Contact Your Congressman.....

Yesterday I wrote our US Representative and the two US Senators from Alabama and asked them the following questions about the preposed healthcare policy that the president is trying to push.

1) Will you oppose any healthcare reform bill that uses my tax dollars to pay for abortions?

2) Will you oppose any healthcare reform bill that in any way promotes euthanasia?

3) Why is Congress and the president pushing through a healthcare bill that would cost another trillion dollars over the next ten years? Shouldn't we concentrate on getting the debt under control first?

4) How can government promise to do more with less? Will you oppose any healthcare reform bill that in any way limits my access to healthcare or medicines recommended by my doctor?

5) Why are you imposing additional mandates and taxes on small businesses, which create the overwhelming majority of new jobs, in the middle of a severe recession?

6) Why are you trying to force us in the direction of more government involvement in healthcare when everywhere government-run healthcare has been tried, quality declines and care is rationed?

7) Why are you and the White House rushing this bill through Congress and ignoring the concerns of the American people?

8) Why do you believe bureaucrats can make better decisions than me about what kind of health insurance I should have? And will you guarantee that any healthcare reform bill passed by Congress will always allow me to choose my own doctor?

9) Why are you throwing affirmative action/racial set asides into a healthcare reform bill?

10) Isn't it clear that this provision would drive up the cost of health insurance for everyone?

I sent these questions to Mike Rogers, Jeff Sessons and Richard Shelby. So far only Rep. Rogers has responded back to me. I will post his response below and the other responses on this website as they come in. This is the healthcare system of our country's future so please your comments are welcome on these responses. Better yet contact these guys yourself and ask them some of these questions. Let them know if you are not happy with what is going on.

Here is the response from Rep. Rogers:


Dear Mr. Fuller:

Thank you for contacting me with regard to the healthcare reform debate that is currently ongoing in Congress. It is good to hear from you.

As you know, for many Americans, healthcare continues to be a top concern. The number of uninsured Americans is estimated to be more than 45 million. Even those that have health insurance worry about catastrophic events that could leave them destitute. Healthcare coverage costs too much, and with the trajectory of the amount that Americans spend on healthcare expected to rise, doing nothing is not an option. While I do not sit on the Congressional committees that have jurisdiction over healthcare reform in the House, I think we can all agree parts of our healthcare system are broken and should be fixed, and I am supportive of Congress fixing the current system in a responsible way, with realistic solutions and practical price tags that does not result in a government takeover of healthcare.

Plans that would help groups of people purchase health insurance at an affordable price, relative to the plan chosen and other factors would be an important aspect to consider in the healthcare reform package. Group purchasing would allow those who have a difficult time purchasing coverage on their own to have more negotiating power, and would allow groups such as trade or professional organizations that have membership, or small businesses to be able to join together to purchase health coverage for their employees. I support expanding opportunities for small business to purchase health benefits. I support Americans being able to choose their own doctors, hospitals and healthcare providers and of reforming the medical malpractice system and allowing doctors to practice affordable medicine. Americans want choice, affordability, and access to healthcare, and above all they want to their families and doctors in charge of their healthcare.

Many of the proposals that have been discussed recently in Congress are disconcerting. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provided a cost estimate that reported the cost of the Democratic comprehensive healthcare reform proposal at over $1 trillion. On top of the $800 billion Economic Stimulus bill and the $3.2 trillion Democratic budget, both pieces of legislation I voted against, I am strongly concerned this type of massive proposal is not just an expensive measure that would not cover all of the uninsured, but the CBO estimated that the House bill would increase the Federal deficit by $239 billion over 10 years. There have been discussion that taxes will be increased to pay for the healthcare reform proposals. It is important to note that I am not supportive of Congress paying for this reform on the backs of hardworking Americans, small businesses, and doctors by taxing sugary drinks, taxing employer-sponsored health plans or by reducing the reimbursements that will be paid to healthcare providers.

In this debate it is important that Americans have access to quality healthcare and affordable coverage. Though the House bill is being reviewed, and the specifics of the government-run or "public option" plan are surfacing, I would oppose proposals that would hurt the availability of private insurance in favor of a single government-run plan over the long run. It is my understanding that debate on this issue is expected to continue for the next several weeks. I plan to continue following it closely.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Should you need to find more information on issues of importance to you, please log onto my website at http://www.house.gov/mike-rogers. I look forward to hearing from you again.



Sincerely,
Mike Rogers
Member of Congress