Health Care

A majority of Georgians opposed a government takeover of our health care system and the billions in new spending and taxes required to pay for it. Despite overwhelming opposition to the entire process, President Obama and the Democrats in the last Congress ignored the will of the people and pushed through a bill giving the government control of one-sixth of our economy. I was disappointed that the Supreme Court could not, in the Court's opinion, find just cause to overturn the law.

This new law forces job-killing mandates on our state, gives bureaucrats in Washington control of health care decisions, undermines pro-life protections in place for 30 years, and creates a new entitlement program that threatens Medicare funding.

Our health care system needs to be improved, but this is not the solution. The American people deserve common sense, market-based reforms that lower costs, increase access to more affordable care, and give citizens more control over their health care decisions. I co-sponsored and voted for H.R. 2 to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. I have also voted for a number of other bills that help bring true reform to our broken healthcare system.

Medicare

On April 15, 2011, House Republicans passed a budget that provides a blueprint for returning our country to fiscal solvency and economic stability. An important element in this blueprint is a plan to save and strengthen our Medicare system. Unfortunately, under the current setup, mandatory spending on programs like Medicare and Medicaid will quickly overtake the budget in the near future and endanger the entire system. If future taxes hold at these levels, spending on these programs will consume all tax revenue by 2052, forcing drastic and harmful cutbacks and changes to the programs. The Republican budget sets out a plan that will save Medicare from this fate.

Under the Republican plan, Americans who are 55 years or older will see no changes in their Medicare coverage. In the future, beneficiaries will receive a premium subsidy from the government to purchase a Medicare-approved health plan of their choice.

Medicare spending will continue to grow every year. However, the rate of growth will slow in order to preserve this important program for future generations. The House Republican plan for saving and strengthening Medicare is based on the same plan that Members of Congress currently have. This plan will encourage competition and help keep health care costs in check.