Committee Statment

May 31, 2012

Washington-- Today, during Ways and Means consideration of Medical Device Tax, Health Care FSAs, and HSAs, Rep. Doggett addressed Republicans' continued attacks on health care reform that would add to the deficit.

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Rep. Doggett's full remarks follow below:

Ithink what Americans need to know about this debate is that our Republicancolleagues are telling us that the only way we can move forward is with moretax breaks for those at the top and the needs of those who are most vulnerablein our society can be better handled by the states and by Main Street. Wehave in this motion to preserve the Social Services Block Grant program, aprogram that has given the states additional resources that was signed into lawby President Reagan and has had bipartisan support up until this month.

Statesare also making cutbacks. If these funds are not available—it is these abusedand neglected children who will pay the price for it. There are some 39states that rely on these funds for child abuse and neglect prevention.

Itis very important to point out on this motion that every dollar for thesesocial services— for Meals on Wheels, for the 39 states that rely on thesefunds to deal with abused and neglected children—every one of these dollars ispaid for in this motion.

Rep. Doggett's full remarks as prepared for delivery follow below:

Mr.Chairman, from you and our Republican colleagues we have heard much alreadytoday about the desirability of leaving more of these decisions to the statesand seeking Main Street solutions rather than Washington solutions. Thismotion deals with an attempt to give the states more responsibility in the areaof social services—an attempt, in fact, that was signed into law by one RonaldReagan.

Like the last motion, this onedeals with the real life struggle of so many American families. It may bea family with a sick or disabled child who suddenly find themselves facingbankruptcy because of their lack of access to our health care system. Itmay be a senior with Parkinson's in a nursing home. Or it may be a youngwoman who needs mammography to avoid a threatening health condition.

Rep. Doggett's full remarks as delivered follow below:

This effort, like so many other aspects on thisreconciliation matter, is really just designed to place the burden on our mostvulnerable neighbors for the effort to try to get our budget in betterorder. In giving the states much broader discretion, the only way we willsave money is if that discretion is exercised in order to deny more health careto more people.

His full remarks as prepared follow below:

"Extending a hand toAmericans who have lost their job through no fault of their own and who are outsearching for new opportunities is the right thing to do for our economy andfor millions of our fellow Americans. Unemployment benefits helped, in asignificant way, to avoid a very bad recession from becoming a catastrophicdepression by helping folks put food on the table, a roof over their families'heads, and provide clothes for their children to go to school.