Health Care
I am fully committed to repealing and replacing Obamacare. One of the very first votes I cast in the 112th Congress was to repeal Obamacare in its entirety. In February, Republicans passed funding restrictions to severely limit the President’s ability to implement Obamacare. In addition to these votes, I have been working on legislation that we will pass in the coming weeks that will eliminate $105 billion Obamacare “mandatory” slush funds. This mandatory spending is wrong and one of the many reasons I repeatedly voted against Obamacare in the 111th Congress. Obamacare must be repealed and replaced with common-sense reforms that lower health care costs.
Please know that I will continue to fight against this unconstitutional bill. Below is a list of my votes this year and please know that I will continue to pursue strategic opportunities to get these and other bills to President Obama’s desk.
Floor Action
On January 19, 2011, I voted for H.R. 2, the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act: One of the House’s first official actions was to repeal Obamacare in its entirety and instruct the committees of jurisdiction to begin work on finding common sense patient-centered replacement legislation.
On February 19, 2011, I voted for H.R. 1, the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011: The House passed several substantial bipartisan amendments to H.R. 1 that would severely handicap implementation of Obamacare:
- I voted for the Rehberg Amendment #575: Provides that no funds in this Act may be may be used for any employee, officer, contractor or grantee of any department or agency funded in this title (Labor & HHS) to implement the health care provisions of Obamacare.
- I voted for the King Amendment #267: Provides that no funds in this Act may be may be used to implement Obamacare.
- I voted for the King Amendment #268: Provides that no funds in this Act may be may be used to pay officials who implement Obamacare.
- I voted for the Emerson Amendment #83: Provides that no funds in this Act may be may used by the IRS to implement or enforce provisions on Obamacare related to the reporting of health insurance coverage.
- I voted for the Price Amendment #409: Provides that no funds in this Act may be used by HHS to implement or enforce the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) provision.
- I voted for the Burgess Amendment #200 would prohibit any funds in this Act to be used to pay the salary of any officer or employee of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO).
- I voted for the Pitts Amendment #430: Provides that no funds in this Act may be used for an officer or employee at HHS, IRS, and Labor to do any action to specify or define, through regulations, guidelines, or otherwise, essential benefits as required in Obamacare.
- I voted for the Gardner Amendment #79: Provides that no funds in the Act may be used to pay the salary of any employee or officer of the HHS who develops or promulgates regulations or guidance regarding Exchanges under Obamacare.
- I voted for the Hayworth Amendment #567: Provides that no funds in this Act may be used to implement the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) created under Obamacare.
On March 3, 2011, I voted for H.R. 4, the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011: H.R. 4 repealed the job-killing Form 1099 reporting requirements that were added in Obamacare strictly as a way to help finance Obamacare. This provision has a real detrimental impact on small businesses and Americans believe it needs to be repealed.
I am agaisnt government run healthcare. Please vote against!
11/9/09 at 0920AM. You are going to fine me if I don’t like your health care bill ?
Really ? What in the Constitution of the United States gives you in the House of
Representatives authority to take away my Blue Cross Blue Shield Policy or Fine
me ??? Gregg. Dear Speaker of the House Pelosi, Care for a Law Suit ??!!
Finally! some portion of the health care reform bill passed. Health insurance companies are so opposed to reform because it will cut into their obscene profits made at the expense of the average American family. I really want a government insurance option…those who want to keep what they already have, do so, but let the rest of us who have no insurance have a chance. For too long the Republican party has ignored the common people; and now that a lot of us well-educated professional people are unemployed, you chose to ignore us as well. I think abortion never should be a political issue or a government control item: it should between a woman and her doctor PERIOD. Government should never force anyone to have an unwanted baby.
I found your interruption to be extremely disrespectful and childish during the debate regarding health care. As a young child I was taught decent manners. In high school I also learned the tools of debate, and how to present a clear and well though out argument. If you truly wanted to help us republicans I would suggest you re-evalulate your argument and present to us Texans as an intelligent adult, and not as some english childish parliamentary child. I oppose universal health care, I also oppose the type of behavior you presented during that debate. You are not helping rebuild our new republican party, but instead clinging to the republican party that lost the 2008 presidential election.
I urge you for the future of our country to vote YES on the Stupak amendment to stop abortion funding in the health care bill. Also, please vote NO on the health care bill HR 3962 if the Stupak amendment is defeated. This is where I and many concerned citizens stand.
I am against a government run health care plan. Say no very loud to Obama and Pelosi.
I support the President’s push for health care reform. The current system is a moral mess when family illinsee can lead to bankruptcy. Our country spends more per citizen and ranks way down the list. This does not sound smart. Status quo will not work.
Before you cast your vote, go visit the people in one of the emergency rooms.
Charlie Gerhardt
Please oppose the pending Obamacare plan with every resource at your disposal. We will all (except Congressmen!) die sooner if this bill is implemented. Please expose the misinformation being fed to the public for what it is.
Please also let the democrats know that if they pass this garbage, I will get up off of my couch next fall and go way out of my way to defeat everyone who voted for it…I will donate money to campaigns in other states, I will drive to other states to conduct voter registration drives, I will conduct sting operations of ACORN activities, I will make phone calls, faxes, etc…I WILL BE THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE.
HOW WILL THE SELF EMPLOYED BE ABLE TO JOIN A LARGE GROUP TO NEGOTIATE A CHEAPER HEALTH POLICY? MANY TEXANS ARE CONTRACT WORKERS, SELF EMPLOYED, AND OTHERWISE HAVE NO BENEFITS BECAUSE TEXAS IS A RIGHT TO WORK STATE. MANY CONTRACTORS, EMPLOYERS SKIRT MEDICAL INSURANCE AND AVOID PAYING. THIS IS WHY SO MANY TEXANS ARE UNINSURED. MANY OF THESE COMPANIES SHOULD BE PAYING FOR INSURANCE OR PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR INSURANCE BUT DON’T. ALSO PRIVATE INSURANCE IS SIMPLY UNAFFORDABLE. AT THE END OF THE DAY WILL YOU PUT FIRE TO THE FEET OF INSURANCE COMPANIES TO MAKE THEM LOWER THEIR RATES? WILL YOU ASK HOSPITALS TO LOWER THEIR COSTS? OTHER WISE THE DEMS WILL WIN THIS ISSUE. PLEASE CONGRESSMAN CULBERSON, RESEARCH THIS AREA AS YOU STUDY THE HEALTH CARE ISSUE AND PLEASE PASS ON INFORMATION TO SELF EMPLOYED PEOPLE LIKE ME. I THINK PEOPLE WITH INSURANCE WITH LARGE CORPORATIONS SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP THEIR INSURANCE. BUT THE REST OF US NEED HELP TOO.
I say No to Obama Health care!!!!!!! The Federal Government has not run any program successfully. Medicare, Medicade, US Postal Service, etc. Please don’t take any more of our hard earned money and give it wastefully to those who don’t try, don’t pay their way and are here illegally. Stop the insanity.