Republican Legislators’ Statement on House of Representatives’ Approval of Hundreds of Millions in Tax Increases

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Representative Steven S. Howitt (R-Seekonk), House Republican conferee on the six-member transportation finance conference committee, issued the following statement in response to the House of Representatives’ vote to approve hundreds of millions in tax increases:

“This afternoon’s vote to increase taxes in Massachusetts will have devastating impacts on taxpayers and businesses across the state - immediately. By increasing revenues, the legislative majority has chosen to stifle business growth and further financially burden our hardworking residents for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, despite the House Republican Caucus’ proposal of an alternative transportation finance plan – free from any statewide tax increases – the residents of Massachusetts are on the verge of having to pay for the third major tax increase since Governor Patrick was sworn into office.

Taxpayers should find no solace in the fact that House Democrats approved a plan that is not nearly as costly as the Governor’s initial $1.9 billion proposal or the Senate’s $800 million plan. This tax increase is the by-product of one-party rule in the Commonwealth, and the taxpayers have the ability to reverse this crippling tax at the ballot in November of 2014.”

Get Out and Vote!

Regardless of your political affiliation, today is a very important day for the Commonwealth as thousands of voters are expected to turn out to vote in the special election for United States Senate. The race to fill the Senate seat vacated by John Kerry is between Cohasset businessman Gabriel Gomez and Congressman Ed Markey.

Most polls around the state will open at 7 a.m. this morning and will remain open until 8 p.m. this evening.

Click here to vote out where to vote.

Be sure to do your civic duty today - get out and vote!

House Minority Leader Brad Jones’ Statement on Implementation of Affordable Care Act

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to the adoption of House Bill 3452, An Act Implementing the Affordable Care Act and Providing Further Access to Affordable Health Care:

“By allowing Massachusetts’ historic healthcare law, passed in 2006, to be co-opted by a federal law, we are taking a step backwards. The legislation passed today will have detrimental impacts on small business and residents alike. Entrepreneurs in this state will see crippling tax increases, and taxpayers will pay significantly more for their health coverage.

Furthermore, I am astonished by the about-face of the Democratic majority over the course of seven months. Just last fall, while campaigning on behalf of President Obama, many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle sought to link the federal healthcare law to the law passed by Governor Romney. They claimed that the state’s plan was the model for the federal law. Contrary to these claims, today’s debate and this legislation provide a stark reminder of the difference between the state and federal law.

There is no disputing the fact that the Commonwealth has experienced growing pains with our own healthcare law, and we continue to work to address those issues. However, Governor Patrick and our Congressional delegation have done our state a great disservice by not advocating for enough flexibility in the federal plan to allow Massachusetts to continue in our ‘great experiment.’”

Representative Matt Beaton Appears on FOX-25 News

In case you missed it, Representative Matt Beaton (R-Shrewsbury) made an appearance on the FOX-25 Morning Show to discuss the soon-to-be-debated Supplemental Budget which contains many House Republican initiatives aimed at rooting out waste, fraud and abuse within the taxpayer-funded transitional assistance program.

Representative Beaton was on hand to offer perspective on the released Fiscal Year 2013 House Supplemental Budget. The budget includes a majority of the previously inoculated welfare reform provisions offered by members of the Republican Caucus, through two comprehensive amendments, during the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget debate.

The Shrewsbury Republican also reacted to Senate President Therese Murray’s recently released comprehensive EBT reform legislation.

To view the entire segment play the video posted below.

Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

House Minority Leader Brad Jones’ Statement on Electronic Benefits Transfer Reforms Contained in Supplemental Budget

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to reforms, contained in a mid-year supplemental budget, to the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program:

"I am pleased that the recently released Fiscal Year 2013 House Supplemental Budget includes a majority of the previously inoculated welfare reform provisions offered by members of the Republican Caucus, through two comprehensive amendments, during the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget debate.

By joining House Republicans in our ongoing attempt to overhaul and reform the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) program, Democratic leadership has finally heeded the call of the residents of the Commonwealth in ensuring that taxpayer-funded benefits are reserved for those who truly need them.

As a result, this mid-year budget makes great strides at reforming Massachusetts’ public assistance programs and includes the following Republican-led reforms:

• Immediate phase-in of photo ID on EBT cards;

• Expedited implementation of an Integrated Eligibility System that cross-checks recipient Social Security numbers with nine specific state and federal databases and 20 additional databases - to the extent that they are available;

• Establishment and use of an automated fingerprinting system for recipient identity verification;

• Termination of benefits when mail communications are returned to the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) as undeliverable;

• Mandate that DTA consider the assets and income of a welfare applicant's immigration sponsors; and

• Three year phase-in of an online payment system for, at minimum, rent and utilities.

I urge the House of Representative to pass these innovative measures, and I hope the majority in the Senate will be equally as committed to realizing the resounding effect of meaningful EBT reform."

Flag Day 2013

Today we take a moment to pay tribute to something that we might otherwise take for granted on a daily basis. On this day in 1777, the Continental Congress approved the design of a national flag, thus the celebration of Flag Day.

According to reports, in 1776, George Washington commissioned Philadelphia seamstress Betsy Ross to create a flag for the newly formed nation. At present, there have been twenty-seven official versions of the flag, but the arrangement of the stars varied according to the flag-makers' preferences until 1912 when President Taft standardized the then-new flag's forty-eight stars into six rows of eight. The current version of the flag dates to July 4, 1960, after Hawaii became the 50th state.

The Commonwealth also happens to be home to one of the longest-running Flag Day parades. Since its inception in 1952, the Flag Day parade is held annually in Quincy, Massachusetts. This year the parade celebrates its 62nd anniversary.

House Minority Leader Brad Jones’ Statement on Potential Increase to Massachusetts’ Minimum Wage

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development’s hearing which included consideration of legislation to raise the Commonwealth’s minimum wage:

“As drafted, I am not supportive of the three bills before the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development which attempt to address the state’s minimum wage.

Any discussion pertaining to increasing the minimum wage at which employees in Massachusetts are paid must include, in part, serious consideration of substantial reforms to our unemployment insurance system, as well as due attention to the elimination of the outdated practice of paying retail employees time and a half for work on Sundays.

Until this conversation takes place, I cannot in good faith endorse any of the current proposals.”

House Minority Leader’s Statement on Passing of Former Governor Paul Cellucci

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to the passing of Former Governor Paul Cellucci:

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my former colleague and close friend Paul Cellucci. Paul was the epitome of a dedicated and honorable public servant and will be greatly missed by the residents of the Commonwealth upon whose lives he had such a great and lasting impact.

From his time as an elected official in his hometown of Hudson, to his tenure on Beacon Hill, and later as ambassador to Canada, Paul was an extremely humble and hardworking individual.

When diagnosed with ALS, Paul wasted no time transitioning from patient to staunch advocate. His continued dedication to helping find a cure will have an impact on the medical community for years to come.

I join with Governor Cellucci’s former colleagues on Beacon Hill, friends and constituents in offering my deepest condolences to his entire family during this difficult time.”

Representative Keiko Orrall Appears on FOX-25 News

In case you missed it, Representative Keiko Orrall (R-Lakeville) made an appearance on the FOX-25 Morning Show to discuss the waste, fraud and abuse within the taxpayer-funded transitional assistance program.

Representative Orrall was on hand to give an impassioned plea for common-sense, substantive EBT reform. The interview comes on the heels of a bi-partisan letter which was sent to the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Conference Committee. In the letter, 39 State Representatives and Senators urged the Committee to strike out the five letter word in the House engrossed budget which stands between the Commonwealth and meaningful welfare reforms: STUDY.

To view the entire segment play the video posted below.

Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

69th Anniversary of D-Day

On this, the 69th anniversary of the Allied forces storming the beaches of Normandy, we wish to remember all of the brave soldiers who lost their lives fighting to ensure the freedoms of others.

June 6, 1944 is a day that will not soon be forgotten. The military engagement that occurred on this day has long been considered the turning point of World War II in the European theater. Soon after the landing in Normandy, troops left France and continued on through Europe and into Germany. The United States military liberated millions while toppling the Nazi regime. Currently, there are more veterans of the historic D-Day invasion than any other engagement in WWII.

Today, and every other day, we wish to remember the sacrifices and the commitment of the men and women who have served, and continue to serve in the United States Armed Forces.

House Minority Leader’s Statement on Public Housing Restrictions for Undocumented Aliens

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) issued the following statement today in response to the House of Representatives’ placement of restrictions on public housing for undocumented aliens:

“By prohibiting individuals who do not qualify for federally subsidized housing from displacing duly qualified persons on Massachusetts housing waiting lists, the Legislature has taken a necessary step in the prioritization of taxpayer-funded benefits.

The amendment passed today by the House of Representative recognizes that there continues to be a limited amount of public housing in the Commonwealth, and ensures that those vital resources will be available for those who have played by the rules and have demonstrated a need for public assistance.”

House and Senate Legislators Issue Letter Regarding Welfare Reform

Led by House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr (R-Gloucester), a bi-partisan group of House and Senate legislators submitted a letter Monday to the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Conference Committee, asking them to strike out the five letter word in the House engrossed budget which stands between the Commonwealth and meaningful welfare reforms: STUDY.

The letter to the Conference Committee comes on the heels of an explosive report by State Auditor Suzanne Bump, in which it was revealed that millions of dollars was spent on the distribution of taxpayer funded welfare benefits to deceased recipients and duplicate dependents.

“Members of the Fiscal Year Budget Conference Committee have two options,” said Representative Brad Jones. “They can either choose to remove two unnecessary welfare reform studies from the state budget, thus protecting the Commonwealth’s hardworking taxpayers and ensuring welfare benefits are reserved for the state’s neediest residents, or they can further delay substantive and comprehensive reform to the state’s EBT system by choosing to further study this issue. The ball is in their court.”

Garnering the support of legislators from both Chambers, the letter respectfully requests that “that the Conference Committee cast aside political gamesmanship in exchange for the progress needed to ensure, once and for all, that Massachusetts’ welfare benefits are reserved for those who are truly eligible and in need of our assistance.”

The letter goes on to say that Senate Republicans, as well as several Senate Democrats, argued for the inclusion substantial and reasonable eligibility reforms and public assistance abuse prevention provisions of in their version of the state budget, but were defeated.

“In the face of ever increasing evidence that welfare dollars are consumed through waste and fraud rather than going to people who truly need them, the conferees should waste no time in approving practical measures that will help to rebuild and restore the integrity of a multi-billion dollar welfare system,” said Senator Tarr. “The option to act in defense of taxpayers and legitimate recipients is on the table, and they should take it.”

  Some of the other targeted reforms that the legislators would like to see included in the final version of the state budget, which will be sent to Governor Patrick for his approval, include:

(1) the expedited establishment and integration of EOHHS’ Integrated Eligibility System (IES) with the Department of Transitional Assistance;

(2) the requirement that the IES cross-check Social Security Numbers (SSNs), at the point of application, with a minimum of 9 specific state and federal databases and 20 additional optional databases, to the extent that they are available;

(3) the prohibition of the use of numerical identifiers as placeholders for SSNs for periods in excess of 3 months;

(4) the immediate phase-in of photo ID on EBT cards for cardholders over the age of 18, beginning 6 months following the passage of the bill;

(5) the prohibition of out of state EBT card use except in states contiguous to Massachusetts;

(6) the increase of the potential fines on retailers who violate EBT prohibitions, as recommended by the most recent Cashless Commission;

(7) the prohibition of the use of self-declarations as verification of applicant eligibility; and

(8) the phase-in of the implementation of an online payment system for rent and utility payments that would provide recipients with more flexibility to pay bills and an added resource to budget benefits, while providing the Commonwealth with greater oversight over the use of cash assistance.

The Conference Committee will begin their deliberations on the Fiscal Year 2014 state budget later this week.

EBTLetter to CC