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, urged members on the House floor today to put forward solutions for Americans' security. As prepared for delivery: The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 provided authorities for the collection of foreign intelligence information to protect the United States from foreign threats. These authorities were expanded after 9/11 and their use has far exceeded the original intent. The Foreign Intelligence Survei... 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 learning of his friend Congressman Sam Johnson's passing. "Sam Johnson was a true American hero, a man who risked his life and sacrificed his health for the betterment of all of us and for our country," said Burgess. "He knew the true meaning of freedom because he fought for it, and he spent seven long years as a POW in Vietnam. Joined by his wife, Shirley, Sam dedicated his l... Read More »
by Theodore Bunker Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, told Newsmax TV on Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s call to heavily regulate social media like Twitter would be “problematic,” crediting a lack of regulation for the “rather robust free speech exposition” on the Internet. The congressman said, “the president, no question about it, has used as the platform of Twitter to great advantage, and that’s, I guess, what has drawn the ire of some of the people in Silicon Valley. He's used it as a platform probably better than anyone would have thought he would have been able to do. But at the same... Read More »
I sent a letter to Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking for him to include my name as a plaintiff in his lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Democratic rule on proxy voting. Two weeks ago, when the House rule was changed, only 12 members were unable to make it to Washington. Today was much different with over 70 members voting via proxy. What happened in the last two weeks? Governing is difficult. But we had two weeks’ notice before today’s vote. We had two weeks to plan and find a way to make our way to Washington to represent the people who elected us. I am sure that the peopl... Read More »
May 26, 2020 Dear Friends, The Federal Communications Commission announced a partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services to promote the use of $50 million in funding to museums and libraries to expand digital network access, purchase Internet accessible devices and provide technical support to communities during this pandemic. Premier, a health care improvement company, invested in a domestic face mask manufacturer, Prestige Ameritech, to bolster the domestic personal protective equipment market. The National Institutes of Health released the full data from a study on remdes... Read More »
by Ripon Advance News Service U.S. House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) led almost 60 Republican members in urging the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to implement additional reforms that would expedite the royalty relief process for the U.S. energy sector and help protect jobs and businesses. “We must ensure that when our country emerges from this pandemic, America will continue to be the dominant energy producer in the world,” wrote Rep. Scalise and his colleagues in a May 21 letter sent to DOI Secretary David Bernhardt. In their letter, the lawmakers acknowledged the department’... 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 the announcement by the Trump Administration to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies. “The intent of any treaty is for countries to come together and adhere to the same rules,” said Burgess. “For years, Putin’s abuse of this treaty put the safety and security of Americans at risk. I appreciate the leadership of President Trump to put America first.” Read More »
by Ripon Advance News Service U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) and 33 of his Republican colleagues urged U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar to consider providing federal funds to nursing homes, skilled nursing centers, senior living communities, independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities in a forthcoming COVID-19 emergency relief package. Such facilities, said Rep. Burgess, “face a difficult road ahead as they care for an older population that has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.” “I appreciate the efforts alr... Read More »
May 22, 2020 Dear Friends, This morning, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the distribution of $4.9 billion to skilled nursing facilities. This funding is part of the $175 billion in provider relief included in the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published considerations for health care providers taking care of newborns at risk of catching COVID-19. The CDC also released information for nursing homes on facility-wide COVID-19 testing and responding to outbreaks. The Fo... 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 the Senate confirmed Representative John Ratcliffe (R-TX) as Director of National Intelligence. “Whether it was serving as Mayor of Heath, Texas, U.S. Attorney, Congressman, or now as Director of National Intelligence, John continues to put our nation first,” said Burgess. “Having a permanent director overseeing our intel community is essential to provide security to our natio... Read More »
