Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Two Bills Introduced This Week!

March 23, 2015 NC Elected Officials One Comment

Photo of the Week

I brought a little bit of the south to the halls of the Capitol this week! I picked these beautiful boots up as a belated birthday present to myself in Johnston County, North Carolina.

 

Weekly Update
This was a busy week legislatively as I reintroduced two important bills — one to protect Medicare cancer patients from sequester cuts and the other to shield our farmers from the effects of Obamacare.

H.R. 1387, The Fairness for Farmers Act, protects farmers and consumers from penalties and economic losses due to the Affordable Care Act. The employer mandate is just one of many provisions of the Affordable Care Act that is directly impacting farmers in the Second District, as many will be forced to comply with additional out-of-pocket fees which result in higher overhead costs and cuts to their hard-earned profit. Click here to read more about how this legislation will ease those concerns and prevent a subsequent rise in the cost of food.

H.R. 1416, The Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2015, will prevent sequestration cuts from affecting millions of cancer patients who rely on Medicare. This issue hits home for me in more ways than one, as a large oncology practice in Dunn closed just last year because of this very issue. Click here for more information about this bill.

Do you know a high school student in the Second District who is interested in entering the 2015 Congressional Art Competition? If you do, remind them that entries are due to my Dunn office by April 3rd. For more information about the competition visit this page of my website.

Please take a look at the photos below to see some of the other things I was working on this week in Washington and what was happening back home in the district. Don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if there is any way we can assist you.

 

In Energy & Commerce

I really enjoyed meeting with North Carolina Secretary Donald van der Vaart, the Secretary of the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources. He testified this week in a hearing of the Energy & Commerce Committee on the legality of Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act and President Obama’s “Clean Power Plan.”

 

Latest Opinion Piece
Please take a minute to read my latest op-ed in Fox News on Medicare’s Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR):

 “Over the last 12 years, Congress has spent nearly $150 billion crafting makeshift provisions in an effort to patch a problem that is in dire need of more than just a temporary Band-Aid. Without question, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) is one of the biggest challenges facing the Medicare system to date, and Congress’ failure to pass a permanent fix to SGR has had considerable consequences on our nation’s seniors and physicians….Unless Congress acts by March 31, doctors face a 22-percent cut to their Medicare payments, which will undoubtedly have a negative effect on their ability to treat Medicare patients and ultimately hinders seniors’ access to quality care….”

 

In Downtown Sanford
 
 Earlier this week, Susan Kluttz, the N.C. Secretary of Cultural Resources, toured Downtown Sanford, Inc. and spoke about reinstating the state’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program and the importance in preserving North Carolina’s historic buildings. A member of my staff participated in the tour.

 

National Apartment Association Breakfast

Wednesday morning I was honored to speak at the National Apartment Association breakfast preceding their “Morning on the Hill.” The apartment industry generates millions of jobs, supports small business, and helps build and sustain vibrant communities contributing to a stronger economy for middle class Americans.
CategoriesNC Elected Officials