Working for the People

Statement

Getting 218 people to agree on something isn't always easy. Each of us has our own perspective, our own set of experiences, our own lens through which we view the world. But we each bring something to the table. Each of us in Congress has a voice that speaks for hundreds of thousands of other voices across part of our nation.

But we are united as Americans. All of us believe in a government that is by the People, made up of the People, and working for the People: it is the People who govern, the People who determine their government, who reward those who work faithfully for them, and who punish those who fail to do so. I bear in mind every day that I am a servant of the People, their Representative.

And the House, as a legislative body, has kept this as our ethos, our unifying principle: the People's priorities are our priorities. If it matters to the People, then it matters to us. This thought has motivated everything we do; it has been our cause and our end, our purpose and our spur to action.

The evidence of that is that we have passed 330 pieces of legislation already this year that reflect the People we represent. Here are just a few of the highlights of what we have accomplished this year:

President Obama has signed into law a House bill fixing the way Medicare pays doctors. Under the old system, seniors couldn't be sure that their doctors would still want to take them as patients a year or even a few months down the road. We have fixed that, and we have since learned that our law will also save American taxpayers $3 trillion over the long run. Our law also extends scientific research into Type One Diabetes. After 12 years of negotiations, we finally accomplished permanent reform.

The House has passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which will increase funding to medical research at the National Institutes of Health.

The House has passed 14 bills to help veterans, giving them more choice for their medical care, easier access to benefits, and giving the Veterans Affairs Secretary the authority to clean out the bureaucracy that has failed them so terribly.

The House has passed 9 bills to stop the scourge of human trafficking that still goes on in our society, by increasing penalties and law enforcement capabilities.

The House has voted to protect drinking water, ordering the EPA to develop a plan to protect it from algal toxins.

Congress has voted to extend federal funding for our interstate highway system.

The House has voted to keep states and localities from taxing the internet.

We have also voted to stop late-term abortions after 20 weeks of gestation, an age when unborn babies can feel pain.

The House has voted to stop taxpayer money from going to abortion providers, Princluding Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest and most notorious abortion provider.

The House has passed a comprehensive revision of the No Child Left Behind Act, simplifying it, returning powers to the states, and ensuring that parents have the information they need.

Congress has given the President and his successor the authority to negotiate trade agreements to expand our customer base on behalf of the United States, with the agreement that Congress will give them an up-or-down vote.

Congress has voted, despite the President's veto, to authorize the Keystone Pipeline between Canada and the United States.

The House has voted to repeal or amend harmful parts of the Presidents' health care law, including its tax on medical devices.

The House has passed 6 appropriations bills so that parts of the government will not shut down.

The House has voted to restore Congress' constitutional authority over legislation by voting to require Congressional review of major regulations.

As you can see, the days of Harry Reid's "do nothing" Congress are long over.

I am particularly pleased that the Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve, has led the way. Out of those 100 bills, 21 came out of our committee, including 2 that became law.

It was a busy Spring and a busy Summer. This Fall, Congress and the People we represent face another set of challenges. But I know that if we maintain this same attitude, working diligently and working together, that we can continue this record of success for the People.

Source