GOP Features Freshman Rep Who Asked Not to be Attacked for Her Medicare Vote to Defend Ryan Budget in Their Weekly Address
Click here to view this media As progressive blogger mooncat at Left in Alabama points out, freshman GOP Rep. Martha Roby was recently asking for a truce from the Obama administration and Democrats, pleading with them not to run any attack ads holding her to account for her vote in favor of Paul Ryan’s budget and its accompanying plan to turn Medicare into a voucher system. Amazingly, even after that, they decide to trot her out to give the Republican Weekly Address defending Ryan’s budget. That said, worrying about blatant hypocrisy and whether anyone in the media might bother to point it out has never been one of the GOP’s big concerns. Here’s more from Left in Alabama : Will Roby again beg President Obama for mercy for her vote to ” essentially end Medicare ?” She probably should, but the text of her pre-recorded message is already available and Roby confines herself to holding the debt limit hostage and a reiteration of the GOP platitude that “everything should be on the table — everything, that is, except tax increases. We cannot tax the same people we expect to create jobs.” Seriously. That’s a verbatim quote from Martha Roby. Wake up and smell the coffee, folks. Tax cuts don’t create jobs, they create deficits . If tax cuts were going to create jobs, the Bush tax cuts would have created jobs. Instead, as the Wall Street Journal remarked, George W. Bush had the worst record on job creation since they started keeping records! She was also touting more “drill baby drill” energy policies, as though we’ve got enough oil available here in the United States to make any difference compared to what we consume, and that that oil doesn’t end up being sold by a cartel where we’ve got no control over the price, and pretending the solution for our country is not figuring out how to get off of oil dependence all together. And of course, she said nothing about whether oil speculators are running those costs up as well. She also pulled out the Republicans’ favorite boogeyman — tax hikes — as being harmful to the economy when we all know full well that they don’t care how badly taxes are raised on the poor and the middle class or small businesses as long as their wealthy campaign contributors don’t see their taxes go up. If they actually cared about protecting small businesses and taxing those who are hoarding all of the wealth in the United States, the Republicans would have voted to let the Bush tax cuts expire for anyone making less than $250,000. Instead they decided to hold the unemployed hostage to get those tax cuts back for the upper earners. And when any of our politicians in this country start talking about outsourcing and a race to the bottom on wages, I’ll believe they’re serious about whether our economy actually improves or not. Naturally any discussion on those topics rarely makes the national discourse by our corporate media. Transcript via the LA Times below the fold: Weekly remarks by Rep. Martha Roby, as provided by Republican Party leadership Hello, I’m Representative Martha Roby. It is a great honor to speak to you today about the challenges our country faces. I do so, not only as the representative of Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, but also as a mother concerned about the future for my kids, and yours. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve gone to the grocery store and found myself in a conversation about the price of gas, the cost of going to the doctor, or about how hard it is to get a business going and keep jobs in our area. The sad conclusion of these conversations is that Washington is a part of the problem. It is failing to promote policies that will put our economy on a path to prosperity. The price of gas is a good example, and a timely one too. Year after year, politicians in Washington talk about steps to ease the pain at the pump, but they never act. It hit home this spring when the president promoted Brazilian-made energy in Brazil while his administration keeps our resources here at home under lock and key. I am pleased to report the House has passed several measures designed to expand domestic energy production to help address the soaring gas prices. This is also important because when we’re talking about energy, we’re talking about jobs. The cost of energy is directly related to the cost of hiring workers and running a business. The cost of government is also hurting our economy. Washington’s failure to enact policies that promote long-term economic growth and balance the budget is creating uncertainty for employers and consumers alike. For years now, Washington has kicked the can down the road without facing up to its spending addiction. Not anymore. The big spenders have been put on notice and are on retreat. The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit. The House is listening. Republicans have made clear that there will be no increase in the national debt limit, unless it is accompanied by significant spending reforms that truly change the culture of spending in Washington. To get there, everything should be on the table –- everything, that is, except tax increases. We cannot tax the same people we expect to create jobs. That is a recipe for keeping people out of work. The threat of tax hikes — along with the torrent of rules and regulations coming out of Washington – has employers sitting on their hands at the worst possible time. The Republican budget put forward by Chairman Paul Ryan ends the threat of job-crushing tax hikes. It also preserves critical programs like Medicare. Because, again, the greatest threat is doing nothing. If we do nothing, Medicare will simply run out of money. Without action, seniors’ benefits will be cut. Under Chairman Ryan’s plan, seniors 55 and older would not be affected in any way. That is an important point. For those of us under 55, we must take steps to ensure Medicare will still be around when we retire. It is time for Washington to get serious about the challenges that face our country. This includes putting our fiscal house in order and addressing the soaring gas prices. The greatest threat to our economy, job creation, and the future of our children is to do nothing. We have to act. It is what we were sent to Washington to do. Finally, I would like to take a moment to thank all Americans for the overwhelming support and especially the prayers you have sent to the people of Alabama in the wake of last month’s devastating tornadoes. We have needed them. As have the people of Tennessee and all those along the Mississippi dealing with terrible flooding. It is heartbreaking to see our friends and neighbors go through tough times. But, as always, the people of our state are coming together to lend a helping hand to do what needs to be done. I am proud to represent people who care so deeply about their communities. Their perseverance and strength only motivates me more as their representative in Congress. I owe it to them not to let this critical moment pass without acting to ensure the American Dream is alive and well for our children and grandchildren. If everyone in Washington felt the same way, we could accomplish a great deal more. Thank you for listening.
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on May 17, 2011. Filed under