Well folks, as we wind up the month of July and look into the August work period back in the district, we have the issues of financial services reform, food safety and Department of Defense spending left to take up in Washington. There is also the possibility of the health care reform bill coming before us. All of us here in Congress agree that we must fix the current system to reduce costs to make health care affordable. We cannot continue on our current path where, we as a nation spend 17% of what we produce on health care and with this increasing at 1% per year.
We should all agree that we must come up with solutions to reduce overall cost while protecting the patient - provider relationship. The current bill before the House committees must do more to address these issues. Just this past week the Director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office offered his assessment of the proposed bill: "enacting H.R. 3200 would result in a net increase in the federal budget deficit of $239 billion over the 2010-2019 period."
With all of the spending that has happened in Washington, we face the greatest budget deficit America has ever experienced. So a proposal that adds an additional $239 billion to the deficit is simply unacceptable. Furthermore, any effort to fix our health care system should achieve the clear goal of decreasing the skyrocketing costs in our healthcare system.
As a member of the Health Care Solutions Group in Congress, and in working with my First District Health Advisory Council, I have been advocating to fix our health care system so as to cut costs, expand coverage, and maintain existing relationships between folks and their doctors.
Above all, millions of Americans should be allowed to keep their current plans and if they change plans not be forced into one not of their choosing. For all of the problems with the health care delivery system in America, we must be careful not to change those parts of the system that are working. In fixing our health care system we should encourage the cutting edge and timely medical care we have come to expect and work to improve it.
Please feel free to contact our office if you have comments or issues or if we can help you in any way at / or at 202-225-4261.
Congressman Rob Wittman represents the First District of Virginia. He was elected to his first full term in November 2008 and serves on the Natural Resources Committee and the Armed Services Committee where he is the Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
