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Restoring Competition, Reducing Costs
March 2, 2010
By Travis Childers (D., Miss.) U.S. House of Representatives
Dear Friends,
Today, millions of hard-working Americans are suffering from soaring health care premiums, low quality of coverage and limited choices while health insurance companies are jacking up prices and turning record profits. Currently, there are only two industries that are exempt from anti-trust laws – the insurance industry and Major League Baseball. Last week I voted to ensure that American consumers get a real choice and a fair deal when purchasing health insurance. The bipartisan Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act will take away the anti-trust exemption for health insurance companies, requiring them to compete fairly and adhere to the same anti-trust laws as other industries. The bill passed with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle, by a vote of 406 to 19. Increasing competition among health care companies is central to lowering costs for consumers. This has been a core principle of mine since the beginning of the current health care reform debate. By ending the health insurance industry’s anti-trust exemption, the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act will require these companies to play by the same rules that nearly every other American industry must follow. Under this legislation, hard-working North Mississippians will be able to choose among multiple providers and will ultimately have access to more affordable, higher quality health care. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), for 65 years the health insurance industry has been legally exempt from anti-trust laws and the federal government was banned from even investigating evidence of possible collusion. In the last 14 years alone, there have been 400 mergers among health insurers and now 94 percent of all insurance markets are “highly concentrated” – meaning consumers have little or no choice between insurance providers. Thanks to last week’s legislation, health insurers that were previously exempt from anti-trust laws will now bear legal responsibility for price fixing, dividing up territories among themselves and sabotaging their competitors in order to gain a monopoly in the marketplace – practices that have been outlawed in other industries for decades. I will continue working hard to ensure that North Mississippians have access to quality, affordable health care. I also look forward to supporting additional legislation with this level of bipartisan cooperation. As always, please continue to keep me informed about your opinions and concerns by phone at (202) 225-4306 or by visiting my website at www.childers.house.gov.
Congressman Travis W. Childers First District, Mississippi
North Mississippi Mailroom Constituent Letter:
Representative Childers: I think that the level of national debt we are at currently is high enough. Adding another trillion or two is not what the American public wants. We have become awakened to the outrageous way that our representatives have spent our hard earned tax money. I believe we should be finding ways to cut spending rather than increase it. Thank you for the work you've done so far for the people. The Constitution was not penned to control the people but rather to control the Government created to protect the people. Help us get the message across to those who have forgotten this.
Sincerely,
Roger Vardaman, MS
Response:
Dear Roger, Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about the state of our country’s deficit and our national debt. I appreciate hearing from the people of North Mississippi about the issues that are important to them. As you may know, the House recently voted to increase the federal debt ceiling. I voted against this measure because, like you, I am concerned about the deficits our government continues to accrue. Federal spending has long been disproportionate to revenue and Congress must enact strong policies to get our federal budget in check. During this time of economic downturn, Congress must use its power to control government spending. Today, the national debt is more than $11 trillion and is projected to grow exponentially unless we act soon. This figure greatly concerns me and as a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, I strongly believe we must make a bold move to cut excessive government spending and reduce the size of the national debt so we do not burden future generations with the bill. As your Representative, I have taken decisive action by voting against multiple non-defense related appropriations bills this Congress. I also opposed the FY2010 Budget and the release of the $350 billion in bailout funds to Wall Street when the second installment of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds was voted on. While I do believe there are important programs included in the federal budget, I could not in good conscience vote for something that significantly increased spending by nine percent from FY2009. In addition, I am pleased to tell you my vote and strong support helped pass H.R. 2920, the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2009. Also known as PAYGO, this bill mandates that if Congress or the Administration wants to create new government spending, they must pay for the cost increases with offsetting savings. Just like families and small businesses in North Mississippi, the federal government must live within its means. My hope is that this legislation will bring a level of fiscal discipline to the federal government never before seen. I believe Congress has the duty to pursue fiscally responsible policies that strengthen our economy, promote job growth, and allow us to meet our national commitments. Rest assured, I will continue to protect your tax dollars, practice fiscal responsibility, and limit excessive government spending. Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me with your thoughts about this matter of mutual concern. If I can be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Travis W. Childers
Keep the letters coming! If you have something to share with me about an important issue going on at home or in Washington, please let me know. |