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There is a real need of reform in our health care system to reduce costs and expand access to quality care for all Americans. We must also protect the sanctity of human life and prevent the misuse of federal taxpayer dollars for abortion.
Streamlining the FDA Approval Process for Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices As a major life sciences corridor, southwest Michigan is a national leader in health care research and manufacturing. In 2011 and 2012, I led the way in the House for the successful reauthorization of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) user fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices. By improving the federal evaluation and approval processes, we significantly help manufactures here in Michigan and throughout the country better compete with companies overseas, allowing them to bring their life-saving products to patients faster. My FDA reform bill also supports advancements in generic drugs and biosimilars, helps prevent future drug shortages, and promotes treatment options for children with rare diseases. My Energy and Commerce Committee has since advanced legislation to modernize the review process for new and generic animal drugs as well. This bipartisan animal health legislation (H.R. 1407) was signed into law in June 2013. Exposing, Repealing, and Replacing the Affordable Care Act I voted against the Affordable Care Act and support its full repeal. In the years since the law was signed, it has been plagued by broken promises, numerous implementation challenges, delays, spending overages, and program cancelations. My Energy and Commerce Committee has held multiple hearings to examine the law’s impact on jobs and health insurance premiums and has worked to expose the law’s most harmful provisions. I have also met with employers here in Southwest Michigan to hear firsthand on how the law’s mandates and penalties are harming their business operations and health care for their workers. Rather than passing costly government mandates, Congress should work toward commonsense reforms that lower health care costs, expand access to quality medical care, and protect the sacred doctor-patient relationship. I believe there is broad support for proposals like allowing individuals to purchase coverage across state lines, expanding Health Savings Accounts, and enacting meaningful tort reform. Advancing Medicare Payment Reform for Michigan Seniors and Physicians For over two years, I have worked with Michigan Congressman Dave Camp, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, in leading the bipartisan effort to permanently fix the fundamentally flawed Medicare payment model that is used to reimburse our nation’s doctors. The current Medicare payment system – known as the Sustainable Growth Rate or simply the SGR – has been a source of continued worry, threatening physicians who serve Medicare beneficiaries with substantial across-the-board cuts in reimbursement. In July 2013, my Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously approved a permanent SGR fix (H.R. 2810) that secures stable payments for doctors while promoting the highest quality of care and gives Michigan seniors the peace of mind in knowing that their trusted physician will be there for them. Protecting our Children’s Health I have made the health and well-being of our nation’s kids a centerpiece of my committee’s health care agenda. Healthy children do better in school, achieve healthy development, and become healthy adults – all leading to a better quality of life and a healthier community. In July 2013, the House passed Energy and Commerce legislation (H.R. 2094) to support our nation’s schools as they work to ensure they have the capability to treat severe allergic reactions. This life-saving bipartisan legislation incentivizes states to allow schools to maintain an emergency supply of epinephrine auto-injectors and permit trained school personnel to administer a non-student specific epinephrine shot in case of an emergency. I am also committed to advancing health research for millions of young patients who suffer from rare and genetic disorders. The House-passed National Pediatric Research Network Act (H.R. 225) brings new hope to families coping with these life-threatening diseases by enabling research networks and consortia to coordinate research activities and advance critically needed treatments. The ramifications of a doctor shortage are significant to the health of our children. I was proud to help pass the Children’s Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act (H.R. 297), which helps ensure the United States maintains an adequate supply of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. Investigating the Deadly Meningitis Outbreak The deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis in the fall of 2012 has hit Michigan harder than any state, with more than 60 deaths and hundreds sickened nationwide. My Energy and Commerce Committee has since led the investigation into this public health tragedy to determine what went wrong and ensure that such a disaster never happens again. Protecting the Sanctity of Human Life As a pro-life Member of Congress, I oppose the misuse of federal taxpayer dollars for abortion services and support the conscience rights of our nation’s health care providers. As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have worked to pass legislation – such as Representative Joe Pitts’ Protect Life Act – to permanently codify restrictions on federal abortion funding. I have supported both the successful ban on partial-birth abortion and the passage of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which recognizes an unborn child as a legal victim, and have supported efforts to criminalize the circumvention of parental notification laws. |
