Better Alternative For Health Care Reform

Floor Speech

Better Alternative For Health Care Reform

Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Speaker, as a doctor, one of the main reasons I came to Congress was to push for health care reform, that is, commonsense reform, not nonsense reform as proposed by our Democrat colleagues. That's why I'm proud to be an original cosponsor of the Empowering Patients First Act, a Republican bill for reform.

This bill contains all of the essential elements of good health care reform, including expanding private insurance to all Americans who want it, removing preexisting illnesses, improving portability, subsidies to the working poor, access to excellent primary and specialty care and, of course, instituting lawsuit reform. All of this is accomplished without a government takeover, without gutting Medicare, without long lines or bureaucrats interfering in the sacred doctor-patient relationship; and it is budget neutral.

It is obvious that private insurance, no matter who pays for it, is the gold standard. As we return to our districts and debate this important issue, I believe we will find that Americans truly want private insurance options, not the government takeover of health care with the Soviet-style central planning of our economy.

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