Rokita Report 11/1/13

Statement

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 113th Congress. I trust this finds you and your family well.

For daily updates, please take a moment to "Like" my Facebook page by clicking here or follow me on Twitter if you prefer @ToddRokita.

In this week's Rokita Report

Rokita Readings - The Myth of Government Default
ObamaCare Update - Millions Can't Keep Their Insurance
Serving Our Veterans
Standing with Hoosier Steelworkers
Lou Dobbs on Friday Night, WRTV Indianapolis This Week w/Rafael Sanchez on Sunday AM
Rokita Readings
A clickable offering of books and articles that I've read recently and highly recommend, as we strive together to "Keep the Republic."

Featured in this week's Rokita Readings is a column I recently read by David Rivkin and Lee Casey titled "The Myth of Government Default."

Rivkin and Casey's column provide a more thorough explanation of exactly what the debate over debt ceiling and ultimately default really entails. During the debt ceiling debate, the President lead an effort to use the threat of a "default" on our debt to obscure the fundamental truth of our debts, which is that we take in $200 billion per month, but spend only $21 billion on our debt. Yet every month we still add over $100 billion more to our debt.

It is dishonest to continue to promise Americans that our federal government will provide them with money and benefits that we do not actually have. By definition of the word, we will not default, despite what politicians of both parties were saying. We can pay our creditors. What we wouldn't have money to pay for EVERYTHING we promised to give ourselves, an entirely different question. And that is the point - it is immoral to continue to borrow money and stick our children with the bill for things we are not willing or able to actually pay for.

Affordable Care Act - Insidious I Tell You

While a few weeks ago, I was ridiculed in the mainstream media for calling the law one of the most insidious ever created (see definition here), this week the White House Press Secretary finally fessed up to one of the four main lies of ObamaCare. The President has said on many occasions,"if you like your health plan, you can keep it." As we now know, that is not true. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are receiving cancellation of policy notices that effectively end their plans as they know it. While the opportunity to get a different plan is available, in most cases they are paying more and receiving services they did not ask for.

In a NBC News story this week, it was estimated that 50-75% of the 14 million consumers on individually-purchased plans should expect a cancellation notice in coming weeks.

Even worse, the same report stated that the Obama Administration had known for three years that many Americans would lose the health care plan they had under ObamaCare. Why did the President continue to lie about ObamaCare in the years to follow?

In an effort to make Hoosiers voices heard loud and clear in Washington, I am asking you to send me copies of your cancellation notices via mail, fax, email, or social media. Note: Submissions of personal information should be redacted or "blacked out."

This isn't the last ObamaCare lie that the Obama Administration will need to finally admit to. We must continue to sound the alarm on the insidious nature of ObamaCare -- a law that is continuing to prove it was intentionally something other than what was promised. Not only have Americans been forced off the insurance plans they were happy with, we have been lied to in several ways.

The Four Lies of ObamaCare
Lie #1 -- Consumers will be Empowered
Lie #2 -- Americans can Keep Their Health Care
Lie #3 -- Health Care will be More Affordable
Lie #4 -- The Law will Reduce the National Debt

Learn more about the four lies of ObamaCare and the insidious nature of the law here.

Serving Our Veterans

This week, the House considered several important pieces of legislation aimed at helping our veterans and improving the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act
Veterans Advisory Committee on Education Improvement Act
Improving Access to VA Appeals Process
Veterans Economic Opportunity Act
Investigating the Backlog of VA Disability Claims
Many of these bills are aimed at improving service and access to benefits are veterans have earned. I encourage you to look into these bills further by clicking the links above or visiting the House Committee on Veterans Affairs website.

If you or someone you know is experiencing trouble with VA claims, please contact my Danville office via phone (317-718-0404) or e-mail for immediate assistance. Assisting veterans is an important case work function of my office's services.

Standing With Hoosier Steelworkers - Free Trade Should Mean Playing by the Same Rules that All Parties Agreed to

On Thursday, I offered testimony before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on the antidumping pricing rules applied to foreign steel being imported into our country.

Rep. Rokita with Steelworkers at the ITC Hearing

My testimony supported the continuation of these tariffs to ensure our steelworkers receive fairness in the global marketplace. While the trade agreements agreed to by the countries this tariff applies to is fair, many are ignoring the rules and it is leaving our steelworkers at an unfair advantage.

As someone that grew up in Northwest Indiana, I understand the importance of steel to our Hoosier economy. Over half of my immediate and extended family rely directly or indirectly on the steel industry. Throughout my life, I have seen firsthand the trials, as well as the benefits of working in the industry.

Rep. Rokita and Nucor CEO, John Ferriola, a former VP and GM of the Crawfordsville plant 1998-2001

Today, the 4th District is home to two of the nation's largest steel producers - Nucor Steel Indiana in Crawfordsville and Steel Dynamics Inc. in Pittsboro. Both are critical to the continued success of the American steel industry and we must ensure a fair marketplace for their products.

For further information on the hearing and the antidumping hot steel issue, you can read my press release that followed the hearing here.

Catch me tonight on Fox Business Network when I join Lou Dobbs to talk about ObamaCare and the American Health Care Reform Act at 7:00 pm ET.

You can also catch me this Sunday morning on WRTV 6 in Indianapolis when I sit down with Rafael Sanchez on Indianapolis This Week at 7:30 am (and a replay at 5:00 pm).

Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts in Washington. Take care.

Sincerely,

Todd Rokita

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