March 1, 2010

Healthcare reform: Wrong focus, wrong time

WASHINGTON, D.C. — East Alabamians who watched portions of the recent Health Care Summit at the Blair House in Washington, D.C., probably heard a lot of what’s already been said over the past year. One notable difference in this setting was while the two sides strongly disagreed, both sides were in the same room to talk. Americans need to see more of that from Congress.

According to news reports, however, it looks like the Democratic leadership in both the House and Senate may press forward with their healthcare plan, despite increasingly strong opposition to the proposal.

That means little may have come from the summit, which is disappointing. Many east Alabamians are concerned about our healthcare system. But with Alabama’s unemployment rate at 11 percent, it’s jobs that top the list of concerns. I recently held a live tele-town hall meeting and according to a survey I held, folks agreed with me two-to-one. 

This week, I gave a short speech on the House floor about jobs, pointing out that President Obama recently said he would focus “like a laser” on jobs. 

That’s the right thing to do. Which brings up the question: why are Congress and the Democratic leadership still spending so much time working on a comprehensive healthcare reform bill the American public doesn’t seem to want? 

In public meeting events across east Alabama these past two months, folks had the chance to talk with me about concerns most important to them. Job creation is number one. Health care reform is also important, of course, but an overhaul of the entire system is not the correct approach. Congress should start from scratch, and instead work to find ways to cover the roughly 15 percent of Americans who have no health coverage. One way is allowing Association Health Plans (AHP). Another way is to let insurance be sold across state lines. In order to help bring down costs, Congress should pass tort reform.  

With our nation in the midst of this terrible recession, Congress’ focus should be on jobs. Let’s pass reforms that have wide support, like eliminating the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies, which I voted for last week – but not a massive government intervention into our healthcare system. 

I want to hear from you. As always, contact me on this or any issue at www.house.gov/mike-rogers, friend me at www.facebook.com, follow me on Twitter or watch my latest videos at www.YouTube.com/MikeRogersAL03. 

Feb. 1, 2010

Report from Washington: Show us the jobs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, I spent a day in Talladega touring several local industries. These visits come on the heels of the release of our most recent unemployment numbers – 11 percent for the state, which is almost double what it was this time last year (6.5 percent). That’s a lot of pain. I saw it in the business owners trying to make a living. And I saw it, as I have all over east Alabama this past year, in the faces of those who have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. 

According to a new survey by the Pew Research Center, the three top concerns for Americans are the economy at 83 percent, jobs at 81 percent and terrorism at 80 percent. Healthcare reform came in at 57 percent. The American people and the people of Alabama are speaking loud and clear. The number one issue is jobs and strengthening our economy. When it comes to healthcare, the House Democratic leadership should realize Americans don’t want their current plan. Making our healthcare system simpler and more affordable, yes. But not the bill currently before Congress, which I strongly oppose. 

Could Congress pass some common sense healthcare reform solutions like tort reform and association health plans? Yes. But the current bill will hurt small businesses, the backbone of our economy, and could possibly force some small businesses to shut their doors. That is not the “American Dream.” Talk with our business community – the very people who help create the jobs we need – and you hear a deep seated concern about the direction that Congress is headed. They see tax increases in the healthcare reform bill. They see employer mandates. They see the Cap and Trade bill, which would raise costs for our manufacturers already struggling to compete with countries like China. Small business owners say to me, why should we risk expanding our businesses if Congress is just going to penalize us? Good question. So much for new jobs. 

During these tough economic times, I think Congress is going in the wrong direction. Instead of trying to pass jobs-threatening proposals like the climate change bill, which I opposed, how about passing seemingly more jobs-friendly solutions like increased energy exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? Let’s use American resources we already have to help increase our energy supplies and lower costs for working families, instead of taxing jobs-creating Alabama industries. 

It’s all about jobs and our economy. I hope Congress gets that message in 2010.  As always, contact me at www.house.gov/mike-rogers or friend me at www.facebook.com.