The Fight to Protect Americans from Obamacare
Unless something changes at the very last minute, funding for the federal government will expire tonight at midnight. My House colleagues and I worked through the weekend on legislation that protects Americans from Obamacare and keeps important government services running. We also passed legislation that ensures that our troops will be paid, no matter what happens in Washington.
The House of Representatives has now sent two bills to the Senate that would keep the government operating. But the Senate is refusing to compromise. What is most frustrating is that the Senate has rejected the proposal to delay the individual health insurance mandate under Obamacare for one year. The Administration has given delays, extensions, and carve-outs to all sorts of special interest groups and big businesses. They are even giving health insurance subsidies to people without verifying whether they're eligible for them. So why are they unwilling to give American families the same reprieve from this broken law?
It's no secret that I oppose Obamacare. When it was pushed through Congress--with no Republican support--Americans were told that we had to pass the bill to see what was in it. Now we know what's in it: massive taxes, reduced hours for employees, higher costs for businesses, and higher premiums for patients. In Texas, premiums on the individual market under Obamacare will be 11% higher for young women and a staggering 53% higher for young men. Instead of promoting competition and affordability to encourage people to buy health insurance, Obamacare has mandated it, while also making it more costly to do so. It's bad policy, plain and simple.
My priority is preventing Obamacare from harming patients, closing small businesses, and hurting our economy. It's time for the Senate to act.
Do you have questions about the continuing resolution and the debt limit? I explain them in simple terms in this video:
The Next Steps on the Farm Bill
This weekend, the House voted to recombine the farm and nutrition bills that make up the Farm Bill. That was a necessary step that moves us towards conferencing a bill with the Senate. It's important that we move quickly to develop long-term policy because we're on borrowed time. The 2008 Farm Bill expired last September, and the year-long extension we passed last year expires tonight at midnight. The silver lining for West Texas farmers is that the Farm Bill's expiration won't have immediate effects. The way the policy is structured means that its provisions last through the entire crop year--so if you planted your crop in 2013, it's covered through 2013. But farming is a business like any other, and in order to be successful, you need to have long term plans in place. To do that, farmers need to know what policies will be in place next year. So I'm eager to move forward and develop a final bill.
Action Item: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
I believe that America's history as a melting pot is what makes our country exceptional. Every culture brings their own heritage and traditions to America, where they combine into something larger, stronger and uniquely American. This month, I am proud to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic-Americans as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. In Texas, we're especially lucky to have such a rich Hispanic culture. Of the 53 million Hispanics in America, over 10 million call Texas home. Our Hispanic-American neighbors enrich our culture by helping to drive our economy, defend our nation, and by sharing their strong commitment to faith, family, and community. I hope you will honor the Hispanics in our community by attending one of the many celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month in Texas' 19th District.