This week in the House we continued to pass appropriations bills to fund the government, while Senate Democrats continued to block funding for veterans’ benefits, pediatric cancer research, WIC, national parks, and more — just so they could give Congress and big businesses special breaks under Obamacare.
Most disturbing was news this week that military death benefits were being withheld from the families of America’s fallen heroes. Below you will find a link to video of my speech on the House floor where I addressed this outrage, along with information about the action the House took this week to ensure death benefits for fallen warriors would be honored.
Meanwhile, during the second week of the Obamacare enrollment period, we saw that Obamacare promises did not match the reality of Obamacare. The law has proven to be unaffordable, unpopular, unfair and unworkable. We continue to hear about glitches in the enrollment software and abysmal enrollment numbers from all over North Carolina. And on Thursday, The Daily Mail reported that to date only 51,000 people have completed Obamacare applications.
I have been hearing from my constituents for quite some time about the negative effects of Obamacare on their businesses. Now I am hearing more and more about the effects of Obamacare on their health insurance coverage and how it’s nearly impossible to even get on the exchange website. I want to hear more about your experiences. Please share your Obamacare experience with me at ellmers.house.gov.
Finally, if you are applying to a military service academy, please remember that October 31st is the deadline for all nomination applications to my Dunn office. You will find more information about the application process in this newsletter and on my website.
Honoring Our Promises to America’s Heroes
This week, I was proud to join my colleagues and vote to restore vital benefits to the families of our fallen heroes. The fact that these benefits were delayed has been a great injustice to our service members and their families. We have a duty to rise above the political games being played in Washington and do the right thing. Even as the government remains shut down, our service members are still expected to go to war and we should be expected to keep our promise to these grieving families.
Click here and here to read the my statements on this issue and on my vote to restore benefits. Click here or on the image below to watch my speech on the floor of the House regarding death benefits for our military families.
The Senate Must Act
This week, a recent report quoted Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki saying that millions of veterans could go without benefits if the government shutdown continues past November 1st. But last week, House Republicans joined 35 Democrats and voted to guarantee that our veterans will receive the benefits they earned. This is just one of the many bills which the House has passed to fund vital programs – from pediatric cancer research and the WIC program to opening up our national parks and monuments. The Senate must act!
If True, Obamacare Enrollment Numbers are Pathetic
All the evidence we’ve seen so far indicated that Obamacare was not ready for primetime. But if recent reports are accurate, the law is truly collapsing quicker than anyone would have imagined. At this rate, Obamacare is destined to go bankrupt and will have disastrous effects on the American economy, the health care industry, and millions of Americans and their families.
For months, HHS, IRS, CMS and all other elements of the federal bureaucracy have promised in hearings, interviews and testimony that they were certain that the massive program would be ready on October 1st. Yet here we are, witnessing failure each and every day since it was launched. This law was never ready for primetime and never will be.
Click here to read the statement I released this week on Obamacare enrollment numbers.
Click here to watch my speech on the House floor about the technical problems people are experiencing with the Obamacare exchanges. We now know the problems are not just due to high traffic.
Share Your Obamacare Experience
With Obamacare now open for enrollment, I want to hear from you. Good or bad, please let me know how you’ve been affected. Have your premiums changed? Has your choice of providers changed? Has your access to care been affected? Please share your experience with me.
Military Academy Nomination Deadline
The deadline for my office to receive completed military academy nomination applications is October 31st. Please contact Pat Fitzgerald in my Dunn office at (910) 230-1910 with any questions or concerns regarding the U.S. Military Service Academy application process. Visit this page of my website for more information.