Holding the Line Against Amnesty, Big Labor, and Obamacare

Statement

Greetings,

Last week, the House of Representatives voted to delay key Obamacare requirements, safeguarding against enormous cost increases that threaten job creation nationwide. Postponing the employer and individual mandates staves off a huge blow to our sluggish economy and families struggling to make ends meet.

Fighting to repeal Obamacare

The weaker the argument, the louder the volume. And when it comes to Obamacare, Democrats continue to make a lot of noise.

In his speech following the House's vote to delay Obamacare's mandates, the president said that "Congress is refighting old battles... I'm trying to figure out why." Mr. President, I, for one, am still "refighting" this battle because this "train wreck" of a law increases health care costs, raises taxes on families, and is killing jobs.

On top of that, implementation of Obamacare has become a full-fledged disaster, and some of its biggest supporters agree. As for the President, he just can't seem to make up his mind. For example, he was against the employer mandate (2009) before he was for it (2010). You can read more about Obama's mandate flip-flopping in my recent blog, "Obamacare: A shot and chaser."

Supporting border security over amnesty

In the Atlanta Journal Constitution last week, "No backdoor amnesty," my op-ed about the current immigration debate in Congress explained my unwavering opposition to an amnesty-first immigration plan.

"Our country's immigration system is in dire straits. It's been described as "broken," but in reality it has all but collapsed. Georgians are seeing the disastrous effects of this first-hand. Our state has the seventh-highest illegal immigrant population in the country, which puts an enormous strain on taxpayers and families.

At the same time, the Obama Administration refuses to enforce existing law, has granted backdoor amnesty to certain categories of illegal immigrants, and admitted it has no way to measure border security.

The approach the Senate has taken, however, is a short-sighted mistake. Illegal immigration is one of the biggest crises facing our nation, but amnesty is not the solution. The Senate bill would legalize millions who have 'jumped the line,' and do nothing to stem the tide of illegal immigration."

Holding the IRS to the fire

I'm continuing my investigation into the IRS' wasteful spending. I contacted the Treasury Inspector General demanding answers on a report detailing its use of taxpayer dollars for diet pills, wine, romance novels, and many other non-essential items. Furthermore, the investigation identified thousands in inappropriate giveaway items including Nerf footballs and game machine rentals at events.

This report of improper behavior at the IRS comes amid allegations that they have engaged in targeting of conservative groups, lavished millions on extravagant conferences, and most recently, posted Social Security numbers of thousands of Americans online.

This misuse of taxpayer dollars is deplorable, and I remain committed to digging to the bottom of these ongoing investigations and restoring integrity to our federal agencies.

Taking on Big Labor

Last week, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) introduced the Senate companion bill to my Federal Employee Accountability Act. This legislation will put a stop to federal-union employees using "official time" - or company time - to collectively bargain on taxpayer dollars.

Using "official time" and taxpayer dollars to support what is often political union activity is a major violation of the peoples' trust, and wastes tens-of-millions of dollars every year. I will continue fighting for the passage of this legislation to provide greater government transparency and increase oversight of federal employees.

Spreading the word on Veteran's Workshops

I spoke with Druck of WRGA radio last week about the four upcoming 11th District veteran's workshops, as well as Obamacare's negative effect on jobs.

As we must continue to provide the highest quality care available for our service members, these workshops will be directed at helping veterans navigate the VA's claims processing system and receive their benefits in a more timely fashion.

GAIN Act spurs innovation, results

As a physician for more than 30 years, I've watched the need for new and innovative drugs continue to grow. My legislation, the GAIN (Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now) Act was signed into law last summer, and has played an important role in restoring antibiotic development. Without new treatments, the growing number of antibiotic-resistant "superbug" outbreaks poses an enormous threat to public health. The GAIN Act is a critical first step towards ensuring patient access to life-saving treatments and fast-tracking medical innovation.

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