Healthcare 2.0, Criminal Aliens, And Counting

Statement

This week, while the American people are focused on finding jobs and providing for their families, Democrats in Washington continued to push a job-killing health care plan based on more government, more taxes, and more spending. This staggering disconnect with the American people is underscored in President Obama's latest health care plan that offers more of the same tax-and-spend, big-government agenda:

* An unconstitutional Individual Mandate requiring Americans to purchase health insurance
* Penalty Taxes on Americans and employers who do not purchase health insurance
* Deep Cuts to Medicare to fund health care for non-seniors
* Government Interference in the doctor-patient relationship through bureaucrat-run health boards
* Higher health care costs. The Congressional Budget Office confirms that Democrat health care plans will do nothing to lower health care costs for Americans

Disguised as a new-found commitment to engaging Republicans on health care, the White House health care summit on Thursday was designed as a platform for relaunching a wildly unpopular government-run health care agenda. The American people do not need another sales pitch for a product that they have already soundly rejected. The American people do not want more spending, higher taxes, bigger government, fewer options, and bureaucrats interfering in the health care decisions between patients and their doctors.

The health care summit should have been a landmark opportunity to start over with real health care solutions. Siding with the American people, Republicans in Congress have consistently offered common-sense health care solutions that would increase access to quality, affordable health care. I am pleased that Republican leaders and members demonstrated the leadership of better ideas at the health care summit:

* Allow individuals and small businesses to use pre-tax dollars for health coverage -- like large businesses and unions already do
* Make health coverage patient-owned and portable across state lines and from job to job
* Create large insurance pools and high-risk insurance pools to reduce costs for small businesses, self-employed individuals, and families
* Include pre-existing conditions in health coverage
* Promote real medical liability reform to reduce "defensive medicine" and lower costs, saving $180 billion a year

We stand ready to work with President Obama to advance affordable health care solutions that empower people -- not the government -- to control their own health care. It's past time to place job creation and common-sense solutions over political agendas and public relations campaigns. The American people deserve better.

Removing Criminal Aliens from our Streets
Earlier this week, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents partnered with other law enforcement agencies to conduct a three-day operation to find and arrest criminal aliens in Texas. To date, this was the state's largest operation targeting at-large criminal aliens. Across Texas, the operation yielded the arrests of 284 foreign nationals. Most of these individuals were targeted because of their violent criminal histories, including homicide, assault, robberies, and sexual offenses. In the Dallas/Fort-Worth area alone, 119 criminal aliens were removed from the streets.

As you know, I believe that removing illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the United States should be paramount in our enforcement efforts. I applaud the work and dedication of the ICE agents in Texas as well as their partners in the United States Marshals Service and other federal agencies, and our local law enforcement officials.

National Down Syndrome Society Award
One of my top priorities in Congress is ensuring that people with intellectual disabilities have the resources, education, and work opportunities to develop to the best of their abilities. As I have developed legislation and raised awareness for special needs issues, I have valued the counsel and support of numerous disability advocacy groups, including the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS)

With over 300 affiliate groups across the nation, the National Down Syndrome Society leads public policy efforts, raising awareness and increasing resources and services for people with Down syndrome. NDSS is also one of the largest non-government supporters of Down syndrome research.

Congressman Sessions speaks at NDSS awards event along with Stephanie Lee of NDSS.
On Thursday, I was honored to receive an award from NDSS for my efforts on behalf of people with Down syndrome, including my work as Co-Chair of the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus. I look forward to working with NDSS in the future to support educational opportunities, financial resources, and leading-edge research that will provide people with disabilities and their families with the tools they need for success in life.

Census Forms . . . In Your Mailbox
As you know, the U.S. Census Bureau is in the process of counting every resident in the United States, as required by the Constitution every ten years. The 2010 Census data will help determine funding levels for communities as well as the number of congressional districts within a state.

In March, census forms will be delivered to every U.S. resident. The 2010 census form has only 10 short questions. You can now review the form online and see an explanation of questions by clicking through:

2010 Census Interactive Form

Once you receive the form by mail, simply fill out the questions and mail back to the Census Bureau using the postage-paid envelope provided. If the Census Bureau does not receive the form back, you may be contacted by a census taker to answer the questions. All U.S. residents are required by law to participate in the census.

For additional information about the census, please visit www.2010census.gov

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