Committee Statements

Since the Republican majority began nearly five years ago, Speaker Boehner has urged every one of us to make the people’s priorities our priorities. That is what this committee has always tried to do, and today’s effort is no different. In fact, the reconciliation process presents an opportunity to address three urgent priorities.

The first priority is getting our nation’s fiscal house in order. As members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, we know this is a particularly important responsibility. Reckless federal spending is a threat to students and working families, and the threat has grown exponentially worse in recent years. Under President Obama’s watch, the national debt has increased by nearly 71 percent and currently stands at more than $18 trillion. We are on a fiscal path that is not sustainable and have been for far too long.

That is why under Republican leadership, Congress passed a balanced budget that would lead to less debt, a stronger economy, and more prosperity for the American people. As the Speaker has noted, we are on track to cut $2.1 trillion in government spending over the next 10 years. We are also making progress improving federal policies and programs so that each one delivers positive results for students, workers, and taxpayers. But we still have a lot of work to do. The reconciliation process reflects our commitment to using the tools we have to reform government and rein in deficit spending.

The second priority is dismantling ObamaCare. Under the president’s health care law, costs are going up, not down. We continue to hear reports and stories of families facing higher premiums or higher deductibles or both. Patients are losing access to their trusted doctors as insurance carriers squeeze provider networks to control costs. Meanwhile, workers and employers are struggling because of the law’s punitive rules and mandates.

The proposal before us would repeal a particular mandate known as auto-enrollment. As the name suggests, the law requires certain employers to automatically enroll employees in a government-approved insurance plan. This mandate will create a lot of unnecessary confusion for workers and employers and result in costly penalties for those who may already have insurance coverage. The mandate is so convoluted and confusing that after four years the Department of Labor still hasn’t figured out a way to enforce it. Let’s repeal this costly mandate and help empower workers to do what’s best for themselves and their families.

The third and final priority we can and must address through reconciliation is holding Planned Parenthood accountable. Recent videos portray a number of practices by Planned Parenthood that are nothing short of gruesome and shocking. Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, recently testified the videos as “deeply unsettling,” as well as “tragic and difficult to watch.” She went on to say, “Americans should not be forced to fund such unethical and abhorrent practices.” Many in Congress and concerned citizens from across the country agree.

Our colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee are leading this important effort. Right now, they are considering a reconciliation proposal that would stop the flow of taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood and redirect those resources to higher quality health care services for women. I hope we seize this opportunity to protect taxpayers and hold this organization accountable.

In closing, let me just say that the reconciliation process is never easy; it is always tough, complicated, and controversial. But because of our work here today, as well as the efforts of our colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, we can take an important step that will help address the priorities of the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this proposal and the reconciliation process as it unfolds in the weeks ahead.