama said that, “If somebody told you that there is a plan out there that is guaranteed to double your health-care costs over the next 10 years, that’s guaranteed to result in more Americans losing their health care, and that is by far the biggest contributor to our federal deficit, I think most people would be opposed to… Read more

To View the Dissenting Views from the Republicans on Ways and Means, click here Read more

(Remarks as Prepared) Mr. Speaker, I intend to vote against this bill, but I recognize that it does contain one worthy section: ensuring workers continue to get promised regular and extended unemployment benefits and States are able to keep paying those benefits.  Let’s be clear why this provision is necessary: the Democrats’ economic policy has resulted in record job loss, record… Read more