Latta RSS Articles

LATTA CALLS FOR OVERSIGHT BOARD TO REVIEW STIMULUS SPENDING IN OHIO

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Yesterday, Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) and seven Republican members of the Ohio Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and asked him to establish a bipartisan, independent oversight board to review how stimulus funds are being spent in Ohio. A copy of the letter can be found here. This is the second letter sent to Governor Strickland calling for such a board to be created.

Recent reports have raised suspicion surrounding the accuracy and transparency of how many jobs have been created in Ohio through the “stimulus package” and how much money has been spent in each Congressional District- including fictitious congressional districts as stated on www.recovery.gov this week.

“After spending $1 trillion of hard-earned taxpayer dollars, it is time for the Obama Administration and Governor Strickland to bring accountability to the ‘Stimulus Plan.’ With double digit unemployment in Ohio and across our Nation, it is imperative that an independent, bipartisan body review how these dollars have been spent and provide accurate data for review. Taxpayers entrust Congress to spend their money wisely and there is no excuse for a review and accountability plan to not already be in place,” Congressman Latta stated after signing the letter to Governor Strickland.

Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure H.R. 4016 – Amendment Statement

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Robert E. Latta
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
H.R. 4016 – Amendment Statement
November 19, 2009

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Mica. Due to ongoing concerns that I have with Section 201 of H.R. 4016, the Hazardous Material Transportation Safety Act of 2009, I am offering an amendment today which will strike this language from the bill. I initially raised concerns with this language during a hearing on the Highways bill during a Highways Subcommittee hearing back in June. This specific section adds new requirements to the transportation of lithium cells and batteries. Since that time I have worked with committee staff on this language, as well as receiving input from stakeholders for this matter in the legislation. Finally, I attended the field hearing that was held on this bill on Monday in Baltimore, to further work with Subcommittee Chairwoman Brown on this legislation and hear testimony from agency and industry leaders.

   The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration – that is, “PHMSA” – and the FAA are already working on rulemaking regarding lithium battery transportation regulation. Furthermore, that rulemaking will address concerns that Committee Members have raised, in addition to allowing for public input into the matter. It is my understanding that OMB currently has the rule and it will be announced in the next several weeks to begin the rule making process. We are all concerned about the safety issues surrounding this matter, however I believe that the additional regulations can be accomplished through appropriate rulemaking without unnecessary legislation. This process will allow the public to comment on the matter, as well as allow PHMSA and the FAA to offer their expertise that they have in the area of transporting lithium batteries.

   At this time I am unclear about the benefits of including a provision like Section 201 in legislation, especially when these requirements are going to be another thing that is going to be detrimental to manufacturing.   Imposing these requirements could have enormous consequences, both for consumers and for American companies. This language contains very restrictive requirements that will lead to unnecessary loss of business and revenue, in addition to negative impacts on U.S. battery manufacturers. At a time when the unemployment rate is over 12% in many parts of my District, Congress cannot pass yet another change that will negatively impact businesses.
The specific language of the bill restricts placement of batteries in aircraft to “crew accessible” locations, unless the batteries are in fire resistant containers or the aircraft has a fire suppression system in place.   I believe this is a major problem and fear that the practical impact of this language will be to ban lithium batteries and devices that use lithium batteries (i.e., computers, cell phones) from aviation. Currently, there are no fire resistant containers in existence, and it is not possible to place all batteries in crew accessible location on all planes. During the hearing in Baltimore on Monday, the witnesses did verify that at this time these containers do not exist.

Finally, this legislation does not allow for harmonization with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.   The bill mandates a rule inconsistent with ICAO rules for air transport of hazmat. In short, it is very important that cargo regulations and requirements be harmonized internationally. Harmonization best guarantees safety and the provision of commerce, especially in aviation. ICAO has spent extensive time and energy creating agreed-to international standards that have been widely adopted. Inconsistent rules in the U.S. will drive jobs to Canadian or Mexican facilities, and greatly disrupt the transport of goods in and out of this country. The flights carrying these items will go to Mexico or Canada which will drive up costs because these goods are being diverted from the U.S. When I raised this issue at the field hearing in Baltimore this past Monday, Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Porcari agreed.
In summary, I believe this language will be extremely disruptive to battery manufacturers, and could have negative effects on battery production. I am offering this amendment to strike the Section 201 language so that the rulemaking process can be completed and commerce is not unduly impeded.

I ask for your support of this amendment. Thank you and I yield back.

NOTE: After a roll call vote, Congressman Latta's amendment failed 26-44. Click here to read Congressman Latta's statement after the vote.

LATTA TO HOST CITIZENS FORUM

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) will host a Citizens Forum on Monday, November 23rd from 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. at the Upper Sandusky High School Auditorium located at 800 North Sandusky Street, Upper Sandusky.

The Citizens Forum will provide an opportunity to discuss important issues facing Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District.

All media and the public are invited and encouraged to attend.

Congressman Latta Committee on Agriculture Opening Statement: Full Committee Hearing to Review the Financial Stability Improvement Act Discussion Draft

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Good Morning. Chairman Peterson and Ranking Member Lucas.

Today, we are holding a hearing to review the Financial Stability Improvement Act discussion draft. I would like to welcome the Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Farm Credit Administration. I look forward to all three of your testimony and insight today into this legislation.

I have heard the concerns of my constituents and from the vast amount of agriculture groups on this issue. Unfortunately, this proposed plan furthers government regulation into our private citizen’s lives by giving the Federal Reserve the authority on systemic risk and financial stability, and gives the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) the authority to help “systematically significant” institutions rather than allow them to go into bankruptcy which is more efficient and does not expose our taxpayers to such financial loss. This legislation will be detrimental to our national debt and to the taxpayers as it creates further government bureaucracy by creating a permanent “bailout fund” to be controlled by the FDIC and gives tremendous authority to unelected government bureaucrats with the creation of a Financial Services Oversight Council. Companies and corporations who are deemed “too big to fail” will not be allowed to do so and will be able to access the “bailout fund,” which will be funded at the taxpayers’ expense. In a July 20, 2009 Bloomberg article, Neil Barofsky the Special Inspector General for TARP stated, “U.S. taxpayers may be on the hook for as much as $23.7 trillion to bolster the economy and bail out financial companies…” American International Group (AIG) is a prime example of this. The taxpayers through the Federal Reserve and the Treasury have spent over $135 billion to keep AIG intact.

In addition, the language under this legislation reaches into the Agriculture Committee’s jurisdiction and assesses Farm Credit Institutions to cover the cost of troubled financial institutions under their jurisdiction. I believe Farm Credit Institutions were not the cause of the current financial crisis and should not be penalized for the bad practices of the ones who were. Furthermore, the language under this legislation puts the Farm Credit System in the hands of the rules written by the Securities and Exchange Commission as opposed to the Farm Credit Administration. This provision will remove this committee’s jurisdiction on oversight of the underwriting and risk retention requirements for agricultural loans that are securitized by the Farm Credit System and Farmer Mac.

House Republicans, meanwhile, have come up with strong solutions to help our troubled financial sector. We have found a way to bring fiscal responsibility to our federal government and to the men and women on Wall Street. The solutions we have brought forth will bring an end to the reckless bailouts; it will look to restore fiscal responsibility and all the while protecting the taxpayers. One of our Founding Father’s Thomas Jefferson once said “A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.”

Thank you and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the House Committee on Agriculture to make certain that this committee takes jurisdiction on these issues under this legislation to ensure it protects our American farmers and the lending systems they use. Our financial crisis and economic woes should not be resolved by further government intervention and bureaucracy, especially on our American farmers who produce the safest, most economically viable food in the world.

LATTA STATEMENT ON H.R. 3962

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) made the following statement on the passage of H.R. 3962.

“From the beginning of the health care debate this year, constituents in my district and millions of Americans made it clear that they do not support the government takeover of our nation’s health care system which is exactly what Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama’s plan, H.R. 3962, does.

The final cost of Speaker Pelosi’s plan will cost $1.3 trillion dollars and with a national debt of almost $13 trillion dollars, our children and grandchildren will be forced to pay for this plan for decades to come. H.R. 3962 is largely funded with a $766.6 billion dollar tax increase over the next ten years. These taxes will be levied against small businesses and every American who currently has a private insurance plan.

Speaker Pelosi’s plan will ration health care in the United States, putting federal bureaucrats between you and your doctor and the health care decisions you make. Breaking one of President Obama’s many promises for health care reform, there is no guarantee under this bill that you will be able to keep your health insurance if you are satisfied with your plan. H.R. 3962 also includes civil and criminal penalties for those individuals who do not have “adequate coverage” as determined by the federal government, potentially forcing millions of Americans to pay fines or face jail should they choose not to go under the public option or carry private insurance.

Speaker Pelosi’s plan will bring hundreds of billions of dollars of cuts to Medicare and Medicare Advantage, placing further strain on our senior citizens who already struggle to make ends meet on fixed incomes. Additionally, this bill does nothing to ensure illegal aliens will not receive government subsidized health insurance or address much needed medical liability reform.

In short, Speaker Pelosi’s government run health care plan will cause irreparable harm to our personal liberties, national debt, and our nation’s health care system.”

LATTA TRICARE LANGUAGE INCLUDED IN FINAL PASSAGE OF NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) announced that on Wednesday, October 28th, President Barack Obama signed the 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law which included TRICARE legislation Congressman Latta authored.

Congressman Latta’s TRICARE language was amended into the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2010 during debate in the House and Senate.

During the 110th and 111th Congress, Congressman Latta introduced standalone legislation, H.R. 270, The TRICARE Continuity Coverage for National Guard and Reserve Families Act, which is language that allows retired members of National Guard and reserve units with 20 or more years of faithful and honorable service to purchase healthcare that was available to them during their time in active service or after they reach 60 years of age. Currently, members who have retired but are not yet 60 years of age are not eligible for TRICARE, and are referred to as being in the “gray area.” Currently, there are approximately 220,000 retirees that fall within the “gray area” and an additional 12,100 service members are retiring and entering this status each year.

This issue was brought to Congressman Latta’s attention last year by Pastor Douglas DeWitt of Hamler, Ohio who is the Chaplain for the Michigan Air National Guard. Pastor DeWitt worked with Congressman Latta’s office on drafting the original language and continues to advocate for this important issue.

“I want to thank my colleagues in the House and Senate, specifically Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) for their efforts to ensure this TRICARE language was included in the NDAA and signed into law. With this language, retired members of the National Guard and reserve are now able to access the health care benefits they deserve for their service to our Nation,” Latta stated.

Congressman Bob Latta One Minute Speech

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

LATTA OPENING STATEMENT FOR NEXT GENERATION BIOFULES

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

House Agriculture Committee, Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research Opening Statement on next generation biofuels

Good Morning. Chairman Holden and Ranking Member Goodlatte.

   I would like to welcome our two distinguished panels of witnesses from the private sector and the USDA to discuss America’s future on next generation biofuels. A simple premise in this day and age is that we cannot predict with any certainty what energy prices will be, what the supply and demand will be, or what our economy will look like in the future. Energy is plays a central role in our economy and alternative energy such as biofuels will directly impact the availability of jobs, our incomes and the quality of our lives for many years to come.

   These sources of alternative energy are an important step towards energy independence. If we do not use these resources and address these issues now, the rest of the world will pass us by. The Fifth Congressional District in Ohio is ahead of the curve in alternative energy sources as it is home to solar panel manufacturing, wind turbines, ethanol, geothermal, and biodiesel.    There is also a process for coal gasification and development of a hydrogen engine is also occurring in the Fifth Congressional District.

   We are all aware that one source of energy is not one answer to our energy challenges. Our country needs not only biofuels, but also wind, solar, hydro in addition to nuclear, clean coal technology and more domestic oil and natural gas production. If we are going to achieve energy independence, we must use all available sources in a manner that is economically viable and environmentally sound.

   I hope that today’s hearing will help start moving our future use of biofuels and other sources of alternative energy in the right direction towards bringing jobs back, and bringing more alternative sources of energy to America and further developing the ones already in existence. The panelists who have been invited to testify have varied backgrounds will speak about various aspects.

   Northern Ohio has a future in this country to be a leader in alternative energies such as biofuels. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses and thank you for your insight and testimony.

   Thank you and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the House Committee on Agriculture on this very important issue.

DEMOCRAT HEALTH CARE BILL LANGUAGE

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

Click here to read the 1,990 page health care bill House Democrats introduced today after months of closed-door negotiations.

10 FACTS EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SPEAKER PELOSI'S 1,990-PAGE GOV'T TAKEOVER OF HEALTH CARE

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT

This blog post originally appears on House Republican Leader John Boehner's (R-OH) blog

Members of Congress and the American people are just beginning to look at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) 1,990-page government takeover of health care, but it’s already becoming clear just how costly and unsustainable this proposal is. From higher taxes on middle-class families to job-killing mandates on small businesses to cuts in Medicare benefits for seniors, here are 10 facts every American should know about Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990-page government takeover of health care:

1. RAISES TAXES ON MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill imposes a range of tax increases on families with income below $250,000, breaking a promise made by President Obama. Tax increases on middle class families include: an individual mandate tax of up to 2.5 percent of income for taxpayers earning as little as $9,350; repeal of a tax break on medicine purchased with funds from an HSA (health savings account); limits to tax relief through FSAs (flexible spending accounts); taxes on medical devices that will inevitably be passed on to consumers; and a new tax on all insurance policies.

2. MASSIVE CUTS TO MEDICARE BENEFITS FOR SENIORS. Despite grave warnings from CBO, FactCheck.org, and the independent Lewin Group that cuts to Medicare of the magnitude included in Speaker Pelosi’s bill would have a negative impact on seniors’ benefits and choices, Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill stays the course and cuts Medicare by hundreds of billions of dollars.

3. NO PROTECTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill claims to exempt small businesses from the steep eight percent ‘pay or play’ employer mandate. The facts tell a different story. Using Census data compiled by the Small Business Administration, this so-called ‘exemption’ hammers small employers with only, on average, 17 or more employees to new taxes and mandates. The outfits affected employ 70 percent of all small business employees, or 42.3 million workers. Adding to the assault on small businesses, the bill does not index the small business “exemption” amounts, meaning more and more small businesses will be ensnared by this job-killing employer mandate each year.

4. INCREASES THE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE. Imposing a new $2 billion tax on insurance policies will be passed on to patients in the form of higher premiums. Changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit will, according to estimates by CBO, will raise Medicare Part B premiums by $25 billion and Part D premiums by 20 percent. And imposing an unfunded mandate on the states to pay for the bill’s Medicaid expansion will shift the burden of this expansion on state taxpayers who may experience tax increases to cover the cost.

5. USES GIMMICKS TO HIDE BUDGET-BUSTING COST, PILES UP DEBT ON FUTURE GENERATIONS. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill claims to be deficit neutral, but uses budget gimmickry to hide its massive total cost. Working families across America know they cannot simply decide that a bill they get in the mail doesn’t exist, but that’s exactly what congressional Democrats are doing. In order to meet the President’s ‘target’ spending total of $900 billion, Democrats have simply swept costly provisions under the rug, including the $245 billion ‘doc fix.’

6. IMPOSES JOB-KILLING EMPLOYER MANDATES. Additional taxes on employers and new government mandates that dictate acceptable insurance will place new and crushing burdens on employers. These are burdens that will ultimately fall squarely on the backs of workers in the form of reduced wages, fewer hours or lost employment. CBO agrees that “[e]mployees largely bear the cost of... play-or-pay fees in the form of lower wages.” According to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s largest small business association, an employer mandate of this magnitude will disproportionately impact small businesses, triggering up to 1.6 million lost jobs. Two-thirds of those jobs would be shed by small businesses.

7. TILTS THE PLAYING FIELD IN FAVOR OF THE GOVERNMENT-RUN INSURANCE COMPANY. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill promises not to give the government-run plan advantages over private insurers in the market, but the opposite is true. The bill provides billions in start-up funding for the government-run plan, and while it requires the plan to repay the money over time it does not require the plan to pay interest on this “loan.” This interest-free, taxpayer-subsidized loan is potentially worth millions of dollars and tilts the playing field in favor of the government-run plan.

8. THREATENS CASH-STRAPPED STATES WITH UNFUNDED MANDATES. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill swells the number of Americans on the government rolls by expanding Medicaid eligibility. Medicaid is financed through a federal-state partnership, but the bill dumps nearly ten percent of the mandated expansion included in the bill onto the states. States, already struggling with fiscal constraints, would be left on the hook for billions of dollars due to this unfunded mandate.

9. CREATES A NEW MONSTROSITY IN THE TAX CODE. Starting in 2011, Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill imposes a 5.4 percent tax on adjusted gross income above $500,000 for individuals and $1 million for married couples. Yet, the dollar amounts for which the tax kicks in are not indexed for inflation. We’ve seen this horror film before: the Alternative Minimum Tax, another Frankenstein’s monster of the tax code, also wasn’t indexed for inflation and now affects millions of middle class families with incomes below the Democrat’s surtax.

10. MISSES AN OPPORTUNITY TO CURTAIL JUNK LAWSUITS. Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill misses a critical opportunity to rein in junk lawsuits and costly defensive medicine. The bill includes only a voluntary grant program to deal with the medical liability crisis instead of including real reform, which would produce tens of billions of dollars in savings, improve efficiency in our health care system and reduce costs for patients and providers.

BONUS: Republicans have offered better solutions to lower health care costs and expand access to quality, affordable coverage at a price our nation can afford. Learn more by visiting healthcare.gop.gov