Democrat Passed Healthcare Bill Puts Women's Health at Risk
WASHINGTON - Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., today stood up for women's healthcare and against government rationing of life-saving preventative cancer screenings, once again defending the freedom of Americans to control their own healthcare decisions.
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WASHINGTON - Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., the Ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, sent a letter Wednesday requesting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Georgia Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson to offer his identity and citizenship verification language as amendments to the Senate version of the healthcare bill. The Deal language, which would have prohibited taxpayer dollars from being used to provide healthcare benefits to illegal aliens, was rejected by the House Democrat Majority.
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DEAL: Make NO Mistake, Illegal Aliens Will Receive Government Funded Healthcare under This Bill
Congressman Deal Speaks out In Opposition To Speaker Pelosi’s Government Takeover of Healthcare and votes ‘No’ on H.R. 3962
On a highly anticipated day in Congress, U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., once again took to the House floor to speak out in opposition of, and to ultimately vote against Speaker Pelosi’s government takeover of taxpayer healthcare. His floor speech was followed by applause from his colleagues and people observing in the House Gallery. The bill, which was drafted behind closed doors by the Democrat leadership, will lead to more lost jobs, higher taxes, fewer choices and the elimination of the freedoms and liberties which are essential for patients and their providers. Read More.
The Fleecing of Freedoms: Speaker Pelosi Unveils Government-Run Healthcare (…again)
On October 29, 2009, during a press conference held on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic Colleagues unveiled the product of their latest attempt to force through a government takeover of healthcare. As Members of Congress and the American people begin to flip the cover of Speaker Pelosi’s new 1,990 page bill, it is quite clear that the Speaker and her Democratic Colleagues have spared no expense in advancing a liberal agenda for healthcare reform which will undoubtedly lead to more lost jobs, higher taxes, fewer choices, and the elimination of the freedoms and liberties which are essential for patients and their providers. As if this is not enough, Speaker Pelosi has also indicated that a Manager’s Amendment, likely to exceed the length of the original House bill, will be released to Republicans and the American people early next week. At that time, the daunting task of finding the changes made by the Manager’s Amendment will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, with a 72-hour countdown timer ticking.
Washington-Controlled Care Strips Patient-Doctor Autonomy
At first glance, the word “shall” appears 3,425 times – nearly two per page – which can be read only one way: the federal government dictating what the American people can and cannot do with regard to their own healthcare. New taxes on middle class families and small businesses, massive cuts to Medicare at the detriment of our seniors, higher health insurance premiums for all, and new mandates which will kill jobs is a recipe for destruction of the American healthcare system and the first step forward toward socialized medicine which the American people have already vehemently rejected time and again.
Higher Taxes for the Middle-Class and Small Businesses
Despite President Obama’s promise not to sign a bill which will add to our already-unsustainable federal deficit, this legislative package will add another $200 billion to our deficit through budgetary gimmicks purported to fix a flawed formula which is used to pay physicians providing care to Medicare patients. While problems with the formula, commonly known as ‘Sustainable Growth Rate’, are real, tactics being used by this Administration are nothing more than a ‘golden fiddle’ (click to view my previous comments) to buy the support of organized medicine for a fundamentally-flawed bill. Separating this provision and moving a ‘doc fix’ outside of the context of the healthcare reform package – exactly as the Democratic Leadership intends to do – is clearly an attempt to affix a $900 billion price tag to a package well in excess of $1 trillion. President Obama committed during his address to Congress last September not to sign a bill which adds to the deficit, or one which costs in excess of one trillion dollars.
Loopholes for Illegal Aliens to Benefit
Further, I have been a strong advocate for requiring identity and citizenship verification for anyone seeking taxpayer funded benefits. While language pertaining to eligibility has been modified since H.R. 3200, verification requirements are still insufficient to ensure illegal aliens do not benefit from taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits. Language contained within H.R. 3962 simply requires an individual to match a name and a corresponding Social Security Number, thus exacerbating identity theft and fraud which is already a known issue. By these factors alone, promises made to the American people will undoubtedly be broken should this legislation become law. To that end, I am offering an amendment with my Colleagues Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Dean Heller (R-NV) which will ensure proper verification of all individuals seeking taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits.
Massive Cuts to Medicare Destroy Seniors’ Choices
As a mechanism to pay for this massive takeover, Democrats have proven they are willing to take away the choices our seniors currently have when selecting a Medicare plan. Medicare Advantage, the only mechanism through which senior citizens are given choice over the direction of their healthcare coverage in the Medicare program, will be devastated through billions of dollars in cuts to this option. Nearly one-quarter of current Medicare beneficiaries who have a Medicare Advantage plan will be forced to change, despite promises that “if you like what you have, you can keep it.”
Links to Speaker Pelosi’s Healthcare Bills
H.R. 3962 - Affordable Health Care for America Act as Introduced
http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf
H.R. 3961 - Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act of 2009
http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_sgr1.pdf
Rep. Deal Urges Caution: Beware of the Democrats’ “Golden Fiddle”
On Thursday, October 22, 2009, Congressman Deal took to the floor of the House to deliver a message to physicians and their patients across our great nation on the issue of healthcare reform. At the core of the issue rests Medicare physician reimbursement and patient access which literally hangs in the balance. Using a political hot-button issue for many, Democrats are taking bold steps to attempt to buy off physicians to garner support for a bill the American people have already rejected. Rep. Deal urges providers not to be deceived by these attempts to advance an agenda for healthcare reform which puts Washington in the driver’s seat of healthcare decision-making for patients and their providers.
Attention Medicare Beneficiaries: 2010 Open Enrollment Period Has Begun
The 2010 Medicare open enrollment period for Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans is currently running through December 31, 2009. For additional information on plan options and links to helpful resources, please click here.
Rep. Deal’s Opening Statement on Video Programming Competition
Congressman Deal, member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet spoke during a Hearing today to address the challenges of free market competition in the digital age.
Congressman Deal Questions HHS Secretary Sebelius on H1N1 Vaccine Availability
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., Ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, today sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in response to current reports of the inability to meet initial distribution projections of the H1N1 vaccine.
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Rep. Deal’s Opening Statement on Telecommunications and Healthcare
Congressman Deal Delivers Floor Statement On Constitutionality of Healthcare Reform
Congressman Deal Appears on Fox Business for a Discussion on Healthcare Reform
Written statement can be found here.
Congressman Deal Speaks on House Floor Regarding Special Order on Healthcare
CONGRESSMAN DEAL SPEAKS OUT ON SECOND MARK UP OF H.R. 3200
Written statement can be found here.
CONGRESSMAN DEAL QUESTIONS MOTIVES OF SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., on Friday questioned the motives of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, for seeking special protection for his state in the Senate version of the health care reform legislation.
Reid issued an announcement publicly showing that he is using his position to protect Nevada.
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Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing to examine our nation’s preparedness for the H1N1 Flu as we approach flu season. I also want to thank Secretary Sebelius for being here today. I look forward to her testimony and our questions and answers to follow, so I will keep my opening remarks brief.
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Written statement can be found here.
Congressman Deal delivers opening statement during the Committee on Energy and Commerce’s hearing on preparing for the H1N1 Flu
