February 10th, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement praising a move by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers to go back to work on the budget continuing resolution to find $100 billion of cuts to attach:

“After rightly receiving a very poor reception to a proposal to merely cut $35 billion from existing budget levels, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers has now promised to go back to the drawing board to find more cuts. In their Pledge to America, House Republicans had promised to cut $100 billion. He needs to find at least that much in cuts to keep the pledge.

“Now the American people need to verify that current spending levels will actually be cut by $100 billion. No gimmicks. It does not matter what Barack Obama proposed for Fiscal Year 2011, because his budget was never adopted. A promise to cut $100 billion can only be understood as a $100 billion cut from current spending levels, or else it’s just another stunt.

“I strongly hope and encourage that Chairman Rogers will avoid the gimmicks and accounting sleights of hand. The American people are tired of these games. We urge all citizens to go to www.keepthepledge.org and voice their concerns.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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February 8th, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement praising a plan by Florida Governor Rick Scott to overhaul the Medicaid and public pensions systems in his state:

“Governor Rick Scott’s proposal to move Medicaid recipients into managed care plans could save as much as $2 billion a year and is a move that warrants consideration by all governors and legislatures across the country. Medicaid spending is already sinking state governments with $60 billion in annual obligations that are set to dramatically rise as temporary federal ‘stimulus’ moneys run out. After that, state Medicaid spending will only rise in the next 10 years. This is a program that must be scaled back if states are to get their fiscal houses in order. Governor Scott is to be applauded for taking this step.

“Governor Scott also plans to put new government employees into a 401(k)-style retirement system and for all government employees to contribute 5 percent of their salaries to retirement. This will likely save another $1.4 billion every year, and give public employees a greater stake in the solvency of their retirement funds. And by transitioning new employees into defined contribution plans, Florida is putting itself on sounder fiscal footing for the coming years. With unfunded pension liabilities for states totaling as much as $3 trillion, phasing out and eventually eliminating defined benefit plans must be at the top of every state’s long-term fiscal planning. There is too much at stake.

“Thanks to these remarkable steps by Governor Scott to slash state spending, he can afford to include in his plan $2 billion in property and corporate tax cuts. These will make it easier for Florida to clear out its excess housing stock, and add new incentives for businesses to set up shop there.

“Taken together, slashing Medicaid spending, reforming the public pension system, and reducing the tax burden are a model for every state in the Union to follow. These are the steps that must be taken to make America competitive again, and to save governments from certain insolvency.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson and ALG Communications Director Rick Manning.

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February 4th, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government Director of Communications Rick Manning, former Public Affairs Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Labor, today issued the following statement on today’s unemployment report:

“It simply is not credible that the unemployment rate could drop by .4% with only 36,000 jobs created. This supposed drop is at least partially a result of the Obama Administration changing the methodology for determining who was in the workforce. This change in methodology coupled with a massive drop in the top line unemployment rate leaves the data open to the perception that they may have been politically manipulated.

“However, taking the numbers at face value, the Obama Administration cannot avoid the harsh reality that their economic policies have resulted in almost one million people leaving the workforce in the past two months alone. The January reported decline of 504,000 is a startling indictment of the failure of the past two years, as Americans have voted with their feet to leave the workforce.

“The bottom line is that our nation needs to create more than 100,000 jobs a month for sustained economic growth, and this report reveals that the main driver of the unemployment rate decline is that Americans are giving up on the American dream of getting a job and making a better life for their families.

“In the past year, more than two million Americans have left the labor force with the labor participation rate dropping from 64.8% to 64.2%. The labor participation rate when Obama took office in January 2009 stood at 65.5% when Obama took office in January 2009.

“This is a devastating indictment of the Obama economic policy, and if not reversed will have severe implications for our nation’s economic future.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson and ALG Communications Director Rick Manning.

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February 2nd, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement praising Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen for following federal Judge Roger Vinson’s decision striking down the government takeover of health care:

“Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has taken the proper step of following the law, which now says that ObamaCare is unconstitutional in its entirety, relieving Wisconsin of any obligation to follow it. Every Attorney General in the nation must follow Attorney General Van Hollen’s lead, and halt any actions to implement this unconstitutional law. To do otherwise will open states up to legal liability.

“Instead, all states should join with the American people in demanding that Barack Obama cease and desist from any and all implementation of the law. The nation is now free from any compulsion to follow the dictates of Washington.

“All regulations derived from the health care takeover have also been voided by Judge Vinson’s ruling, and every bureaucrat at the Department of Health and Human Services must stop what they are doing this instant. Obama has to follow the law, and ensure that every single employee of the executive branch does the same.

“The rule of law must prevail in this instance. Unless and until Judge Vinson’s decision is overturned by a higher court, the federal government must follow it. The judiciary is a co-equal branch of government, whose decisions carry the full force of the law. Judge Vinson’s decision bars any further implementation of ObamaCare.”

Attachments:

“The Week Ahead Analyzes Judge Vinson’s Ruling,” Video News Segment, February 1st, 2011.

“Judge Stops ObamaCare, but Who Will Stop Obama?” February 2nd, 2011, by Robert Romano, Senior Editor, Americans for Limited Government.

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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February 2nd, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today issued the following statement condemning the U.S. Senate for voting against the repeal of the government takeover of health care, 51-47:

“It’s unfortunate that Senate Democrats are so far out of touch with the American people that not one of them chose to vote to repeal ObamaCare, which has already been found to be unconstitutional. They may be in the majority of the Senate, but they are against the majority of Americans who are demanding that this law not stand.”

Attachments:

“ObamaCare’s Lies,” Bill Wilson, President, Americans for Limited Government, January 19th, 2011.

“Repealing ObamaCare a Good Start to Entitlement Reform,” Robert Romano, Senior Editor, Americans for Limited Government, January 5th, 2011.

“ObamaCare Repeal Could Save $2.6 Trillion,” Robert Romano, Senior Editor, Americans for Limited Government, January 10th, 2011.

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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January 31st, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Bill Wilson, President of Americans for Limited Government, released the following statement after Florida Judge Vinson ruled ObamaCare unconstitutional.

“For the second time, the federal courts have ruled that the federal government’s takeover of the health care system is unconstitutional. Congress needs to act now to defund the regulation writing on this unconstitutional law to prevent further damage from being done to our nation’s health care system. It is clear with a majority of states suing to stop the law, that it is unpopular, unconstitutional and unenforceable. Congress needs to act now to correct this mistake.”

With all Americans increasingly concerned about the unsustainable debt Obama and his cohorts have imposed on taxpayers, stopping any further advance of ObamaCare is vital to getting our fiscal house in order. First, stop any further regulation or dictates to the states. Second, repeal the law outright. And finally, move with common sense, market-based proposals to make the necessary repairs. Judge Vinson, following the ruling by Judge Hudson, has done a great service to the American people by beginning this crucial process.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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January 26th, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today urged congressional action to reduce the 2011 budget deficit, which the Congressional Budget Office now projects will be record $1.5 trillion this year:

“Once again, the budget deficit is growing under Obama’s watch, this time to $1.5 trillion, mostly because of the unpaid-for $56 billion extension of unemployment benefits and a $120 billion cut in payroll taxes on employees from December’s tax deal. Because there were no offsetting spending cuts for these items, we are just digging ourselves deeper into a hole of a debt that surely will hinder the economy for some time to come.

“It is now up to House Republicans to put serious spending cuts on the table. Barack Obama is merely proposing a discretionary spending freeze, which will institutionalize spending at its record-high levels and do nothing to decrease the deficit. This is a pathetic proposal that merits no serious consideration.

“Representatives Jim Jordan and Scott Garrett and Senator Jim DeMint have proposed $173 billion of discretionary spending cuts over the next two years, $16.1 billion in cuts to Medicaid, end the ‘stimulus’ saving $45 billion, and ending government ownership of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, saving another $30 billion. These cuts represent a good start, and could be attached to a continuing resolution due to expire on March 4th. But more must be done.

“Congress needs to put so-called ‘mandatory’ spending on the table for immediate consideration. This spending is on autopilot, and if Congress does not act, will continue to increase year on end. As much as $460 billion of cuts could be attached to an upcoming vote to increase the national debt ceiling above $14.294 trillion. Combined with the Garrett-Jordan-DeMint proposal, the savings would total $725 billion, cutting the deficit in half.

“Politicians like Obama need to stop fiddling while Rome burns. Spending needs to be cut significantly, not frozen. And it’s up to House Republicans to put those cuts on the table before it is too late.”

Attachments:

“Spending Cuts Have to Start Somewhere,” ALG President Bill Wilson, January 24th, 2011.

“’Mandatory’ Spending and the Budget Fairy,” ALG President Bill Wilson, January 12th, 2011.

“Obama’s Budget ‘Freeze’,” Robert Romano, ALG Senior Editor, January 26th, 2011.

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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January 19th, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today praised a bipartisan vote in the House of Representatives repealing ObamaCare, thanking members for “listening to the will of a majority of Americans opposed to the government takeover of health care.”

The vote passed 245 to 189. 3 House Democrats supported the bill.

“The House vote to repeal ObamaCare is critically important, without which it will be impossible to begin to bring the nation’s fiscal house into order,” Wilson said. “Once fully implemented, ObamaCare will expand federal spending by over $200 billion every year at a time when we need to figure out how to reduce the $1.3 trillion budget deficit and pay off the $14 trillion national debt.”

“The American people sent this Congress to Washington in November to cut spending. Repealing ObamaCare will save over $2 trillion. We commend the House for its foresight in lifting this unaffordable, unfunded liability off of taxpayers’ backs,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the House vote “reflected the will of millions of Americans.” A recent poll by Rasmussen Reports shows that 55 percent of voters want ObamaCare repealed, with only 40 percent opposed. Wilson called it a “mandate to save the nation from insolvency.”

“Even if ObamaCare is repealed, this decade the federal government will still spend $11 trillion on health care subsidies. It will be over $20 trillion the decade after that. Nobody thinks that’s sustainable, and yet here we are debating whether it’s a good idea to add anywhere from 32 to 90 million new people to receive taxpayer-funded health care come 2014,” Wilson explained.

“We’re going to go broke paying for this,” Wilson warned.

Wilson replied to critics, like Senator Sherrod Brown, who called the bill a “colossal waste of time.”

“Actually, the nation is running out of time to get its fiscal house into order. The repeal vote is not symbolic. In fact, it is the first substantive step to rein in the unsustainable expansion of the federal government in years. It’s the first step of entitlement reform,” Wilson declared.

The legislation now proceeds to the Senate, where Wilson said it could receive an up-or-down vote. “If Senate Republicans attach the legislation to an appropriations bill, it would only take 51 votes to pass, not 60,” he said.

“With 47 members of the Senate Republican conference, Republicans would need to pick up 4 Senate Democrats to achieve a majority. That is hardly insurmountable,” Wilson noted.

Wilson thanked the 3 House Democrats who voted for the repeal. “Clearly, there are some House Democrats who got the message from the American people. Hopefully, they will encourage their colleagues in the Senate to follow suit,” he said, concluding, “The only bipartisan consensus in Washington at the moment is against ObamaCare. It is against national insolvency.”

Attachments:

“ObamaCare’s Lies,” Bill Wilson, President, Americans for Limited Government, January 19th, 2011.

“Repealing ObamaCare a Good Start to Entitlement Reform,” Robert Romano, Senior Editor, Americans for Limited Government, January 5th, 2011.

“ObamaCare Repeal Could Save $2.6 Trillion,” Robert Romano, Senior Editor, Americans for Limited Government, January 10th, 2011.

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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January 18th, 2011, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today urged House Democrats “to join with a majority of Americans who want ObamaCare repealed in its entirety.”

“The outcome of the elections in November was clear. The American people don’t want Washington bureaucrats rationing health care based on scarce public funding, making choices that are best left to doctors and patients,” Wilson said.

A recent poll by Rasmussen Reports shows that 55 percent of voters want ObamaCare repealed, with only 40 percent opposed. Wilson said the House has a “mandate to proceed with repeal.”

“The government cannot afford to provide health care for everyone,” Wilson added, explaining, “with a $1.3 trillion annual budget deficit already, the cost of subsidizing coverage for 32 million more people — atop the 60 million people already enrolled in Medicaid, and another 46 million Medicare recipients — will be insurmountable. That’s 138 million people, nearly half the population, receiving taxpayer-financed health care by the government’s own estimates.”

“The average annual cost per individual in Medicaid is currently $4,950, while for Medicare it is $10,670. Even if the average cost of ObamaCare’s 32 million new recipients was only $3,500 per individual, it would still cost $112 billion extra annually, or more than a trillion dollars every 10 years,” Wilson explained.

An Americans for Limited Government analysis of coverage provisions estimates that the bill will likely cost even more than that.

Wilson explained, “Medicaid enrollment is a key question. With the individual mandate requiring everyone to carry health insurance of some sort, enrollment will most likely be higher than the government is estimating. If the individual mandate results in near-universal participation in Medicaid for those eligible up to 133 percent of the poverty level, and for the insurance subsidies up to 400 percent of the poverty level, the costs of ObamaCare will double and then triple upon full implementation.”

“Put simply, the government estimates 32 million people will participate in a mandatory program that more than 90 million will be eligible for. The analysis shows that if everyone eligible for ObamaCare care receives it, the cost will be well more than $2 trillion every 10 years upon full implementation,” Wilson noted. “We’re going broke already.”

“Who thinks the federal budget can afford another $200 billion annual entitlement atop the $800 billion annually we’re already spending on health care?” Wilson asked.

“When all is said and done, government-subsidized health care will cost more than $11 trillion over the next 10 years through 2020, and likely more than $20 trillion the decade after that. And that’s if ObamaCare is repealed. If it isn’t, heaven help us,” Wilson warned.

Wilson asked House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in March to do so again, “and for those who voted for it, it is time to change course and honor the will of the people who are demanding that Washington change the way it does business. The American people voted for the end of government takeovers of industry like health care.”

Attachments:

“Repealing ObamaCare a Good Start to Entitlement Reform,” Robert Romano, Senior Editor, Americans for Limited Government, January 5th, 2011.

“ObamaCare Repeal Could Save $2.6 Trillion,” Robert Romano, Senior Editor, Americans for Limited Government, January 10th, 2011.

Interview Availability: Please contact Rebekah Rast at (703) 383-0880 or at rrast@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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