Rep. Engel - Hopeful for a Productive 112th Congress

Statement

Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement today following the swearing in of the 112th Congress. Rep. Engel is serving his 12th term as a Member of the House of Representatives.

"I am grateful and humbled by the support shown to me by the people of the Bronx, Rockland and Westchester Counties. I plan to do everything in my power to serve their interests in Washington during these next two years. It is my honor to represent the people and I look forward to continue serving my constituents.

"As the Republican Majority takes control of the House, I am hopeful that they will focus on governing rather than on scoring political points for their base. Democrats want to fix the unemployment problem and help Americans get back to work and feed their families. However, the Majority is first trying to turn back the clock and repeal health care. We want to look forward rather than dwell on the past.

"Repeal would raise the number of uninsured Americans by 32 million, re-open the "donut" hole in Medicare Part D prescription drug costs for seniors, force parents to remove their children from their health plans rather than keep them covered up to age 26, allow insurance companies to deny coverage to the most sick and vulnerable suffering from pre-existing conditions, and raise taxes on small businesses that provide health care for their employees.

"The American people need Congress Members who can work together to solve the problems we face. I intend to honor that call, and I urge my new colleagues and my already serving colleagues, to honor it as well."

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