Today, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26) hosted Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney at a meeting of the House Republican Policy Committee in Washington. On the agenda was a detailed discussion of Governor Romney’s new health care legislation that works to provide affordable, quality and personally-accountable health care to the citizens of Massachusetts.

“Personal responsibility is a hallmark of Americans not to mention a tenant of the Republican Party,” said Congressman Michael Burgess. “As a physician-Member, my mission is to introduce or support legislation that improves America’s health care system. After reviewing Governor Romney’s revolutionary ideas, I wanted to secure a meeting with him to discuss his plan in more detail, and to educated myself, and other GOP members, on the specifics of his proposal.”

On April 12, 2006, Governor Romney signed landmark legislation that reforms the Massachusetts health care system by making health insurance affordable to every resident and establishing mechanisms to help control health care inflation. The Legislation is the product of over two years of work by Administration officials, legislators, health care providers, insurers, and consumer groups. The Act reforms the health care system by focusing on the role of the individual within the system. Specifically, health insurance laws are modernized, barriers to purchasing health insurance are eliminated, existing government assistance is redirected from hospitals to the individual, personal responsibility is expected, and health care costs are contained.

“While not all aspects of the Massachusetts plan could be applied to larger states, like Texas, the principles and out-of-the-box vision articulated in the Act makes it worthy of consideration,” said Representative Michael Burgess. “I hope that today’s meeting between myself and Governor Romney, as well as the subsequent discussion with the Policy Committee will move us all a step forward toward instilling personal accountability and common sense back into our delivery of health care services. I remain a strong supporter of a private market system, but understanding innovative plans that push for affordable health care are important to review. America’s system is by far the best in the world, but we must continue to re-energize it with ideas that keep us ahead of the curve.”