Op-Ed: Bills Put Country On Wrong Track, Dig Deeper Debt, Increase Taxes

Op-Ed

Bills Put Country On Wrong Track, Dig Deeper Debt, Increase Taxes

By Representative Pat Tiberi

As unemployment continues to rise, and families continue tostruggle during these difficult economic times, the path Democratic leaders inWashington are taking us on has me concerned.After a trillion dollar stimulus package that has so far created fewjobs, a record-breaking budget, and an emergency war funding bill that didn'tall go to our troops in harm's way, Democratic leaders should realize enough isenough. Ohio's families, workers, andsmall businesses can't handle more.

So far, major laws that have been enacted have created moredebt and put our children's prosperity on the line because they are the oneswho will be paying for the out-of-control spending going on in Washington. In a few short months our budget deficit hasdoubled, and our national debt has ballooned to $11 trillion. This country has had to borrow money fromcountries like China and India just to make ends meet. How do Democratic leaders plan to pay thosecountries back? By increasing taxes, notjust on the rich, but on EVERYONE.

Take a look at the energy bill the Democrats forced throughthe U.S. House. This bill would create anational energy tax. Nearly every personthat drives a car, heats a building, or even turns on a light switch will seetheir energy prices go up under Cap and Trade. Not just residential rates, but businesses'energy prices will rise, too. Businessowners will likely increase the costs of their goods or services to compensatefor higher energy bills, hitting every-day Ohioans with a double-whammy.

Specifically, the bill would cap the amount of carbonemissions an energy supplier can release, putting the units of carbon emissionsup for auction and letting users (like power companies) bid on them. It also includes renewable energy mandatesthat suppliers must comply with in order to prevent fines being imposed. In one Central Ohio suburb, experts estimateresidents could see their electricity costs soar by as much as $1,600 costingresidents $23 million per year in today's dollars by the time 2030 rollsaround. That doesn't even take in toaccount an estimated 75 cent per gallon increase in gas prices, solely as aresult of this legislation. In addition,the renewable energy mandates included in this bill will have to be implementedand absorbed by energy customers.

What makes all this even worse is this billdisproportionately affects Ohio and other Midwestern states. Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Waxman, bothrepresenting California, made sure this bill punishes states that get theirelectricity from coal, not from other sources.In Ohio, 86 percent of our electricity is produced by coal. Coastal states quite literally will barely beimpacted by this legislation, to the point where modifications to the bill hadto be made to prevent states like California and Washington from profiting. Meanwhile, folks in the middle, including inthe Midwest will be forking over money by the fistful. I can only hope senators will realize themagnitude of the energy tax that this bill creates, and how it will cause analready suffering economy to suffer even more and vote against the Democrats'measure. Instead, Republicans have aplan that is an all of the above approach that will encourage the production ofclean, safe American energy. The measurewould create jobs, not kill them.

Looking ahead, Speaker Pelosi has directed the House toconsider a massive healthcare bill.There's no doubt that healthcare reform is long overdue. Whether it's bringing down out of pocketexpenses for people that have health insurance or making insurance plans more accessibleto people who are under-insured or have no health insurance, there's no doubtimprovements must be made. When you or aloved one is sick, there's no greater priority than getting well. However, the Democrats' plan continues thenational spending spree; some estimate their healthcare reform bill will spenda trillion and a half dollars. Rightnow, we don't know how Democrats plan to pay for it. Ideas are being tossed around, like taxingemployee-sponsored health-benefits, increasing payroll taxes, taxing sugarydrinks, or further taxing those making over $200,000. Right now, we just don't know what the finalversion will look like. I only hopeDemocratic leaders will make the entire text of the bill available online for48 hours before it's voted on so my colleagues and the American people canlearn how they plan to pay for healthcare reform.

While its clear healthcare reform is needed, Democrats'version of reform will create a government-run public option, taking away apatient's right to choose your doctor and even your treatment. If there is a government-run or public healthcareplan, experts say it will crowd out private insurers because they will provideincentives in the way of higher reimbursements for providers' participation inthe government-run plan. How can privateinsurers compete? So much forchoice! This doesn't even take intoaccount the limits on treatment choices.If there is a public plan, government bureaucrats will decide whatprocedures and treatments and the timeline for care will be covered, not you oryour doctor. I believe you, inconsultation with your doctor, should be making your healthcare decisions, notsome bureaucrat that's making decisions based on risk and cost-benefitanalyses. I support healthcare reformthat leaves you and your doctor in control of your healthcare decisions, thatpreserves choice, and that makes healthcare more accessible and affordable.

What Democrats aren't talking about are the real-life effectsof their plans - limited healthcare choices, higher taxes, more debt. This is not the future I want for ourcountry. We should be creating plansthat bring about needed reform while keeping an eye on America's futureprosperity. Continued budget deficitsand higher taxes will only keep our economy on its current course, and that'snot the kind of future I want for my children.

I hope as the healthcare bill and the energy bill continueto go through the legislative process Democratic leaders will consider theimpact their measures will have on our economy.Together we can improve these measures; we can make much-needed reformsand put our country back on track for a prosperous future.

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