Health Care
While health care reform is needed in order to reduce costs, increase coverage, and improve quality of care, a government takeover of the health care system is the wrong prescription at the wrong time. We cannot allow the federal government to control one-sixth of the U.S. economy. Even more importantly, we cannot allow government bureaucrats to make health care decisions that should be made by doctors and patients.
The health care reform legislation will force families and individuals to give up their current health insurance, reduce benefits and increase costs for senior citizens, and destroy jobs by increasing taxes on small businesses. In addition, it will balloon our national debt, which will be a burden to future generations. When I arrived to Washington I made it a priority to make my position on this clear. The first vote I took as a member of Congress was to repeal the health care reform package, and the first bill I authored was to deauthorize and rescind funding for it. I have cosponsored almost a dozen bills to repeal parts or all of the reform.
I support common-sense reforms that include increased competition and choice of plans to lower costs, protecting the sacred doctor-patient relationship, ensuring those with preexisting conditions have access to affordable coverage, expanding health savings accounts, and enacting medical tort reform which will save us billions by decreasing “defensive medicine.” These market-based, patient-centered improvements are the key to expanding access, increasing coverage, and providing quality, affordable health care to all Americans.
Furthermore, we must continue to promote medical research and development so that America can remain a leader in health care treatments, and our citizens can continue to receive the best care available.