I am always interested in hearing what constituents have to say about the issues of the day, and this past week I was able to talk with a great cross section of the district as I visited several counties.
In the beginning of the week, I spoke at MCNC’s North Carolina Rural Broadband Initiative event at RTP and toured the Siemens facility in Cary. On Tuesday, I spent the day in Randolph County where I spoke to the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, visited the Truliant Credit Union, and met with John Emerson, the N.C. State Director of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.
Later in the week, I was honored to attend the Cary Chamber Leadership Dinner where I spoke to the group of local elected officials.
With each meeting, people continued to address the threat they are facing from Obamacare. This terrible law is already causing problems for doctors and patients, businesses and consumers, and jobs and our overall economy. That’s why I’ve voted 40 times to repeal, defund or dismantle Obamacare. To see those 40 votes, and additional information about Obamacare, please visit this page of my website.
Thank you for your interest in what is happening in your community. I hope you will answer the survey at the end of this newsletter to let me know what is on your mind. Please forward this to your friends and use the links in the right sidebar to stay engaged on my social media sites.
Visiting Siemens in Cary
Last week, I toured the Siemens healthcare facility in Cary and was impressed by the important work taking place there. Siemens has made a priority of hiring our military veterans and I was proud to meet with them and hear about the important work they are undertaking.
The men and women of Siemens are producing cutting-edge technology and innovations which are making healthcare treatments and procedures easier and more cost-effective for millions of Americans and their families while also providing enormous economic value to the second district and North Carolina.
My visit to Siemens also highlighted the need for an immediate repeal of the medical device tax – which is strangling investments in new technologies and preventing job creation. To that end, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 523 – the “Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2013,” which would repeal the medical device tax.
Above: Touring Siemens facility with CEO Eric Spiegel.
Background on the Medical Device Tax:
Right now, access to innovative quality care in America is threatened by a 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices that was included in the president’s disastrous health care law. Between 2013 and 2022, taxes are slated to increase on device manufacturers by $28.5 billion, a cost that would certainly be passed on to patients in the form of more expensive products and procedures. Tools and services that physicians and nurses utilize to help meet the needs of patients will become more expensive. In fact, instead of increasing affordability and protecting access to care for all Americans, this tax further widens the gap between those who can pay for quality care and those who cannot.
The levy on device manufacturers would inevitably force layoffs across the country. At a time of widespread joblessness, removing barriers to innovation and entrepreneurship are imperative to growing our economy. Those are just the kind of jobs created at medical start-ups, small businesses and corporations. They are the jobs that will not be created or which will be lost if manufacturers have to send even more tax dollars to Washington.
Another Obamacare Delay
Each day, we see new evidence showing that the Affordable Care Act will be anything but affordable and just last week we learned of another Obamacare delay. This latest postponement is on the limit on out-of-pocket costs (including deductibles and co-payments).
I am proud to have voted 40 times to repeal, defund, or dismantle the president’s disastrous healthcare law — including 3 votes for full repeal. For more information on my work to protect Americans from Obamacare, please visit this page of my website.
Snapshots from the Second District
Above: With Dennis English, Director of North Carolina’s Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) and Department of Administration Secretary Bill Daughtridge.
Above: Speaking at MCNC’s North Carolina Rural Broadband Initiative event at RTP.
Above: Meeting with Veterans at Siemens facility in Cary.
In the News
McCrory touts completion of rural broadband initiative
News 14 Carolina
The project’s expected to reach 82 of the state’s 100 counties, including 160,000 businesses, nearly 2,000 K-12 schools, 61 community colleges, 33 four year colleges and universities, 254 public libraries and nearly 2,000 public safety facilities. “This way doctors and nurses can be working together with telemedicine, and the availability for doctors to be able to reach out into rural communities with telecommunications, perfect way to diagnose patients and take care of people,” said U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers.
NC HUB Office & US Rep. Ellmers Discuss Promotion of NC Small Businesses
Press Release – North Carolina Department of Administration
Department of Administration Secretary Bill Daughtridge and the Director from North Carolina’s Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) met with U.S. Representative Renee Ellmers yesterday, to discuss ways to further empower North Carolina small businesses and create jobs. “Rep. Ellmers’ expertise was very helpful because most HUB businesses are small businesses,” said Dennis English, HUB Director. “And when we empower North Carolina small businesses, we create North Carolina jobs.”
Ellmers Tours Siemens
CBS 4 WRAL, ABC 3 WWAY
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers was touring the Siemens corporation headquarters. She highlighted the work Siemens is doing to help provide jobs and their commitment to hiring and training veterans. She also talked about the impact of the medical device tax on the triangle. Siemens is one of the largest private companies in the area with 1600 employees.