NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, August 6, 2010

Contact: James Valvo (703) 224-3200

Americans for Prosperity Applauds Indiana U.S. House Candidate Larry Bucshon

-Signs No Climate Tax Pledge-

Washington, DC—The free market grassroots group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) today applauded Indiana U.S. House candidate Larry Bucshon (8th District) for signing the group’s “No Climate Tax Pledge.” Bucshon joins more than 600 bipartisan lawmakers and candidates on the federal, state and local levels pledging to “oppose legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.”

“The one thing elected officials should be able to agree on is that global warming shouldn’t be used as an excuse to hike taxes on citizens and businesses,” said AFP Vice President for Policy Phil Kerpen. “We encourage all of Indiana’s elected officials and candidates for elected office to sign the pledge.”

Indiana signers include: U.S. Senate candidate Dan Coats; U.S. Representatives Dan Burton and Mike Pence; and State Representative Russ Stilwell.

Cap-and-trade took its first step toward enactment last year when the U.S. House narrowly passed the Waxman-Markey energy tax bill, which escaped the lower chamber by a scant seven votes despite significant bipartisan opposition. The Senate has struggled to pass companion legislation, with several key Democratic senators expressing opposition to passing the energy tax bill.

President Obama has made no secret of his support for the bill, which would be the largest tax increase in American history. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has scored the House plan as an $846 billion increase in federal revenue, a burden that will be borne by taxpayers and consumers for decades to come. Recent analysis by the Institute for Energy Research found the Kerry-Lieberman Senate bill would cost the nation more than 500,000 jobs by 2015 and decrease household income by over $1,000 by 2020.

“Using the guise of climate change to transfer dollars from hard-working citizens to bureaucratic big government is unacceptable,” said Kerpen. “Regardless of their stance on global warming, this should be common ground for all of our elected officials at all levels of government.”

The pledge is available online at www.NoClimateTax.com. AFP does not endorse candidates. All elected officials and candidates are encouraged to sign the pledge and go on the record in opposition to using the climate change issue to increase taxes and grow the size of government.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best way to safeguard individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than one million members, including members in all 50 states, and 30 state chapters and affiliates. More than 60,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial investment in AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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Fellow Hoosiers,

Yesterday I released my plan to help create jobs and foster economic growth in Indiana’s 8th Congressional District. I also started my “Made in Indiana” tour, where I will be visiting manufacturers, small businesses, and family farms through out the Wabash Valley and Southwestern Indiana.

The focus of my campaign is getting Hoosiers back to work and this tour will highlight many great businesses with products made here in Indiana. My Jobs and Economic Recovery Plan creates the environment for current businesses to expand and entreprenurial minds to develop and create new businesses.

Please read my detailed plans to help create new private sector jobs and help re-energize our economy.

Larry

 (Terre Haute, IN) – Larry Bucshon, candidate for U.S. Congress in the Indiana 8th Congressional District, met with concerned business leaders today at the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce for a roundtable discussion.  The event was sponsored by the Chamber’s Public Policy Group and focused on issues that directly affect Hoosiers. 

 “It was a great opportunity to listen to the growing concerns of the business community in Terre Haute.   There is great uncertainty amongst the leaders as to the direction our nation’s economy is heading.  I will work hard to protect the interests of Indiana’s signature industries and small businesses while helping to create the environment that will attract new businesses and create jobs.”

On October 12, 2009, Larry announced his first run for public office to help diagnose the problems in Washington, D.C. and to provide practical solutions because it’s time we send a representative to Congress that will listen.  Larry is a cardiothoracic surgeon and lives in Newburgh with his wife and four children.

Here is my statement from yesterday’s July 4th celebration.

Statement from Larry Bucshon
July 4, 2010
 
Dear Friends,
   
Today, as we celebrate our country’s 234th birthday with parades, fireworks, and cookouts, I am deeply honored to be running for the United States Congress in Indiana.  As I have traveled the 8thCongressional District this weekend, I am reminded of those 56 brave men that declared our nation’s independence and stood up to the tyrannical and oppressing government that sought to control our citizens’ every day lives.  Because of our Founding Fathers’ actions throughout our nation’s struggle for independence, we are all able to share in their most simple beliefs, that all are created equal and we all have the unalienable rights to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”. 
 
I am running for Congress to be a representative of the people and your voice in Washington, D.C.  I am infuriated by our government’s actions to tax and spend our country down a path that will lead to government control of our every day lives.  Having been a person that has been fortunate enough to live the American Dream, I will fight to ensure all future generations have the opportunity to do the same.  I am making my first run for public office to help diagnose the problems in Washington, D.C. and to provide practical solutions because it’s time we sent a representative to Congress that will listen.
 
Enjoy the holiday!
 
Sincerely,
 
Larry Bucshon

It’s amazing that regular Americans understand our economy better than most of the elite economists advising this White House as it pushed through the $862 Billion deficit-deepening Stimulus package less than one month after taking office. Let’s examine just how wrong they were:

Promise 1 – President Obama promised unemployment would not rise above 8 Percent if the package was passed.  The reality – the unemployment rate in America is 9.7 percent and in Indiana it is 10.0 percent.

Promise 2 – The President also promised his Stimulus Bill would create 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010.  Well, since the bill passed, America has lost 2.8 million jobs – so we need to create 1 million jobs per month for the rest of the year for that promise to be fulfilled.

Promise 3 — Moreover, the President promised the Stimulus Bill “will create good jobs that pay well and can’t be shipped overseas.” (The White House, “Remarks By The President And The Vice President On The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act,” 4/13/09). But the disturbing reality is that some stimulus dollars have gone to foreign corporations that are creating jobs far away from America.

             “Nearly half of the $2.4 billion in federal grant money awarded Wednesday to stimulate the U.S. economy and boost the production of hybrid and electric vehicles went to six companies with ties to places as far away as Russia, China, South Korea and France. … But because so few American companies have the necessary technology, much of the money will initially go toward manufacturing electric vehicle batteries overseas.” (Jerry Seper, “Obama Sends Stimulus Aid To Foreign Firms,” The Washington Times, 8/6/09)

Promise 4 — We should not be surprised, because the Government Accounting Office (federal watchdog agency) reports that transparency and oversight are lacking when keeping track of the Stimulus bill’s effectiveness, despite the President’s promise he would bring rigorous oversight to this unprecedented spending spree.

             “The Government Accountability Office said in a report that increased transparency and better oversight is needed to track stimulus money being sent to state and local governments. The report noted that keeping track of stimulus money and effectiveness wasn’t necessarily easy under the current methods. ‘Questions remained about how to count jobs and measure performance under Recovery Act-funded programs,’ the report said.” (Rich Edson and Joanna Ossinger, “GAO: More Transparency Needed To Track Stimulus Money,” Fox Business, 7/7/09).

            Hoosiers and regular Americans understood this during the last national campaign, but in the 20 months since that election, more and more Americans have come to understand that the lack of knowledge about the economy and a lack of managerial expertise, combined with a liberal left Congress is deepending rather than solving our problems.  And speaking of Congress, which passes thousands upon thousands of pages of new laws we must live under (health care, financial regulatory “reform,” cap-and-trade, among others) while ignoring one of the most basic laws it must follow (passing a budget each year) is working with this Administration in a way that just keeps driving the economy into a ditch.

            As the federal representative for the Southwestern and Wabash Valley areas of Indiana, I will cut government spending, work to lower taxes, and put our economy on a sound footing so that this generation is paying its bills and meetings its responsibilities rather than saddling our children and grandchildren with the bill for our leadership failures.

 Evansville, IN- 8th District Congressional candidate, Larry Bucshon released the following statement on the U.S. House Democrats failure to pass a budget.
 
 ” Earlier this week, Congressional Democrats announced that there will be no vote on a 2011 budget resolution, and thus no changes or letup on the Obama Administration’s reckless agenda. The Democratic-controlled Congress believes it can tell everyone else how to do their job, from the auto industry, to home builders, to healthcare professionals, and more. By failing to do its jobs, Congress has missed an opportunity to finally put our country on the path to fiscal responsibility we need to create jobs and grow the economy.  If the House Democrats can’t complete the simple task of passing a budget, then it’s time they step aside and let Republicans show them how its done.”

By passing health care reform, the Democratic controlled Congress has been successful in pushing through one of the largest government takeovers in history. To make matters worse, the process that gave the Democratic leadership the votes to pass this bill left much to be desired. Deal making and arm twisting were seen by the American people and soured many opinions of Congress and this administration. However, the bill is now the law of the land. The ultimate goal should be to repeal the entire bill and replace it.

President Obama says small businesses will be big winners under health care reform, but some entrepreneurs and the organizations that represent them say the only thing big about the new law will be the problems and taxes that come with it.  “It’s going to create huge uncertainty and the potential for another downtick in the economy fed by that uncertainty,” said the chairman of the National Small Business Association.  Furthermore, the bill will “almost certainly” lead to increased health insurance costs for businesses with more than fifty employees.  The bill will put new pressures on small businesses to both offer and pay for employee health insurance in the early stages of reform.  However, the reforms that contain costs and enable small business to afford this commitment will not be implemented for years –if at all.  The National Federation of Independent Business characterized the bill as “devastating” for small business owners.  I have been able to confirm their worst fears by talking with small business owners from throughout the 8^th district and looking at their financial projections.

Beyond the direct impact on small businesses, this bill has very real and direct consequences for Hoosiers.  A recent analysis by Governor Daniels’ administration indicates that Indiana could have to absorb as much as $3.6 billion in new costs over the next decade if the 1.5 million Hoosiers made eligible for Medicaid sign up.  The Federal Government does not seem to have any intension of providing the money to fund this expansion, leaving Indiana with the burden of covering the additional expense.

As a physician, I have very serious concerns about the intended and unintended consequences of this bill as well as future access to quality medical services in the U.S. We are headed towards a two-tiered system like in many countries that have government run healthcare. This legislation is setting the stage for those who can afford private care while the rest of us will have long waits and experience rationing due to financial concerns of the government. The ongoing physician shortage is likely to continue and may worsen. The quality of physician services is likely to decrease. We need healthcare reform, but not the type of reform which has been put into law.

A more pragmatic solution is the implementation of a nongovernmental commission that will look at Medicare/Medicaid and come up with solutions to strengthen these programs.  Clearly, there are difficult decisions to be made in the future by lawmakers.  Many of the solutions are not politically possible without the input from such a commission.  It will then be up to lawmakers, regardless of party, to make the decisions that need to be made.  The American people need to decide which direction we are going to take.  Quality of and access to healthcare in the U.S. are at stake.  A government run system will almost certainly be a detriment to both.

From the desk of Larry Bucshon

As we observe today this most solemn of national holidays, I join with all Americans in extending our heartfelt thanks and warmest wishes of well being to America’s veterans — past and present. You keep us free, and now across more than two centuries, you have done more to advance democracy and freedom in the world than any fighting force throughout human history.
 
    America is free because America’s finest sons and daughters have stepped forward over the generations to win our Independence, to reconcile our ideals to the need for the brotherhood of all, and to defeat tyranny in Europe and Communism around the globe.
 
    Today we are engaged in yet another epic struggle against freedom and self-government.  This battle against terrorism and Islamic extremism, sometimes called The Long War, has called forth the best of this generation to defeat America’s foes anew so that freedom’s march continues.
 
    As a former officer in the United States Navy Reserves, I join all American’s of goodwill in offering all our fighting men and women a salute — particularly those who paid the ultimate price of sacrificing their very lives –  and praying for these heroes and their families as they stand in harm’s way for us.
 
    Sincerely,
    Larry Bucshon

From the desk of Larry Bucshon

 
Thank you for electing me to represent our conservative cause this fall. My wife Kathryn and I are overwhelmed by the generous support we’ve received throughout this campaign.
 
I want to express my respect and admiration for the other seven candidates. As I traveled around the district speaking with folks like Kristi Risk, John Lee Smith, Dan Stockton, Steve Westell, and Bud Bernitt, it was clear that we shared common values and a common goal.
 
Now it is time for all of us to unify behind a common purpose of limited, Constitutional government that operates within its means. We are campaigning on more than just saying “no” to extreme liberal policies. We are offering real change that trims government, protects liberties and restores free market principles.

 
This is my first foray into politics, and I believe our country needs new, fresh perspectives in Congress like mine. As Evan Bayh recently noted, “Congress is not operating as it should…Even at a time of enormous national challenge, the people’s business is not getting done.” I could not agree more.
 
Unfortunately my opponent – Trent VanHaaften – supports the agenda of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi that Evan Bayh so aptly deplored. VanHaaften is a seasoned political operative who has worked his way up the ranks of Indiana House Democrat leadership by voting with them lock-step. We cannot afford more of this agenda in Congress, but I will need your help to defeat it.
 
The stakes for our country and for Indiana are extremely high.  For that reason I take this victory and nomination very seriously. Please join me in this cause starting today.
 
Thank you again for your support and for making this possible.
 
Sincerely,
Larry Bucshon

Larry Bucshon, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (IN-8) will be highlighted in a story by Rick Kline on doctors running for Congress in 2010.   It will be aired on ABC’s World News Saturday on Saturday May 1.  Check your local listings for time and channel in your area.