News for the Ninth - 01.08.2010

While traveling throughout Missouri’s 9^th District during December, I heard from a lot of folks who are opposed to proposed plans to take over health care and are extremely angry that the Majority in Congress is ignoring the voice of the people.

Like the health care bill passed by the House, the Senate health care bill will lead to higher premiums for American families and small businesses, increase the tax burden on all Americans, makes drastic cuts to Medicare, add to our skyrocketing national debt, and put government bureaucrats in charge of personal health care decisions that should be decided by patients and their doctors. 

I was also extremely disturbed at the lengths Senate Majority Leader Reid went to in order to secure the votes of individual members of his party in the Senate. These special deals that benefit a small number of states at the expense of federal taxpayers are also something that many of you had a hard time with, and my sense is that your concerns are shared by hard-working Americans across our great country.

There is no way, ever, that the common good should be sacrificed for the limited benefit of a small number of states. While the backroom deals made by Senator Reid benefit a few, the rest of us are expected to foot the bill for these sweetheart deals.

I support real health care reform such as passing significant lawsuit reform. We will level the playing field in our courtrooms so that doctors can faithfully perform their jobs by treating and caring for their patients without the paralyzing fears of frivolous lawsuits or runaway personal injury awards. I also support increasing access to insurance, including reforms that would make it easier to transfer care from one job to another; requiring health insurers to cover pre-existing conditions; looking at health care tax credits to ensure that hard-working folks have access to affordable health care in the first place; and allowing dependents to remain on their parents’ health policies up to the age of 25.

The days and weeks to come will be crucial as the leaders in the Senate and House make a final push to pass this disastrous legislation. There are many of us, including some members of the Majority, who are ready to fight against provisions of the House and Senate bills that would cripple our health care system and put impossible financial burdens on future generations.

We can all agree that we need to reform our health care delivery system, but first we need to make certain that any changes will actually improve health care and lower the cost of health care for all Americans. I will keep you informed as this critical process about the future of our health care system continues.