(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Wally Herger today voted in favor of House passage of H.R. 3326, the fiscal year 2010 Department of Defense appropriations bill. He issued the following statement after the vote:
“Congress has no higher duty than equipping our men and women in uniform with the resources they need to be successful in their missions. And we must take any and all appropriate steps to provide for their health and well being during and after their service, and to ensure that the military in which they serve remains the finest in the world. I am disappointed that the bill significantly cuts funding for missile defense. At a time where North Korea and Iran are racing to develop nuclear weapons we should be working to improve our own defense technology. However, while not perfect, this legislation reflects a strong commitment to our national defense and to our troops.
Congressman Herger delivered the following speech against the massive job killing tax hikes that will accompany House Democrat’s plans for a government takeover of health care. Below you will find the text of his remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives today and can view video of the speech here.
“Madam Speaker, rising health care costs are a serious problem. But the bill being advanced in the House proposes $1.2 trillion in new spending on health care, coupled with massive tax increases that will hurt small businesses. The new 8% payroll tax will force employers to cut millions more jobs in the middle of the worst recession in decades, while the surtax will push California’s top income tax rate to over 56% — higher than France. And raising taxes to 1970s levels won’t even cover the full cost of this bill. We need real reform that brings down health care costs, instead of pouring more money into a broken system.”