House Taxes and Spends its Way Out the Door
Press Release
Days after the national debt crossed the $13 trillion threshold, the House of Representatives passed legislation increasing the deficit by an additional $54 billion. Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18) voted against the legislation that continues the tradition of Congress spending beyond taxpayers' means.
"I know people are hurting. Over the past year and a half, I have supported every extension of unemployment," said Congressman Tim Murphy. "I do not want to see my constituents seeking unemployment benefits because I want them earning a good salary with good benefits. Every day I hear from Southwestern Pennsylvanians who are caught in the cross-hairs of the recession and cannot find decent work because there are not enough opportunities. At the end of the day, this legislation does not create the opportunities needed to put people back to work, and buried the temporary help for the unemployed in a bill more than 430 pages long. Here we go again with blasting the "job creating' shotgun at the recession, spending on programs and seeing no change in the unemployment figures."
Congressman Murphy also called for a permanent solution to pay for the care of seniors instead of a temporary fix passed today. As a result, doctors will see a Medicare reimbursement cut greater than 30 percent in 2012. The $23 billion physician payment proposal could limit patient care for seniors, increase premiums, and require the government to borrow money to cover the cost.
"This bill is a temporary unfunded patch that exposes the systemic cracks in Medicare and the Leadership's inability to solve an ongoing problem," said Congressman Murphy. "Allowing a flawed budgetary formula that forces doctors to choose between their patients and their practice is unconscionable, and puts the care of Southwestern Pennsylvania's more than 308,000 retirees in jeopardy. I again call on the Leadership to join the Doctors Caucus in making permanent reforms to Medicare. Let's work together and create a solution that pays doctors an amount reflecting the true cost of services provided and ensures seniors receive access to the quality care that they deserve."
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