Washington, D.C. – Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), vice chairman on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, today issued the following statement in response to the White House’s assertion that at least 7.1 million Americans have signed up for insurance through exchanges:

“These numbers are a total fantasy – they’re arbitrary and fictitious.

“The Obama administration claims 7.1 million have enrolled. Have they all paid? Most importantly, how many people were previously uninsured? For a president who ran on a promise to insure the 45 million Americans who lack insurance, it is highly suspect that the White House has stayed mum on the issue of just who is included in this group.

“The president and even the media have been hyping these numbers in celebration all day. Meanwhile, Congressional inquiries asking the administration to reveal more about this group have been met by total silence. As they hold press conferences and photo ops, they continue to dodge basic, fundamental questions from the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. What are they hiding? The Congress has the tools necessary to obtain this information, and if the White House continues to withhold it, we will have no choice but to use those tools. It is simply too important to let go.”

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