Federal Employees Health Benefit Program

The Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, the Senate's alternative to the "Public Option" in the current health care bill, remains a government-regulated and managed program whose costs are rising faster than average compared to the private sector according to the CBO. So much so that nearly 100,000 Federal Employees are opting out of the program because of increased costs and reduced coverage. We need to return the power of government back the people of this country.

1st Congressional Candidate Ryan Buckhannon's announcement speech

Who would have thought that some ten years ago when I first started my political journey, that I would be here today. Actually politics was never a path that I intended to take. But I believe life’s journey and experiences ultimately drives ones future and direction. Trying to create a better recreation facility for my community first directed me to run for office. I recall pushing around my then four month old triplet boys door to door campaigning on a promise to do just that. And we did. I couldn’t ask for a better place to live and raise my family. We have the Atlantic Ocean in our front yard and the Intracoastal Waterway in the back. We are fortunate to be surrounded the beauty of the coastal environment. I have been able to enjoy these adjacent wetlands, marshes, estuaries & inlets for many years and would like to see that my boys have the same opportunity.

I could not have been able to serve this great community and maintain the beautiful resources that we have without the support of my family and friends. There are many people that I need to thank and acknowledge who have allowed me to continue to serve the people of this great city. First of all, my beautiful wife Sonya. The love of my life. Sonya and I have been married 16 ½ years. She gives up her time every month, year after year, so that I can continue to do what I love and give my time to the residents of the Isle of Palms. My boys, those four month olds baby boys that I pushed around are now 10 year old young men. These boys are just as much a part of the city as I am, I would not be surprised to see them someday serving this community in the same capacity that I have. My parents Jim and Shirley Buckhannon, who would stand on the corner of Palm Blvd and the Connector for hours on end every election campaigning for their son. My inlaws, Gary and Louise Frey who would drop whatever they are doing to help watch the boys or help with a campaign. Our City administrator, Linda Tucker, and fellow councilmember who have worked in concert to accomplish the city’s work. For example; Today we are here in front of what I consider the best public safety building in the state. This building is an example of how elected government officials with different ideas and can work together to take the necessary steps to plan for the future of its community and its residents. This building is for the men and women who occupy it and put their lives on the line everyday to protect our community, and they deserve nothing less.

I am often asked why I have chosen to run for public office; ultimately the answer always comes back to “create a better place for my boys to live and grow”. I have always tried to instill in them to leave things better than what they found them. And I believe that I have been able to do that here in our city. As a parent, one is always trying to protect their children and do what is best for them.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are living in troubled some trouble times. And I can not live with the idea, based upon the values that I have instilled in my boys that I have not tried to do something about it. I could just as easily sit around and complain about what I see is wrong in our government. I could just as easily be a Monday morning quarterback and complain about the decisions that our politicians are making everyday in Washington. I could sit around and complain and continue to let lobbyist be the policy makers for our representative. Or, I could just sit around, do nothing, wishing for Hope for Change. Well we’ve all seen where that has gotten us so far.

1. Over $800 billion paid in bail outs to business that failed to make the appropriate decisions to work within their means. This amount ultimately equates to $1.16 trillion over time with interest.
2. A rushed health care bill that has an expected cost somewhere between $2.4 and $2.6 trillion over the next 10 years.
3. A 10.2% national unemployment rate, the highest it has been in over 26 years. And 11.6% unemployment here in the state of South Carolina.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are living in troubled some trouble times. But this blame does not fall squarely on the shoulders of the liberal democrats in office. Remember just over a year ago, October 3^rd 2008; we had many in our own party vote to subsidize Wall Street and Wall Street Executives with a 350 billion dollar TARP bailout. That action awoke a sleeping giant. It started Tea Party Protests and 9/12 rallies in this state and around the country. Samuel Adams once said “It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.” Well, only then did our representative get the message and vote against the second TARP bailout to save their jobs. I got more and more upset with our representation that we had in Washington. It was at that time that I kept saying something else had to be done. The idea that my children, my neighbors children were going to be burdened with an unforeseeable tax debt was unimaginable. It only took my boys to say, “Well, Dad, are you going to do something about it?” Well I am.

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Ryan Buckhannon and I am running for the First Congressional Seat for the State of South Carolina.

The federal government is spending way too much, running massive budget deficits, and ultimately heading toward a financial crisis. Without a change of direction in Washington, average working families will be faced with huge tax increases and a lower standard of living. We need to get back to limited government. Too often limited government is confused with anti-government. That’s not the case, all we need to do is appreciate the lessons of history and the dangers of an unconstrained government. The American Founders established a system of government based on delegated, enumerated, and thus limited powers. It gives them the authority and means to protect our rights, but not so powerful as to destroy or negate them. Thomas Jefferson once said that “A Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have….The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases”

I have right here the foundation of our country. Basically the instruction manual for how our country’s leaders are to perform their duties. It is all of 50 pages. It includes the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States as well as all 27 amendments. Every member of congress should have this on them at all times. Somewhere along the way Government has lost their copy of the constitution. But don’t worry, there’re free, and we can get more.

People, Government is broken, from social security, agriculture, education, energy, commerce and taxes. I could go on and on. Therefore one of my main goals is to decrease the size of the federal government. Ronald Reagan once said, “Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” Why it could not have been said better. Today’s government has become a self-defeating cycle of handouts and bailouts. Eliminating the government waste and attached pork within every department of the Congress need to be our number priority before any new government programs are created. This would includes fixing Medicare. Improper payments last year alone total $17 billion and that occurs on a yearly basis. Improper Medicaid payments run close to $33 billion annually.

My fiends, Congressional House members just passed a 2000 page health care bill, 2000 pages. The document that shapes our nation is only took 6 pages long. Health care reform needs to start with tort reform, a loser-pays legal system and the ability to purchase health care insurance across state lines. One of the provisions of the bill that passed the in the House this past Saturday will impose a new 8 percent payroll tax on employers who do not cover specified percentages of their employees' health insurance. That is an additional 8% that has to come from somewhere, ultimately comes from cutting wages or other benefits. In the end, the full cost of this bill will be over $2 trillion. The new House bill is clearly just more of the same. Increased government intervention and higher taxes that will not improve the health care system. Increasing the enrollment in a costly and troubled government program will only add to the rising costs of care.

Social Security reform is not an option, but a necessity, and congress should act now. By 2017, Social Security will be paying out more in benefits than it takes in through taxes. In actuality, Social Security is supposed to continue payments after 2017 until the year 2041 through the Social Security Trust Fund. But, because of greedy politicians in Washington felt it necessary to fund their own pet projects with our money, there is nothing left but government bonds (basically IOUs) that will eventually have to be repaid by you the tax payers our even worse my boys, your children. Even if Congress found a way to pay back all the IOU the trust fund, we would still be out of money by 2041. So Clearly, Social Security is not sustainable in its current form. And it needs to change. I have a plan for that change.

The federal government takes about $2.8 trillion in federal taxes from families and businesses each year. This taking imposes a huge economic cost. The most visible cost is people being left with less money to buy food, clothing, and other needed items, while businesses are left with fewer funds for investment. We need to replace our antiquated tax code with a fair tax system that will not punish the producers and reward the non-producers. What we need is a simple and transparent tax system. If the government imposed only one tax a Fair Tax, the people could easily compare the cost of government with the costs of other items in their budget, such as clothing, food and housing. An efficient tax system is one that minimizes distortions that affect working, saving, investing, and entrepreneurship. South Carolina small business employers account for over 97% of the state’s employers, and 50% of its private-sector employment. I represent that group. I know firsthand that the harder we work and the more successful our company becomes, the greater the tax burden that we have to bear. Unfortunately, the current income tax greatly distorts productive activities and diverts resources into lower-valued uses. And it needs to change. I have a plan for that change.

As I mentioned earlier, we could not be more fortunate to be where we are. District 1 accounts for the majority of the South Carolina coastline. We need to continue to support the protection of South Carolina’s beautiful coastline and barrier islands, which are both essential to a healthy environment and serve as an economical resource for the State through tourism. At the time, Reagan belied that the Coastal Barrier Resources Act would enhance both wise natural resource conservation and fiscal responsibility. It was designed to save American taxpayers millions of dollars while, at the same time, taking a major step forward in the conservation of our magnificent coastal resources. As a City Councilman on the Isle of Palms, I have seen first hand both the devastating effects and financial impact of building too closely to a coast which is continually shifting in response to the forces of wind, wave, and tidal action. The development of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act was a proactive action to save taxpayers an estimated $1.3 billion since its passage in 1982

Last but not least we need to continue Supporting our troops and men and women in all uniforms who put themselves in harms way to defend our rights. We are continually fighting against extremist who want to bring harm upon this great nation. We need to support those who defend our freedoms and liberties everyday. We need to support those families who give their husbands & wives, fathers & mothers, brothers & sisters that protect us at the City to State to Federal levels. Government’s efforts should focus on those counterterrorism policies that will most likely reduce the threat of mass casualty attacks. These effective tactics include infiltrating and disrupting terror groups. It is essential that we need targeted, lawful surveillance of terrorists and terror suspects. Many nations are saber rattling, testing the new administration. Taking reasonable precautions to secure against likely vectors of attack on infrastructure is important and necessary, as is preparing for attacks and their aftermaths.

I’ll end on this quote, because these words ring very true today “You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by encouraging class hatred. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence, you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.” Abraham Lincoln.

So I ask you today for your support and to stand behind me as I take on the status quo in Washington and campaign for South Carolinas First Congressional House.

God Bless you and this great state of South Carolina.