Latta RSS Articles

LATTA OPPOSES NATIONAL DEBT LIMIT HIKE- AGAIN

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) made the following statement after voting against H. J. Res. 45, a bill that would increase the United States’ national debt limit to $14.29 trillion dollars. Congressman Latta also voted against a national debt limit hike on December 16, 2009, less than two months ago.

“This is the fifth debt limit increase under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and this Democrat controlled Congress, who continue to lay more debt at the feet of our future generations. Aside from the staggering dollar figure of over $14 trillion dollars, this vote highlights the underlying problem in Washington of a continued tax and spend policy from the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrat leadership. Just this week, President Obama submitted a budget proposal that will increase our national debt to $25.77 trillion dollars by 2020. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has stated that by 2020, at the current spending levels, taxpayers in the United States will pay $2 billion per day in interest payments alone.

In addition to this year’s budget proposal, the President continues to send legislation to Congress with trillion-dollar price tags – including the already passed ‘stimulus’ package, health care ‘reform,’ the largest ever national energy tax, cap and trade, and billions more in bailouts. These fiscally irresponsible practices must be stopped immediately.”

As of today, the current national debt stands at $12,357,792,719,324.29, leaving every American citizen responsible for $40,151.42.

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10 More Things Every American Should Know About President Obama’s Job-Killing Budget

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Courtesy of House Republican Leader John Boehner's blog:

Just days after telling Congress “let’s try common sense” when it comes to budgeting, President Obama submitted a fiscal blueprint that doesn’t even try. At a time when the American people are saying “stop spending money we don’t have,” President Obama’s budget spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much. It’s just the job-killing budget Washington Democrats need to pay for their job-killing agenda. Republicans continue to stand on principle and offer better solutions to make government live within its means, including real budget caps that would limit federal spending on an annual basis.

Yesterday, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) released a list of 10 things every American should know about President Obama’s job-killing budget. Here are 10 more:

JOB-KILLING TAXES: SMALL BUSINESS TAX HIKES, NEW MARRIAGE PENALTIES

1. President Obama’s job-killing budget will hammer small businesses, which create most of our economy’s new jobs. The President’s budget imposes “host of tax increases” as our economy continues to struggle. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, 44 percent of the $588 billion collected from increased marginal rates and limiting the value of exemptions and deductions will be on small business income. The last thing American families and small businesses need right now are new taxes that make it harder to save, invest, and hire.

2. President Obama’s job-killing budget creates a number of new marriage penalties. By setting the income threshold for higher taxes on married couples far less than twice that of single taxpayers, the President’s budget creates a number of new marriage penalties. Specifically, the income thresholds of $200,000 for single taxpayers and $250,000 for married couples mean higher taxes on married couples simply for being married. The President’s budget also proposes marriage penalties for higher marginal tax rates, reduced value of deductions and exemptions, and higher taxes on capital gains and dividends.

3. President Obama’s job-killing budget limits a key tax incentive for charitable giving. The President’s budget again proposes to limit the value of deductions and exemptions for taxpayers with incomes above $200,000. This change increases the cost of charitable giving and therefore reduces the amount donated. Last year, more than 400 United Way CEOs and key volunteers sent a letter to Congressional leaders protesting the proposed cap: “We are very concerned that limitations on charitable giving tax incentives could further reduce charitable contributions. Even the most conservative projects by supporters of a charitable deduction cap indicate a 1.5 percent reduction in overall charitable giving. Our internal projections individuate a decrease in giving to United Way of $104 million as a result of the proposed cap on charitable deductions.” With communities and families struggling to make ends meet, any proposal to limit charitable contributions is ill-timed.

MORE HEALTH CARE FALLOUT: MEDICARE CUTS, UNFUNDED MEDICAID MANDATES

4. President Obama’s job-killing budget creates a new entitlement program by cutting Medicare. President Obama’s budget would fund a brand new entitlement program by making significant cuts to Medicare. As has been shown by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office and actuaries at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, these cuts cannot be used to both fund a new entitlement program and make Medicare more solvent.

5. President Obama’s job-killing budget forces cash-strapped states to pick up the tab for more Medicaid spending. President Obama’s budget projects $3.6 trillion in Medicaid spending over the next ten years, but fails to account for the increased Medicaid spending that will accompany enactment of the Democrats’ government takeover of health care. Failing to budget for expanding Medicaid leaves states responsible for picking up the entire tab of extending Medicaid coverage to an additional 15 million people at a time when cash-strapped states are already struggling to maintain tight budgets. It’s no wonder, then, that a state-by-state revolt against a Washington takeover of health care is gaining steam: “[l]awmakers in 35 states have filed or proposed amendments to their state constitutions or statutes rejecting health insurance mandates,” according to the Associated Press.

OUT-OF-TOUCH: KILLING SCHOOL CHOICE IN DC, REJECTING JOB-CREATING ENERGY EXPLORATION, IMPORTING DANGEROUS TERRORISTS

6. President Obama’s job-killing budget does away with school choice in the nation’s capital. Even with all the profligacy that the FY 2011 budget represents, the President still finds room to kill one of the most successful and important programs enacted by Congress: the District of Columbia Opportunity Scholarship Program. Based on current program participation rates and the amount of available program funding carried forward from prior fiscal years, the President assumes that this will be the final request for federal funding to support the Opportunity Scholarship Program. The President is calling for this program’s termination despite the fact that the Department of Education is getting another massive injection of taxpayer money. In other words, the Administration is boosting funding for underachieving public schools in DC, while at the same time terminating funding for the successful DC school choice program.

7. President Obama's budget rebuffs responsible, homegrown, job-creating offshore energy exploration. As part of an “all of the above” energy plan, Republicans successfully eliminated the ban on exploration and production of American energy in the deep water off our coasts in 2008. Despite the fact that a majority of Americans – 68 percent – favor more offshore energy production, the Obama Administration has sat on the sidelines and done nothing to finalize a new five-year plan to reap new American energy from these areas of the deep ocean. The budget confirms it: President Obama has no intention to increase domestic energy from these areas by anticipating no new leasing activity.

8. President Obama’s job-killing budget paves the way for dangerous terrorists to be imported to U.S. soil. Consistent with its handling of the Christmas Day terrorist attack, President Obama’s budget sustains a commitment to import dangerous terrorists to America for criminal trial and detention. The budget also strikes a common-sense requirement that Guantanamo Bay detainees be automatically placed on the “no fly list.”

MORE OF THE SAME: NO GSE REFORM, FUNNELING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO MOSCOW

9. President Obama’s job-killing budget fails to provide promised reforms of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Despite costing American taxpayers more than $110 billion and putting taxpayers on the hook for over $2 trillion in potential losses, the budget does nothing to address the sustainability of GSEs or to mitigate the liability represented by GSEs to taxpayers. The Obama Administration promised recommendations on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the FY2011 budget but instead delivered only a rhetorical placeholder.

10. President Obama’s job-killing budget saddles taxpayers with an open-ended commitment to sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Russia for astronaut airfare. President Obama’s budget shelves NASA’s Constellation program, a program the U.S. has already invested $9.1 billion in and will have to spend another $2.5 billion just to terminate. The real story, however, lies not in the termination itself, but rather in the fact that it ensures American taxpayers will now be saddled with an open-ended commitment to sending hundreds of millions of dollars to Russia for airfare to get U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station. In fact, $735 million is already en route to Moscow for flights in 2010-2012.

Congressman Bob Latta on ABC's "Top Line"

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

10 Things Every American Should Know About President Obama’s Budget

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Courtesy of House Republican Leader John Boehner's blog.

Working families and small business owners understand that making government live within its means is essential to building confidence in our economy both at home and abroad. That’s why the American people have been saying to Washington: “stop spending money we don’t have.” Democrats still haven’t gotten the message and President Obama has proposed another budget that spends too much, taxes too much, and borrows too much. Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) sums up Washington Democrats’ viewpoint best: “We are not going to save our way out of this recession. We are going to spend our way out of this recession.” How’s that approach been working out for families asking “where are the jobs?”

Here are 10 things every American should know about President Obama’s budget:

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: SPENDS TOO MUCH, TAXES TOO MUCH, AND BORROWS TOO MUCH

1. President Obama’s budget spends too much. Under President Obama’s budget, the federal government would spend a record $3.8 trillion in the fiscal year beginning October 1. This represents a nearly 30 percent increase in outlays since 2008. The President’s budget would also maintain the size of government for a second year in a row at 25 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), well above historical levels of 20 percent.

2. President Obama’s budget taxes too much. The President’s budget includes more than $2 trillion in tax hikes, with a nearly 20 percent jump in the first year alone. This includes tax increases on small businesses, investors, and families earning less than $250,000 per year – a violation of the President’s campaign pledge. The last thing American families and small businesses need right now are new taxes that make it harder to save, invest, and hire.

3. President Obama’s budget borrows too much from our kids and grandkids. Under the President’s budget, the federal government will run up a record budget deficit of $1.6 trillion in fiscal year 2010. Deficits never fall below $700 billion, never fall below 3.6% of GDP, and end the decade at more than $1 trillion. The national debt would double over five years and triple by FY2019 from FY2008 levels. Paying the interest on this debt would set American taxpayers back roughly $6 trillion over the next decade.

SPENDING FREEZE A GOOD FIRST STEP, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE – AND NOW

4. President Obama’s proposed spending freeze is a good step in the right direction, but we need to do more. Serious fiscal responsibility requires more than a few cuts here and there at the margins. Republicans have proposed adopting strict budget caps that limit federal spending on an annual basis and are enforceable by the President. These caps were a critical plank in the budget alternative Republicans proposed last year, led by Budget Committee Ranking Republican Paul Ryan, and they are notably absent from the President’s budget. Without these caps, the federal budget deficit will continue to spiral out of control.

5. President Obama’s budget green-lights more government ‘stimulus’ spending now while delaying any spending freeze. Last Friday, the President told House Republicans that delaying his proposed spending freeze represented the “consensus among people who know the economy best.” In December, Leader Boehner released a list of 222 economists who support getting runaway federal spending under control -- rather than adding more ‘stimulus’ spending -- in order to help create jobs and get the economy back on track.

6. President Obama turns over tough spending choices to a deficit commission “without teeth.” As the Associated Press notes, “the commission has yet to be appointed and there's no sure path to having its recommendations considered by Congress.”

OUT-OF-TOUCH: DOUBLING DOWN ON THE TRILLION-DOLLAR ‘STIMULUS’ AND COSTLY, JOB-KILLING POLICIES

7. President Obama’s budget contains a “secret sequel” to the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ it concedes isn’t working as promised. A majority of Americans oppose the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ and nearly three in four say it has wasted taxpayer dollars. What’s worse, President Obama’s budget projects that unemployment will remain near 10 percent through the end of this year. The Obama Administration promised the trillion-dollar stimulus would create jobs ‘immediately’ and keep joblessness below eight percent.

8. President Obama’s budget fails to pivot away from costly, job-killing policies that are causing uncertainty and making matters worse. President Obama’s budget accounts for the implementation of both a government takeover of health care and a ‘cap-and-trade’ national energy tax, two job-killing bills the American people have rejected loudly and clearly. The President calls for a new national energy tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 – a proposal which CBO has estimated would increase taxes by $870 billion, a full $224 billion more than President Obama’s proposal in the FY2010 budget.

BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR OUR TROOPS, BIPARTISAN OPPOSITION TO IMPORTING DANGEROUS TERRORISTS

9. President Obama’s budget spends hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to import dangerous terrorists to U.S. soil and give them the same rights as U.S. citizens. Republicans have stood with the American people from the beginning to oppose the Obama Administration’s severely misguided plan to try the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and his-co conspirators in civilian courts in downtown Manhattan. In recent days, more Democrats have followed suit. Yet, the President’s budget irresponsibly spends hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on importing dangerous terrorists to U.S. soil, housing them at a ‘Gitmo North’ facility and trying them in civilian courts.

10. President Obama’s budget ensures our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have the resources they need to succeed in their mission. This is an area in which Republicans hope to continue finding consensus with the President.

Congressman Latta Discusses State of the Union Address with Talk Radio News Service

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

CONGRESSMAN BOB LATTA STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Bob Latta (R- Bowling Green) made the following statement regarding President Obama’s State of the Union Address.

“Instead of focusing on creating jobs and putting Americans back to work in 2009, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid chose to focus their attention on a $1 trillion dollar health care bill, cap and trade legislation, which would be the largest energy tax levied against American families and business alike, a $1 trillion dollar “Stimulus Package,” and billions of dollars in bailouts.

It is clear that last week’s special election in Massachusetts was a rejection of this Administration’s legislative agenda, creating a wake-up call to address the most important issue facing our nation— unemployment and the need for real job creation. The President can no longer ignore Ohio’s 10.9 percent, and the nation’s 10 percent, unemployment rate as he did for most of his first year in office. Swift action is needed as this tailspin of job loss continues with no relief in sight.

Any "jobs" bills that are brought before Congress should focus on tax cuts and incentives for businesses who hire new employees instead of another "stimulus" package that we now know to be nothing more than a bloated government spending program that has failed miserably, leaving taxpayers with the $862 billion dollar cost. House Republicans continue to offer cost-free legislation that will create jobs and invigorate our economy, as opposed to the Administration’s position of trying to spend our way out of our predicament.

As the President laid out his preliminary spending proposals for the next fiscal year, specifically his proposed spending "freeze", it comes as no surprise that his plan does not go nearly far enough to address the serious spending problem we face as a nation. The spending freeze outlined this evening hits only the tip of the iceberg, as it applies to only a small percentage of discretionary spending. President Obama signed two omnibus appropriations bills that increased non-defense discretionary spending by 10.3 percent in FY 2009 and 12.3 percent in FY 2010. If the President was serious about a spending freeze, he would go back to the spending levels from at least two years ago. We are long overdue for an honest review of our spending as we again face record deficits. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office stated our current budget deficit will reach $1.35 trillion. By 2020, at the current spending levels, the United States taxpayers will pay $2 billion per day in interest payments alone. As a member of the House Budget Committee, I look forward to the forthcoming testimony from the Administration on how they plan to solve these problems.

As Congress prepares to address these important issues, House Republicans, like last year, stand ready to work with President Obama and Democrat Congressional Leadership. It is my sincere hope that unlike last year, our ideas are welcomed and incorporated into legislation.”

LATTA JOINS HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN CALLING FOR TRANSPARENT HEALTH CARE NEGOTIATIONS

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) recently co-sponsored H Res. 847, sponsored by Congressman Vern Buchanan (R-FL), which calls for the ongoing health care negotiations to be conducted with media coverage available to the American public.

Congressman Latta has also signed a discharge petition on H Res. 847. The discharge petition, after gathering 218 signatures, would force a roll call vote on the resolution.

“Constituents in Ohio’s Fifth District, in addition to millions of Americans across the country have made it clear that they are tired of backroom negotiations on legislation under the current Congressional Democrat leadership - specifically, the ongoing health care negotiations. These proposals, which will affect one-sixth of our nation’s economy, have been drafted in secret, passed in the dark of night, and hurried through the legislative process at break-neck speeds. These actions lead Americans to ask - what do Speaker Pelosi, Leader Reid, and President Obama have to hide from everyone? To date, President Obama continues to break his campaign promise of televising all health care negations on C-SPAN. There is too much at stake for our nation and its future generations to continue these negotiations far from the public eye.

Without proper transparency, the American public continues to learn more about the bills after the deals are done. Whether it is the $1 trillion price tag financed with billions in new taxes, massive Medicare cuts, unprecedented government bureaucracy, or the special interest deals traded for votes, people want to know the details of the bills. These negotiations must be brought in front of the public for input and feedback immediately.”

Congressman Latta on Fox Business with Neil Cavuto

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

LATTA ANNOUNCES UNITED STATES MILITARY SERVICE ACADEMY NOMINATIONS

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Bob Latta (R- Bowling Green) has announced his 23 nominations from Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District for consideration for acceptance into the United States Air Force, Merchant Marine, Military, and Naval Academies in the Class of 2014.

“One of the greatest honors of being a Congressman is the privilege of nominating outstanding young women and men from the Fifth Congressional District to our nation’s military academies. Traditionally, Fifth District students are highly successful at the academies, and I am pleased to do my part to ensure that our communities continue to provide the next generation’s outstanding military leaders.”

Latta nominated the following students for the Class of 2014:

U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Kyle Antoszewski, Whitehouse, Anthony Wayne High School and University of Toledo
Joseph Braun, Lindsey, Woodmore High School and Penta Career Center
Jacqueline Crawford, Waterville, Anthony Wayne High School and University of Cincinnati
James Kegyes, Greenwich, Home schooled
Todd Kleman, Fort Jennings, Fort Jennings High School
Mackenzie Kuieck, Fremont, Fremont Ross High School
Trent Kurek, Swanton, Bellarmine Preparatory School, Tacoma WA
Sean Murray, Defiance, Defiance High School
Mary Pummill, Perrysburg, Perrysburg High School
Anderson Showman, Willard, Willard High School

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York

Kyle Hall, Greenwich, South Central High School
Bo Joost, Sherwood, Fairview High School
Todd Kleman, Fort Jennings, Fort Jennings High School

U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York

Joel Boose, Norwalk, St. Paul High School
Jacob Brodman, Tiffin, Calvert High School
Bethany Flage, Wayne, Elmwood High School
William Morey III, Napoleon, Napoleon High School
Anderson Showman, Willard, Willard High School
Richard Snyder, McClure, Napoleon High School
Michael Watrol, Rossford, St. Francis De Sales High School
Gene Zinn, Liberty Center, Liberty Center High School

U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland

Michael Cavanaugh, Bowling Green, Otsego High School
Jacqueline Crawford, Waterville, Anthony Wayne High School and University of Cincinnati
Thomas Fry, Perrysburg, Perrysburg High School
Grant Genzman, Perrysburg, St. John’s Jesuit High School & Academy
Kyle Hall, Greenwich, South Central High School
Bo Joost, Sherwood, Fairview High School
James Kegyes, Greenwich, Home schooled
Todd Kleman, Fort Jennings, Fort Jennings High School
Trent Kurek, Swanton, Bellarmine Preparatory School, Tacoma WA
Alexander Marzec, Rossford, St. Francis De Sales High School
William Morey III, Napoleon, Napoleon High School
Sean Murray, Defiance, Defiance High School
Mary Pummill, Perrysburg, Perrysburg High School
Michael Watrol, Rossford, St. Francis De Sales High School
Gene Zinn, Liberty Center, Liberty Center High School

A nomination does not guarantee acceptance to an Academy; that responsibility rests with their admissions office. Additional information regarding the academy nomination and application process may be obtained from Congressman Latta’s website at http://latta.house.gov

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Congressman Latta on Conklin and Company

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:00:00 GMT