I hope you are enjoying cheering on Team USA in the 2014 Winter Olympics this weekend. Best wishes to our wonderful athletes who have devoted so much time and effort to training, and who have sacrificed so much to represent America on the world stage.
I am happy to relay information on a great bill that originated in the House this week for our veterans. I was proud to join my colleagues in passing the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013. This bill gives our veterans access to in-state tuition rates at publicly-funded colleges and universities. You can find more information about this bi-partisan bill below.
This week, like many others, began with bad news on Obamacare. The after-effects of this law continue to harm our country, killing jobs and taking money away from our hard-working Americans. We have acquired a steady stream of bad news in regards to this law: 1 million people will be uninsured this year, the American workforce will shrink by 2.3 million in 202, and 22,000 Americans are unable to have their appeals processed from errors that occurred on the Healthcare.gov site. Every day we see a new example of broken Obamacare promises, as there are now higher insurance premiums and deductibles, limited access to preferred health care providers and a substantial loss in the number of full-time jobs. This terrible law must be repealed before it can cause any more harm to the quality and cost of our health care services and to the economy.
This week, we saw one of the president’s excuses on delaying the Keystone XL pipeline disappear. The release of the State Department’s final review of the project reported that the environmental impact from Keystone XL would be minimal, and now even many of the president’s allies are saying it is time to start building. Approval of Keystone XL would create American jobs and promote our nation’s energy independence. It’s time for the president to act on Keystone XL.
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Expanding GI Bill Access for Our Veterans
This week, I was proud to vote in favor of the GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013. This legislation requires publicly-funded state colleges and universities to provide our veterans with in-state tuition rates. This measure greatly expands access to higher education for our veterans by allowing them to use their GI Bill benefits to the fullest extent.
Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our nation and should not be deterred by the high costs of out-of-state tuition when seeking to expand their education. This is a common-sense measure that will empower our veterans to use the GI Bill they earned. I applaud the Veterans’ Affairs Committee for making this possible and especially Chairman Jeff Miller for his continued dedication to our veterans and their well-being.
The Price of Obamacare
The Washington Post reported this week that “tens of thousands” of people who encountered mistakes when signing up at HealthCare.gov, cannot get their errors fixed because the government is unable to process their appeals.
Also this week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced they project at least 2 million Americans to work fewer hours or leave the workforce entirely due to Obamacare.
President Obama deceived the American people. He said that his signature health law would lower costs, help the economy, and allow people to keep their doctors and health plans. Instead, we receive more evidence every day that it is killing jobs and harming an already fragile economy. The news released this week gives Americans a sobering look at Obamacare and what it means for their future, their families and their careers. 2.3 million Americans are expected to work less or leave the workforce altogether because of the ridiculous mandates we are all expected to bear. We need to repeal this terrible law before it does further damage.
To read my full statement on the CBO report released this week, click here.
This Week in Energy & Commerce
In this week’s Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing on “Examining the Implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act,” I questioned Michael Taylor, the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, about new regulations the FDA is imposing on produce growers. Click here or on the image below to watch video of the exchange.
“Go Red for Women”
I joined with fellow women members of Congress to wear red in honor of the 43 million women in the U.S. affected by heart disease. This month marks the 10th anniversary of the American Heart Association‘s “Go Red for Women” movement.
Republican Women’s Policy Committee Meets with AEI President
Additionally, the Republican Women’s Policy Committee had its first annual meeting on Wednesday. We had the opportunity to hear from the president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Arthur Brooks. Mr. Brooks spoke to women on the committee about new messaging tactics to achieve greater success conveying our agenda.