Thank you for reading the Carson Courier! For additional information, please visit my website at http://www.carson.house.gov.

In this week’s Carson Courier:

• Time for America to Get Back to Basics
• Meeting with Seniors to Discuss Medicare

Time for America To Get Back to Basics

Last Friday, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) downgraded America’s credit rating while questioning our political system’s ability to fix our economy, and the stock market had a roller coaster week.  I believe this was, in part, because many Republicans in the U.S. House would rather preserve tax breaks for big oil companies, millionaires, and corporations that export American jobs than make smart investments in job creation.  Nonetheless, it is critical that Hoosiers recognize that investors around the world still view the U.S. as a solid investment.  Anyone who says otherwise does not appreciate American resolve.

America simply needs to get back to basics.  This means making smart investments in people.  In the short run, this means passing a transportation bill in September that will employ thousands by putting them to work repairing our infrastructure.  

In the long run, we must commit ourselves to renewing an America that makes things.  Once our manufacturers start employing American workers to make goods, we can start rebuilding our middle class.  We can help by offering assistance to companies willing to hire American workers to expand their production.  A solid example is Allison Transmission, which received a $63 million grant to build environmentally-friendly, hybrid transmissions.  By assisting Allison build and sell transmissions  internationally, we created American jobs, improved our trade deficit and air quality, and improved our debt situation.  Nothing reduces debt faster than turning people who currently need our help for basic necessities into taxpayers.  But most importantly, we helped families.  Nothing creates stress and disharmony in a household like financial strain.  It’s time we did more to lift that burden from families, and as long as we stay committed to the basics, America will shine again. 

Meeting with Seniors to Discuss Medicare

Tomorrow, I will be hosting my third panel of experts in the area of senior healthcare to answer questions about Medicare and to discuss the impact the debt ceiling deal may have on the program. Many of my constituents expressed concern over earlier efforts by the Republican leaders in the House to increase prescription drug costs for millions of seniors and eliminate the free preventive services seniors receive under the Affordable Care Act.  While the most recent budget deal fortunately avoided direct cuts, the payments Medicare makes to doctors and hospitals for services provided to seniors are under attack.  While I recognize the urgent need to reduce the deficit, our seniors – many of whom live on fixed incomes – should not be asked to unfairly shoulder the burden to preserve tax breaks for millionaires and oil corporations making record profits.

Medicare is not simply an entitlement program that starts at age 65 -- it is earned over a lifetime. It is a promise that has been forged with all Americans. After working their whole lives and contributing to the economy and their communities, Americans deserve access to reliable, affordable medical coverage. I am committed to ensuring that this sacred trust between America and its seniors remains as strong as ever.

WHAT:              Medicare Panel Discussion

WHEN:             Tuesday, August 16, 2011

10-11 a.m.

WHERE:           Beech Grove Senior Center

602 Main Street

Beech Grove, IN 46107

To read some of my previous statements on protecting Medicare, click here and here.

Thank you for reading the Carson Courier.  Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and concerns. For more information, visit my website at http://www.carson.house.gov, my Congressional Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/CongressmanAndreCarson and follow me on Twitter @RepAndreCarson.  I value your views and your input, which help me better represent the people of Indiana’s 7^th District.