Just four days after the U.S. Department of Labor announced that the national unemployment rate climbed to 8.2 percent in April and on the same day the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that “the long-term outlook for the national debt [is] increasingly,” Senator Bob Menendez cast his lot with America’s trial lawyers today ahead of his state’s small business owners.

Menendez joined with his liberal Democrat party leaders today in support of the so-called “Paycheck Fairness Act,” a bill that is opposed by virtually every major small business organization in the country – see below – and even the liberal Washington Post editorial board warned that it represents “a flawed approach to job bias…[and] could make employers vulnerable to attack for responding to market forces.”

And as the Wall Street Journal opined today, “The bill ought to be called the ‘Trial Lawyer Paycheck Act,’ since it is a recipe for a class-action boom….It’s a walking advertisement for gridlock, a partisan stunt that would hurt the economy for no other reason than to pay off the Democratic donors in the tort bar.”

“It speaks volumes about Bob Menendez’s misplaced, liberal priorities that while unemployment rises and our federal debt climbs, he’s more concerned with scoring political points and helping his trial lawyer friends,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox said today.  “New Jersey’s small business owners and families deserve a Senator who will put their values first, and someone who is more focused on growing jobs, rather than just saving his own.” 

BACKGROUND….

Also note what the Wall Street Journal wrote this morning:

• “The U.S. already has two broad federal laws—the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1963 Equal Pay Act—that prohibit gender-based pay discrimination. In case that wasn’t enough, Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act in 2009 that as recently as March Mr. Obama said ‘ensures equal pay for equal work.’ What changed in the last three months?”

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND….

Jobs Groups, Top Newspaper Editorial Boards Have All Blasted The Democrats’ Bill, Warning It ‘Would Spawn Frivolous Lawsuits’

JOBS GROUPS LETTER: “The provisions of the Paycheck Fairness Act would harm employers of all sizes, as the bill would apply to employers with as few as two employees. The threat the bill poses to small business is particularly troubling given the draconian penalties found in this legislation, which include unlimited damages regardless of whether a pay discrepancy was unintentional.” (Letter To Sens. Reid And McConnell, 22 Jobs Groups, 5/24/12)

• “This flawed legislation could outlaw many legitimate practices that employers currently use to set employee pay rates, even where there is no evidence of intentional discrimination. Common practices that a court could find unlawful under S. 3220 include providing premium pay for professional experience, education, shift differentials or hazardous work, as well as pay differentials based on local labor market rates or an organization’s profitability.” (Letter To Sens. Reid And McConnell, 22 Jobs Groups, 5/24/12)

• “A number of federal laws already specifically protect employees from pay discrimination, including the Equal Pay Act, the Civil Rights Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.” (Letter To Sens. Reid And McConnell, 22 Jobs Groups, 5/24/12) 

• Letter Signed By: U.S. Chamber of Commerce; American Bakers Association; American Bankers Association; American Hotel & Lodging Association; Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc.; College and University Professional Association for Human Resources; Food Marketing Institute; HR Policy Association; International Public Management Association for Human Resources; National Association of Manufacturers; National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors; National Council of Chain Restaurants; National Council of Textile Organizations; National Federation of Independent Business; National Public Employer Labor Relations Association; National Restaurant Association; National Retail Federation; National Roofing Contractors Association; Printing Industries of America; Retail Industry Leaders Association; Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council; Society for Human Resource Management

U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:  “Unlawful pay discrimination is abhorrent, but this bill is not a responsible way to address it.” (“Mikulski Plan For Women’s Pay Gets New Push,” The Baltimore Sun, 5/23/12) 

• “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is opposing the legislation and will send a letter later this week urging senators to defeat it, arguing it would spawn frivolous lawsuits.” (“Equal Pay Bill Puts Romney On The Line On Women,” The Washington Times, 5/29/12) 

• “…As a practical matter it is just one more thing that creates a disincentive to do business here in the United States. If you are looking at where to open a new business, it is going to be a factor…” (“Business Community Opposes Paycheck Fairness Act,” The Daily Caller, 11/13/10) 

SOCIETY FOR HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:  “…SHRM opposes Federal government efforts to second-guess employers in making pay decisions…” (“HR Alert! Oppose The Paycheck Fairness Act,” SHRM Statement, 5/30/12) 

• SHRM: “The bill would also have a negative impact on employee privacy by encouraging employees to publicize their colleagues’ wages.” (“HR Alert! Oppose The Paycheck Fairness Act,” SHRM Statement, 5/30/12) 

EDITORIALS: ‘A Flawed Approach,’ ‘Grossly Intrusive’

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: “…grossly intrusive on decision-making by private businesses. At least one group would get a fatter paycheck from the Paycheck Fairness Act: trial lawyers.” (Editorial, “Paycheck Fairness?,” The Chicago Tribune, 11/12/10) 

WASHINGTON POST: “Paycheck Fairness Act: A flawed approach to job bias… could make employers vulnerable to attack for responding to market forces… not the right fix.” (Editorial, “Paycheck Fairness Act: A Flawed Approach To Job Bias,” The Washington Post, 9/28/10)

• “…risks tilting the scales too far against employers and would remove, rather than restore, a sense of balance.” (Editorial, “Two Sides Of Fair Pay In Bills Before The Senate,” The Washington Post, 1/15/09) 

BOSTON GLOBE: “…the measure as a whole is too broad a solution to a complex, nuanced problem… The bill would create too strong a presumption in favor of discrimination over other, equally plausible explanations…” (Editorial, “Bill Takes On Disturbing Pay Gap — But Offers Flawed Remedies,” The Boston Globe, 11/17/10) 

• “… the controversial meat of the bill is the changes it would make to the legal process… companies are right to be concerned that this bill, as written, is too deep an intrusion.” (Editorial, “Bill Takes On Disturbing Pay Gap — But Offers Flawed Remedies,” The Boston Globe, 11/17/10)

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In response to this evening’s announcement by the deficit reduction Super Committee that they were unable to reach any bipartisan agreement , the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said the failure of leadership by Senate Democrats, and their addiction to higher taxes and more wasteful Washington spending, will be a defining issue in next year’s U.S. Senate campaign in New Jersey.

“After years of reckless government spending, unemployment mired at 9 percent and a $15 trillion debt that grows daily, the negotiations of the last few weeks have been a remarkable commentary on the misplaced priorities of Bob Menendez and his fellow liberal Democrats.

“Voters should rightfully wonder why Senator Menendez and his fellow Democrats didn’t show the same zeal for actually solving our nation’s problems as they did for ramming ObamaCare and their $825 billion stimulus boondoggle into law.

“Instead, we’ve watched as Senate Democrats insisted on a trillion-dollar tax hike on job creators and hundreds of billions of dollars in new government stimulus spending, while doing nothing to prevent Social Security and Medicare from going bankrupt.  In contrast, Republicans focused on common-sense tax reform, protecting entitlement programs and trimming the fat from the federal government’s budget.

“It’s clear Senator Menendez and his Senate Democrat colleagues have an addiction to higher taxes, bigger government and more spending, but voters in New Jersey will have an opportunity to cure him of that addiction when they go to the polls next November.”

-          Chris Bond, NRSC Press Secretary

BACKGROUND ON SENATE DEMOCRATS “DEFICIT REDUCTION” IDEAS…..

• Democrats suggested Wednesday that too much has already been cut from non-defense spending to come up with $1.2 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years, as sources offered a few details about a Democratic proposal to collect $1.3 trillion via tax hikes, stimulus spending and benefits cuts. (Fox News, “Democrats Balk at Non-Defense Spending Cuts, Float Alternative Proposal to Super Committee,” 10/26/2011)

• In a private meeting of the deficit panel Tuesday, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, presented a proposal backed by a majority of Democrats on the panel that includes more than a trillion dollars in tax increases. The revenue would partially cover stimulus spending for the economy, aides said.  More than 50 percent of the deficit reduction in the plan would come from tax increases, one source said. (The Hill, “Supercommittee Dems push for stimulus to be part of deficit deal,” 10/26/2011)

• According to congressional sources, the plan includes a roughly equal mix of spending cuts and revenue increases; between $200 billion and $300 billion in new economic stimulus spending that would be paid for with lower interest payments from reducing deficits. (Reuters, “US Democrats seek up to $3 trln in budget savings,” 10/26/2011)

• Congressional Democrats are urging the debt-reduction supercommittee to pursue a far-reaching agreement to slice $3 trillion from the federal budget over the next decade through significant cuts to federal health programs, including Medicare, and as much as $1.3 trillion in new taxes. (Washington Post, “Congressional Democrats offer $3 trillion debt deal,” 10/26/2011)

• Aides said Democrats also had included new spending measures aimed at boosting job-creation in their plan, and proposed using some of the savings they had identified to offset the budgetary cost of these measures. (Wall Street Journal, “Democrats’ Deficit Plan Rejected by GOP,” 10/26/2011)

• Aides confirmed reports that Baucus also pressed members of the super committee to approve the president’s request for as much as $300 billion in new stimulus, another idea GOP members of the exclusive panel have strongly resisted. (ABC News, “Details of Dem Proposal Leak Out of Super Committee,” GOP Silent on Next Move, 10/26/2011)

• What Democrats are doing is playing the exact same game as President Obama played with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, during the debt limit talks, when he made an offer Boehner couldn’t accept, and then leaked it to the press. In both cases, the point is to feign a willingness to offer cuts to entitlements, and then impose unacceptable conditions on Republicans in attempt to paint them as being intransigent. (Washington Examiner, “Super cmte” Dems propose tax hikes, more stimulus, 10/26/2011)

• Of course, what else would you expect from a group of lawmakers that hasn’t passed an actual budget in nearly three years? (National Review Online, “Senate Dems Propose Massive Tax Hike, More Stimulus ,” 10/26/2011)

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When Bob Menendez first came to Washington in January 1993, the federal debt stood at $4.1 trillion – a figure which took over 200 years for our country to reach.  Yet, today, and particularly over the last three years as Menendez has rubber-stamped every major spending initiative proposed by President Obama, the federal debt has now grown to the once-unfathomable mark of $15 trillion – a 265 percent increase and more than $48,000 for every American man, woman and child.  As CBS reports, this is “the most rapid increase in the debt under any U.S. president.”

To mark the United States Treasury reaching the $15 trillion debt mark yesterday, and to highlight the massive spending by Senator Menendez and President Obama that has led to this point, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released a new web video – “$15,000,000,000,000…Siriously”

“Each and every New Jersey family and business has to make tough choices and live within their means, yet since coming to Washington, Bob Menendez and his fellow Democrats have pursued a reckless tax-and-spend agenda, treating the federal treasury like their own personal credit card,” NRSC spokesman Chris Bond said today.  “As he prepares to face New Jersey voters next year, Menendez will have to explain why he’s rubberstamped his party’s reckless spending agenda, including his failed stimulus and government health care bill, instead of focusing on creating jobs and growing our economy.”

Click Here To Watch The NRSC’s New Video

$15,000,000,000,000… Siriously

BACKGROUND…. 

THE NATIONAL DEBT HAS HIT THE $15 TRILLION MARK 

The National Debt Is Now $15.0 Trillion Dollars. (US Department Of The Treasury, TreasuryDirect.gov, Accessed 11/16/11)

Since President Obama Took Office And Senate Democrats Rubberstamped His Spending Agenda, The National Debt Has Risen $4.4 Trillion, An Increase Of Over 41 Percent. (US Department Of The Treasury, TreasuryDirect.gov, Accessed 11/16/11)·

HOW MUCH IS $15 TRILLION?

$15 Trillion Is More Than The Value Of All The Goods And Services Produced In The United States Last Year. (“Gross Domestic Product,” Bureau Of Economic Analysis, BEA.gov, Accessed 11/3/11)

In FY2010, The Bureau Of Engraving And Printing Produced $974 Million Worth Of Currency. At That Rate, It Would Take 15,400 Years To Print $15 Trillion. (“Annual Production Figures,” Bureau Of Engraving And Printing, Accessed 11/3/11)

·         It Would Take The Average Household Over 300 Million Years To Pay Off The National Debt On Their Own.(Press Release, “Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010,” US Census Bureau, 9/13/11)

To Pay Off $15 Trillion In Debt, The Federal Government Would Have To Devote Every Dollar Of Revenue To Paying Off The Debt For 6.5 Years. (“Monthly Budget Review,” Congressional Budget Office, 10/7/11)

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In August, Congress created the bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, otherwise known as the “Supercommittee,” with a mandate of trimming government borrowing by at least $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years.

At the time, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) said the committee should “put jobs first,” and “make employment the top priority of our government.”  But over the last 24 hours, voters in New Jersey have started to get a better idea of what, exactly, Senator Menendez and his fellow Democrats in Congress meant by that…

Late yesterday, Senate Democrats leaked their current proposal to numerous media outlets, and its highlights include $1.3 trillion in new tax hikes, as well as upwards of $300 billion in new “stimulus” spending sought by President Obama.

“It’s a remarkable commentary on the misplaced priorities and addiction to spending by Democrats in Washington that they would propose massive tax hikes and even more government spending, instead of making a serious effort to pay down our almost $15 trillion debt.  We look forward to hearing from Senator Menendez himself on his party’s proposal,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond.

BACKGROUND ON SENATE DEMOCRATS’ “DEFICIT REDUCTION” PROPOSAL…

• Democrats suggested Wednesday that too much has already been cut from non-defense spending to come up with $1.2 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years, as sources offered a few details about a Democratic proposal to collect $1.3 trillion via tax hikes, stimulus spending and benefits cuts. (Fox News, “Democrats Balk at Non-Defense Spending Cuts, Float Alternative Proposal to Super Committee,” 10/26/2011)

• In a private meeting of the deficit panel Tuesday, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, presented a proposal backed by a majority of Democrats on the panel that includes more than a trillion dollars in tax increases. The revenue would partially cover stimulus spending for the economy, aides said.  More than 50 percent of the deficit reduction in the plan would come from tax increases, one source said. (The Hill, “Supercommittee Dems push for stimulus to be part of deficit deal,” 10/26/2011)

• According to congressional sources, the plan includes a roughly equal mix of spending cuts and revenue increases; between $200 billion and $300 billion in new economic stimulus spending that would be paid for with lower interest payments from reducing deficits. (Reuters, “US Democrats seek up to $3 trln in budget savings,” 10/26/2011)

• Congressional Democrats are urging the debt-reduction supercommittee to pursue a far-reaching agreement to slice $3 trillion from the federal budget over the next decade through significant cuts to federal health programs, including Medicare, and as much as $1.3 trillion in new taxes. (Washington Post, “Congressional Democrats offer $3 trillion debt deal,” 10/26/2011)

• Aides said Democrats also had included new spending measures aimed at boosting job-creation in their plan, and proposed using some of the savings they had identified to offset the budgetary cost of these measures. (Wall Street Journal, “Democrats’ Deficit Plan Rejected by GOP,” 10/26/2011)

Aides confirmed reports that Baucus also pressed members of the super committee to approve the president’s request for as much as $300 billion in new stimulus, another idea GOP members of the exclusive panel have strongly resisted. (ABC News, “Details of Dem Proposal Leak Out of Super Committee,” GOP Silent on Next Move, 10/26/2011)

• What Democrats are doing is playing the exact same game as President Obama played with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, during the debt limit talks, when he made an offer Boehner couldn’t accept, and then leaked it to the press. In both cases, the point is to feign a willingness to offer cuts to entitlements, and then impose unacceptable conditions on Republicans in attempt to paint them as being intransigent. (Washington Examiner, “Super cmte” Dems propose tax hikes, more stimulus, 10/26/2011)

• Of course, what else would you expect from a group of lawmakers that hasn’t passed an actual budget in nearly three years? (National Review Online, “Senate Dems Propose Massive Tax Hike, More Stimulus ,” 10/26/2011)

The post Is $1.3 Trillion In Job-Killing Tax Hikes What Menendez Meant By “Put[ting] Jobs First”? appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

In a speech on the Senate floor this morning – which would appear to exemplify the disconnect between some in Washington versus small businesses in the real world – Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid explained why Senate Democrats are seeking to pass yet another $425 billion stimulus.   According to Reid, “It’s very clear that private sector jobs have been doing just fine” and that’s why Democrats are focusing on growing more government jobs with this legislation.

Remarkably, Reid’s out-of-touch statement comes on the same day a new Labor Department report was released showing that for the first time, Washington D.C. – with its plethora of government jobs – has surpassed Silicon Valley as the wealthiest metropolitan area in the entire country.

Given that Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has come out in support of the Democrats’ new stimulus bill, and is a long-time supporter of Reid in the Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) called on Menendez today to tell New Jersey voters whether or not he agrees with Senator Reid’s statement.

“As someone who has helped install Harry Reid in this position of power, Senator Menendez ought to step forward and say whether or not he shares Reid’s view that ‘private sector jobs have been doing just fine’ in the Obama economy,” NRSC spokesman Chris Bond said today.  “We believe the voters of New Jersey deserve to know why Menendez is backing yet another massive stimulus bill that focuses on growing government, instead of helping the private sector grow jobs.”

REID RHETORIC: ‘Very Clear That Private Sector Jobs Have Been Doing Just Fine’ 

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “It’s very clear that private sector jobs have been doing just fine, it’s the public sector jobs where we’ve lost huge numbers, and that’s what this legislation is all about.” (“Reid Says Government Jobs Must Take Priority Over Private Sector Jobs,” The Hill, 10/19/11)

REALITY

911,000 Private Sector Jobs Lost February, 2009 – September, 2011 (U.S. Dept. Of Labor, “Employment, Hours, And Earnings,” Accessed 10/19/11)

Unemployment Rate: 9.1%. (“The Unemployment Situation – September 2011,” Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 10/7/11)

• Government Workers Unemployment Rate: 4.7%. (“The Unemployment Situation – September 2011,” Table A-14, Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 10/7/11)

‘TOP INCOME IN U.S. IS… WASH. D.C. AREA’

“The U.S. capital has swapped top spots with Silicon Valley, according to recent Census Bureau figures, with the typical household in the Washington metro area earning $84,523 last year. The national median income for 2010 was $50,046. … . The unemployment rate in the Washington metro area in August was 6.1 percent, compared with 10 percent in San Jose, according to Labor Department figures.” (“Top Income In U.S. Is…Gasp!…Wash. D.C. Area,” Bloomberg, 10/19/11)

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Politico reports that the power grab “threatens to further inflame partisan tensions and stymie legislative action,” while the Atlantic notes that it “may fundamentally diminish the powers of the minority party in the Senate,” and that “both liberals and conservatives are troubled by what may come of it.”

“Last night’s vote is further proof that Bob Menendez is willing to recklessly put his narrow partisan agenda in Washington ahead of the best interests of New Jersey and the nation,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond.  “It’s bad enough that Menendez has a record of supporting job-killing tax hikes on New Jersey families and small businesses, but his rash move to permanently strip the minority party of fundamental rights is simply outrageous and goes against the interests of our democracy.”

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: 

“Shocking” Power-Grab By Senate Dems “Threatens To Further Inflame Partisan Tensions… Stymie Legislative Action,” “Could Be Replicated In The Future To Overhaul Bedrock Rules.”

“It’s known as the “nuclear option,” but just as with real nukes, the bomb is rarely dropped in battle. Reid did tonight.” (Karoun Demirjian, “Harry Reid changes arcane U.S. Senate rules to make a point,” The Las Vegas Sun, 10/6/11)

“In a shocking development Thursday evening, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) triggered a rarely used procedural option informally called the ‘nuclear option’ to change the Senate rules.” (Alexander Bolton, “Reid’s ‘Nuclear Option’ Changes Rules, Ends Repeat Filibusters,” The Hill, 10/6/11)

“…[T]he process employed by Democrats could be replicated in the future to overhaul bedrock rules like the filibuster. For that reason, both parties have tried to avoid employing such tactics to change the rules over the last several congressional sessions, including in a fierce 2005 battle that nearly limited the use of the filibuster.” (Manu Raju & Scott Wong, “Dems Change Rules; Senate In Chaos, Politico, 10/6/11)

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s move to suddenly overhaul a key Senate rule without warning infuriated Republicans and put an already bitterly divided chamber on edge as senators from both sides of the aisle traded angry accusations over whether the fight would fundamentally limit the rights of the minority party”. (Manu Raju & Scott Wong, “Dems Change Rules; Senate In Chaos, Politico, 10/6/11)

“… [U]nder the new procedure, senators can no longer move to waive the rules once a filibuster is defeated — a battle that threatens to further inflame partisan tensions and stymie legislative action at a time when frustration with Congress is at an all-time high.” (Manu Raju & Scott Wong, “Dems Change Rules; Senate In Chaos, Politico, 10/6/11)

“It was a precedent-setting night in the Senate Thursday evening and both liberals and conservatives are troubled by what may come of it.” (John Hudson, “A Night of Chaos in the Senate Worries Both Left and Right,” The Atlantic, 10/7/11)

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid overhauled a key Senate rule that may fundamentally diminish the powers of the minority party in the Senate.” (John Hudson, “A Night of Chaos in the Senate Worries Both Left and Right,” The Atlantic, 10/7/11)

And on MSNBC’s Daily Rundown this morning…

KELLY O’DONNELL: …And it really is important, because both sides say they revere the rules of the senate. Why is that so important? Because everybody likes to have a predictable set of rules to fight out these political battles. And what happened is, Harry Reid, Democrat in charge of the Senate, pulled a surprise move, got other Democrats to vote against the call of the referee, if you will, known as the Parliamentarian, to shut down Republicans, who did want to take a political vote, wanted to force the Senate to do what the President has asked, vote on his jobs bill. That’s not popular with Democrats. They’re already retooling it, putting in some different ways to pay for it, so they didn’t want to take that vote. That’s the backdrop of this. But the bigger issue going forward is, you just don’t see the Senate up and change its own rules. That’s really rankled people. And so, there were heated moments, in terms of the way the Senate behaves, when they get their kind of fuming moments, pacing on the floor, that really stands out, that’s unusual. So, if you think about this as – you know, you love sports analogies – so you know, you’re allowed to kind of run down the clock if you’re the minority party. You’re allowed to slow things down. People don’t like it, necessarily, but you’re allowed. Harry Reid decided to change those rules and there will be fallout for a lot of time to come.

CHUCK TODD: I was just going to say, the unintended consequence of this action, long term hit on the Senate.

KELLY O’DONNELL: Yes.

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With thousands of Americans across the country desperately needing disaster relief funds in the wake of devastating hurricanes, tornados, floods, wildfires and earthquakes, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) stood behind his liberal party leadership in Washington today and blocked a bill that includes $3.7 billion in immediate disaster relief assistance, while averting a government shutdown next week.

The bill was blocked despite acknowledgments from these very same Democrat leaders that FEMA “could run out of money as soon as Monday.”  Yet, what’s more, instead of staying in Washington and working through the weekend to address this very serious problem, Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid announced there will be no more votes in the Senate until Monday.

“Once again, Bob Menendez had a choice to make today – to stand behind Harry Reid and her fellow liberals in Washington, or to stand-up for the thousands of families suffering from natural disasters – and just as with the stimulus and ObamaCare, he stood behind Harry Reid.  It’s become a familiar and disturbing pattern for Senator Menendez, but one that we fully expect Garden State voters to hold him accountable for next year,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Chris Bond said today.

The House-passed bill would have provided an immediate infusion of $774 million in disaster relief funding, $226 million in flood control funding, and another $2.65 billion for disaster aid efforts available immediately on October 1 – more than enough until November 18 (the length of the House-passed CR). As the Associated Press reported, “the House GOP plan won bipartisan support in June when it passed as part of a broader homeland security spending bill. And the $3.7 billion in House aid would provide sufficient help while lawmakers work out a broader spending bill for the 2012 budget year beginning Oct. 1.”

However, Senate Democrats killed the bill because it was paid for in part by offsetting cuts to “clean energy” programs, championed by the Obama Administration, such as the controversial loan guarantee to Solyndra; a company that is currently under investigation by the FBI and Congressional ethics board for potential criminal and ethics charges.

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A major provision of the healthcare reform law designed to prevent businesses from dropping coverage for their workers could inadvertently leave families without access to subsidized health insurance. The problem is a huge headache for the Obama administration and Democrats, because it could leave families unable to buy affordable health insurance when the healthcare law requires that everyone be insured starting in 2014. Some of the administration’s closest allies on healthcare reform warn this could dramatically undercut support for the law, which is already unpopular with many voters and contributed to Democrats losing the House in the 2010 midterm elections.

“Bob Menendez ignored the best interests of New Jersey when he voted to ram this costly overhaul into law, and now middle-class families are being forced to pay for his irresponsible agenda,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond.  “New Jersey families know that they have Menendez to blame for this massive health care law that raises their costs, hikes their taxes, cuts their Medicare, saddles them with mandates from Washington, and puts America even deeper in debt.”

Menendez’s fellow Washington liberal Nancy Pelosi famously declared that we had to pass the Democrats’ health care bill to find out what’s in it.  Today, thanks to Menendez, we find that New Jersey families will be forced – under pain of financial penalties – to buy coverage they cannot afford.

Notably, Menendez’s health care overhaul also raises taxes by $570 billion, cuts Medicare by $500 billion in order to fund the federal government’s expansion into other areas of the health care market, imposes an onerous “individual mandate” on every American, and slams state governments like New Jersey’s with at least $118 billion in unfunded Medicaid liabilities through the first decade of full implementation (through 2023).  The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that the law will increase federal deficits by $260 billion through 2019.

Also notably, Menendez is the only sitting U.S. Senator currently under federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The post Report: Menendez’s Health Care Law “May Leave Families with High Insurance Costs” appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

As a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006, Democrat Bob Menendez presented himself to New Jersey voters as a fiscal hawk, calling Washington’s deficit spending “immoral.”  But now it’s been 806 days since Menendez and his fellow Senate Democrats have so much as passed a federal budget – during which time our national debt has ballooned to a record-high $14.3 trillion.  Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury now reports that our federal government’s deficit is on track to top $1 trillion this fiscal year.

But rather than take responsibility for his broken promises and failure to perform this basic job function, Menendez and his Washington party bosses are now threatening to withhold payments from Social Security recipients and members of our armed forces, unless Republicans agree to their demands for job-killing tax hikes.

As the Associated Press reports:

Echoing President Barack Obama’s warning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says Social Security payments would stop if there is no deal to raise the government’s borrowing limit by Aug. 2.  Speaking on the Senate floor, the Nevada Democrat said flatly that payments for veterans benefits and the military, as well as Social Security, would cease if the government defaults on its obligations. His statement goes beyond Obama, who said earlier this week that he could not guarantee Social Security checks will be issued on Aug. 3. 

As National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) noted yesterday, “the decision to stop sending Social Security checks, or other benefits lies solely with the Obama Administration” because billions of dollars will continue to flow into the government’s coffers every day, a fact acknowledged by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. 

“Bob Menendez is the one who rubberstamped his party’s failed stimulus debacle and $2 trillion health care overhaul, driving our national debt past its $14.3 trillion limit, so it’s outrageous that he and his friends in Washington would threaten to stop payments to New Jersey seniors and members of our armed forces unless Republicans agree to their job-killing tax hikes,” said NRSC spokesman Chris Bond today.  “Once again, Menendez is playing politics in Washington at the expense of New Jersey families.”

Notably, Menendez is the only sitting U.S. Senator currently under federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The post Menendez & Dems Threaten To Stiff Seniors & Military Unless They Get Their Job-Killing Tax Hikes appeared first on NRSC - National Republican Senatorial Committee.

For those who have been following the ongoing debt ceiling negotiations and questioned the difficulty of both parties reaching a bipartisan agreement, a new report by a left-leaning blogger for the Washington Post is instructive.

The Post’s Greg Sargent reports that Senate Democrat campaign strategists who are overseeing U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez’s (D-NJ) re-election bid have concluded that passing much-needed Medicare reforms will squander their efforts to score political points by scaring New Jersey seniors. This comes despite even President Obama making clear that everything should be on the table to start reining-in our out-of-control federal debt.

• Top Democrats in charge of keeping the Senate in Dem hands and maintaining the political health of the party — DSCC chair Patty Murray and messaging chief Chuck Schumer — have privately expressed frustration that deep Medicare cuts risk squandering the major political advantage Democrats have built up on the issue, people familiar with internal discussions say. In red states like Montana, Nebraska, and Missouri, one key to good Dem performance is maintaining good standing among seniors. The Dems took a shellacking in 2010 in part because of the swing in seniors in such states….Schumer has consistently expressed the most concern,” a source familiar with recent leadership meetings says. “Schumer has been on this bandwagon for weeks.” The source adds that a recent meeting at which Stabenow and Begich sounded the alarm about cuts ”got pretty heated.”

Notably, the decision by Senate Democrats to put their own political interests ahead of reaching a bipartisan agreement on entitlement reform comes just weeks after the latest report from the trustees who oversee Medicare confirmed – again – that doing nothing, which is the preferred course of Bob Menendez, will doom Medicare to bankruptcy in 2024, five years earlier than forecast just last year.

“This report confirms what many who have followed this debate in recent weeks have long suspected – Bob Menendez would rather win re-election than protect Medicare for future generations,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond said today.  “For Menendez and his fellow liberal Senate Democrats this isn’t about passing good policies or protecting New Jersey seniors – it’s about preserving their own power in Washington.  We hope New Jersey voters remember this report as we continue to watch Bob Menendez play politics with Medicare.”

Notably, Menendez is the only sitting U.S. Senator currently under federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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