The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today honored nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas as Taxpayer Heroes for their high scores in the group`s 2008 Congressional Ratings: Joe Barton with 83 percent; Kevin Brady with 80 percent, Michael Burgess with 91 percent, John Culberson with 87 percent, Jeb Hensarling with 98 percent, Sam Johnson with 92… Read more »

Republican representatives are taking the opportunity to meet with House leadership and Obama administration officials this week to discuss their views and concerns on healthcare reform. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters he intended to “carry on conversations with my Republican colleagues” on healthcare reform, and would meet with Republican Whip Eric Cantor… Read more »

A bill calling for ending the use of the Sustainable Growth Rate formula to set Medicare payments to physicians and replacing it with a new formula linked to the Medicare Economic Index has been submitted by Rep. Michael Burgess, (R-Texas). The bill, called the “Ensuring the Future Physician Workforce Act,” would maintain the current SGR formula for the rest of 2009, block next year's… Read more »

A Republican physician in Congress has asked the White House to disclose more details regarding healthcare reform negotiations between the administration and hospital and pharmaceutical groups. ''It has now been over four months since the White House announced numerous deals with major stakeholders in the healthcare debate to save upwards of $2 trillion in the healthcare system," Rep.… Read more »

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 51-0 to include an amendment to the House' healthcare reform bill, HR 3200, that would require greater price transparency from hospitals and health insurers, according to a news release from the American Hospital Association. Under the amendment, states would be required to publicly report information on hospital charges, and health… Read more »

In a bid to be more environmentally conscious, officials from the U.S. House of Representatives recently purchased a diesel-electric hybrid truck from the Denton-based Peterbilt Motors Co. plant. The Model 330 Hybrid Electric Truck is intended to carry thousands of pounds of furniture and office equipment on the Capitol Campus and throughout the Greater Washington area. The truck… Read more »

The House Energy and Commerce Committee finally finished its work on the healthcare overhaul Wednesday, cobbling a series of amendments together for the Rules Committee to add to the broader bill in the coming weeks. The committee voted to report a motion from former Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., to recommend that Rules include the additions. Seven amendments --… Read more »

House Republicans are feeling no love from President Barack Obama in the debate over healthcare – and Democrats want them to quit complaining. The White House has refused to schedule meetings with Obama and a handful of GOP lawmakers who RSVP’d to his blanket invitation to sit down one-on-one with any member of Congress to discuss his landmark legislation. Outspoken Democratic… Read more »

ACORN offices across Texas are temporarily halting the bulk of their work, following the lead of other chapters nationwide, as ACORN re-trains workers and makes sure proper policies and procedures are in place to avoid any improper activity. The Fort Worth office is at least temporarily closed, as the state chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now studies… Read more »

Move over beer and cigarettes. Sugary soft drinks could soon be the latest national indulgence to be hit with higher taxes. "I actually think it’s an idea that we should be exploring," President Barack Obama said in a recent interview with Men’s Health magazine. Taxing sodas could become the latest way to try to curb the rising tide of youth obesity and raise money for… Read more »