Health Care

As you may know, I opposed the massive intrusion of the government’s role in our private health care system each time it came before the House for a vote during the 111th Congress. During the heated debate two years ago, I received an overwhelming amount of phone calls, faxes, emails, and hard mail that stated the majority of those in the 5th Congressional District were not in support of this overhaul of the health care system.

The Affordable Care Act undermines the patient-physician relationship; it empowers the federal government with even greater authority through new physician, employer and benefit mandates; and from a financial standpoint, it is simply unsustainable. For these reasons, I voted in favor of H.R. 2, to repeal the health care law, and H.Res. 9, which instructs certain committees to report new legislation to replace the health care law.

I am grateful the House took the first step toward putting an end to the harmful provisions in this law. Unfortunately, efforts to repeal the law failed in the Senate by a vote of 51-47 on February 2, 2011. Rest assured, as Vice-Chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding to the Department of Health and Human Services, I am committed to halting and defunding the aspects of this law that the American people oppose and that will further strain on our economy.

I agree that some degree of reform is needed to improve our current health care system. However, we must endorse measures that will lower costs, protect jobs, and keep the patient’s needs at the heart. I look forward to working in this new Congress to replace the job-crushing health care law with positive patient-centered solutions.