As medical professionals and members of Congress, we have serious concern over the global spread of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. Since the disease emerged in Wuhan, China, widespread outbreaks have occurred in South Korea, Iran, Italy and Japan. The number of cases in the United States continues to increase and will likely increase substantially as widespread testing begins. This isn’t our first experience dealing with an epidemic, and as medical professionals, we believe the U.S. is prepa... Read more

Patients who visit the emergency room or require a surgical procedure are already under stress. Most patients do their best to act responsibly and visit providers covered by their insurance. However, too often there is another source of stress: surprise medical bills. As medical doctors, we came to Congress because we wanted to enact patient-centered health care reforms. That’s why we believe we must enact legislation that protects patients from billing disputes between insurers and providers an... Read more

President Trump has rightly put a great deal of attention on the problem of surprise medical bills. Surprise medical billing can occur when patients receive emergency care or receive care from an out-of-network provider during treatment they believe is in-network, only to later receive a large medical bill. These bills can cause stress, anxiety, depression and financial ruin. Surprise billing is usually the result of a breakdown in negotiations between providers and insurers on how much to pay f... Read more

The humanitarian crisis at our southern border has reached a critical point. However, it can be difficult to discern what’s really happening with so many conflicting accounts of how migrants are treated when they cross our border. As medical providers, we’re particularly concerned about migrants’ health and any communicable diseases spreading in detention facilities. In late June, we traveled to the Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGVS) to personally observe the situation, accompanied by senior Depart... Read more

Sitting at the airport, waiting on my flight to be called; I hear over the intercom, “Now, we invite any active duty military personnel to board.” As a veteran listening to this announcement, nothing makes me prouder than to see our country honor our military men and women for their selfless service. However, it wasn’t too long ago when our servicemembers were treated poorly. We were even told not to wear our uniform on an airplane because of such treatment. We don’t get to choose what war we fi... Read more

As an undergraduate student during the Vietnam War era, the topic was on our minds and in our conversations. I vividly remember the discussions. It was the mid-1960s, and students were debating professors and one another. Ideas were exchanged, opinions formed and unique perspectives shared. I saw first-hand how college campuses across the nation were hotbeds of free speech – some with which I vehemently disagreed, in all honesty. As a veteran myself, however, I fought to protect and defend this ... Read more

When Donald Trump was elected president, many East Tennesseans, including myself, were very hopeful that his agenda would result in job creation, economic growth and increased prosperity for millions of people who felt the previous administration had left them behind. The results have been even better than expected. Immediately, the president began working with Congress to repeal some of the most burdensome regulations enacted during the last months of the Obama administration. This sent a clea... Read more

For the past eight years, union bosses have held the upper hand over East Tennessee workers, as the previous administration tried to stack the deck in favor of unionization. The National Labor Relations Board and the Department of Labor combined to pursue an agenda that put union bosses and special interests ahead of the rights of individual workers and job creation. If there was any doubt the Department of Labor was pushing a partisan agenda, just look at former Labor Secretary Tom Perez’s new ... Read more

For the vast majority of Americans today, labor unions are a relic of a bygone era. The union membership rate has been nearly cut in half since 1983, down to about 11 percent of the workforce. Unions have fallen in size and popularity since their heyday in the middle of the 20th century, largely because they have failed to evolve with the times. And they haven't had to. Federal labor law remains largely unchanged since the National Labor Relations Act passed 70 years ago. The status quo protects... Read more

Our nation’s Constitution guarantees us certain inalienable rights, not the least of which is contained in its First Amendment: the freedom of speech. For years, college campuses have stood as a beacon to the ideal of free speech. As a Vietnam-era veteran, I saw first-hand how colleges and universities served as hotbeds for free speech and debate — some of which I vehemently disagreed with, in all candor. But, as a veteran myself, I fought to protect and defend this right to free speech, and as ... Read more