Health Care

Health Care

         We must increase health care quality, access, and affordability – and we must achieve these necessary reforms without higher taxes, higher costs, individual mandates, or a government takeover of health care.   The American people deserve to be heard on this issue, and deserve to be in control of their personal health care choices.

          My constituents strongly opposed the new health care law that is stifling our economy by increasing costs for businesses and discouraging job creation.  In addition to increasing health care costs, it also cuts Medicare and jeopardizes access to health care for our senior citizens. 

Repeal and Replace

          On January 19, 2011, I voted with a majority in the House of Representatives in support of H.R. 2, legislation to immediately repeal the health care reforms that President Obama signed into law last year.  The vote, 245-189, was largely along party lines. A majority of the American people did not support the President’s health care plan when it was first proposed last year, but the President and a Democratic Congress chose to push this measure into law anyway. If health care reform had originally been approached in a bipartisan manner, this vote to repeal Obamacare would not have been necessary.

          On January 20, 2011, I voted in favor of H. Res. 9, a resolution instructing committees with jurisdiction to report legislation that replaces Obamacare.  This legislation would be adapted from a framework of 13 objectives that include providing people with pre-existing conditions access to affordable health coverage; protecting the doctor-patient relationship; prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortions; and not accelerating the insolvency of entitlement programs or increasing the tax burden on Americans. Additional replacement initiatives I support include an expansion of health savings accounts and the purchase of health insurance across state lines. 

           On March 22, 2012, I voted in favor of H.R. 5, the Protecting Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act, by a vote of 223-181.  The bill would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), created by the Democrats’ federal takeover of healthcare, and would enact medical liability reform.  The IPAB is a panel of 15 unelected and unaccountable government bureaucrats tasked with reducing Medicare costs through arbitrary cuts to providers resulting in de facto rationing of care for seniors. The board’s decisions cannot be challenged in the courts, unlike other agency rules, and carry the full force of the law. 

         Medical liability reform would reduce Medicare spending in a way that does not ration care; rather, it would ensure access to care while reducing liability insurance and the practice of defensive medicine. The bill would place a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages; limit contingency fees lawyers can charge; place guidelines on punitive damages; provide a safe harbor from punitive damages for products that meet FDA safety requirements; and preserve all state laws that place higher or lower limits on any form of damages.  According to CBO estimates, H.R. 5 would reduce the deficit by $45.5 billion over the FY2013-2022 period. 

Medicare

         I oppose changes to the Medicare program that would impact seniors who are currently enrolled in the program or those who are about to reach Medicare eligible age. 

        Congress must protect the solvency of Medicare and address the program’s nearly $75 trillion unfunded liability. Unless reforms are made, the federal government will be unable to provide promised benefits for seniors or fund other critical priorities such as our national defense, homeland security, veterans benefits, and education for our children.  

         President Obama has yet to offer a plan of his own to protect Medicare for future generations. In fact, President Obama has damaged the Medicare system by cutting $500 billion from the program to fund his health care law. This is one reason why I support repealing President Obama’s health care law; I want to ensure Medicare dollars stay in Medicare. 

Supreme Court Ruling

         It has been over 2 years since the Democrat run Senate, House, and President forced “Obamacare” into law, even though a majority of Americans and the constituents in the 4^th district of Texas opposed.  This law expands the scope and reach of our federal government in ways that have never been seen before, and strips away personal choice and freedom from each and every citizen. 

        On the Morning of March 26, 2012 the Supreme Court heard 3 days of oral arguments on whether or not this government takeover of health care is constitutional.  The ruling is expected sometime in late June. 

         I want to praise the 26 states and the National Federation of Independent Businesses who brought this case to defend the basic principles of limited government and individual freedom.

        This will be one of the biggest Supreme Court decisions of our lifetime, and regardless of how the Court rules, major, patient-centered reforms are needed – and they are possible without the government mandating what type of coverage each American must possess.