Pepper sent this in:

(Columbia , SC ) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) today held a press conference at the Midlands ’ office to discuss the latest updates on the government health care takeover.  Wilson held a similar press conference on Saturday in Beaufort with many concerned citizens in attendance.

The Fix at The Washington Post reports this morning that “In six days time, President Obama’s health care bill will almost certainly have either passed or failed.”  Wilson used the press conferences to encourage citizens to continue to make their voices heard during this critical week:  

“Concerned citizens across the country have made it perfectly clear that they do not want a government takeover of health care.  In this economic environment, it is highly irresponsible to consider a bill full of job-killing taxes and mandates; as the countdown to a vote beings, it is critical that we continue to spread that message.

“The latest health care package that the Washington liberal majority will try to pass this week mandates private individuals to purchase health care and causes millions of employers to cancel the health care they offer their employees.  No matter how President Obama and Speaker Pelosi try to repackage it, this is a government takeover,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

“The Washington liberal majority has selective hearing on health care.  This is most recently highlighted today with the president’s announcement of his final health care plan that ignores the will of the American people.  

“You would think after record-breaking town hall meetings, an unprecedented House Call on Washington , and elections in Massachusetts , Virginia, and New Jersey, that congressional leaders and the administration would wake up and tune in.  Instead of working across the aisle to agree on health care elements that will make health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans, the president is determined to push a job-killing government takeover of health care.  This is a blatant dismissal of the American people’s preference.

“Adding salt to the wound, the president has elected to consider using divisive maneuvers developed behind Washington’s closed-doors to pass this partisan legislation.  The bottom line is that the path is no better than the plan itself,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

Pepper sent this in:

(Irmo, S.C) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the trillion-dollar “stimulus”:

“One year ago, the so-called stimulus was put together behind closed doors, rushed through Congress, and then signed by President Obama with a promise to lower unemployment.  However, with unemployment still at double digits in several areas across the nation, the American people certainly haven’t seen a return on their investment.  This is one anniversary present that taxpayers wish they could return.

“Congress needs to focus on offering job creation incentives to small business owners and tax relief for hardworking families.  It’s time for the liberal majority to ditch their job-killing agenda that includes a national energy tax and government takeover of health care and instead focus on getting people back to work,” said Congressman Joe Wilson. 

Pepper sent this in:

On the heels of Republican victories in Virginia, New Jersey and most recently Massachusetts, the president sent a straightforward message to Republicans in his State of the Union address that “the responsibility to govern is now yours, as well.” Accepting the responsibility to govern is something we have been doing for quite some time now. Informing hardworking Americans about the realities behind the Washington liberal agenda is governing; fighting proposals like a cap-and-tax bill and government healthcare takeover that our constituents oppose is governing; and introducing more affordable and measureable policy alternatives is not only governing, it is governing responsibly.

In trying times like these, I am reminded of the old Japanese proverb: “Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.” Knee-jerk reactions to crises are particularly counterproductive, especially if they are coming from Congress. The American people have stood up to the government takeover of healthcare and a national energy tax in part because they have not been sold on the benefits of this big-government vision.

Republicans, on the other hand, have a vision that we have successfully articulated to the American people for the first time in several years. Given the right ingredients, we believe that people, not the government, can correct this financial mess. The combination of low taxes, worker training, right-to-work protections, and less regulatory red tape is a sound recipe to attract business.

In the president’s State of the Union address, there were certainly some policy items that fit into this sound job-creation recipe. President Barack Obama’s call to “eliminate all capital gains taxes on small-business investment, and provide a tax incentive for all large businesses and all small businesses to invest in new plants and equipment,” is something we should all applaud. Between this new support for small business, and also his assistance for first-time homebuyers and a child care tax credit, Republicans have more than enough to get the conversation rolling.

During this conversation, congressional Democrats and the White House should also look at other proposals that we have presented to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.):

• Providing a 5 percent across-the-board income tax cut;
• Allowing small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income;
• Making the lower 15 percent rate on capital gains and dividends permanent;
• Making all withdrawals from IRAs tax- and penalty-free; 
• Permanently repealing required distributions on retirement accounts; and
• Increasing the child tax credit from $1,000 to $5,000.

In these tough economic times, it is incumbent on all of us to come across the aisle and put a bill together with the job-creation items that we all agree on.

The same can be said for healthcare financing reform.  There are plenty of items we can coordinate on to develop a plan to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. Enacting medical liability reform, expanding Heath Savings Accounts, offering individuals more pooling options, and offering the option to shop across state lines are not hyper-partisan policies. If any Democrat introduces a bill with these elements, I’m confident that Republican cosponsors will line up to support it.

However, these bipartisan negotiations must be done in the light of day. If the elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts have taught us anything, it is that people are tired of politics-as-usual in Washington. If a promise is made on the campaign trail to give the American people a seat at the negotiation table, then it should be kept. That is part of governing responsibly and honestly.

The president’s “responsibility to govern” message that was targeted at Republicans should have echoed over to the other side of the aisle and down Pennsylvania Avenue. On matters of national security, President Obama is going to need his political capital to get congressional liberals behind his decision to listen to the commanders on the ground and send 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan.

Hours before the State of the Union, Speaker Pelosi called for any spending freeze to also apply to defense spending — highlighting the crack that the president will have to mend within his own party as he explains to congressional liberals that cutting defense spending while we are involved in two wars overseas and the Global War on Terror is reckless.

The conditions across America leading up to the State of the Union address were, and still are, quite serious. Unemployment is at double digits and in South Carolina, it is at an all-time high at 12.6 percent. We have troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The nuclear threat from countries like Iran and North Korea is disquieting. And even on Christmas Day, Americans were reminded that terrorists continue to wage a deadly war against us.

This environment requires not finger-pointing about whose responsibility it is to govern, but rather for us all to come together to govern responsibly by focusing on national security and job creation to promote opportunity for American families.

Pepper sent this in:

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statement after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced that the cost of President Obama’s stimulus plan has jumped another $75 billion:

“American families who are trying to stay financially afloat do not have time for anymore stimulus stumbles.   Instead of misnomers and rhetoric, they need tangible job creation proposals,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

The Washington Times today also reports that the country faces giant budget deficits for the foreseeable future and has the biggest debt problem it has seen since just after World War II.  President Barack Obama is expected to speak about spending freezes and deficit reduction at the State of the Union Address tomorrow evening. 

“If the President is serious about tackling out-of-control Washington spending, then I am ready to work with him.  However, I believe we need to freeze spending based on 2008 levels.  I also look forward to hearing more details about how the Washington liberal majority plans to explain the 85 percent spending spike in just two years.”

Pepper sent this in:

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statement after the S.C. Employment Security Commission announced that South Carolina’s jobless rate reached 12.6 percent in December:

“As dismal unemployment numbers persist month after month, Speaker Pelosi continues on with her misplaced priorities,” said Congressman Joe Wilson. 

In December, the national unemployment rate was 10 percent and South Carolina’s rate hit an all-time record high at 12.6 percent – breaking the old 12.3 percent set in November.  The State reports that the number of South Carolina jobs shrank by 9,900 while the number of those looking for work rose by 6,400.  Meanwhile, Congressman Wilson continues to push Speaker Pelosi to consider job creation policies.

“When will the liberal majority finally get the message to ditch their job-killing agenda that includes a national energy tax and government takeover of health care?  When will Speaker Pelosi consider job creation incentives for small businesses and tax relief for families?  People are hurting throughout South Carolina and it is high time that Congress starts talking about ways to jump start our economy each and every day.”

The most recent edition of Wilson’s Weekly Watch published the results of a survey Congressman Wilson sent constituents asking them to rank job creation suggestions.  The suggestions with the most support include:

·       15%  Provide a 5% across the board income tax cut

·       13%  Allow small business to take a tax deduction equal to 20% of their income

·       12%  Make the lower 15% rate on Capital Gains and Dividends permanent

·       12%  Make all withdrawals from IRAs Tax-and Penalty-Free

·       11%  Repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax on individuals

·       10%  Permanently repeal required distributions on retirement accounts

·       9%   Make unemployment benefits tax free

·       6%   Offer a home-buyers credit of $7,500

Pepper sent this in:

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statement after the hearing held by Republican members of the House Education and Labor Committee on the Obama Administration’s labor agenda:

“Special interests, not American families and small business owners, have benefited most since liberals took control of both the White House and Congress.  Instead of focusing on job creation incentives for small businesses and tax relief for families, the liberal majority has threatened to strip workers of the right to a secret ballot and have rolled back union financial disclosure regulations. 

“The secret backroom negotiations and favoritism that finalize these deals have plagued Washington for too long.  The lack of transparency and preferential treatment is most recently seen in the health care negotiations and union exemption from taxes on so-called Cadillac health care plans. 

“It’s time to straighten out these misplaced priorities and I applaud Ranking Member John Kline and for continuing the discussion about these important concerns,” said Congressman Joe Wilson.

This morning, Republicans on the Education and Labor Committee examined the Obama Administration’s labor agenda, specifically its impact on the current labor market and the rights of employees and considered possible strategies to help rebuild the American economy.