Venango County Tea Party Patriots

A non-partisan, non-profit, non-member, association dedicated to educating the public and promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free market economics, and all other lawful activities.

Senator Pat Toomey

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Toomey Pushes Debt Payment Prioritization

Senator Pat Toomey said he disagreed with strong White House opposition to legislation to set top priorities for government payments after this month’s expiration of the debt ceiling extension.

Toomey vowed to push for action on his own alternative to the prioritization proposal (HR 807) that passed the House 221-207 on Thursday. The White House threatened to veto that measure, sponsored by GOP Rep. Tom McClintock of California, which requires the government to cover two priorities: U.S. bondholders, and the Social Security trust funds, which hold Treasury bonds.

Toomey’s bill would go beyond that by including military salaries and making the guarantee of Social Security payments to beneficiaries explicit.

“I think we should do it,” Toomey said. “I like my version better. I think it would be constructive.”

The GOP moves in the House and Senate are aimed at minimizing Wall Street concerns about a default in case of an impasse — and at taking leverage away from Democrats who pointed to mounting worries in the business world during the 2011 showdown over the debt ceiling.

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Toomey Vows to Fight Ethanol Mandate

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) on Friday vowed to fight against ethanol mandates during the next Congress after the Environmental Protection Agency refused to waive the regulations.

“I’m disappointed that the EPA chose to disregard the impact this growing mandate will have on Americans’ food costs by denying the waiver request I supported,” Toomey said in a statement Friday. “It’s time for Congress to put an end to ethanol mandates, and I look forward to working on this during the 113th Congress.”

The fuel standard requires refiners to blend roughly 13 billion gallons of ethanol into gasoline.

Several states requested waivers from the EPA’s federal Renewable Fuel Standard, citing “severe economic harm.” Opponents of the fuel standard argued that drought-driven spikes in corn prices this year should prompt the agency to relax the requirements.

Toomey said the ethanol mandate hurts his constituents and the economy.

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Toomey to Force Vote on Ryan Budget

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), an influential voice on budget issues in the Senate, adopted Ryan’s Medicare plan in the budget proposal he unveiled Wednesday.

He said he will force the Senate to vote on the proposal later this year by taking advantage of a rule that allows any senator to offer a budget if the Budget Committee fails to act.

Senate Democrats do not plan to schedule a vote on their own budget measure.

Last year, Toomey’s budget eschewed the controversial Medicare reforms included in the House Republicans’ fiscal year 2012 budget. He called for a 10-year, $300 billion fix to eliminate scheduled cuts in doctor payments but otherwise preserved Medicare’s status quo.

Toomey made a point Wednesday of reminding reporters that Ryan’s latest Medicare overhaul has bipartisan support.

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