Letter to Steve Scalise, Charles Boustany, and Vance McAllister, United States Representatives for Louisiana - Regarding the Nomination of Sylvia Burwell for Secretary of Health and Human Services

Letter

May 19, 2014

Congressman Steve Scalise Congressman Bill Cassidy
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
2338 Rayburn House Office Building 1131 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

Congressman Charles Boustany Congressman John Fleming
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
1431 Longworth House Office Building 416 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515

Congressman Vance McAllister
U.S. House of Representatives
316 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Louisiana Congressional Colleagues,

I write in response to your letter asking to hold the nomination of Ms. Silvia Burwell for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services until an agreement is reached to provide the American people the same treatment under Obamacare as large businesses. I share your opinion that the Administration's decision to give large businesses relief from the employer mandate while millions still face a penalty under the individual mandate is both unfair and drives a deeper wedge between the American people and those with powerful lobbyists and access to power. What I find even more hypocritical is that Congress worked behind closed doors to give themselves special treatment under Obamacare to avoid higher costs and lower quality care. I will oppose Ms. Burwell's nomination until the American people get the same relief from Obamacare as the Washington elite and their corporate allies.

Like you, I have heard from hardworking Louisianans every day on skyrocketing premiums, higher out of pocket costs as a result of lower quality health plans being offered on the federal exchange, and limited access to their doctors. Members of Congress and their staff would be facing these exact consequences had they not bent the rules last summer to keep their generous employer-based, taxpayer funded subsidy to avoid higher costs and only make available high-quality, gold level health plans to ensure they were able to keep their doctors.

To date, at least 4.7 million Americans, including at least 92,000 Louisianans, have had their health insurance plans canceled as a result of this law. Many of these people were then dealt with the choice of going without health insurance or taking the gamble of purchasing an expensive plan on the government run Obamacare exchange. In contrast, high level Congressional staff who often negotiate directly with the Administration were able to alleviate the inconvenience of procuring their health insurance on the broken federal exchange and keep the plan they liked on the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP).

I join your efforts in calling for fairness for all under the law, and will oppose Ms. Burwell's nomination and any other bureaucrat that fails to put the needs of the American people before the political elite.

Sincerely,

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