Submitted by Ander Crenshaw’s Office
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Ander Crenshaw today (1/19) voted to repeal ObamaCare and will fight on to replace the new law with reforms that will lower health care costs and grow the economy.
“Dollar for dollar the numbers didn’t add up when I opposed ObamaCare before, and they don’t add up now. Raising taxes, imposing new mandates, and increasing uncertainty for employers and entrepreneurs is not what we need in a time of double digit unemployment and massive debt,” said Crenshaw, who urged his colleagues to support repeal in a House floor speech. “That’s why I support this law’s repeal and back its replacement with common-sense reforms to lower health care costs and protect jobs.”
“My constituents did not ask for policy that would weaken our economy and eliminate jobs. They didn’t ask for mandates to stand in the way of economic progress. They didn’t ask for cuts to Medicare. And, they certainly did not ask for costly new taxes,” Crenshaw continued. “Yet, that’s what they have, and Congress is now in the position to brighten this stormy economic picture with policy that makes sense.”
“My focus remains on the positive: passing reforms that stimulate the economy, like tax cuts and less red tape; on making sure patients can choose their own doctors and get the treatment they need when they need it; and on making sure the government doesn’t control delivery of health care in this country,” said Crenshaw. “These are the types of policy changes my constituents told me they wanted, and I’m standing by them as we move forward.”
Congressman Crenshaw voted against the Democrats’, 2,000-page, budget-busting health care bill on November 7, 2009 and again on March 21, 2010. He has a strong record of supporting health care reform and supported the Republican plan in November, 2009. The Congressional Budget Office found that plan would lower health care costs, increases access, maintain Medicare benefits, end lawsuit abuse and preserve the doctor/patient relationship all without raising taxes.
Crenshaw has a strong record of supporting health care reform and has supported the following steps to cuts costs, increase accesss, and restore choice by:
• Erasing arbitrary rules that currently restrict consumers from purchasing across state lines.
• Prohibiting insurers from discriminating against a consumer based on pre-existing conditions, one’s health history or future risk.
• Making insurance plans portable so if you change jobs, you don’t have to change plans.
• Mandating all insurance providers describe their plans with plain language so consumers know what they are getting.
• Allowing small businesses, the self-employed, and others to band together and purchase health insurance at lower costs, resulting in more coverage for more people.
• Passing comprehensive medical liability reform that will prohibit frivolous lawsuits that cost our country $126 billion every year and allow doctors to freely provide the best care possible.
• Offering immediate and substantial financial assistance, through new, refundable and advanceable tax credits to the working poor.
• Promoting prevention and wellness by giving employers and insurers greater flexibility to financially reward employees who seek to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, quit smoking, and manage chronic illnesses like diabetes.
• Rewarding high-quality care, instead of encouraging health care providers to order more and unnecessary services.
Crenshaw has co-sponsored a number of common-sense health reform bills, including the following pieces of legislation:
- Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act
(H.R. 1086) – Medical liability reform bill that would limit non-economic damages and statute of limitations on lawsuits, and restrict attorney fees.
- Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2009 (H.R. 2607) – Small business health plan reform bill that would increase bargaining power of small businesses with insurance providers, lower costs by as much as 30%, and free small businesses from state mandates.
- Promoting Health and Preventing Chronic Disease through Prevention and Wellness Programs for Employees, Communities, and Individuals Act of 2009 (H.R. 3468) – Bill would provide citizens with a credit of up to 50% of wellness program and make competitive grants to eligible entities to plan and implement prevention and wellness programs that promote health and wellness and prevent chronic disease.
- Improved Employee Access to Health Insurance Act of 2009 (H.R. 3821) – Bill would prohibit states from establishing a law that prevents an employer from instituting an auto-enrollment process for coverage of a participant.
- Health Insurance Access for Young Workers and College Students Act of 2009 (H.R. 3887) – Bill would improve health insurance coverage of dependents by allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ plans until 25 years.
- Health Care Choice Act (H.R. 3217) – Bill would allow for the purchase policies across state lines.
