As the health care reform debate began over a year ago, the American Medical Association, the top doctors group in the country, released a list of its top priorities for health reform. The AMA is a powerful association, and many have credited it with helping to kill HillaryCare, so the organization, of which I am a member, was in a good position to impact President Obama’s health care reform plan and accomplish some of doctors’ long-awaited goals. Remember, without doctors, there is no health ca... Read more

Representative Michael Burgess (R-Texas) told CNSNews.com that if the mandate in the health care law requiring individuals to purchase health insurance or be penalized is upheld by the courts, the federal government could mandate anything, such as requiring all Americans to purchase a General Motors car. On Capitol Hill, CNSNews.com asked Representative Burgess, “The Congressional Budget Office has said that never before in the history of the United States has the federal government mandated tha... Read more

Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, has summoned some of the nation's top executives to Capitol Hill to defend their assessment that the new national health care reform law will cost their companies hundreds of millions of dollars in health insurance expenses. Waxman is also demanding that the executives give lawmakers internal company documents related to health care finances -- a move one committee Republican describes as "an attempt to intimidate and sil... Read more

On Friday night Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, introduced H.R. 4951 (PDF file), which would fix the loophole that exempted certain staff, as well as Administration officials, from participating in the exchanges created by the Democrats' flawed health care bill. Burgess' bill, which has 26 original co-sponsors, including Republican Leader John Boehner, requires participation by the President, Vice President, political appointees, ... Read more

Last night Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, introduced H.R. 4951, which would fix the loophole that exempted certain staff, as well as Administration officials, from participating in the exchanges created by the Democrats’ flawed health care bill. Burgess’ bill, which has 26 original co-sponsors, including Republican Leader John Boehner, requires participation by the President, Vice President, political appointees, all Members of Congress, and all Congressional staff, including committee and leadership staff. Read more

Senate and House Republicans are introducing bills to close a loophole in the health care reform act that may exempt leadership and committee staffers from having to buy health plans created in the act. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) announced Thursday in a “Dear Colleague” letter that he would be introducing bicameral legislation with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who tried to attach a similar amendment to the reform act and the reconciliation bill. The legislation would require all Congression... Read more

Following House passage of the Democrats’ health care reform bill last night, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Lewisville) Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, vowed to assist Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in his legal efforts to repeal sections of the legislation. “I am very concerned about the legality of several aspects of the so-called health care reform bill passed by the House of Representatives last night, which I strongly opposed and voted against,” Burgess said.... Read more

Following House passage of the Democrats’ health care reform bill last night, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, vowed to assist Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in his legal efforts to repeal unconstitutional sections of the legislation. “I am very concerned about the legality of several aspects of the so-called health care reform bill passed by the House of Representatives last night, which I strongly opposed and voted against,” Burgess said. “The constitutionality of the individual mandate, special deals for certain states, and state-funded Medicaid expansions are all questionable, and I will not stand by and let these concerns go unchallenged.” Read more

Rep. Burgess delivered a 1-hour special order outlining to the American people some of the flawed provisions in the Senate bill, include provisions he intends to work to repeal. Read more

Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, released the following statement after House passage of the Senate health care reform bill: “Tonight, the same Members of Congress who are sent to Washington by the voters in their districts to represent their best interests, told the American people ‘we don’t care what you want, we don’t care what you need, we are going to pass a health bill which you oppose anyway.’ Read more