My Letter to Congress: H.R.2 Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act

I am writing as your constituent in the 29th Congressional district of California. I oppose H.R.2 - Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, and am tracking it using OpenCongress.org, the free public resource website for government transparency and accountability.

54% of users on OpenCongress.org, a free, non-partisan resource, oppose H.R.2.

Here's a summary from OpenCongress.org:

Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, which together comprise the major health care reform that was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010. The repeal bill has been estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to increase the federal deficit by $230 billion over the next ten years. Student loan reform legislation that was attached to the reconciliation bill would also be repealed.

I know that the organization Conservatives for Patients Rights, the organization National Right to Life Committee, and the organization International Franchise Association support H.R.2. These are all organizations that are adverse to the rights of some others and will use the effects of this bill, if passed, for personal gain.

I know that the organization National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Center for Disability Rights, the National Association of Social Workers, and the American Nurses Association oppose H.R.2. These are all organizations that assist people in their manner of living and fight for the Constitutional rights of those who can't do so themselves. This is indisputable evidence that shows that this bill is a threat to the rights of the people and will jeopardize freedom.

As noted by suzieqs, a user on OpenCongress.org, on January 08, 2011, "Well, this does not include REAL reform whatsoever in it, it is a 1-1/2 page piece of nothing that just calls to repeal the original in it's entirety, so if this does pass, which I truly doubt, the pre-existing clause will be repealed, the ability to insure your children until age 25 will be repealed, the lifetime cap will be re-instated, and you know the GOP will not do one single solitary thing in regards to reforming health care they had 4 years during Clinton admin, and 6 years during Bush and didn't do anything then, so what makes you think they'll do anything now?

So go ahead and continue to believe that the GOP is for everyone, they aren't and never have been, they are only for those who can line their pockets the best."

I could not agree more thoroughly with the above stated comment. It is simply an attempt to sugar coat the truth that is the Republicans will not reform, they will only repeal. Everyone knows that this is true so, on the behalf of the rights of the citizens, please do not allow your vote to part of the 2/3 necessary to pass this bill.

Sincerely,
Erin Tyler

Dear Ms. Tyler:

Thank you for taking the time to write and share your views with me.  Your comments will help me continue to represent you and other Californians to the best of my ability.  Be assured that I will keep your views in mind as the Senate considers legislation on this or similar issues.

If you would like additional information about my work in the U.S. Senate, I invite you to visit my website, http://boxer.senate.gov.  From this site, you can send a message to me about current events or pending legislation, access my statements and press releases, request copies of legislation and government reports, and receive detailed information about the many services that I am privileged to provide for my constituents.  You may also wish to visit http://thomas.loc.gov to track current and past federal legislation.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer

United States Senator

Please do not respond to this message. If you would like to comment on legislation, please visit my website and use the correspondence form at https://www.boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm.

Dear Ms. Tyler:



Over the last few years, our country has engaged in an historic, but
necessary debate over how to reform our health insurance system. It has
been very emotional at times because health care is so personal to all
of us; how we access providers, where we get care, and how we pay for
it all have tangible effects on our lives and the economic vitality of
the country. I've heard a great many considered and thoughtful
arguments, both for and against elements of the bill. And some not so
thoughtful. But by and large the debate has been in keeping with the
best and most time honored tradition of the country, one committed to
shaping the path of our policy based on deliberation and discourse.



In these trying economic times, with many Americans out of work and
health insurance costs skyrocketing, I concluded that the reform
package was a step in the right direction of affordable health care for
all Americans, rooted in the belief that our health insurance system is
intrinsically linked to our nation's and California's economic
recovery. Recently there have been attempts made to repeal the reform
package - efforts I strongly oppose.



While many Americans currently have a health care plan that provides
them with quality medical care, we've seen premiums increase far faster
than wages - three times faster in fact - and health care costs are
continuing to take a growing portion out of Americans' budgets.
Collectively, as a nation, we spend almost twice as much per person on
health care as any other country, or about 17 percent of our gross
domestic product, and this number is growing every year far faster than
inflation. Our current level of spending is unsustainable and will
eventually bankrupt the country if it's not fixed. By passing
comprehensive health care legislation, we're preventing a fiscal
scenario that would strangle our federal and state budgets, and force
us to choose between unprecedented tax hikes, overwhelming deficits, or
drastic cuts in our federal and state budgets.



There are now more than thirty million American citizens who do not
have health insurance coverage, and every day, 14,000 Americans lose
their coverage. Here in California, we are more likely to be uninsured
than most Americans - over 7 million Californians are uninsured this
year. As a result, millions of Americans must receive their care at
the emergency room, and millions more must make the difficult choice of
whether to pay their medical bills or pay their mortgage because they
cannot afford to do both; two-thirds of all bankruptcies and half of
all foreclosures are a result of a health care crisis in the family.
And each time an uninsured American steps foot into an emergency room
with no way to reimburse the hospital for care, the cost is handed over
to every other American family as a bill of about $1,000 that is
reflected in higher taxes, higher premiums, and higher health care
costs.



This recession has highlighted wide and growing gaps in our health care
system. Families lose their insurance coverage when a parent in the
household becomes unemployed, and too many parents without employment
are falling through those widening cracks - unable to afford COBRA,
ineligible for public coverage, and precluded by high premiums and/or
pre-existing conditions from obtaining private insurance.



I voted in favor of legislation to reform our health care system
because it will substantially improve health insurance industry
practices, extend quality coverage to millions of Americans, and hold
down national, public, and private health care costs. It will provide
stable coverage that cannot be taken away and won't be lost when you
change jobs, and will provide bolstered and additional insurance
choices in an invigorated and competitive marketplace.



In our district alone, this bill will provide tax credits and financial
assistance to over 135,000 families and 15,000 small businesses to help
them afford coverage, and extend coverage to 80,000 uninsured
residents. It will stabilize and improve coverage for the 368,000
residents who already have insurance. It will strengthen Medicare and
close the "donut hole" for 94,000, and prevent Medicare from becoming
insolvent in 2017. Further, the bill responds to these challenges in a
fiscally responsible manner, reducing the deficit by over $1.3 trillion
in the next two decades, and ensuring the economic security of our
children.



This legislation will now make it illegal to deny health coverage to
the 15,000 constituents in my district with pre-existing conditions,
and ensure that the costs of health care won't threaten their family's
finances, that their doctor is paid for making them well and not
ordering unnecessary tests, and that their health care premiums are
spent on actual care, not paying for paperwork and red tape.



I believe one of the most significant reforms enacted comes in the
establishment of health insurance exchanges, which will make it
possible for small business owners and those who don't have insurance
through their employers to use the bulk purchasing power of millions to
buy policies more cheaply - like Members of Congress and federal
employees do now. The exchanges channel the competition and choice of
our market-driven economy, and ensure that individuals have access to a
variety of effective and transparent insurance offerings - consumers
will be able to easily see the difference between insurance plans and
have access to information on how well they perform.



Nonetheless, I know many people are wary about the role government
plays in their lives, particularly its involvement in their health
care, and I appreciate those concerns. The health insurance exchanges
at present only offer private plans, so this concern is strongly
mitigated in the bill. And while it's not perfect, I look to Medicare
as an example of a successful program which has allowed millions of
seniors to enjoy a dignified and healthy retirement. I also appreciate
the concerns several have raised over what this means for public costs.
The non-partisan CBO report shows the potential for deficit reduction
through health care reform, but Congress will need to stand strong and
make tough choices to follow through on that potential, and I'm
committed to making sure that those provisions of the bill that reduce
costs are fully implemented.



I believe that access to affordable, quality, stable health care is the
key to a productive work force, small business innovation, and the
economic as well as health security of our families and nation. And I
want to tell you how much I sincerely appreciated all the feedback I
received in this important debate, and will certainly keep it very much
in mind as we work on further improvements to our health insurance
system in the years to come.



An on-going job of a Representative in Congress is to help constituents
solve problems with federal agencies, access services, and get their
questions answered promptly. On my website, I offer a detailed guide
to the services my office can provide to you as a constituent. I also
encourage you to subscribe to the Washington Update, my email
newsletter which contains information on local events, my work in
Washington, and even lets you weigh in on important issues through
online polls. Visit me online at http://schiff.house.gov to subscribe.
Please know that you can always reach me at (626) 304-2727 or via my
website if I can ever be of additional assistance.



Thank you again for your thoughts. I hope you will continue to share
your views and ideas with me.






Sincerely,

Adam B. Schiff

Member of Congress