Gulf1-E-Miller

Heritage Foundation Ranks Jeff Miller Among Most Conservative

U.S. Congressman Jeff Miller (FL-01-R) was named a “top performer” in the Heritage Foundation’s “Heritage Action for America" annual ratings. Miller was ranked #2 most conservative in Florida’s House delegation, with a 90% voting record and an overall score of 88%.  Miller was tied for 12th most conservative in the entire Congress, including both the House and Senate.

The Heritage Action for America states that their rankings look at the full spectrum of conservatism. Their website states: "With each vote cast in Congress, freedom either advances or recedes. Heritage Action for America’s new legislative scorecard allows Americans to see whether their Members of Congress are fighting for freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society. The scorecard is comprehensive, covering the full spectrum of conservatism, and includes legislative action on issues both large and small.”

Congressman Jeff Miller was honored to be among the highest rated in the state.

“I’m grateful to be recognized by such a respected organization as one the top conservatives in Congress,” Miller said.  “I am very proud of my voting record and I think it reflects the values and beliefs of the majority of Northwest Floridians.”

Congressman Jeff Miller's Newsletter for August 21, 2011

Earlier this month, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Budget Control Act.  A key component of this legislation prevents an additional hike in the federal debt limit without a matching cut in federal spending equal to or greater than the amount of the increase or accompanied by a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. 

To accomplish these budget cuts, the Budget Control Act established a “Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.”  As mandated by law, the joint committee is composed of 12 members of Congress, 6 from each Chamber.  The following appointments were made: Senators Max Baucus (D-MT), John Kerry (D-MA), and Patty Murray (D-WA) by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV); Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Pat Toomey (R-PA), and Rob Portman (R-OH) by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Congressmen Fred Upton (R-MI), Dave Camp (R-MI), and Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) by Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH); and Congressmen James Clyburn (D-SC), Xavier Beccera (D-CA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

The joint committee is charged with the goal of reducing the federal deficit by an additional $1.5 trillion.  The committee members have an enormous task at hand and must follow a strict timeline.  They have until Thanksgiving to produce and to vote on legislative language that reduces the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion.  The reported bill must be accompanied by Congressional Budget Office estimates.  A majority—seven of the twelve members—of the committee is required to approve the package.  If approved, their draft legislative language must be introduced in the House and Senate and then be voted on by December 23 and passed before going to the President’s desk for his signature.  The law mandates transparency in the process.  The final report and legislative language must be made public, in addition to the dates, times, and subject matter of all related hearings. 

The Congressional Budget Office baseline estimate under current law will be used to establish the joint committee’s recommendations.  Therefore, the committee cannot count revenue from increasing taxes or from expiring tax rates as savings and contribute those savings to their overall level of required deficit reduction.  In effect, this baseline requirement prevents massive tax increases from being included in the committee’s final proposal.  The committee must identify at least $1.2 trillion in real cuts or savings. 

Whether or not the Committee succeeds in identifying at least $1.2 trillion, time will tell.  As many have expressed with high hopes and low expectations, and I concur, identifying and agreeing to these cuts will be a challenge.  One thing is for certain though—at least $2.1 trillion total in deficit reduction over the next ten years will be achieved.  The Budget Control Act has built in safeguards to ensure that if the committee fails to produce legislation with $1.2 trillion in cuts, cuts up to this magnitude will happen automatically.  While sequestration is not the optimal solution desired by either end of the political spectrum, across-the-board cuts will be triggered to achieve deficit reduction should the Committee fall short of the required target or fail to produce a report that would pass both chambers by the December 23 deadline.

I also want to clear up the misconceived notion that this committee is a “super-committee” with no oversight and no accountability.  It is a Joint Select Committee, established for a particular purpose for a particular time.  The Deficit Reduction Committee is similar in structure to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence or a Conference committee, which is a temporary panel of House and Senate Members, whose purpose is to reconcile differences in legislation that has passed both chambers.  While the Deficit Committee has received more press and attention than other joint or select committees, it does not have any special powers.  In fact, while the joint committee only comprises 12 members of Congress, all Members of Congress, House and Senate Committees, and yes, the American people, can play an active role in the committee’s process.  As I stated before, all recommendations from the committee will have to pass both bodies of Congress and be signed by the President before becoming law.

It is no shock that we are where we are today.  People can point fingers at both parties, and rightly so, but Washington has a spending problem, and has for decades.  We did not get here overnight, and we will not get out of this debt crisis overnight.  The federal debt has continued to build up over the years, and this Congress and the American people have decided that enough is enough. 

Since the beginning of this Congress, House Republicans have taken the lead in conducting strict oversight over federal agencies.  The Budget Control Act, while by no means perfect, is a step in the right direction.  Instead of sending the President a blank check absent any control, this law puts our bloated deficit on a diet, constrains future spending, and paves the way for future reform.  The joint committee and Congress have the opportunity to not only identify cuts of $1.5 trillion to reach its statutory goal, but to surpass it with further cuts.  It is time to regain control, rein in the government spending, and get serious about our country’s future. 

Jeff Miller Newsletter August 14, 2011

Last Friday afternoon, less than a week after Congress passed a bill that paved the way for at least $2.1 trillion in government spending cuts, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) took the historic step of downgrading the AAA credit rating of the United States to AA+.   This is the first credit downgrade in the history of our country by a major certified agency, and it must serve as a wake-up call to Washington that it needs to take immediate action to put our fiscal house in order.

The S&P downgrade may be based on faulty economic analysis, but it should not come as a surprise to anyone.  All three credit rating agencies – S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch – have warned for months that our top credit rating would be in danger if Congress and the President fail to enact significant reforms to reduce the deficit and work to lower the national debt.  Several actually warned that unless we lowered the deficit by at least $4 trillion, a downgrade would be inevitable.  S&P may have used the wrong numbers, but the message remains clear: the United States needs to make serious spending reform a reality.

The long-term implications of a credit downgrade are yet to be seen, but the short-term effects were felt by all Americans.  The stock market swung wildly this week, leaving 401(k) plans devastated.  Interest rates are likely to climb, making it harder to borrow money for a home or a car.  It injected even more uncertainty into an already wary economy, which will ultimately keep unemployment rates high.

One would think the President of the United States would come out with a strong plan to put the nation back on solid financial footing.  But instead, the President took to his bully pulpit to lay blame at the feet of Republicans and the Tea Party.  Despite the fact that conservatives have offered plan after plan to cut spending by well over $4 trillion, the President continues to yell partisanship as his excuse for a lack of ideas, plans, or actions by him or Senate Democrats.  On Monday, in his first remarks following S&P’s announcement, the President said the downgrade should “give us a renewed sense of urgency.”  With all due respect, Republicans have had this sense of urgency since last year’s election showed Americans are fed up with the outrageous spending of a Democrat-controlled Congress and Presidency.

The solution to S&P’s downgrade is simple.  Reduce federal spending and balance the budget.  House Republicans have said this for months.  We passed the Cut, Cap, & Balance Act which would have cut trillions of dollars from the budget and required a Constitutional Amendment to balance the budget.  Earlier this year, we passed a 2012 budget that would have cut more than $6 trillion in government spending.  Conservatives including myself voted for an alternate budget plan that would have cut more than $9 trillion over ten years and balanced the budget within the 10-year budget window.  However, instead of working with us to rein in spending and avert a credit downgrade, Democrats played chicken with the American economy, leaving us no choice but to pass a smaller package of cuts to avert a default crisis.

In the end, we took the first step in a very important journey to return our nation to fiscal sanity.  We’ve changed the debate in Washington from “how much to spend” to “how much should we cut?”  However, this is not nearly enough.  Decades of reckless federal spending cannot be reversed overnight, but as Speaker of the House John Boehner put it, “We can no longer afford to tinker around the edges of our long-term debt problem.”   It’s going to take entitlement reform for those under age 55.  It’s going to take tax reform to lower the rates and produce long-term growth.  It’s going to take significant spending cuts and a balanced budget amendment.  It’s going to take guts, and it’s going to take courage.  But it must happen if we want to put confidence back into the system and leave a better country for our children and grandchildren.

The Battlefield Cross August 8, 2011

Tonight, I watched as time stood still. Battle hardened men and women wept. Tears of sadness. Tears of anger.  Tears of pain. I watched as three pairs of boots stood in flawless formation on a land far from home. Dusty, still, yet no soldiers stood to fill them. Three helmets atop three rifles inverted upon their bayonets, representing each branch of service that lost a service member – Army, Navy, Air Force.  Dog tags hung motionless, occasionally swaying in the gentle breeze that blew across the tarmac as if to remind us that these heroes will never be forgotten.  In the background, airplanes could be heard taking off.  The mission continued.  The Battlefield Crosses stood to memorialize the ultimate sacrifice paid by our fallen soldiers.

These are America’s heroes. Hailing from small town USA, perhaps the family farm, a suburban town, or that inner city neighborhood. They have yet to know a life outside of our nation’s uniform.  These young troops chose to serve, went where they were told, performed missions in faraway places most have never heard of, let alone will ever see. It is these men and women who chose to put themselves in harm’s way, who chose to go headfirst into battle so that others may sleep peacefully in their beds knowing that we are safe.  These are America’s heroes.

We prayed.  We remembered.  And we resolved.  I had just arrived in the Middle East when news of an American helicopter shot down spread through our group.  We knew U.S. troops had been killed, but how many? Who? How?  The next day, as we received more detail, I knew our country had suffered a horrific loss, a tragedy.  As we set out for their battlefield memorial, I knew I did not know these troops who had fallen.  But I know of their sacrifice.  I know of their courage.  And I know I will carry this moment with me forever as a grave reminder of gracious respect for those who serve and those who sacrifice.

A total of 40 were honored tonight, including 38 from the devastating helicopter attack and two killed in separate incidents.  All died fighting a hero’s fight.  We do not yet know the full story, but these warriors were part of a rapid response team sent to assist their comrades pinned down by enemy gunfire.  It was a fierce firefight.  Yet, these troops rushed into battle to save their fellow soldiers, a true testament to their bravery.  They died courageously as people of honor, died fighting to protect the ones they loved and the ones they would never know.  They died for our country. Come tomorrow, their comrades will carry on, because that is what they do, no matter how hard or how high the cost. As they carry on, they immortalize the sacrifice of their fallen brothers.

40 flag draped caskets, including those of our Afghan compatriots, were placed carefully in the hangar on an air base in Afghanistan, a hangar that no doubt many of these fallen warriors had seen before. This time was different. This time would be their final trip home.  These soldiers, sailors, and airmen made their last journey across the ramp, carried by their brothers in arms who will fight on in their wake. They left on two C-17s under the light of a half moon. These brave soldiers, these sailors, these airmen, these heroes have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of a grateful nation.  May they rest in peace knowing the world is a safer, better place because of their sacrifice.  These are America’s heroes.

Godspeed.
___
Rep. Jeff Miller is in Afghanistan as part of a congressional delegation and attended a battlefield memorial for the troops killed this weekend when their Chinook helicopter was attacked in Afghanistan.

Jeff Miller's Newsletter - 8/7/2011

Last week, the eyes of our nation were fixed squarely on Washington.  For the first time in my tenure in Congress, the decision to raise the federal debt limit was paired with a necessary effort to begin reining in our out-of-control federal spending.  In the past, the vote to raise the debt limit was often attached to a budget resolution or voted on with little debate and no talk of spending restraint.  This time, however, thanks to the voices of the American people, the debate was different.  Across the nation, average Americans are tired of big government irresponsibly spending their hard-earned tax dollars.  These ordinary citizens have fundamentally changed the debate in Washington and have even forced the President and the Democratic leadership to acknowledge what many on the Gulf Coast have been saying for years--we must reduce federal spending and scale back the size of government to make it less intrusive and more conducive to promoting American ingenuity and the small businesses that are the engines of our economy.

After months of negotiations, Congressional leadership and the Administration announced an agreement to cut spending and increase the debt limit.  The Budget Control Act of 2011 is modeled after a deficit reduction package introduced by the Speaker of the House, John Boehner, that passed the House of Representatives on July 29, 2011.  While it is far from perfect, this agreement is an important first step in the right direction.  In fact, this bill guarantees that for the first time in a generation, discretionary spending will be reduced for two consecutive years.  The Budget Control Act caps discretionary spending and saves taxpayers $917 billion, while extending authority to borrow $900 billion.  An additional increase would only be in order if at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction is achieved. 

Further, this bill requires that both the House and Senate vote on a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment by the end of this year.  The last time a Balanced Budget Amendment was brought before both houses of Congress, in 1996, it passed the House of Representatives and failed in the Senate by only one vote.  Every American family must balance their budget, and I believe that the Federal Government should adhere to these same realities.  Passing a Balanced Budget Amendment would forever change the way that Washington does business, and its ratification is the definitive solution to our fiscal crises.

In order to propose legislation to further reduce the deficit, the Budget Control Act bill creates a bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction that has been charged with a goal to report legislation by November 23, 2011 that reduces spending by $1.5 trillion over 10 years.  I have heard concerns from some that this committee will be a “Super Congress” that operates outside of Congress’ rules.  This is simply not true.  Like any other committee, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction cannot unilaterally pass legislation.  Any bills originating from this committee must be passed by both the House and Senate and be signed by the President before becoming law.  The Speaker of the House and the House Minority leader will each appoint 3 House Members to this committee, while the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader will each appoint 3 Senators.  The Budget Control Act mandates that both the House and Senate be required to hold an up-or-down vote on legislation from the Deficit
Reduction Committee by December 23, 2011. 

I have also heard concerns that promises of spending reductions will not be upheld.  In order to ensure that serious spending cuts are made, across-the-board cuts to discretionary and mandatory spending will go into effect first to achieve the $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction if the Joint Committee is unable to identify the cuts or Congress fails to pass a larger deficit reduction package.  If that occurs, these cuts would be equally distributed between defense and non-defense spending.  Some programs, including Military pay, Veteran’s benefits and Social Security would be exempt from these cuts. 

Again, while this agreement is not perfect, I voted for the bill because it makes immediate cuts, caps federal spending, includes a further vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment, and ensures that spending reduction targets will be met either through congressional action or automatic across-the-board cuts.  We have begun to right the ship and turn this country back towards a path of fiscal accountability and individual responsibility.

While I have the honor and privilege of serving the people of the First District of Florida in Congress, I am, like you, first and foremost a proud American citizen.  The effort to get our fiscal house in order is one that spans any ideological divide.  The success or failure of our efforts to overcome the fiscal challenges of our nation will shape the future of the United States.  Our parents and grandparents fought and sacrificed so that we would have a better life with more opportunities for prosperity.  We must not let their efforts be in vein by defaulting on our responsibility to our children and grandchildren to make their future and our country all that it can be.

Jeff Miller's Newsletter - 7/31/2011

Debt Limit, Debt and Deficit Reduction Debacle Continues...

One week later and two days before the U.S. Treasury Department’s arbitrary August 2 deadline, the debt limit, debt and deficit reduction debacle continues. The rapidly expanding national debt that has reached a historic level because of budgetary irresponsibility has placed our country’s fiscal situation in stark reality. Like most Americans, I am extremely troubled by our debt crisis. We must take actions to get our federal spending under control, reduce the size of government, and restore our budget to balance.

Throughout the negotiations to raise the debt limit, we have heard repeated calls from Administration officials warning of the dire consequences of not raising the debt limit. Let me be clear, no one believes it is prudent to allow a default on our debt; however, it is also true that failing to take serious action to reduce deficit spending and pay down our national debt poses a serious threat to our nation’s prosperity.

We have heard repeated calls from the President to adopt a balanced approach to raising the debt limit. The President’s balanced approach hinges on the false belief that raising taxes will get us out of this swamp of debt. I agree that we can work together to simplify our tax code and encourage businesses to invest in domestic job creation; however, I do not believe that raising taxes is the way to do this.

Americans across the country are upset at our astounding debt. They should be upset. Republicans in the House have repeatedly shown that we are serious about working to reduce federal spending in a bipartisan manner. On July 15, we passed the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act with bipartisan support. I still believe this is the most sensible solution to our fiscal crisis and the best shot at changing Washington as we know it. However, the administration and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have shown that they are not serious about cutting the debt and want to continue down a reckless path with their policies of tax, spend and borrow.

On Friday, Republicans passed the Budget Control Act of 2011. This bill represents another solution to our current debt debate and demonstrated, yet again, that we are serious about reining in the spending. House Speaker John Boehner’s plan would raise the debt limit by up to $900 billion, with an immediate increase of no more than $400 billion, while saving our taxpayers $917 billion. The bill cuts the FY2012 budget deficit by $22 billion, holds spending below FY2010 levels until FY2016, and paves the way for additional cuts. Under this legislation, taxes are not increased on America’s job creators and families, and both the House and Senate are required to vote on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, which would solidify fiscal responsibility in the Constitution.

While the cuts in Speaker Boehner’s bill are not as deep as those in the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act, I voted for this bill because it is a step in the right direction in changing the tax, spend and borrow culture that has plagued Washington, D.C. One week prior to voting on this bill, House leaders negotiated with the bipartisan leadership in the Senate in a good faith attempt to find a solution to the current crisis that could pass both the House and Senate. Senate Democrats, however, removed their support from this bill and walked away from the effort to forge ahead with their own bill.

On Friday, after refusing to even debate the Budget Control Act of 2011, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on the Senate floor that Republicans would be happy to vote that very night on Senator Reid’s Plan. Astoundingly, however, Senator Reid refused to hold a vote on his own bill. Saturday, Senator McConnell asked Senator Reid, once again, to hold a vote on Senator Reid’s own bill to raise the debt limit, and Senator Reid once again refused. With the Senate unwilling to take up Senator Reid’s own plan, the House of Representatives took his measure up Saturday to demonstrate our willingness to consider multiple proposals, and I joined my colleagues in voting this flawed plan down.

Senator Reid’s plan is faulty for various reasons. It increases the debt limit by more than it cuts. In fact, in return for an unprecedented $2.4 trillion increase in the debt limit, this bill reduces spending by less than $1 trillion over the next ten years, as most of the supposed $2.2 trillion in savings comes from reductions in war-related spending that are already scheduled to occur. This bill fundamentally failed to even began to tackle the underlying problems behind our debt.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have consistently stood up for fiscal responsibility and a limited federal government. As the debt limit, debt and deficit reduction debacle continues, I will continue to uphold these fundamental conservative principles as we move forward and finally address Washington’s spending problem.

If Senate Democrats are serious about solving this problem to meet their own, self-imposed deadline, they have two House passed bills on the table, which make real cuts and control spending, waiting to be sent to the President and signed into law. Reaching the federal debt limit represents a failure in leadership, and the time has come for Congress to get serious about our federal debt and the serious issues that it poses to our long term prosperity.