Mississippi, Arizona, and Tennessee have each passed bills to prohibit insurance plans that cover elective abortions from participating in exchanges within their states. In Arizona, the governor has signed the bill into law.     In addition, more than two dozen states are considering legislation to prohibit abortion coverage under [...]  More

Rep. John Carter (TX) published a piece in Real Clear Politics today. While the news cycle has pushed Ft. Hood out the spotlight, Congressman Carter still has concerns about the way the situation is being handled. Read an excerpt of his piece here: Yet the Obama Administration continues to deny the Fort Hood attack was terrorism, failed to grant t [...]  More

Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (TN), one our GOP doctors, has not given up on speaking out about health care. As the House Republican Conference continues to publish daily health care factoids via ObamaCare Flatlines, Members like Dr. Roe are reminding Americans of the costs, hidden details and issues inside of ObamaCare. See an excerpt of his latest piece i [...]  More

In previous issues of Flatlines, we reported how much money several large employers have had to pay already to fund ObamaCare. A new survey by Mercer, a worldwide consulting firm, reveals how many employers will be affected by ObamaCare’s coverage requirements.    ·        38% of employers [...]  More

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence published an op/ed in the Kansas City Star  yesterday. Please read it here: President Barack Obama traveled the Midwest this week to talk about his ideas for how to grow the economy and create jobs. However, the president's own policies, as enacted by the Democrat Congress over the past year, o [...]  More

Rep. John Kline (MN), the ranking Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, published the following blog post on RedState. While many are concerned with the antics of activists judges, it's important to remember there are plenty of unelected activists causing major problems. Read an excerpt of this piece: With a looming nomination to [...]  More

From the office of Congressman Peter Roskam (IL): Jerusalem's Mayor, Nir Barkat, met with the Co-Chair of the Republican Israel Caucus, Rep. Peter Roskam, today in Washington. They discussed the Mayor's plans for upgrading and improving the Holy City that President Obama has requested be put on hold. Mayor Barkat said the Obama administration is [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference and a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, gave the following opening statement today at the first conference committee meeting on Iran sanctions bills passed by the House and Senate: Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank you for convening this conference committee an [...]  More

Rep. Mary Bono Mack (CA) published an op/ed in Politico today. Please see the following excerpt: The American people are angry — and they have a right to be.  Their government has disappointed them with failed policies and a dangerous agenda. More than that, it has destroyed their trust. Confidence levels in our government are the lowes [...]  More

“We will start by reducing premiums by as much as $2,500 per family.” - Senator Barack Obama 10/4/08 Both CBO and CMS:  Higher Premiums Under ObamaCare   Despite President Obama’s pledge to reduce health insurance premiums “by as much as $2500,” both the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Centers fo [...]  More

by Rep. Geoff Davis (KY) As a father of six and former small business owner, I know the importance of establishing a budget and understanding the basics of financial issues.  Learning about how to save and invest money, responsibly use credit cards and manage your credit rating are all important tools for creating a financially-sound future.& [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks today on the House floor regarding a report released last week from the president’s own administration, which says that ObamaCare actually raises health care costs. Text is below the video. After months of debate and assurances that th [...]  More

In case you missed today's House Republican Leadership Press Conference, check it out here:    More

In a new analysis of ObamaCare, President Obama’s chief actuary warned that changes to the reimbursement rate for doctors and hospitals and Medicaid expansion may jeopardize access to care for seniors and low-income Medicaid dependents.   Medicare Changes Threaten Access to Care for Seniors: “Thus, providers for whom Medicare con [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks as the president’s fiscal commission is slated to hold its first meeting today: Our country is facing a fiscal crisis, but the president’s fiscal commission is not a serious effort to stop out of control spending. The president nee [...]  More

We've been working hard to uncover the myths and truths behind the Senate Democrats' permanant TARP bill. We thought you might be interested in our findings. Below, you'll find the an excerpt of the report published today: MYTH #1 - The bill does not provide bailout authority. REALITY: TARP II authorizes the FDIC to use resources to make payments [...]  More

Rep. Paul Broun, M.D. (GA) published in op/ed in today's Washington Times. Please see the following excerpt: Media outlets last spring frantically attempted to follow a growing trend of protests exploding across the country. It started with individuals - angry with high taxes and frustrated with Washington's outrageous spending - expressing their [...]  More

“If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what.”  -- President Obama, June 15, 2009 Despite President Obama’s pledge that all Americans would be able to keep their healt [...]  More

From the House Republican Committee on Ways and Means comes this report: "Obama Administration Report Confirms Democrat Health Law Increases Health Care Spending." Here are some of the ways in which those costs will increase: Health Care Costs Increase:  “national health expenditures under the health reform act would increase by a total [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, issued the following statement today in response to a new analysis by the Obama Administration of its own recently passed health care law: This new report from the President’s own Medicare agency confirms what we’ve known all along:  The President and Congre [...]  More

From the office of House Republican Leader John Boehner: Vice President Joe Biden confirmed yesterday that President Obama is “open to listening” to the prospect of bringing a European-style value added tax (VAT) to the United States.  That extraction was won by the hosts of ABC’s The View just hours after Treasury Secretary [...]  More

Rep. Mike Pence (IN) wrote an op/ed today for Investors Business Daily. Please read the following excerpt: The American people are tired of the borrowing, spending and bailouts that have been advanced by the administrations of both political parties. It's time to end the era of bailouts and reaffirm our belief that the freedom to succeed must incl [...]  More

“And it [the health reform plan] will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government.” -- President Obama, September 10, 2009   The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new analysis of ObamaCare, confirming that our nation’s health care costs will increase rat [...]  More

In addition to many of our individual offices, we wanted to acknowledge that both the Natural Resources Committee and the Education and Labor Committee web sites both won the Gold for the Golden Mouse Committee Awards last night. Many congratulations to both of these Committees. Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee Doc Hastings releas [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks today in support of earmark reform legislation introduced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA): The American people are tired of borrowing and spending and bailouts in Washington DC. They’ve gathered in town hall meetings, and tea parties, and r [...]  More

Last night marked the 2010 Golden Mouse Awards, where Members of Congress are rewarded for their web site achievements. Republicans did well, with this very website -- GOP.gov -- earning the Platinum award for Best Leadership Site. House Republican winners of the Gold Award include Rep. Geoff Davis (KY), Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC), Rep. George Radano [...]  More

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor's office produced this video:   More

In an earlier Flatline, we reported about the job-killing tax increases on some large employers, including Caterpillar, AT&T, Medtronic, Deere and Co., 3M, and Valero Energy.  Less than one month later, several other large employers are reporting how ObamaCare will impact them.   LOCKHEED MARTIN:  The company took an &ldq [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, offered the following remarks after the House Republican Conference website, www.gop.gov, was given the top award from an independent analysis of Congressional Leadership websites: “On behalf of all House Republicans, we are honored that GOP.gov has been recognized as [...]  More

“If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor.  Period.  If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period.   No one will take it away.   No matter what.”  - President Obama, June 15, 2009   Well, not really.   According to this story [...]  More

“If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor.  Period.  If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period.   No one will take it away.   No matter what.”                        - [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following remarks regarding Democrats’ banking regulation legislation at a House Republican leadership press conference this morning: The American people are tired of runaway federal spending, borrowing and bailouts. The legislation being considered by the Sen [...]  More

The Hill has the details here: Competition begins this week in the House Republican Caucus' "New Media Challenge," a six-week contest modeled after the NCAA's March Madness basketball tournament. Led by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-Wash.), vice chair of the group, the competition calls on select members to expand their presence on Twitter, Faceb [...]  More

Justice Breyer:  ObamaCare a “good candidate” for review by the Supreme Court of the United States As of today, 19 states – representing 41 percent of the population of the United States – have sued the federal government over ObamaCare. Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississi [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement as the nation of Israel began its annual Independence Day celebration: Sixty-two years ago the state of Israel declared its independence. Today, as Israelis celebrate their Independence Day, I congratulate our most cherished ally for prevailing a [...]  More

Family prices for the self-employed, small business workers, early retirees, and millions of others who buy their own policy will increase by $2,100 under ObamaCare.   Several states have lived under types of ObamaCare mandates – the requirements to buy insurance, guaranteed issue, and price controls through modified or pure community r [...]  More

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor delivered the Weekly Republican Address this week:   More

An excerpt from Roll Call: While Democratic Members waited in line last week to publicly declare the urgency and legitimacy of their transportation and housing earmark requests, not a single Republican joined them. That’s because aside from a few rogue Republicans, Democrats will be the only House Members seeking earmarks in this year&rsquo [...]  More

In a new Rasmussen Reports poll, a majority of New Jersey residents want Congress to repeal ObamaCare.   In 2008, New Jersey supported President Obama with 57 percent of the vote, but now they aren’t buying what he is selling. The new Rasmussen Reports poll comes on the heels of yesterday’s Associated Press poll, which showed that [...]  More

Rep. Lyn Westmoreland (GA) had this to say about Tax Day 2010: Another Tax Day is another reminder for millions of working Americans how much of their hard-earned money flows to Washington each year.  What’s more is the Democrats in charge are only getting started.   In just over one year, President Barack Obama and the Democratic [...]  More

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence delivered the following Tax Day speech on the House floor today. See it here:   More

The GOP Doctors Caucus did a tremendous job during the health care debate. They appeared on television, hosted teletownhalls, provided much needed wisdom and spoke out for the American people against ObamaCare. In many ways, they helped us win the health care argument, even though we ultimately lost the vote. There is a reason the Democrats don't [...]  More

Rep. Mike Pence (IN) wrote an op/ed today for the The Star Press. See an excerpt of "Washington Needs Fiscal Discipline": Today is one of the most dreaded days of the year: Tax Day. As millions of Hoosiers file their income taxes today, it is a painful reminder of how much of their hard-earned money goes to Washington. At a time when unemployment [...]  More

Recently, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman suggested that the IRS would “reduce or confiscate” the tax refunds of those individuals who are uninsured under ObamaCare.    The uninsured penalty starts at $95 and quickly escalates to $2,085. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates taxes will increase more than $400 billion over [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence issued the following statement today calling for President Obama to impose crippling sanctions on Iran in light of their continued progress towards nuclear weapons capability: Iran’s steady progress in its nuclear program represents a severe threat to American national interests and an existential threat to our ch [...]  More

In just over a year, Democrats in Washington have proposed trillions of dollars in new taxes on American Families -- and passed hundreds of billions in new taxes to pay for their government takeover of our health care. These new taxes affect you and your family -- every day:   More

From the House Republican Energy and Commerce Committee: U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made the following statement on the House floor this morning about recent attempts by Democrats to intimidate companies that announced earnings changes because of the health care law, and now, the Ameri [...]  More

From the office of House Leader John Boehner: During the debate over health care, President Obama had a habit of repeating talking points that sounded appealing but did not reflect the reality of Congressional Democrats’ actual legislation.  Judging by his remarks today on Washington Democrats’ financial bailout bill, he’s [...]  More

U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks today on the House floor responding to Democrat claims that they cut taxes: You know, Groucho Marx said years ago, ‘Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?’ I just have to wonder, Mr. Speaker, about the American people l [...]  More

Indiana University Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research: “Fifty-eight percent of Americans (96 percent of Republicans, 10 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of Independents) support repealing the health care reform legislation that was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March, according to a new national survey co [...]  More

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence takes on Democrats' claim to have "lowered taxes":   More

Watch it here:   More

House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence delivered a speech to the New York Hedge Fund Roundtable earlier today. Please see some highlights of that event: But I also believe many of the nation’s current economic problems can be traced to an overly intrusive government’s meddling in the free market.  I always will defend the [...]  More

$15.2 Billion Tax Increase on Out of Pocket Medical Expenses  Beginning January 1, 2013, ObamaCare limits the medical expense deduction, which will raise taxes by $15.2 billion over ten years, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.  Under current law, if out-of-pocket medical expenses, including health insurance premiums and medic [...]  More

Rep. Ed Royce (CA) has been guest blogging for the conservative blog, Red County, for months now. With Red County's recent redesign, Royce was given the opportunity to host his own, permanant guest blog on the site. Last week, "Foreign Intrigue" debuted and can be seen on the front page of this up and coming blog site. Here is an excerpt of the Co [...]  More

House Republicans often ask this question: Where are the jobs? The Wall Street Journal takes a look: The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in March. That sounds impressive until you look more closely. At least a third of them were temporary government hires to take the census—better than no job but hardly worth writing home about. The 112,000 [...]  More

From Roll Call: Republican leaders return to Washington, D.C., this week hoping to capitalize on the negative public attitude toward the newly passed health care law, reprising the themes they used to attack the economic stimulus last year. The strategy is part of a broader GOP economic message to characterize the Democratic agenda as a series of [...]  More

by Rep. Cliff Stearns (FL) *This blog first posted on Red County. Western civilization is deeply indebted to ancient Greece where the city-states contributed so much toward the development of democracy, art, poetry, science, and philosophy. But, modern Greece serves as an example of run-away profligacy with its unsustainable entitlements. Th [...]  More

From the office of House Republican Whip Eric Cantor:   More

An estimated 30 million families use pre-tax dollars in Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) to pay for routine medical care and other vital child care services.   Parents with special needs children use their pre-tax FSA dollars to pay for fees at special needs schools, transportation costs associated with their child's education, Braille books [...]  More

“I can make a firm pledge.  Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase.  Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes,” President Obama, September 12, 2008 Beginning January 1, 2013, ObamaCare imposes a 3.8% Medicare tax on une [...]  More

From the office of House Leader John Boehner: Families and small businesses are struggling in an economy that isn’t producing the jobs President Obama promised.  When the Democrats’ trillion-dollar “stimulus” was signed into law, the Obama Administration promised it would keep unemployment below eight percent and creat [...]  More

by Rep. Phil Roe (TN) Recently, the President announced his new proposal for offshore drilling. Some argue this was a political tactic by the Administration to further their agenda and pass cap and trade legislation. Nonetheless, I hope the President is being sincere about efforts to use our resources here at home because ultimately our nation nee [...]  More

100% Tax Increase on HSA Withdrawals $1.4 Billion Tax Increase to Fund Government Takeover Not only does ObamaCare tax HSA withdrawals for over the counter health care items and first aid treatments, but it also hits families who use their HSAs for nonmedical early withdrawals.  Beginning January 1, 2011, families with HSAs will be subject to [...]  More

Rep. Mike Coffman (CO) recently published a piece on America's Right. Read an excerpt of "Garbage in, Garbage Out: The Real Cost of Health Reform": In the final days leading up to passage of the health care bill, and in the days since, Democrats have touted claims that the legislation will reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion over the next [...]  More

The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates people who use their HSAs, FSAs, or HRAs to pay for over the counter drugs that aren’t prescribed by a doctor will pay an additional $5 billion in taxes. Open your medicine cabinet and your first-aid kit and take a look: - Baby aspirin - Children’s cough syrup - Band-Aids - Cold and chest re [...]  More

Attorneys General from Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington have sued the federal government over ObamaCare. Forcing people to buy health insurance -- a product they may or may not want with benefits they may or may not be able [...]  More

Delivering the weekly Republican address, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) says President Obama is still not listening to the American people and pressing ahead with new job-killing legislation that would guarantee permanent bailouts for Wall Street and make it even harder to save, invest, and hire. He notes that Democrats in Washington forced thro [...]  More

Since our initial ObamaCare Flatlines on Monday, several more U.S. employers have come out against President Obama’s government takeover of health care that will destroy American jobs and stifle our economy.  Our nation's hard-working employers are already experiencing the real-life impact of ObamaCare’s job-killing tax hikes and [...]  More