Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Congressman Larry Bucshon M.D. (R-Ind.-08) today voted against President Biden’s Budget Buster, H.R. 5376. This spending scam comes with a $1.7 trillion-dollar price tag and will add $367 billion to the deficit. This will lead to higher prices for everyday goods, increased regulation, and no action to address the crippling supply chain issues affecting our country. In Indiana, there are record high inflation numbers, labor shortages, and supply chain issues that are crippling Hoosier employers and shutting down small businesses. 

Congressman Bucshon released the following statement on H.R. 5376 as a whole:

“At a time when gas prices are soaring and everyday items are seemingly costing more than ever, Speaker Pelosi and Washington Democrats, led by President Biden, continue to shove massive spending bills through Congress that are going to hurt Main Street Hoosiers. In this package alone, they will tax every Hoosier up to $242 dollars more to heat their homes, send the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nearly $80 billion to expand the agency and spy on Hoosiers, grant mass amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, increase regulations on Indiana small business, and do absolutely nothing to address the labor shortages, inflation, and supply chain issues crippling our country. 

“This entire sham process has made one thing clear. Washington Democrats are more focused on their own political agenda than creating solutions for some of the biggest issues facing our country today. The American people deserve better.” 

On the Price Control Provisions for Prescription Drugs: 

“In the midst of the pandemic, we have seen the value of innovation in health care. Thanks to Operation Warp Speed, multiple COVID-19 vaccines were available less than a year after the novel virus crossed our borders, saving countless lives. Now, Washington Democrats want to threaten innovation by setting price controls for prescription drugs. There is no disagreement that we need to find a way for hard-working Americans to afford their prescription drugs, and I support legislation that does just that. However, government price setting will ultimately lead to fewer cures and treatments for Americans. For example, because of Australia’s price controls for prescription drugs, they enjoy access to only 41% of the total drugs available to American patients. As a physician, I know all too well that eliminating just one new drug is one drug too many. The thought of doctors not being able to help save lives because patients no longer have access to life saving cures is not a risk I am willing to take,” said Congressman Bucshon.

On the Heat your Home Tax Provision: 

“With some estimates showing that nearly 20 percent of Hoosiers had to reduce or forgo spending on basic household necessities like food and medicine last year to pay for their energy bill, it is unthinkable that Speaker Pelosi and Congressional Democrats have proposed a tax that would make it more expensive to heat your home. With Indiana having many winter nights well below freezing, attempting to raise energy bills by up to 54 percent is not in the best interest of Hoosiers,” said Congressman Bucshon.

On the Expansion of the IRS: 

“The passage of Biden’s Budget Buster will send nearly $80 billion to the IRS so they can hire more agents to snoop on Hoosiers. Not only will this infringe on individuals’ privacy rights, it also will give the agency broad authority to target families, farmers, and small businesses in Southwest and West Central Indiana,” said Congressman Bucshon. 

Other Provisions in the Democrats’ Spending Scam:

• Grants mass amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.
• Does not include the Hyde Amendment, allowing taxpayer dollars to be used to fund on-demand abortions. 
• Retroactively raises State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions for wealthy coastal elites.  This is the second biggest program in the bill and the Washington Post said “would primarily benefit the top 10 percent of income earners.” 
• Perpetuates labor shortages by eliminating work requirements to receive welfare benefits for able bodied adults - at a time when there are over 10.4 million job openings nationwide. 
• Expands Obamacare subsidies through 2025, overwhelmingly benefiting wealthier Americans and subsidizing people who already have insurance. 
• Unnecessarily expands Medicare benefits at a time when the program is going broke, ultimately harming choices for our seniors. 
• Over $400 billion in small business tax hikes, which will be shouldered by Main Street job creators.
• Impedes and bans domestic energy and mineral production, increasing our dependencies on resources supplied by OPEC, Russia, and China.

Raises taxes on natural gas, making worse the already high energy prices.