As we look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the many reasons we give thanks and count blessings. We are fortunate to live in the greatest country on Earth, where we are bestowed with numerous blessings, including freedom, opportunity, and democracy. While giving thanks for these freedoms, I continue to pray that our nation can come together and find solutions to the problems we face today.
This week, we recognized the 50th anniversary commemorating the death of President John F. Kennedy. There are two of his quotes in particular that strike me, as they seem even more relevant today than they did half a century ago. “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” Additionally, the quote “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” We all would benefit by keeping these quotes in mind as we continue to work towards address our nation’s problems.
All Americans are suffering the consequences of Obamacare, but North Carolinians have been hit especially hard. This week, we saw first-hand the broken promises of Obamacare through personal stories provided by North Carolina constituents. Many of these constituents that I spoke with have lost their insurance or seen premium increases as a result of the president’s health care law. Some of these stories were shared during a “Google Hangout” that I held with Representative Robert Pittenger (NC-09). The Google Hangout allowed for me to discuss the effects of Obamacare with constituents back home in North Carolina through a live webcam feed.
We are seeing similar stories begin to surface across the country. Polls released this week show that Americans are overwhelmingly dissatisfied with Obamacare. The Energy & Commerce subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations met this past week, and the hearings revealed additional problems with the Healthcare.gov website including security concerns and potential privacy breaches. With each month, it becomes clearer that this law was never ready for prime time.
In this newsletter, you will find information about issues I addressed this week in the House. Please share this important information with your friends, and don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with your concerns or questions. Best wishes to you and your family for a blessed and happy Thanksgiving holiday.
More Evidence of Obamacare Broken Promises
First, we learned many of us will not be able to keep our insurance—even if we like our particular plan. Now, we learn that we may not be able to keep the doctors we like. I appeared on Fox News this week with Rep. Phil Gingrey and Dr. Marc Siegel to discuss how millions of Americans are losing their health plans and how some facilities may be dropped from lists of in-network providers. Click here to watch the interview.
I continue to hear horror stories from constituents regarding health insurance rate increases they are forced to accept under Obamacare. One subject President Obama cited as a “success story” is now less than happy with her Obamacare experience. At this point, she is unsure as to whether or not she can afford insurance under the “Affordable Care Act.” As Americans continue to speak out, the deception and lies regarding the effects of this law continue to surface.
It is important to note that these are not isolated instances. According to a recent CBS News poll, only 7 percent of Americans believe Obamacare should be kept “as is.” A striking 91 percent believe the law needs to be repealed or changed.
News reports and testimony provided in committee hearings confirmed that the White House administration was aware significant problems were likely to occur with the rollout of Obamacare. Meaning, the administration was aware months prior to the official launch that there were going to be problems and potential security breaches.
The Washington Post reported this week, “The analysis by McKinsey & Co. foreshadowed many of the problems that have dogged HealthCare.gov since its rollout, including the facts that the call-in centers would not work properly if the online system was malfunctioning and that insufficient testing would make it difficult to fix problems after the launch.” On April 4, 2013, in a briefing by McKinsey & Co. about the upcoming launch of Healthcare.gov, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was informed of the concerns surrounding the proposed Oct. 1 launch date and potential problems with completing end-to-end testing. But on April 18, 2013, Secretary Sebelius testified to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that the launch of the exchanges was “on track.”
One of several computer security experts testifying before a House committee this week said, “I would say the website is either hacked already or will be soon…There’s not a lot of security built into the site.”
Speaking at the Wall Street Journal CEO Summit, President Obama said, “We are going to have to obviously remarket and rebrand [Obamacare], and that will be challenging in this political environment.”
But the problem is not one of marketing or branding. The problem IS Obamacare, and the only fix is to repeal it and replace it with a patient-centered, free market plan such as the American Health Care Reform Act. As a co-sponsor of the bill, and a sitting member of the committee that wrote and introduced it, I support this legislation as an alternative to the broken law that is Obamacare.
The Humane Care for Primates Act
I released the following statement last week following the introduction of the Humane Care for Primates Act:
“Today I introduced the Humane Care for Primates Act. This bill will require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a rule allowing the importation of Non-Human Primates for the purpose of placement in certified sanctuaries. The legislation is zero-cost and merely allows the private sector the opportunity to import primates under strict guidelines and provide them the humane care they would not receive otherwise. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this bill in the House.”
This afternoon, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers introduced a new bill titled “The Humane Care for Primates Act of 2013.” This legislation would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a rule allowing the importation of Non-Human Primates for the purpose of placement in certified sanctuaries. The bill also includes high standards for the certification of primate sanctuaries to ensure this is not used as a loophole to import NHPs for other purposes. This legislation is narrowly-tailored and should not cost the taxpayer anything. Currently, institutions importing NHPs cover most of the cost of the quarantine process.
While the number of primates that enter the U.S. under this new rule will likely be small, it will truly make a difference for each individual animal. For instance, in 2011, a rescue center in Amman, Jordan requested that a U.S. sanctuary import and provide permanent refuge for three vervet monkeys and nine baboons confiscated from severely inhumane circumstances in zoos and private possession. That same year, another rescue center in Kenya requested that a U.S. sanctuary take in a yellow baboon who was kept as a pet for two years and was facing impending euthanasia. Despite being fully equipped to accept and care for these primates for the rest of their lives, as well as the ability to assist a foreign sanctuary in need, the current regulation forced the U.S. facilities to deny these requests.
In the News
Could you now lose your hospital under ObamaCare?
America’s Newsroom – Fox News Channel
Rep. Renee Ellmers joins Dr. Marc Siegel and Congressman Phil Gingrey to discuss how millions of Americans are losing their health plans and how some facilities may be dropped from list of in-network providers.
US House hearing to air NC health law complaints
Associated Press
Republican U.S. Reps. Robert Pittenger of Charlotte and Renee Ellmers of Dunn were holding an online video conference call Thursday to hear from constituents with complaints about the law backed by President Barack Obama. Congressional critics of the law meet in Gastonia on Friday to hear from five North Carolina residents. The U.S. House committee headed by Republican Congressman Darrell Issa of California plans to hear fears of insurance rate increases.
Sequestration cancels tobacco buyout payments
The Free Press
Advocates for releasing the money note the buyout funds aren’t created from general taxes, but user fees paid by tobacco manufacturers. About $1 billion was set to go to farmers nationwide next year. McIntyre was joined by U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. and U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Va. in a letter to Vilsack and OMB Director Sylvia Burwell.