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Today’s Agenda

Today, Senator Lee is in Utah to meet with constituents.

From the Senator’s Desk

Courtesy of the Republican Policy Committee:

The website Stateline last week published an analysis of the major issues facing states in 2012, and not surprisingly Medicaid was high on that list.  While the recession hit states hard, Obamacare’s onerous new mandates have combined with the continued economic slowdown to inflict a devastating one-two punch on state budgets:

Two years ago, Medicaid eclipsed K-12 education as the most expensive item in state budgets.  Since then, it has only kept growing.  Medicaid now comprises 24 percent of state budgets, when federal funds are counted.  That’s up from 22 percent last year, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers.  The upward spiral seems to be continuing.  Even as states get ready to write their budgets for fiscal year 2013, which starts in July in most states, half of them expect to be wrestling with Medicaid shortfalls in their 2012 budgets, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.  

Making the job for fiscal 2013 even more difficult for states are new federal restrictions and an increasing number of court rulings that limit states’ options for trimming their programs….Other restrictions on states come from [Obamacare], which prevents states from doing anything that would lower enrollment.  In addition, a new federal rule proposed late last year would require states to produce data showing that cuts to hospital and doctor fees won’t make it harder for Medicaid patients to get the care they need….[Under Obamacare,] states are barred from doing anything that would lower Medicaid enrollment below the income levels called for in the national health law’s 2014 Medicaid expansion.  That includes raising premiums and co-pays to levels the federal government considers unaffordable for low-income patients.  That leaves states with relatively few options when it comes to controlling Medicaid costs. They can reduce provider fees and eliminate optional benefits.

As the article demonstrates, Medicaid is a large – and growing – share of state budgets, and has increasingly begun to crowd out other potential priorities like education, corrections, transportation, etc.  Yet Obamacare only makes this budgetary mess worse, imposing new unfunded mandates of at least $118 billion.  Thus, even as the states (slowly) start to recover from the budgetary effects of the recession, the budgetary effects of Obamacare will have consequences for years – even decades – to come.

On Twitter

SenMikeLee

Here are my thoughts on #SOPA #PIPA: ? ?? ? ??? ????: http://ow.ly/8ynx4 Please RT to ??????? ?????? ?????????? ?? ??? internet.

SenLeeComs

"The fight over jobs is a pivotal issue in the Keystone XL war." http://bit.ly/x1cQTb #KXL #4jobs

SenLeePressSec

@SenMikeLee Reaffirms Opposition to PROTECT IP Act: http://on.fb.me/xqI25Z #PIPA #SOPA #utpol

SenLeeResearch

A likely date for Greek default, and how the bailouts made things worse: http://onforb.es/wuhAGc #AmericanFuture? #euro #eu #tcot #tlot #debt

Around the Water Cooler

Lee Reaffirms Opposition to PROTECT IP Act

Today, Senator Mike Lee reaffirmed his opposition to the PROTECT IP Act, flawed legislation that would unduly burdened certain online businesses, threaten Internet security, and stifle innovation. 

Obama: No on oil pipeline, more review needed

President Barack Obama says he's denying an application for a Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline because a GOP-mandated deadline didn't allow time for a full review.

Obama says his decision isn't a judgment on the merits of the proposed $7 billion pipeline. Rather, he's citing the "arbitrary nature" of the Feb. 21 deadline that was set by a GOP-written provision in a recent tax bill that Obama signed.

Remembering 2011 Milestones

November 2^nd: Lee Co-Sponsors Reform to Eliminate Budget Gimmicks

WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Mike Lee will co-sponsor legislation that eliminates the most common budgetary gimmicks used by Congress to hide hundreds of billions of dollars in spending. In the past six years alone, the tricks addressed in the Honest Budget Act (S.1651) have enabled Congress to spend over $350 billion, money that the country simply doesn’t have.

“For too long, Washington has been using budgetary tricks and gimmicks to hide the real cost of government spending,” said Senator Lee. “The federal budget is often nothing more than a shell game: a sleight-of-hand hoax that leaves Americans wondering where the real numbers are hidden. This is not how a transparent, responsible government functions. The people deserve better.”

The Honest Budget Act will put an end to disingenuous practices such as phony rescissions, abuse of the “emergency spending” designation, and certain types of automatic pay increases, as well as require a supermajority vote to proceed to a spending bill without a budget in place. 

In total, the HBA will eliminate nine different gimmicks that have been abused as part of ‘business as usual’ in Washington.

“This legislation is a significant step forward toward reforming how Washington works and putting the country on a fiscally sustainable path.”

For more information, please visit:

http://budget.senate.gov/republican/public/index.cfm/honest-budget-act

On Twitter

SenMikeLee

Pres. Obama, your Dept. of Interior is making it difficult to #insource energy production. There are workers ready to work, Right now.

SenLeeComs

LEE: The OLC "conclusion violates the basic separation of government powers enshrined in our Constitution" http://bit.ly/AsySD8 #Recessgate

SenLeePressSec

RELEASE: Senators and Congressmen Denounce Obama Administration's decision to Ban Uranium Mining in Northern Arizona http://bit.ly/zUVl8B

SenLeeResearch

Greek 1-year bonds broke 400% today. They were under 1% less than 26 months ago. #MathAlwaysWins #debt #deficit #tcot #tlot #teaparty

Around the Water Cooler

Lee Blasts Justification for Recess Appointments

Today, Senator Mike Lee voiced concerns over the legal advice provided to the President by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) regarding presidential recess appointment authority.
 
"In the memorandum released today, OLC effectively asserts that the President may unilaterally determine if and when the Senate is in recess for purposes of exercising his recess appointment power.  This remarkable and novel assertion breaks with 90 years of historical precedent. Even more disturbing, this conclusion violates the basic separation of government powers enshrined in our Constitution," said Senator Lee, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Fannie Mae CEO to resign

The executive who was appointed to lead mortgage giant Fannie Mae in 2009 after the federal government seized the company plans to step down as its CEO.

Michael J. Williams announced Tuesday he will continue as CEO and as a director until a successor is found.

"I decided the time is right to turn over the reins to a new leader," he said in a statement. Williams, 53, has been a Fannie employee since 1991.

Remembering 2011 Milestones

October 19^th: Lee Announces Mobile Office Hours

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Lee announced the launch of his Mobile Office Hours.  The project is an effort to reach constituents across Utah who might not otherwise be able to meet with casework officers at Senator Lee’s offices in Salt Lake City and St. George.  The Mobile Office will hold events in multiple locations throughout all 29 counties within the State.  The full schedule will appear on Senator Lee’s website and be updated periodically.
 
“I want my office to be open and available to all Utahns,” said Senator Lee.  “The best way to achieve that is by going directly to them.  Utahns deal with a range of issues – from Social Security to veterans benefits to navigating the bureaucracy of the federal government – and I want to be there to help them get answers.”

On Twitter

SenMikeLee

@ryanolsonx I can't support PIPA in its current form: ow.ly/8pzLJ

SenLeeComs

LAFFER: Warren Buffett's "true effective tax rate was only 6/100ths of 1%" http://on.wsj.com/yNAI7b

SenLeePressSec

Thoughts and prayers are with fallen police officer Jared Francom's family and the Ogden PD today.

SenLeeResearch

Around the Water Cooler

Thousands mourn slain Ogden police officer

Slain Ogden police Officer Jared Francom was described at his funeral Wednesday as an affectionate joker who was also a dedicated officer who took his law enforcement job seriously.

Ogden police Sgt. Troy Burnett, who was Francom’s supervisor when he started with the department seven years ago, recalled that Francom got into a fender-bender with his car, but still managed to arrive at the scene of a domestic dispute, to help Burnett.

Burnett said that when he asked Francom why he didn’t simply report that he was unable to make it, Francom responded: "Sarge, when I heard you arrive on scene, I just couldn’t stand the thought of you waiting on me."

Added Burnett, "That’s the kind of officer Jared was, he wouldn’t let a fellow officer down."

Class Warfare and the Buffett Rule

The political season has barely begun, and yet we already know that class warfare will be President Obama's key issue in the 2012 general election. It's even reared its ugly head in the Republican primaries, with the candidates trying to paint front-runner Mitt Romney as a cold-hearted capitalist and Rick Santorum proposing targeted tax breaks for the "working class" manufacturing sector.

But none in the GOP can compare with the progressive intelligentsia's obsession with tax increases on the rich to raise revenues and achieve social justice.