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Miller Newsletter on State of the Union

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

“An America Built to Last” – the theme of this year’s State of the Union Address. A great slogan and an even better promise. But it occurred to me as I sat through President Barack Obama’s third State of the Union address that I had heard this rhetoric somewhere before. In fact, I’ve heard over and over again the same tired idea that big government is the answer to our nation’s problems. Americans have specifically and repeatedly rejected this premise over the last several years. Yet, last Tuesday night the President put forward a speech light on proposals to rein in our debt or to provide jobs to Americans. We heard more empty promises and more calls for bipartisanship from one of the most partisan presidents in history. It seems almost comical that the President would title his speech after a catchphrase coined in reference to successful, long-lasting companies[i] and then seek to tax and over-regulate these very same job creators. We’ve heard it before, tried it, and it hasn’t worked.

The President was right to note that we have seen some recent success in foreign policy. Under his presidency, our military ended the life of the world’s most hated terrorist, Osama bin Laden, and the Iraq war has come to an end. No one should begrudge the President for these triumphs. However, I would remind our commander-in-chief that these achievements were only made possible because the United States maintains the very best military in the history of the world. While trumpeting his national security successes, the President is cutting more than $400 billion from the defense budget, not including the more than $500 billion in additional cuts starting in 2013 as part of the sequestration process. Slicing almost a trillion dollars from our military will irreparably harm the defense posture of this country, something I will not stand for and will fight to prevent.

While we have seen many victories overseas, the President’s record here at home is much more troubling. In what amounted to a 2012 campaign kickoff speech, the President asked for a little more time, a little more money, and a little more government to get America going again. At what point will this President stop blaming the last for our nation’s woes? With all due respect, it’s been three years. All of his signature policies have been enacted over our objections including Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, and a $1 trillion stimulus program. Every time he signed one of these bills into law, the President told us unemployment would go down and the economy would improve. It didn’t happen, and three years later, two million more Americans are out of work, and our economy remains stagnant.

Tuesday night, the President demanded that Congress act. “Send me a bill” he said, “and I will sign it right away.” Send me a bill? House Republicans have sent TWENTY-SEVEN jobs bills to the Senate that have never seen the light of day. Maybe the President needs to direct his words towards his own party’s Senate leadership and get them moving on these bills. In particular, we need the Senate to pass a budget so we have a blueprint to reduce government spending, something they have been unable to do in 1,000 days and counting. The President was elected to his first term in the Senate and announced his candidacy for President in less time than 1,000 days. If our founding fathers can draft and enact a Constitution for a new country (twice!) in 1,000 days, certainly the Senate can pass an annual budget. Yet even more hypocrisy came from the President’s call for increased American-made energy. This coming less than a week after the President denied the Keystone XL Pipeline project that would have done exactly that, not to mention providing thousands of jobs to American workers.

I will give the President credit for proposing at least one specific initiative – a tax increase on many job creators and small businesses. He even said, “You can call it class warfare all you want.” But that’s exactly what it is – pitting small businesses and job creators against the poor and unemployed. And what is the President’s solution to such a problem? Higher taxes and more government! Increase taxes to pay for the highest number of food stamp recipients in history. To be clear, even if we taxed millionaires at 100 percent, taking every single penny they’ve earned, it would not change the fact that the 2011 deficit is still the highest annual deficit accumulated under any President’s watch. And as for the President’s promise that taxes won’t increase for those making under $250,000? The President has actually signed into law at least 16 new tax increases during his term in office that directly impact the middle-class. I agree we need to fix the tax code and get rid of loopholes, but we also need to end special tax subsidies like those given to Solyndra, not call for higher taxes to pay for more government spending in the midst of an unstable economy.

At the end of the State of the Union address, I was left not inspired, but unfulfilled, much like the promise of hope and change we heard three years ago. Simply put, this Administration speaks one way and acts another. Promises don’t provide jobs to the unemployed. Rhetoric doesn’t get our economy growing again. It is time to put aside eloquent speechmaking and crafty slogans and instead get to work on putting Americans back to work. House Republicans have and continue to stand ready and willing for the President to work with us.

[i] Collins, James C., and Jerry I. Porras. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. New York: HarperBusiness, 1994.

Miller to Host Health Fair for Seniors in Crestview

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL-01) today announced that he will be hosting a Seniors Health Fair on Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

Miller said the events will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Crestview Community Center. Seniors and their families are invited to visit the fair to receive flu shots and basic health screenings. Veterans are also encouraged to attend to get more information on TRICARE for Life and VA health benefits.

“This is just another way we can better serve seniors in Northwest Florida,” Miller said. “The Senior Health Fair will help give constituents access to the information they need to enjoy their golden years in good health.”

Seniors Health Fair
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. CT

Crestview Community Center
1446 Commerce Drive
Crestview, Florida 32536

MILLER STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S DISAPPROVAL OF THE KEYSTONE PIPELINE

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Jeff Miller (R-FL-1) today criticized the Administration’s decision to reject approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline:

“I am extremely disappointed in the President’s decision. At a time when Americans are facing a sluggish economy and nearly 9% unemployment, I find it inexplicable that the President would choose to prevent this project from moving forward.

The Keystone XL Pipeline could create upwards of 20,000 jobs and would be a much needed boost for the economy. I’m disappointed that this Administration has once again decided to put politics ahead of private sector economic stimulus for our country.”

Pearls of the Pacific

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Today and tomorrow mark the 70thanniversaries of the Empire of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of the Battle of Wake Island, respectively. The circumstances surrounding these events and the subsequent actions taken by the United States make this one of the most significant weeks in modern history.

For many, Pearl Harbor signified the loss of loved ones and a feeling of vulnerability previously unfelt in America’s history. Beyond the somberness and the carnage in the Pacific that day, Pearl Harbor stands as defining moment in American history. Few could have predicted the impact it would have on the course of our great nation.

When the Japanese attacked, they thought it was to their benefit, but they were wrong, and as Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto said, “they had awakened a sleeping giant and [filled] him with terrible resolve.”

To the Japanese, Pearl Harbor was a great victory, they caught us off guard and delivered heavy blows, killing over 2,400 and wounding almost 1,300. The attack also took a devastating toll—on top of the loss of innocent men and women—on our Pacific Fleet. The most notable destruction was to that of the USS Arizona. The Arizona was sunk and still lies at the bottom of the ocean. She serves as an underwater tomb for the men who perished on that tragic day. Only hours after this sudden attack, American forces on Wake Island were also attacked in a battle that ultimately claimed the lives of 820 Americans.

Prior to December 7, 1941, some wanted to remain neutral in the growing global conflict. After Pearl and Wake, however, we could no longer stand by idly. While she did not start the war, America made sure that she would be the one to finish it.

The next four years were spent seeking justice for those lost, protecting others from further attacks, and freeing millions under German and Japanese oppression. Our conquest was just, and in the end we made the world a better place.

When the first plane dropped that first bomb at Pearl Harbor, America was only a shade of the superpower she would become. After the surprise attack, America rose up and fearlessly fought back, crushing the torchbearers of tyranny, and revitalizing democracy throughout much of the world.

It is imperative that we forever remember the events that took place at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Today’s remembrance marks the first of what will be many 70thanniversaries that commemorate iconic events from World War II taking place over the next four years.

During those four years, the “Greatest Generation” left their mark on society. Americans of all ages, genders, races, religions, and ethnicities contributed to the war effort. Without their great determination and sacrifices America would not be the great country that it is today.

In Florida’s First Congressional District we are privileged to have one of the highest veteran populations of any Congressional District in America, many of whom are veterans of World War II. We owe them a debt of gratitude that can never fully be repaid, as their heroics propelled our nation into previously unchartered waters of greatness.

As this population of heroes dwindles with each passing day, it is my hope that we are able to do everything in our power to keep their story alive. I urge you, my friends, to reach out to these brave souls and learn as much as you possibly can about their extraordinary lives. As we ourselves approach perilous times in our nation’s history we must recapture the spirit and determination showed during the Second World War. In doing so, the “Greatest Generation” can inspire us to remain the greatest country in the world.

— Rep. Jeff Miller (FL-01) is Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

MILLER TO HOST HEALTH FAIR FOR SENIORS IN PENSACOLA

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL-01) today announced that he will be hosting a Seniors Health Fair on Tuesday, November 15th.

Miller said the events will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at the Bayview Resource Center. Seniors and their families are invited to visit the fair to receive flu shots and basic health screenings. Experts will be on hand to discuss Social Security and Medicare. Veterans are also encouraged to attend to get more information on TRICARE for Life and VA health benefits.

“This is just another way we can better serve seniors in Northwest Florida,” Miller said. “The Senior Health Fair will help give constituents access to the information they need to make the best decisions for their health care.”

Seniors Health Fair

Tuesday, November 15

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. CT

Bayview Resource Center

2001 East Lloyd Street

Pensacola, FL 32503

We Really Can't Wait!

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Last week, while announcing the President’s decision to take a series of executive actions, the Administration unveiled their latest slogan, “We Can’t Wait.” I agree that we owe it to the millions of unemployed Americans to pass legislation that will help our economy flourish and put them back to work, but using "Executive Powers” without legislative transparency to point the finger at Republicans for a supposed unwillingness to pass legislation to help jump-start our economy is unproductive and insincere. The fact of the matter is that while the Administration was busy trying to come up with its next catch phrase, the House of Representatives passed two more job creating measures. In total, the House of Representatives has passed more than twenty jobs bills that would help put Americans back to work, yet only five of these have been passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President. Currently, eighteen jobs bills are stuck in the Senate awaiting further action (http://majorityleader.gov/JobsTracker). I guess we shouldn’t be surprised about the lack of activity on the other side of the Capitol, given that it has been over 900 days since the Senate last passed a budget.

One of the Executive Orders issued by the President this week was a push to get unemployed veterans back to work. The President “challenged” Community Health Centers to hire 8,000 veterans. I agree that military members with medical training should have an easier time finding employment, which is why I included provisions that would make it easier for them to get the credentials they need to obtain employment in my Veteran’s Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act (http://veterans.house.gov/jobs). And the VOW Act doesn’t stop there. The VOW Act would help train 100,000 unemployed veterans in a full range of job sectors, improve the Transition Assistance Program, and strengthen protections that help National Guard and Reserve troops from losing their jobs while they are deployed.

I fully commend the President for focusing on measures to help get one million unemployed veterans to work. This level of veteran unemployment is unacceptable. Members of the House of Representatives from both sides of the aisle understand how vital it is to get unemployed veterans back to work, and that is why the VOW Act passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support by a vote of 418-6. With Veterans Day less than two weeks away, passing the VOW Act in the Senate and sending it to the President’s desk would lay down a significant marker on the road to decreasing veteran unemployment.

I have also introduced a tax incentive to complement the VOW Act, which would not only immediately help veterans, but would also help small businesses grow. The Tax Credit to Hire Veterans Act would provide small businesses with a $25,000 incentive for hiring any unemployed veteran. Additionally, my bill includes provisions that ensure that businesses cannot simply hire a veteran, receive the incentive and then fire the veteran. This substantial tax incentive would allow businesses to use more of their capital to hire unemployed veterans, and provide a double incentive to businesses looking to hire veterans.

Long before the Administration coined its new slogan, the American people have been telling us that we cannot wait to create jobs. House Republicans have understood that we do not have the luxury of standing on the sidelines waiting for the economy to right itself and have taken action. In May, Republicans released the Plan for America’s Job Creators, a comprehensive approach to reducing government barriers to job growth. On numerous occasions, we have answered the call to action by passing jobs legislation, and we continue to do so. On Wednesday, the House passed H.R. 1904, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act. This bill will pave the way for American businesses to create thousands of jobs delivering approximately $220.5 million in wages every year to American workers. More than $700 million in private funds have already been invested in this project, and over 500 Americans work at the site today. Over the life of the project, the economic benefits will exceed $60 billion and lead to another $19 billion in tax revenue for federal, state, county and local governments.

Passage of H.R. 1904 was followed up with the passage of H.R. 674, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the imposition of 3 percent withholding on certain payments made to vendors by government entities. H.R. 674 would repeal an unnecessary and burdensome requirement, set to go into effect in January 2013, which would withhold 3 percent of government payments to businesses that provide goods or services to federal, state, or local governments. This withholding tax would reduce the cash flow of businesses that contract with federal, state and local governments and undermine job creation. I believe that the looming implementation of this requirement is contributing to the severe uncertainty facing employers during these challenging economic times. The withholding requirement would also impose substantial costs on federal, state, and local governments, including costs to acquire new software and pay for additional accounting services. I was glad to see the Administration come out in support of House efforts to repeal this withholding tax. H.R. 674 received broad bipartisan support in the House, and there is no reason to add it to the list of bills that are stalled in the Senate.

The President and I may have different ideological viewpoints on how best to help the country, but I agree with him that unemployed Americans can’t continue to wait. The House, Senate, and the Administration must work together to support our nation’s job creators. The President does not need to circumvent the Congress through Executive Orders. House-passed jobs bills that are currently stalled in the Senate, including the VOW Act, would help to create far more jobs than any of the President’s Executive Orders. The House is doing its part, but only until the Senate acts, starts listening to the American people and stops trying to find new ways to delay legislation, will we create the right environment for businesses to thrive and expand their workforce. House Republicans have shown time and again that we are committed to passing legislation to improve our economy as the elected voice of the People. Now, we need the Senate and the Administration to do the same.

We cannot afford to wait any longer.

RESTORE Act

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Yesterday I joined my colleagues from across the Gulf Coast to introduce the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economy of the Gulf Coast Act of 2011, or the RESTORE Act. The bill would dedicate 80 percent of the fines paid by the responsible parties to the Gulf Coast states for economic and environmental restoration.

RESTORE ACT SUMMARY
The “RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act” is a bipartisan, regional approach that will:

Create the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund

Dedicate 80% of Clean Water Act penalties to be paid by the responsible parties to the restoration of the Gulf Coast ecosystem and economy
- Under current law, the Clean Water Act gives the federal government the authority to fine responsible parties after an oil spill, but these penalties are not returned to the place where the injury occurred. The RESTORE Act will correct this and will establish the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund, to which 80% of all civil penalties paid in connection with the Deepwater Horizon spill will be directed.

Provide needed resources to Gulf Coast States to start recovery by allocating:
- 35% of the funds in equal shares to the five Gulf Coast States for economic and ecological recovery. The bill ensures that funds are spent responsibly and for their intended purpose—restoring and protecting the Gulf Coast. States must spend these funds on economic and ecological recovery activities along the coast, as defined in the legislation.
- 30% of the funds to be used for the development and implementation of a comprehensive restoration plan, created by a federal/state Gulf Coast Restoration Council with all Gulf States represented on the Council. The Council sunsets once funds are completely expended.
- 30% of the funds according to an impact driven formula and disbursed to the Gulf Coast States according to plans submitted by the Gulf Coast States and approved by the Council.

Establish a Long Term Science and Fisheries Endowment and Gulf Coast Centers of Excellence, to which 5% of the funds would be allocated.
- Five percent of the Fund will be allocated to a Gulf Coast research, science and technology program. The program will establish Gulf Coast Centers of Excellence to advance research, science and technology in the Gulf around specific disciplines. Preference for funding will be given to Gulf Coast organizations and research institutions. Entities created in this section of the bill sunset once all funds are expended.

The full bill text can be found here.

Watchdog Group Names Jeff Miller a “Taxpayer Hero”

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today honored Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) as a Taxpayer Hero for scoring 98 percent on its 2010 Congressional Ratings. Miller had the highest ranking in the State of Florida. The average rating for the entire House was 40 percent; a 9 percentage point increase from 2009, while the Senate averaged 42 percent, a 3 percentage point increase from 2009. As a Representative with a score above 80 percent, Rep. Miller consistently voted to reign in deficit spending, reduce the tax burden, and make government more accountable to taxpayers.

“Anyone can talk about cutting waste and taxes. Rep. Miller is of the rare breed who ‘walks the walk’ by voting to ease the burden of a cumbersome, bloated federal government,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.

For the 111^th Congress, second session, CCAGW rated 46 key votes in the House. The Ratings separate the praiseworthy from the profligate by evaluating important tax, spending, and transparency and accountability measures. CCAGW applauds those Members of Congress who clung to their waste--‐cutting mission in the face of a recalcitrant spendthrift majority.

“On behalf of taxpayers, we thank and applaud the Taxpayer Heroes for their votes to cut wasteful spending, reduce taxes, and make government more accountable to taxpayers,” said Schatz. Unfortunately, far too many members demonstrated little regard for the consequences of failing to reduce the record $1.3 trillion deficit and $14.7 trillion debt, and constituents should admonish them for their poor ratings.”

Visit www.ccagw.org for the complete 2010 Congressional Ratings.The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

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President Obama's Jobs Plan

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT

President Obama released a plan for deficit reduction that pushes an agenda of tax increases and lacks serious reforms to entitlements, rather than putting forward a bipartisan proposal for putting America back on a path to fiscal prosperity.

After months of negotiating with Republicans on a compromise to reduce the deficit, the President took a turn toward more liberal ideals this week. Unfortunately, the American people are left holding the bag, waiting for a President who promised compromise, but offers none. His plan for deficit reduction is based on worn-out ideas and faulty economics, instead of job creation and spending cuts. These proposals could not pass when Democrats controlled both Houses of Congress, and they will not pass now.

Take, for example, the Administration’s proposals for Medicare and Medicaid. For over a year, Republicans and Democrats have agreed that these two entitlement programs need fundamental reform to keep them viable for the next generation of Americans. We disagree on the nature of this reform, but at minimum, we agree reform is needed. However, in these programs which will collectively spend $10 trillion over the next decade, the President’s plan calls for only $320 billion in savings, a roughly three percent savings.

The Medicare and Medicaid cuts would not even cover the size of the “doc fix” that Congress must pass to prevent a 30 percent cut to doctors at the end of the year. The President’s plan assumes the doc fix will be signed into law at a cost of $370 billion, but does not suggest a way to pay for the permanent change. Furthermore, the proposal avoids any changes to the Medicare benefit until after 2017, conveniently timed with the end of a second term in office. Between now and 2017, all of the proposed savings are on the provider side of the equation, including new price controls on pharmaceuticals and cuts to hospital reimbursements, on top of the Medicare cuts found in the President’s 2010 health care bill. This is not the structural reform needed to shore up a system that even the President’s Chief of Staff said will run out of money in five years. These are simply tweaks to a system that is fiscally unsound and will do little to actually reduce the deficit in the future.

In addition, I disagree with President on tax increases. Instead of proposing a comprehensive tax system overhaul, as House Republicans have offered again and again, the President’s proposal takes aim squarely at the country’s job creators in the middle of an already lengthy period of high unemployment rates. His deficit reduction plan would allow the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire for wealthier Americans, many of whom are small business owners. It reduces the value of itemized deductions to 28 percent, striking a huge blow to charities across the country. It creates a type of alternative minimum tax for those who make over $1 million a year, called the Buffet Rule after billionaire Warren Buffett. And yes, it eliminates depreciation rules for corporate airplanes and subsidies for oil and gas companies.

I happen to agree with the President that Warren Buffet should not pay a lower tax rate than his secretary. However, the facts do not bear this situation out. The claim that the wealthiest Americans pay less in taxes than middle-class Americans is class-warfare at its finest and moreover, simply not true. In reality, the top 10 percent of earners pay nearly 70 percent of all income taxes, according to the IRS. The IRS also reports that those making over $1 million pay 24.4 percent of their income in federal income taxes. Those making between $100,000 and $125,000 pay 9.9 percent, and those making $50,000 to $60,000 pay 6.4 percent. The Tax Policy Center estimates that 46 percent of tax filers will pay no federal income tax this year.

These numbers are not a defense of tax cuts for corporate jet owners or the rich. They simply show that the President’s basis for tax hikes on job creators are misguided and are only being used to pay for more federal spending. The ratio of tax increases to health care entitlement reforms in his plan is five to one ($1.5 trillion versus $320 billion). The plan then counts $1 trillion in “savings” from ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which are scheduled to end regardless and should not be counted in deficit reduction savings. With other entitlement changes and fees included, the President’s proposal then includes the $1 trillion in cuts already achieved in the Budget Control Act to reach a target reduction of $4 trillion.

President Obama said it best when announcing his proposal, “It’s math.” Unfortunately, the Administration needs to work on its addition and subtraction. Instead of adding new taxes and fees, we need to be adding jobs. Instead of punting on entitlement reform, we need to start subtracting from the deficit by making major reforms to Medicare and Medicaid. The President’s plan does neither. I hope the President will come back to the table and work with Republicans on our plan to create jobs and to reduce the national deficit.

House Republicans have put forward a plan to reduce the deficit significantly without halting job growth by imposing tax increases. We started with the Republican budget, passed by the House in April, which would reduce and freeze domestic spending, would protect the future of Medicare and Medicaid while making sensible reforms, would shore up Social Security, and would lower both the corporate and individual tax rates. Over the summer, House Republicans put forward the Cut, Cap, & Balance plan to cut spending now, cap future spending, and pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Some of the Cut, Cap, and Balance plan made it into the Budget Control Act signed into law in early August. Federal spending was cut by almost a trillion dollars. In addition, Congress is forced to make at least an additional $1.2 trillion in cuts by Christmas and is required to vote on the Balanced Budget Amendment.

Most importantly, nothing in our plan for deficit reduction and job creation includes tax increases. In fact, tax rates would be lowered for all Americans, and the tax code would be more simple and fair. Our Plan for America’s Job Creators allows businesses to create jobs by putting in place a system without over-burdensome regulations or high taxes. Senate Democrats and the President need to work with us to pass these reforms now to get our economy moving again. There is too much uncertainty and businesses are waiting on the sidelines to see how much they will have to pay in taxes, how much health care the government will mandate they purchase, and how many new regulations the Administration will enforce. Congress and the President need to come to the table, pass a plan that will cut federal spending, reduce the deficit, and provide jobs to the millions of unemployed Americans who are tired of Washington inaction on the issues that matter most.

President Releases Jobs Bill -- Your Thoughts?

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 04:00:00 GMT

President Obama today released the text of his jobs legislation that he demanded Congress pass immediately. Find it here. Let me know your thoughts on the bill.