Frank Guinta demonstrates his ignorance in Congress!

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"Guinta shows he is in over his head in Congress"
Seacoastonline.com - Letter to the Editor - June 01, 2011

May 31 — To the Editor:

We elected Rep. Frank Guinta to Congress last November, but that doesn't mean he's qualified for the job. It was apparent this week that he is in over his head.

Guinta sits on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and its Subcommittee on Organization and Financial Management, giving him an opportunity to question the Obama administration on banking and other matters. On May 24, his subcommittee took testimony from Elizabeth Warren, a strong consumer protection advocate charged with setting up with new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a target of Republicans trying to protect the banks from regulation.

Mr. Guinta embarrassed himself and New Hampshire voters. Here is the key excerpt from his five minutes of questioning (you can see it at http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/BureauOve/start/2337/stop/3593):

Mr. Guinta: "Can you tell me why there's a necessity for a five-year fixed term when I don't believe anyone else in history has had that period of time as an appointment?"

Ms. Warren: "Congressman, I think many terms are five-year fixed terms. It's my understanding that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency finished his five-year term last August."

Mr. Guinta: "But those entities, I think, are at the discretion of Congress — there's an oversight process through appropriations. You're excluded from that."

Ms. Warren: "No, congressman, I'm sorry, but that's not the rule with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. There is no banking regulator who is subject to the political process or to appropriations. All banking regulators are funded independently ... (from assessments on banks)."

Ms. Warren went on to instruct Mr. Guinta in the basics of the industry his subcommittee oversees. Mr. Guinta knows he disagrees with Ms. Warren, but he can't get the details straight about why.

Mr. Guinta sounds reasonable, if you don't look too closely at his actual positions: opposing consumer financial protection, replacing Medicare with vouchers, opposing job creation programs, giving oil companies free leases if they have to give up their subsidies. But we've elected a tea party ideologue to represent us in Congress. Next time, we need to do better.

Bill Duncan
New Castle, NH

Frank Guinta votes against raising debt limit!

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"Raise the debt ceiling...so U.S. can meet financial obligations"
seacoastonline.com - Letter to the Editor - May 31, 2011

To the Editor:

If Congress does not vote to raise the debt limit, virtually all economists, both conservative and liberal, agree that bad things will happen.

The country is not like a household, it can't just skip a payment or two and send a check later. The debt limit needs to increase so that the country can continue to meet financial obligations.

Republican Congressional leaders and the president also agree that bad things will happen if the debt limit is not raised. But that is not preventing Congressional Republicans from playing "chicken" with the issue. And, shamefully, both New Hampshire Congressman Frank Guinta and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte are going along with Republican leadership on this.

When I was growing up, if Republicans and Democrats agreed that action was needed on an important issue, if they agreed what needed to be done, then they would take action. In this case, action is simple, and can happen any time. Vote to raise the debt limit. Prevent the country from defaulting on its obligations.

But Guinta, Ayotte and their Republican leaders are pointing a gun at the economy of the country, and if they don't get their way on other things, they are threatening to pull the trigger. I've seen spoiled children with more sense.

It's the obligation of both the president and Congress to make this happen, not to use it as a negotiating device for separate agendas. I thought Guinta and Ayotte could be independent, could be voices of reason, but apparently not. This is sad and shameful.

Greg Tillman
Epping, NH

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U.S. Representative Frank Guinta (R, NH-01) voted against H.R. 1954, a clean bill authorizing an additional $2.4 trillion increase in the federal government debt ceiling. (A "clean" bill does not contain any amendments, conditions or restrictions, such as a reduction in federal spending.) The measure was defeated in a lopsided bipartisan vote. Frank Guinta said his vote against increasing the debt ceiling is an important step in restoring fiscal responsibility to the nation's finances. Frank Guinta said, "I will only consider raising the debt ceiling in another bill later on if --and only if-- it contains significant cuts in federal spending and meaningful budgetary reforms. Otherwise, I will vote "no' again."

Source: "Rep. Frank Guinta Votes Against Clean Bill to Raise the Debt Ceiling" (Statement by Frank Guinta, May 31, 2011).

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