This week, we observed the 12th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, reminding us that we must remain vigilant to protect the freedoms we enjoy and never forget the sacrifices made by so many to protect them.
As I returned to Washington this week, many of the same issues remained at the forefront of our work in Congress. We continued to see examples of the negative effect of Obamacare in daily news reports and I continued my fight to make sure this terrible law is repealed.
In the Energy & Commerce Committee on Tuesday, we held our second Obamacare “Pulse Check” hearing where we heard testimony about the readiness and functionality of the new healthcare exchanges from some of the groups responsible for the implementation of Obamacare. Click here to read more about that testimony.
The House also acted this week to address potential fraud in Obamacare with the passage of H.R. 2775 — the No Subsidies Without Verification Act. This bill would ensure that those who receive Obamacare subsidies are actually qualified and not robbing taxpayers in order to take advantage of federal subsidies. You will find more information about H.R. 2775. as well as a link to my floor speech in favor of the bill, in this newsletter.
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Protecting Americans from Obamacare Fraud
I released the following statement this week after voting in favor of H.R. 2776, the – the No Subsidies without Verification Act:
“Nearly three years ago, I decided to run for office for one primary reason: to defeat and repeal Obamacare. Three years later, this terrible law is set to be implemented and the dire warnings and predictions are already coming true. This past summer alone, we saw three major delays in the law’s implementation – from the employee mandate to consumer price caps to the bill we debated here in the House this morning.”
“I was proud to work with my colleagues to successfully pass the No Subsidies without Verification Act today. The premise of this bill is quite simple: prove that those receiving Obamacare subsidies meet the qualifications. After all, dollars wasted by Congress or improperly spent through Obamacare has a direct impact on the budgets of families all across this country who are struggling to pay bills.”
“As Ronald Reagan famously said: ‘trust, but verify’. If history is any guide, these claims of accountability will be disregarded unless oversight is enforced. I’m proud that this bill will be an additional measure to stop the waste, fraud and abuse that has already been the hallmark of Obamacare.”
Click here or on the image above to see my floor speech in favor of H.R. 2775. For additional video and quotes from members during the debate on H.R. 2775, click here.
We Will Never Forget
I released the following statement Wednesday on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks:
Twelve years ago our world was changed forever as terror pierced the clear blue sky and took the lives of thousands of innocent Americans. This day will never come easy as we remember who we were, who we are, and how sacred our values will always be. We are one nation, united forever in the sacrifices of those who came before us and the will to succeed in the face of evil. My thoughts and prayers remain with the friends and families of those who were lost and those who continue to struggle with an emptiness that can never be filled and loved ones who never came back. We will never forget.
In the News
House votes 235-191 to stop ObamaCare’s insurance subsidies
The Hill
“States can continue to audit whatever sample size they see fit, or simply not audit at all,” Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) said. Others agreed the system raises the prospect of improper payments and fraud. Ellmers warned of the pending “economic disaster” that is looming for the United States when enrollment under the health insurance exchanges begins in just a few weeks, on Oct. 1.
House Defeats Senate in Dress for Success Drive
Roll Call
House and Senate members and staffers faced off Thursday in the fourth annual Dress for Success/FedEx Congressional Dress for Success Challenge, collecting 1,459 articles of professional clothing for low-income women. The House collected 866 pieces to the Senate’s 593. After the deadline, another 100 or so items flooded in, but didn’t affect the final contest tally. The Senate and the House each had a designated drop-off location, and Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., served as honorary chairwomen of the event.
Ellmers pushes for verification for people receiving health care subsidies
Raleigh News & Observer
Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers was elected to Congress in 2010, in large part, because of her opposition to Obamacare. But some of her critics on the right have said she has not been willing to go far enough in her opposition in terms of trying to defund the program. But on Thursday, Ellmers was on the House floor talking about her support for a measure that would require verification for people who receive subsidies for their health insurance under Obamacare.
Conservatives Eat Their Own for Profit
Column – U.S. News & World Report
Fortunately, more and more conservative members of Congress are standing up and joining with Coburn and telling these groups, enough is enough. North Carolina Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers told the Washington Post last week: “They’ve used bully tactics, and they’re going way beyond the scope of promoting conservative ideology,” she said. “They are now trying to influence members of Congress through what I consider very threatening actions.” Ellmers said she relied on Heritage Foundation research when she was first elected in 2010 but no longer: “To me, it is tainted.”
Obama to call for support of military action in Syria
News 14 Carolina
North Carolina’s Congressional delegation has mixed feelings about a possible military strike. “I’m talking with the families. I’m talking with the wives and I’m talking with the parents of many of those who are deployed and they’re very concerned what will happen if we go into Syria,” said Republican Rep. Renee Ellmers.