I spent today in Cookeville visiting with Farm Bureau members and FFA students, but before I came back to Tennessee, I had another busy week in Washington — meeting with constituents about cures for cancer, delivering a speech on the House floor in support of repealing an Obamacare tax hike, and even speaking with NRA News about House Democrats’ attempts to force a vote on onerous new gun control measures.
Tomorrow, I’ll be in Lebanon hosting my annual Academy Day for 6th District students and families (details HERE) but, in the meantime, here’s a quick update from the week that has passed:
Blocking President Obama’s Dangerous Actions on Guantanamo Bay
President Obama’s plan to transfer suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay to the U.S. or other countries is irresponsible, reckless, and — I believe — a backdoor maneuver to try and close down the detention facility altogether without Congressional approval. As many as 30 percent of former Gitmo detainees are suspected or confirmed to have reengaged in terrorism, and now there is news that two more former detainees have returned to the fight. Clearly, this poses a threat to America’s national security. This week, the House voted with my support to ban the Obama Administration from bringing Guantanamo Bay prisoners onto US soil. Unfortunately, only 12 democrats were willing to take a stand against placing suspected terrorists in our backyards. With more detainees than ever returning to the battlefield, now is not a time for politicians to play politics with matters of homeland security. This bill passed the House and is headed to the Senate for further consideration.
Repealing A Harmful Obamacare Tax Hike
Under Obamacare, more Americans have been pushed into high deductible plans that force them to incur massive out-of-pocket costs before insurance kicks in. Yet, just as Americans are shelling out more for health costs, Obamacare upped the amount of money you have to spend on medical expenses in order to qualify for a tax deduction. Seniors initially got a reprieve from this Obamacare tax hike, but that ends next year. This means that, on top of dealing with Obamacare’s cuts to Medicare, the harmful medical device tax, and the looming threat of the law’s Independent Payment Advisory Board — or “IPAB” — seniors will also be forced to adjust to a new tax rule that hits them right in their pocketbook. This is yet another example of how the President’s healthcare law hurts the very people it pretends to help.
I’ve always said that until we can repeal and replace Obamacare altogether, we must act to ease the damage of this law wherever possible. That is why I voted this week for the Halt Tax Increases on the Middle Class and Seniors Act. This bill repeals the Obamacare tax increase and reinstates the previous threshold of medical expenses as a portion of income that qualify for a tax deduction. It just makes sense that if Americans are already paying more for health expenses, Washington shouldn’t pile on with a tax hike to make matters worse. You can see how every member of Congress voted on this bill here.
Stopping A Political Stunt
Once again this week, Democrats in Washington have disrupted the important work of Congress to engage in political theater; coming to the House floor to demand a vote on a flawed gun control bill very similar to the four that already failed with bipartisan opposition in the Senate earlier this year. I joined NRA News to discuss why this bill is bad policy and why I believe my colleagues across the aisle are simply playing politics with this issue in an attempt to subvert Americans’ right to due process and right to keep and bear arms
