As a doctor and a congressman, Rep. Michael Burgess said the best thing that could happen to the new overhaul of the nation's healthcare plan is for it to be repealed.

Speaking to more than 50 people at a Greater Keller Chamber of Commerce luncheon Monday, Burgess said there are changes in the new law that are good -- such as requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions -- but he said he believes many people didn't want the entire healthcare system revamped.

"People told me, 'We want you to fix some things, just don't change everything about the way the system is running,'" the Lewisville Republican said. "'Could the bill be repealed?'

"I think the answer is yes," he said. "This will be a concerted effort for our side. The only position is repeal of this bill and go back and fix the things [Americans] wanted us to fix."

Burgess is among the members of Congress reaching out to constituents -- about healthcare reform and other issues -- in their home districts during their Easter break. They return to business in Washington on April 13.

Until then, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, is meeting with constituents; Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, plans to hold a telephone town-hall meeting on healthcare; and Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, is holding town-hall meetings to talk about it.

"My Republican colleagues and I have already begun trying to repeal and replace ... many job-killing, tax-raising, care-rationing parts of the Democrats' health 'reform' law," Barton said, adding that he supports covering pre-existing conditions and allowing children to stay on their parents' insurance until they are 26. "But the parts of the law that will destroy our economy and our healthcare system need to be eliminated as soon as possible."

Burgess said Monday that he repeatedly spoke to Democratic leaders offering, as a physician, to be part of the healthcare debate -- for better or worse -- but he didn't hear back on his offer. Months after talks first began, federal workers will now be writing rules and regulations to administer the law.

Meanwhile, several states including Texas have filed lawsuits challenging the healthcare measure.

On Monday, the Republican Party of Texas launched an online petition supporting Texas' involvement in the lawsuit and asking Texans of all political persuasions to show their support. The petition will be delivered to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on April 16.

"We call on Texas Democrats to stand with the people of Texas and not their party," the petition states. "We call on Texas Democrats to put party fealty aside and support our liberties."

The Texas Democratic Party has a petition as well, urging Abbott to "do the job we pay him to do and stop wasting our tax dollars on a frivolous partisan lawsuit."

"It's shameful that Texas Republicans are trying to take health benefits away from Texans in order to serve a partisan agenda, dictated by national Republicans in Washington, D.C.," spokeswoman Kirsten Gray said. "Greg Abbott and Rick Perry should do the jobs they're paid to do and stop wasting our tax dollars on a bogus lawsuit."

If repealing the healthcare measure is not an option, Burgess said, there's still work to be done.

"If there's no political will to repeal the bill ... there's no question things about it will have to be changed," Burgess said. "Stay tuned. It will be an interesting six to eight months between now and November.

"A lot of things can happen."


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