-- Randy's Roundup --

A Weekly Newsletter from Congressman Randy Neugebauer

March 19, 2012

Fighting Against Obamacare

Later this week, the House of Representatives will vote to eliminate another piece of President Obama’s flawed takeover of our nation’s health care system. The Protecting Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act would repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). IPAB is a fifteen-member panel of bureaucrats that will ration care to seniors by lowering reimbursement to doctors and deciding which health procedures can be reimbursed. The new system grants IPAB the authority to make changes to the Medicare program, taking decisive control away from Congress. I do not support any legislation that puts power into the hands of Washington bureaucrats, especially if it involves health care decisions.

Last week, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released revised cost estimates on Obamacare. They estimate that it will cost Americans $1.76 trillion over the next ten years, almost double its original estimated cost of $900 billion. This is absolutely not a surprise. We have known all along that Obamacare was going to cost far more than $900 billion, CBO just made it official. Down the road, unless we stop the implementation of this flawed law, I predict the costs will escalate even further.

I voted against this bill in 2010 when it became law and I continue to make its repeal one of my top priorities in Congress. I support real health care reform that lowers costs, improves access to health care and simplifies what is a very complicated and inefficient system. I will continue to fight against this government takeover of our health care system which has a price tag that continues to spiral out-of-control.

2012 Farm Bill

Recently, the House Agriculture Committee began a series of farm bill field hearings around the country. These hearings are important as we look to reauthorize farm programs set to expire on September 30th of this year. If you have a comment about farm policy or other issues related to the Farm Bill, please visit the House Agriculture Committee’s feedback form, where you can submit comments to be part of the record. The responses that are received will be compiled, printed, and posted to the website.

I look forward to learning from these Farm Bill hearings and your thoughts on the process. The Farm Bill offers important risk management tools to farmers and ranchers who produce the food and fiber this country and the world needs. We must ensure that producers can manage the risks of modern agriculture while keeping a steady supply of food and fiber readily available for the world.