Pearce for Congress

HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS ONE KEY TO LOWER COST HEALTH INSURANCE

BY Steve Pearce, ON FEBRUARY 08, 2010

Health And Medical Savings Accounts Help Lower Costs For Everyone

Young people are opting out of health insurance. That is one of the frequently mentioned problems in our health care system that experts discuss. Young people bring down the cost of insurance for the rest of the population because they do not use it as much as the older segments of the population. When they opt not to purchase policies, it drives up the price for the remaining pool of consumers; who, on average, use the insurance more.

One of the things we should be doing is encouraging younger buyers back into the insurance pool. The Healthcare bill threatens fines and jail time to do that. I prefer positive stimulation.

The Health Savings account is a medical IRA that was put into law during my time in Congress. It is a retirement account that is usable, tax free, at any age if used to pay for the insurance premium, deductibles, doctor visits or pharmacy costs. A portion of the amount unused in any year stays in the savings account. It rewards healthy lifestyles and informed health care consumption. As the IRA builds in value, the deductible can be increased which lowers the cost of the insurance.

A TYPICAL DAY FOR A CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN

BY Steve Pearce, ON FEBRUARY 06, 2010

Campaigns Develop A Flow - Mine Are No Exception

I always get up at least 2 hours before the first scheduled event, maybe earlier if I left things undone the day before. The two hours is to read, pray, write and get my heart and mind ready for the day.

Basically, in politics you have to have the on switch pushed for the full length of the day. Yesterday was typical. Up around 4:30, the first interview was by phone at 7:15.

HOMESCHOOLERS MEET AT CAPITOL IN SANTA FE

BY Steve Pearce, ON FEBRUARY 05, 2010

Yesterday, I spoke to Homeschool kids in Santa Fe at the Capitol.

But that was after we got there.

MY FIRST LADY AT THE FIRST LADIES LUNCHEON

BY Steve Pearce, ON FEBRUARY 05, 2010

One of my greatest blessing in life is my family…

...and some of my proudest moments are not about what I have done but about what my wife, Cynthia, has done. One year she was an officer in the Congressional Spouses Club. In that role, she helped plan the First Lady's Luncheon which is an annual affair. When the big day came, Cynthia was radiant as she was escorted down the aisle with thousands of people seated all around her.

NATIONAL PRAYER CAUCUS IN CONGRESS

BY Steve Pearce, ON FEBRUARY 04, 2010

As Members of Congress and others come together this morning in Washington, D.C. for the National Prayer Breakfast, I wanted to share an experience I had in Congress and how the Congressional Prayer Caucus began.

In 2005 I was invited by Congressman Randy Forbes, R-Va, to accompany the Armed Service Committee to China. I had told him in a previous conversation I felt compelled to speak to the Chinese government about the persecution and killing of Christians. He had initially said there were no seats available on the airplane but later that all changed. I did not know Mr. Forbes very well prior to the trip.

On the trip, I had the opportunity to ask the government of China at 8 or 10 meetings why they allowed Christians to be persecuted and killed, why the government imprisoned people for their spiritual beliefs. At first they denied having imprisoned anyone for religious beliefs. The Embassy then provided me a list of over 3,000 people the Chinese government had imprisoned, just for being Christian. As it turned out, the officials were actually a little surprised with the facts and all said they themselves felt no harm should come to people for expressing their beliefs in a peaceful fashion.

JIM RYUN STILL RUNNING STRONG

BY Steve Pearce, ON FEBRUARY 02, 2010

Jim Ryun Proves Good Guys Do Not Always Finish Last

I served in Congress with Jim Ryun, a Republican from Kansas. He is a conservative. He is one of the real guys. He is open and transparent about his faith.

We are the same age. I was in high school in Hobbs when he was a high school runner in Kansas. I watched the papers for what he was doing. It was electric. Here was a guy my age, 17 years old, who broke the 4 minute mile, still the only high school junior ever to do that. He was at the top of the world. As a senior he ran 3:55! Then, he finished second at the Mexico City Olympics in ‘68…at the ’72 Olympics, he was bumped by another runner and fell. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated 7 times. Set world records. He was the best.

I never thought I might know him personally, but when I got to Washington, there he was, leading a Congressional Bible Study. We were also both in the Congressional Prayer Caucus.

We both played on the Congressional Baseball team.

THINGS FROM THE SOTU THAT I WOULD GLADLY HELP THE PRESIDENT PASS

BY Steve Pearce, ON JANUARY 30, 2010

The President mentioned several things in his State of the Union speech which I would be happy to work to pass.

MANY DISCONNECTS IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

BY Steve Pearce, ON JANUARY 28, 2010

President Obama Blamed Republicans For Blocking Progress. What Is Actually Happening Is American Voters Are Blocking Progressives

It was a patented Obama speech.

The thing I am heard from Democrats last night is that he reached across the aisle. I heard the same words. America desperately needs this bipartisan effort. I want to believe the President.

The question is not about the words, but the meanings and the possibility that his words will happen.

PEARCE REACTS TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

BY Editor, ON JANUARY 27, 2010

For Immediate Release

January 27, 2010

Says the focus must remain on creating jobs and tackling the deficit

HOBBS, NM – Former Congressman Steve Pearce issued the following remarks this evening in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“The president proposed many spending programs now and savings in the future. This is the cycle that has created the deficit. We need to cut spending, not just slow it. The President must drastically change the path this Congress is going down in order to put our country back on the right track for economic stability.

The Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid led Democrats in Congress have spent recklessly. This congress passed a trillion dollar stimulus that failed. Passed job killing cap and trade legislation, and most recently passed a billion dollar government takeover of healthcare. These are all bad policies that have moved the American economy backwards and have resulted in more jobs lost.

PELOSI AND REID PLOT SECRET PLAN FOR OBAMACARE

BY Steve Pearce, ON JANUARY 26, 2010

I wanted to share this article posted today on DickMorris.com. It is incredibly alarming that Democrat leaders are crafting a plan to subvert the legislative process. I agree with Dick Morris and Eileen McGann in that this plan can be stopped, but those who are opposed to the health care bill, must speak up.

Pelosi and Reid Plot Secret Plan for Obamacare

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published on DickMorris.com on January 25, 2010

Highly informed sources on Capitol Hill have revealed to me details of the Democratic plan to sneak Obamacare through Congress, despite collapsing public approval for healthcare "reform" and disintegrating congressional support in the wake of Republican Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts.

President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid all have agreed to the basic framework of the plan.

Their plan is clever but can be stopped if opponents of radical healthcare reform act quickly and focus on a core group of 23 Democratic Congressman. If just a few of these 23 Democrats are "flipped" and decide to oppose the bill, the whole Obama-Pelosi-Reid stratagem falls apart.

Here's what I learned top Democrats are planning to implement.

THE DEMOCRAT BRAND IS BADLY DAMAGED

BY Editor, ON JANUARY 22, 2010

Interesting column today by Charlie Cook. He explains the dramatic shift in the political environment and the extent to which the Democrats "brand" is damaged.

Key excerpts:

Warnings began sounding last summer, and by now it seems impossible for Democrats to deny that something has gone terribly wrong for their party. In the year since President Obama's inauguration, their celebration has turned into a nightmare.

For Democrats, the first step toward recovery is admitting they have a problem: Over the past 12 months, they have badly damaged their brand.

Any Democrat with a pulse ought to be extremely alarmed by now: The same wave of independent voters that swept away the GOP's majorities in the House and Senate in 2006 could do the same to Democrats, at least in the House, this November 2.

An Ear-Splitting Alarm

Over the past 12 months, Democrats have badly damaged their brand.

by Charlie Cook