Lummis Highlights Alex's Law in Testimony Before the House Budget Committee

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) highlighted Alex's Law, the Lummis bill that helps ensure Social Security remains viable for all generations of Americans, during testimony she gave before the House Budget Committee.

Lummis, now a member of the House Appropriations Committee, served on the House Budget Committee in the 111th Congress.

Excerpts of Representative Lummis' remarks:

"I've been listening to Wyoming's common-sense minded people, everywhere from the feed store to the grocery store. They want Congress and the President to put America on a path to fiscal stability by halting this country's spending spree and tackling our long-term debt problem. But the President's 2012 budget proposal would have the taxpayers shell out $844 billion in annual interest on our debt by the next decade -- over triple what we pay currently. That's an unacceptable projection, and we need to make reforms now to change course. This is no longer a fiscal issue; it's a moral issue.

"I'm a member of the House Appropriations Committee and I've had the opportunity to help reduce our discretionary spending. But discretionary spending alone will not get our country on sound fiscal footing: discretionary spending accounts for less than forty percent of our government's budget.

"I am here today to stress the urgency of tackling entitlements in the 112th Congress. Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will eventually collapse under their own weight if they are left unchanged. We must address these unsustainable entitlements if we are to preserve them for future generations.

Lummis Legislation Helps Ensure Social Security Remains Viable

"That is why I have introduced a stand-alone bill to increase the retirement age for today's four-year-olds by three years, from the current law of 67 to age 70. It would not affect anyone in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or 100s. It only affects people 49 and younger. It's H.R. 867. It's called Alex's Law, named after a four-year-old child of a member of my staff. This is a common-sense approach to help save Social Security for future generations. It's necessary because the life expectancy after 65 for today's retirees compared to 1940 is five years longer. We all know that the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted by 2037, which means every retiree will see a 22 percent cut in benefits. The cuts will continue to get worse if Washington looks the other way.

Giving States the Flexibility to Manage Medicaid

"We need to work with states, and specifically the nation's governors, to cap or limit the federal financial commitment to Medicaid and in exchange give states the flexibility to manage their Medicaid programs as they see fit. By capping, and then block granting the federal dollars to the states that are actually running Medicaid, we can return the decision of how best to run this program to the states, their elected officials, and the citizens to which they are accountable. And we will learn best practices from the states; they will be the incubators, the laboratories for great ideas.

Providing a Safety Net for Future Generations

"Entitlement programs, along with other mandatory spending, consume roughly 60% of the federal budget. We can't afford to continue ignoring their importance in our fiscal future. Appropriations bills and discretionary spending have been the first focus -- and we've done that in the last number of weeks. But in order to really get at the problem of our fiscal trajectory, we must provide that same platform for entitlements. We must have the debate in committees, on the House Floor, on the Senate Floor, if we're to find solutions for our future safety net. The Fiscal Year 2012 Budget is the opportunity to bring these entitlement reforms to the budget.

"I can assure you, America's ready for this discussion. And they're demanding that we put politics aside in the interest of our nation. I look forward to working with all members of this committee, both sides of the aisle, to address this crisis situation."

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