Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Provide proper oversight on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Pub. Law No. 111-148, commonly known as 'ObamaCare.'

As you may know, this law mandates that all uninsured Americans purchase health insurance or face a financial penalty, creates complex regulations for health care providers and insurers, imposes unfunded mandates on states and small businesses, dramatically expands Medicaid coverage, and cuts Medicare funding, all while permitting the Obama Administration to issue waivers for those groups it chooses to exempt, raise taxes on successful individuals and some health services, and raise fees on insurance companies.

The net consequence of this "reform" is higher health care costs for everyone who does not participate in government insurance programs, increased federal and state taxes for all Americans, reduced access to care, a shrinking physician population, reduced Medicare options and benefits, and lower overall quality of care.

I do believe we need to reform our health care system, however, ObamaCare accomplishes none of the objectives of real health care reform--lower costs, improved care, and increased access to care for all Americans--but rather increases Americans' dependency on failed federal programs. This law must be repealed.

During the 112th Congress I took numerous actions to attempt to repeal this law, including signing on to a U.S. Supreme Court amici curiae brief, along with 116 of my fellow Members of Congress and more than 103,000 supporters of the American Center for Law and Justice, arguing ObamaCare's individual mandate is unconstitutional and central to the statute, and urging the Court to strike down the entire law. Additionally, I voted for H.R. 2576, which adjusts the formula for determining eligibility in federal health care programs under ObamaCare and has been enacted into law.

However, the Supreme Court has made it clear that ObamaCare is constitutional and the President will begin to implement policy decision to move this law forward. That is why I will support measures that will limit the impact to reduce the costs assigned to taxpayer and small business. I believe any policy moving forward should prohibit funding for abortion and abortion coverage under ObamaCare, while protecting conscience rights for health care providers. Additionally, Congress must pass legislation that eliminates slush funds for bureaucrats and protects the doctor patient relationship. Finally, Congress must support legislation that eliminates ObamaCare's excise tax on medical devices, and I continue to look at other co-sponsorship opportunities that would reduce the effects of this destructive law.

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