The Burton Blog

Sallie Mae Jobs in Danger

With the proposed overhaul of the school loan industry, employees at Sallie Mae are facing the large possibility of losing their jobs.  Congressman Burton is pushing for the final fight to keep jobs that will affect hundreds of employees at home in Indiana. The Indianapolis Star covers more here:

"If the U.S. House passes H.R. 3221 today, as it is expected to do, then it will be up to the U.S. Senate to stop the government takeover," Burton said in remarks shared with media prior to the vote.

According to a transcript of his remarks, he continued: "More than 30,000 private sector jobs are directly affected by what you're going to do today. In my district, or in the state of Indiana, 2,356 jobs, and right in the 5th District it is 1,500 jobs.

"Our unemployment rate in [Indiana] is 10.4 percent. I don't understand, at a time of economic difficulty, why you want to do something that's going to put more people out of work, especially when you're talking about a program that didn't work before. It was junked, and now you're going to resurrect it."

Burton Cosponsors a Bill that Provides 50% Tax Deduction for Long-Term Care Premiums

Yesterday, Rueuters published this article about the support for Representative Alexander's sponsored bill. It's a bill that brings focus to long-term health care.  LTC Financial Partner's Jonas Roeser, Senior VP of Marketing and Operations, shares his backing for the plan. Congressman Burton is one of the first to cosponsor this bill.

H.R.1891, the Sunset of Life Protection Act of 2009, may be the most
politically viable means of plugging the gap, in Roeser's view. It amends the
Internal Revenue Code to allow a deduction from gross income for 50% of
long-term care premiums without regard to the 7.5 % adjusted gross income
limitation applicable to other medical or dental expenses; and it allows
individual taxpayers to claim the tax deduction regardless of whether they
itemize other deductions.

"Conservatives and liberals alike can agree on the simplicity and
effectiveness of tax deductions," says Roeser. My colleagues and I call upon
Congress to give serious consideration to H.R. 1891."

The bill's sponsor is Representative Rodney Alexander (R-LA). Co-sponsors to
date are Representatives Dan Burton (R-IN), Ronald Paul (R-TX) and Mark Souder
(R-IN). "As Congress looks for ways to improve the affordability and
availability of quality health care for all Americans," says Alexander, "H.R.
1891 provides an option to lessen the costs of tomorrow by investing in
insurance today."

Letters from Home

Jim Morgan's blog encourages constituents to write this letter and send it to Congressman Burton's office.  The letter starts out:

Dear Congressman Burton,

When Congress and the Senate come back from break there are three bills facing you of critical importance to the future of all Americans. Never before have such total game changing legislation come at the same time each with the potential of destroying the very fabric of America. The Health Care Bill, the Cap and Trade Bill, and the Card Check Bill each are designed to remove our American liberties and replace them with a near Totalitarian State. I thank you for your vigorous defense of American Freedoms, Liberties, and our Constitution. I know how your votes will fall on each of these and I thank you for your consistent defense of our values...

Government-controlled health plan is not the answer

The Peru Tribune highlights Congressman Burton's town-hall meeting at the Peru High School auditorium.  At the meeting, Burton compared and contrasted the Republican and Democratic proposed health care plans.  Read more of the article here.

The Fifth-District representative addressed about 400 area residents during the session, stating the health plan bill proposed by Democrats would result in bureaucrats controlling the health care for individuals. Burton said a proposed health plan bill he is cosponsoring would enhance consumer protections and force insurance companies to compete for each individual’s business.

Constituents Able to Talk to Dan at Town Hall Meetings

Compliments to wane.com for posting this video:

Keep the doors open

A building near and dear to Congressman Burton's heart is facing the possibility of shutting down.  The Children's Guardian Home has served children in Indiana for the past 111 years.  At his town hall meeting, Congressman Burton and his brother testified their own personal experience and declared it would be a shame to close the building that helps abused and neglected children. The Indianapolis Star gives more details to the story here.

U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., and local community leaders vowed Tuesday to work to keep the Children's Guardian Home operating despite its uncertain future.

"It would be a tragedy to shut this thing down," Burton told about 130 people who turned out for a town hall meeting at the home. "I really think that this facility is needed."

Approaching Deadline for Health Care Reform

With September 15th drawing nearer, Obama's unofficial deadline for a new proposed health care bill is also approaching. August recess is almost over and our Congressmen will resume battling over a solution for our health care system. To protect his constituents, Congressman Burton has and will continue to fight against government intervention in health care.  Indiana Daily Student News reports what is happening in all districts across Indiana.

In July, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the reforms would reduce the number of uninsured Americans by about a third, at a cost of $1 trillion dollars over 10 years.

Rep. Dan Burton, R-5th District, opposes the bill and would oppose any version that mandated a government-run program, said Matt Prine, a spokesman for Burton.

“Putting a government official between the patient and the doctor is overstepping the boundaries of what government should do,” Prine said.

He estimated that three-quarters of constituents who have contacted Burton’s office since the bill’s proposal were opposed to it.

Burton Addresses Health Care on WISH TV

Congressman Burton talks with doctors about their views and fears of the proposed health care bill.  WishTV's YouTube channel shares their viewpoints with this video.

Burton Featured on Fox News About Constituents' Rising Concerns

Thanks to Josh Gillespie of Hoosier Access for highlighting this video on his blog.

Howard County Aide

 Congressman Burton has pushed another effort to help Howard County recover the losses it has taken from Chrysler's failure to pay property taxes.  Congressmen Burton and Donnelly and Senator Lugar hosted a meeting with the Auto Industry's Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers.  The Kokomo Perspective shares Burton's response.

"Whether it's 'old Chrysler' or 'new Chrysler,' they have an obligation to the people of Howard County. These people have been supportive of Chrysler for so many years, and I think it's unconscionable that police officers, firefighters, and teachers are threatened with layoffs because Chrysler has not paid their personal property taxes.

"Even so, I appreciate Dr. Montgomery accepting our meeting request and sharing his thoughts on the situation. Looking ahead, we learned that, as far as the Auto Task Force is aware, Howard County is the only place in America with this problem. We were also told that Howard County officials, along with Kokomo officials, are scheduled to meet with representatives of Chrysler in the near future.

"It is my hope that, as those Chrysler representatives sit down at the table with our local officials, they keep in the forefront of their minds the unique and dire situation facing the people of Howard County, as well as the generosity of taxpayers in this country who paid for Chrysler to survive."