As I’ve traveled Texas’ 26th District during the August District Work Period, I’ve heard from North Texans spanning from Gainesville to Fort Worth and Frisco to Ponder. Health care reform has been the main topic of interest, but I’ve also heard from North Texans on federal spending, cap and trade and budget deficits.

I appreciated the opportunity to attend and speak at several area Chamber of Commerce meetings, including Northwest Metroport, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Lake Cities, and Pilot Point. With the new school year and flu season both just around the corner, I hosted a roundtable on the H1N1 Influenza, or “swine flu” that provided North Texans the latest pertinent information available to effectively plan. It is important that parents, teachers, local and school officials, and all citizens, are aware of the risks H1N1 brings and the steps you can take to keep you and your families safe and healthy.

I also hosted three town halls, which thousands of North Texans attended so they could make their voices heard on the issues most important to them. On health care, I heard many compelling stories on both sides of spectrum, but the majority of North Texans expressed to me that they don’t like the health care reform proposals being debated right now in Washington.

Small business owners and representatives expressed their concerns with the current proposals during two roundtable forum I hosted as Chair of the Congressional Health Care Caucus. They told me that there is so much uncertainty for these small business owners right now, and this has forced many businesses, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, to postpone adding new jobs or growing their business.

Although I oppose HR 3200, the Democrats’ health care legislation, in its current form, I do believe that there is a serious need for reform in our system. I believe we should narrow our focus and concentrate on the 10 million Americans with pre-existing conditions who cannot find health insurance at any price. Helping this segment of the population that has a very serious and timely problem would go a long way towards restoring credibility on this issue. When Congress reconvenes in September, I am prepared to work with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to accomplish this.

To learn more about my work on health care, please visit http://www.healthcaucus.org.  To view floor speeches, interviews and other video messages from me, please visit my YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/MichaelCBurgessMD). You can also follow me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/MichaelCBurgess). It is an honor to serve you in the United States House of Representatives.

Sincerely,

Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D.