Newt 2012Yesterday in Des Moines, Iowa, Speaker Gingrich lambasted the concept of the super committee as a “maniacally stupid” idea.

Dear Friend and Supporter, Newt 2012Yesterday in Des Moines, Iowa, Speaker Gingrich lambasted the concept of the super committee as a “maniacally stupid” idea. “We should reject any effort to blackmail us into accepting a dumb idea on the grounds that in July we accepted an even dumber idea.” The current model, with the prospect of $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts if no agreement is reached, will lead to really bad and destructive decisions. It is as though someone said: "I will be forced to shoot you in the head unless you let me cut off your leg." Speaker Gingrich is in a unique position to criticize the super committee because during his tenure as Speaker, the federal government balanced the budget for four straight years, paid off more than $400 billion in publicly held debt, reformed welfare, and lowered taxes to stimulate economic growth. This fiscal discipline and government reform liberated the American people to create 11 million new jobs. Furthermore, after four years of Newt’s leadership, the 10-year projected deficit of $2.7 trillion turned into a projection of $2.3 trillion in surplus! Speaker Gingrich’s bold plan will tackle the budget crisis through growth and innovation and includes five substantive policies: Block Granting Means-Tested Welfare Programs to the States: Block granting Medicaid and other means-tested welfare programs to the states could save up to $3.25 trillion for the federal government and $1.4 trillion for the states over the next decade. New Revenue from Oil and Natural Gas Development and Opening Up Federal Lands for Development: A study released by Wood Mackenzie notes that increasing access to American oil and natural gas could bring in over $800 billion in new government revenues by 2030. Save Billions by Reforming the FDA and Investing in New Research: In the 21st Century Contract with America, Speaker Gingrich outlined this plan to reform the FDA to expedite the time it takes a medical breakthrough to reach a patient, as well as giving a new emphasis to researching and understanding how the human brain works. Independent estimates find that the combined public and private cost of Alzheimer's alone will reach $20 trillion dollars over the next four decades. Making investments today that could delay the onset of the disease by only five years could save between $5 and $10 trillion in both private and public spending between now and 2050. Save $5 Trillion Over Ten Years through Lean Six Sigma: Lean Six Sigma is a management technique utilized by companies like Motorola and Boeing to streamline and improve efficiency in their manufacturing processes. If applied across the entire federal government, some estimate it could save $500 billion a year or $5 trillion over a ten-year period. Attack Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid: The Center for Health Transformation estimates there is between $70 and $120 billion in fraud annually in Medicare and Medicaid. By employing fraud detection techniques utilized by credit card companies, we could save between $700 billion and $1.2 trillion in the next ten years. This plan is far more thorough and sophisticated than anything proposed by any other candidate for president, and it's exactly what America needs at this very moment. With the very real problems this country faces, we need a president with the knowledge, experience, and leadership to enact a plan to restore some sanity to the government's budgetary process! That's why I'm asking you to stand with Newt today. Please, invest in this campaign - and the future of America - by making a generous contribution today. We know that every contribution is a sacrifice, and all of us at Newt 2012 are humbled daily by your continued support. Thank You, RC Hammond Press Secretary Newt 2012