Washington, DC – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) made the following remarks on the House floor Sunday, March 21, 2010, prior to the vote on the health care bill:
(Remarks as prepared)
“I always talk about this process as - it looks like they’re trying to put a puzzle together and they're trying to do anything they can to make the pieces fit, but in the end it doesn’t tell a picture.”
“And one of the pieces that they are trying to make fit to keep the bill under a trillion dollars is an unfunded mandate on states.”
“As we are here today, my former colleagues in the state senate in Kentucky are meeting to put together a budget bill.”
“They are working tirelessly to close a billion dollar budget gap while preserving the momentum we have had in education reform and trying to make college more affordable.”
“And what does this bill do - it puts a $30 billion unfunded mandate by CBO estimates onto our states.”
To the south of Kentucky, Phil Bredesen - a very well respected Democratic Governor of Tennessee says this is the mother of all unfunded mandates.”
“Just to the north of me in Indiana, Governor Mitch Daniels said a half-a-million more Hoosiers will be on Medicaid, costing the state billions in taxpayer dollars.”
“It is going to cost my state, according to Heritage Foundation, $303 million beginning from 2014 to 2019.”
“So, my former colleagues are sitting there trying to get through the state budget, hoping for a light at the end of the tunnel for the next budget session. If we pass this bill, the light at the end of the tunnel will be a $303 million freight train.”
“And on top of that, included in the proposed reconciliation package, is the government takeover of student loans.”
“The government is now taking the money students pay in interest and fees. Instead of taking the lower interest rate the government is given and passing that savings onto the students to make college more affordable, they are taking money and using it to fund this bill.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is unfair to put these burdens on our states and students.”
To watch a video of the congressman’s remarks, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umilI6Wlq2Y
