http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog The Caucus of House Conservatives Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:28:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The Washington Post reports that the national debt may increase by $2 trillion during 2009.   From the article: "With President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats considering a massive spending package aimed at pulling the nation out of recession, the national debt is projected to jump by as much as $2 trillion ... http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=35 Please take 5 minutes to read this inspiring piece from two of our nation's leading governors about the true costs of government bailouts. http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=34   Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has an excellent op/ed on a potential auto-bailout in today's NY Times.  Romney, the son of George Romney, the former head of American Motors, writes: "IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you ... http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=33 Last Wednesday, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) issued a 98-page report outlining his proposals for reforming the health care system. Although his introduction stated that the platform “is not intended to be a legislative proposal,” Baucus did state his hope that the ideas raised would become a ... http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=32 Many conservatives may be concerned by the substance of the health reform proposal recently released by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus.  Similar in many respects to the less-detailed plan offered by President-elect Obama, the platform would expand the role of government in health care in significant, and historic, ways: Expansion of ... http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=31 On November 4, the British Department of Health announced a reversal of a ban on “top-up” payments within the National Health Service (NHS).  Previously patients who wished to use their own money to purchase drugs not deemed cost-effective by the NHS needed to forfeit their right to basic NHS care.  ... http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=30 Today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that he would not bring up legislation containing more than 150 separate natural resources bills during the lame duck session of Congress. The combined measures would have created new federal land designations and blocked domestic energy production on millions of acres ... http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=29 Check out this thoughtful, if scary, piece in The Wall Street Journal about President-Elect Obama's post-election folly on missile defense, Poland, and Russia.  http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=28 Earlier this month, several individuals filed a ground-breaking lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration.  The suit would force both agencies to develop a process to allow individuals to renounce their eligibility for Medicare Part A, which governs hospital care.  Under current regulations, ... http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=27 Last month, the New York Times highlighted the case of Staten Island University Hospital, an institution with a history of questionable billing practices—and now one of the largest fraud settlements against a single hospital.  This week the hospital agreed to return nearly $90 million to respond to claims of overbilling ... http://rsc.hensarling.house.gov/blog/?p=26