Congress is back in session, and our primary legislative priority is ensuring the government remains funded while reducing reckless spending and addressing the Biden-created crisis at our southern border. In addition to engaging in very spirited discussions and debates on how best taxpayers' dollars should be used, I also met with many constituents and stakeholders and participated in important committee meetings.
Addressing Surprise Medical Bills
Surprise billing continues to impact millions of Americans each year, despite Congress’s work to implement protections. Surprise billing occurs when an individual goes to a hospital and ends up having something urgently or emergently performed and afterward finds out the doctor or the hospital is not in their insurance company’s network. In fact, one in five adults in the U.S. received a medical bill unexpectedly last year.
Congress passed the bipartisan and bicameral No Surprises Act to codify patient protections. It was then signed into law by President Trump to protect patients while at the same time giving those who care for the patients, and insurance companies, equal footing when they have a dispute about an out-of-network charge. Unfortunately, the Biden administration has interpreted the law in absolute favor of insurance companies. While they rake in billions, the people who actually provide the care such as physicians and hospitals are going bankrupt or closing.
The Ways and Means Committee has come to a broad, bipartisan consensus that the Biden Administration has not implemented the law as they are required. Although the courts continue to rule in Congress's favor, Secretary Becerra of the Department of Health and Human Services continues to obstruct a fair and equal bargaining process.
It is long past time to take care of patients first and pay those who provide the care rather than make insurance companies rich.
Confronting Partisan Failures in Washington
Assessing Security Failures on January 6th
The House Administration Committee held two important hearings to hear from former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Sund to dig deeper into why proper security precautions were not taken prior to January 6th. What happened on that day was absolutely wrong, and Speaker Pelosi, through willful neglect, created the circumstances for the security failures. She refused President Trump’s offer of 10,000 National Guard for political purposes and then made the U.S. Capitol Police chief a scapegoat despite his repeated requests for more assistance in the days leading up to that tragedy.
Further, it is beyond unacceptable that the FBI is still unable, nearly two years after the discoveries, to tell us who planted the pipe bombs at the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters. Very similar as to why they could not tell who left the bag of cocaine at the White House despite fingerprints and more cameras than any other place on Earth.
Republicans are committed to ensuring transparency and truth so that the events that occurred on that day will never happen again.
Oversight of the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commissioners are supposed to serve a 6-year term before being replaced. Yet, one member, who has been accused of partisan politics for blocking investigations, has been serving 20+ years. She laughed when I asked her if she should resign.
We don’t need career politicians, nor career political appointees.
Meeting with NC National Guard
It was a pleasure meeting with members of the North Carolina National Guard. Eastern North Carolina is home to several military installations and over 76,000 veterans. We will never be able to repay our servicemembers for their sacrifice and dedication to our nation. However, it is my honor to represent these fine individuals in Congress and fight to give them the support they need. If you know someone who is a National Guard member, please thank them.
