by Sam Mintz Tens of thousands of airline workers will lose their jobs in a matter of days if Congress is unable to break through its gridlock, even though a majority of lawmakers support heading off the looming layoffs for an industry that's been decimated by the coronavirus. Airline unions have been pleading with Congress for months to extend the Payroll Support Program, a $32 billion program of airline payroll support grants given as part of the CARES Act, a condition of which required that airlines not involuntarily lay off workers until after Sept. 30. Without extending the program, which... Read More »
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement after President Trump announced the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. "The nomination of a Supreme Court Justice is one that is not to be taken lightly. I appreciate the thoughtful and wise decision the President has made in nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett,” said Burgess. "Her nomination is historic in its nature. If confirmed, she will be the first mother with... Read More »
Washington, D.C. – Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Dr. Michael Burgess (R-TX) released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s health care announcement. “The president’s commitment to lowering health care costs, demanding price transparency, and giving people more choices is clearer than ever. President Trump would not have to resort to using his executive authority if Democrats in Congress had been willing to work with Republicans and the White House to solve these problems. Republicans are united in our ... Read More »
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), a member of the House Rules Committee and Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement disapproving the House’s vote to pass H.R. 4447 - the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. "Despite starting off as a bipartisan piece of legislation, Democrats once again put forward a wish list for a vote,” Burgess said. “H.R. 4447 authorizes over $135 billion in new taxpayer spending and creates new mandates and prohibitions, all of which would only hurt Americans’ finances and ... Read More »
September 25, 2020 Dear Friends, Yesterday, President Trump asked me to join him at the Duke Energy Center in North Carolina where he unveiled his America First Health Care Plan. Under this plan there will be more choices, more care, lower costs, and most importantly protections for those with pre-existing conditions. National Updates: The National Institutes of Health is enrolling volunteers in the fourth Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating a COVID-19 investigational vaccine. This vaccine candidate is being developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. The Centers for... Read More »
by Ripon Advance News Service U.S. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Michael Burgess (R-TX) seek information on how the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are protecting the nation’s biomedical research from foreign influence. The lawmakers, along with U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), sent separate Sept. 23 letters to NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and FBI Director Christopher Wray requesting briefings. Specifically, the lawmakers, who all serve on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, requested details on NIH’s approach to tackling foreign i... Read More »
by Douglas Clark Three lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) requesting insight regarding efforts to address foreign biomedical research influence. Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Republican Leader Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) sent the letters to NIH Director Francis Collins and FBI Director Christopher Wray. “As the largest funder of biomedical resea... Read More »
by Ripon Advance News Service Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) to bolster the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) on Sept. 21 received approval by the U.S. House of Representatives, which advanced the bill to the U.S. Senate for action. “I am pleased this bipartisan legislation passed the House, and I encourage my Senate colleagues to move on this crucial legislation promptly,” Rep. Brooks said. The Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act, H.R. 7574, introduced in July by lead original cosponsor Rep. Brooks and bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Elissa Slo... Read More »
by Allison Bell An Affordable Care Act (ACA) universe celebrity told members of Congress Wednesday that health insurance agents help keep commercial health insurance affordable. Peter Lee, the executive director of Covered California — California’s ACA public health insurance exchange program, or web-based health insurance supermarket — testified at a House hearing that advertising, operating local storefronts, sponsoring nonprofit navigators, and working with 10,000 agents are all ways to stabilize health insurance markets, by persuading low-risk people to pay for coverage before they feel si... Read More »
by Michael McCardel, Jason Whitely Airlines are expected to begin massive layoffs Oct. 1 in what will be another startling jolt to the Texas economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Fort Worth-based American Airlines, for instance, says it will shed 19,000 jobs. North Texas Congressman Michael Burgess said the economy needs a boost, but he worries about the price tag. “I don’t think that there’s any doubt that there’s going to have to be some type of additional help to the economy,” Burgess said. “But it doesn’t need to be $3 trillion. I don’t think it has to be $2 trillion.” Those broad figu... Read More »
