Action On Healthcare

During the 110th Congress, I have agreed to co-sponsor the following selected measures which deal with healthcare. This is not a comprehensive list of all the legislation I have co-sponsored related to healthcare. You can view a comprehensive list at the Legislation Co-Sponsored Section of this site or through the Library of Congress Thomas site.

Legislation I've supported includes:  

• S. 1673, A bill to facilitate the export of United States agricultural products to Cuba as authorized by the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000, to remove impediments to the export to Cuba of medical devices and medicines, to allow travel to Cuba by United States citizens, to establish an agricultural export promotion program with respect to Cuba, and for other purposes. Introduced June 21, 2007.
• S. 334, the Healthy Americans Act, is the first bipartisan health reform bill to cover all Americans not already eligible for Medicare or military coverage.  The plan provides for affordable, private health insurance and offers participants choices how they receive health care.  It allows for health care plans to transfer with employment changes, promotes proactive wellness plans and reforms the insurance market so that insurers are forced to compete on price, benefits and quality.  In addition, all taxpayers would receive a standard tax deduction for health care costs.
• S. 1160, a bill to ensure an abundant and affordable supply of highly nutritious fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops for American consumers and international markets by enhancing the competitiveness of United States-grown specialty crops. Introduced April 19, 2007.
• S. 1036, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit human cloning. Introduced March 29, 2007.
• S. 773, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums. Introduced March 6, 2007.
• S. 718, a bill to optimize the delivery of critical care medicine and expand the critical care workforce. Introduced February 28, 2007.
• S. 640, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish an Office of Men's Health. Introduced February 15, 2007.
• S. 507, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for reimbursement of certified midwife services and to provide for more equitable reimbursement rates for certified nurse-midwife services. Introduced February 6, 2007.
• S. 474, a bill to award a congressional gold medal to Michael Ellis DeBakey, M.D. Introduced February 1, 2007.
• S. 399, a bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to include podiatrists as physicians for purposes of covering physicians services under the Medicaid program. Introduced January 25, 2007.
• S. 398, a bill to amend the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act to identify and remove barriers to reducing child abuse, to provide for examinations of certain children, and for other purposes. Introduced January 25, 2007.
• S. 356,a bill to ensure that women seeking an abortion are fully informed regarding the pain experienced by their unborn child. Introduced January 22, 2007.
• S. 329, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for cardiac rehabilitation and pulmonary rehabilitation services. Introduced January 18, 2007.
• S. 43, a bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to preserve and protect Social Security benefits of American workers and to help ensure greater congressional oversight of the Social Security system by requiring that both Houses of Congress approve a totalization agreement before the agreement, giving foreign workers Social Security benefits, can go into effect. Introduced January 4, 2007.
• S.Res. 198, a resolution designating May 15, 2007, as "National MPS Awareness Day". Introduced May 14, 2007; passed/agreed to in Senate on May 14, 2007.
• S. Res. 213, a resolution supporting National Men's Health Week. Introduced May 22, 2007; passed/agreed to in Senate on June 14, 2007.
• S. Res. 221, a resolution supporting National Peripheral Arterial Disease Awareness Month and efforts to educate people about peripheral arterial disease. Introduced June 6, 2007.

Other actions I have taken to support Idaho healthcare initiatives include:

• In February 2007, I joined with several of my Senate colleagues to call for bipartisan health care reform. Many Idahoans are concerned about the access to and affordability of quality healthcare, and it is a priority to me to find workable solutions to meet those concerns. In a letter to President Bush, my colleagues and I outlined six areas that must be addressed to improve the U.S. healthcare system. We pledged to help move legislation forward that would meet those goals. Click here to view a PDF file of the letter which was sent to President Bush.

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