Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas) today sent a letter to President Obama accepting his invitation to “come over to the White House and go over line-by-line” the health care reform plan the President is pushing.

Last week President Obama held a health care town hall meeting in North Carolina, and offered the invitation to Members of Congress. President Obama stated, “When we come back in September, I will be available to answer any questions that members of Congress have. If they want to come over to the White House and go over line-by-line what's going on, I will be happy to do that.”

In his letter to President Obama, Burgess accepts the President’s invitation and states that, as a doctor, he has several concerns with the plan and also many ideas he believes he and the President can both agree on when it comes to health reform.

Below is the text of Burgess’ letter to President Obama:

August 3, 2009

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I write to accept your offer to meet with you at the White House to discuss the current health care reform proposals before us and to review legislative language line by line. I hope that we can get together at the earliest possible opportunity.

I have read the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200) in its entirety and have worked tirelessly in the Energy and Commerce Committee to help improve this legislation. Presently, I have many concerns about the legislation before us.

I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to review my concerns about this bill with you and to explain the ways in which this legislation fails to achieve your stated goals of bringing quality, affordable health care to all Americans. I believe my perspective as a practicing physician for over 25 years and my track record of bipartisan work on health care issues will be helpful in identifying ways that Republicans and Democrats can work together, in a bipartisan fashion, to enact meaningful health care reform.

In February, you told me at the White House that you are interested in finding out what works in health care reform. I look forward to the opportunity to meet with you to achieve this goal that we both share. Please contact my Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-7772 to schedule a meeting.

Sincerely,

Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress

NOTE: The letter is also attached.


Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D., is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and three of its subcommittees: Health, Energy & Environment, and Oversight & Investigations. He is also a member of the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Economic Committee. Prior to becoming a member of Congress in 2002, Congressman Burgess practiced medicine in North Texas for over 25 years.