Geoff Davis RSS Articles

Thank Our Troops This Holiday Season

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

As we gather with family and friends to celebrate the season, it is important to take time to remember the brave men and women in uniform who cannot be home with their loved ones during the holidays because they are serving our country abroad.

This year, approximately 285,000 American troops will be serving overseas during the holidays, including more than 6,400 from Kentucky. Fortunately, there are many ways that we can show our support and share the Christmas spirit with our nation’s service men and women.

The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes have teamed up for “Holiday Mail for Heroes,” a program that provides Americans with the opportunity to extend holiday greetings and thanks to soldiers and their families stationed around the globe. Last year, the program received more than 1.4 million cards for service members, their families, and veterans.

Between now and December 7th, holiday cards will be collected at a special address, screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes, and then boxed for delivery by hundreds of Red Cross volunteers. To learn more about the program, visit http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail. You can send your greeting cards to: Holiday Mail for Heroes; P.O. Box 5456; Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456.

If you would like to send a care package to our deployed service members or their families during the holiday season, the Kentucky National Guard can help. Through their Family Assistance Center, you can obtain guidance and information on popular care package items, unit mailing addresses and organizations that collect care package donations. For more information, call (800) 372-7601.

Many military families could use your assistance to make the holidays brighter for the children of our nation’s fallen heroes. Operation Ensuring Christmas is a non-profit organization that was founded for the purpose of bringing a little extra joy to children who have lost a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan. Through the website http://www.opchristmas.org/, you can learn how to help send personalized Christmas gift cards to the children of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom.

Showing support for our service men and women should not be limited to the holiday season. In order to ensure Kentuckians have access to resources and information on various organizations that need volunteers, donations, and fundraising help to continue their to the troops all year, I recently launched a new “Support Our Troops” section on my website.

On the website, Kentuckians can find out how to give back to veterans and make things a little easier for active-duty soldiers. You can also read about some of the extraordinary ways communities within the Fourth District are paying tribute to our nation’s heroes. To visit the ‘Support Our Troops’ section of the website, go to http://www.GeoffDavis.house.gov/troops/.

We are all deeply indebted to our men and women in uniform for their sacrifices. I hope each of you will find a way to show your support for these brave patriots during this holiday season.

A Better Solution to Health Care Reform

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Although Speaker Pelosi’s flawed 1,990 page health care bill (H.R. 3962) passed the House on November 7th, the debate on health care reform is far from over.

We need health care legislation that will give the American people the reform they have asked for: fix what is broken in our health care system, reduce cost and increase access to health insurance. That is why my Republican colleagues and I introduced the Common Sense Health Reform and Affordability Act (H.R. 4038).

Our health care reform legislation would increase access to health care coverage, reduce costs for all Americans and save the taxpayers’ money. The 219-page bill costs $61 billion and reduces the deficit by $68 billion over ten years for a net savings of $7 billion. Unlike Speaker Pelosi’s legislation, H.R. 4038 does not include job killing tax increases or harmful Medicare cuts that will affect our seniors’ benefits.

Our plan would make health insurance more affordable and therefore more accessible to American families and businesses. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), under H.R. 4038, insurance premiums will be $5,000 less expensive than the cheapest health insurance plan available under the Democrat bill.

H.R. 4038 creates State Plan Finders to ease access to plain English information about insurance plans without the fine print. It also creates a new incentive program that will reward States for taking steps that reduce premium costs and decrease the number of uninsured individuals.

Our bill gives small businesses and associations the power to pool together and offer better health care coverage at lower prices, just like corporations and labor unions do. Additionally, H.R. 4038 would give Americans the freedom to buy insurance across State lines.

To improve coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, our plan would establish State Universal Access Programs. These Universal Access Programs would expand and reform high-risk pools and reinsurance programs to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions, have access to affordable care. H.R. 4038 would also prohibit insurance companies from unjustly cancelling coverage or instituting lifetime spending caps. Additionally, it promotes prevention and wellness by doubling the financial incentives for employers to reward employees who adopt healthier lifestyles.

Health care reform will never be successful unless we include substantive medical malpractice reform. H.R. 4038 includes real medical liability reform to end junk lawsuits and reduce the practice of defensive medicine. CBO estimates that enactment of substantive medical liability reform would reduce federal budget deficits by $54 billion over ten years and reduce overall national health care costs.

We still have the opportunity to improve health care legislation and ensure that the final bill will increase access to affordable health care without piling additional debt on future generations, costing more jobs, or putting the government between patients and their doctors. Although the Common Sense Health Care Reform and Affordability Act failed by a vote of 176 to 258 when it was offered as a substitute to H.R. 3962, I am hopeful that the Majority will incorporate our sensible solutions into final health care reform legislation.

House Passes Massive Government Takeover of Health Care

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

On Saturday, November 7th, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi successfully forced passage of her trillion-dollar government takeover of health care, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962). The bill narrowly passed the House by a vote of 220 to 215, despite broad bipartisan opposition.

The expansive provisions included in H.R. 3962 will affect the entire American health care system, which comprises one-sixth of our nation’s economy. The bill creates an enormous bureaucracy with 118 new agencies, programs and commissions that will drastically expand the government’s role in the health care decisions of families and doctors. You can view an organizational chart of the new bureaucracy here.

In addition to the complicated new health care bureaucracy, H.R. 3962 includes a government-run public option that could eventually force private insurers out of business, putting the U.S. on a path to a single-payer, government-run health care system. According to the nonpartisan Lewin Group, the public option could result in as many as 114 million Americans losing their current health insurance coverage, including 106 million Americans who currently have employer-provided health care.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that H.R. 3962 will cost $1.3 trillion. To pay for its overwhelming cost, H.R. 3962 includes $732.5 billion in job-killing tax increases. These tax increases will affect every American, including families making $250,000 or less, small businesses, people who are unable to afford insurance, and businesses that want to hire new workers.

One particularly troubling provision of H.R. 3962 says that Americans who do not obtain “acceptable health insurance coverage” must pay a 2.5% tax. The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation has confirmed that failure to pay this tax could result in criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

At a time when the national unemployment rate has reached a twenty-six year high, H.R. 3962 could further slow job growth in the U.S. thanks to a new $135 billion employer mandate tax (“play or pay”) and a $150 billion small business surtax. These tax increases could cause more than 5.5 million Americans to lose their jobs, according to a model developed by President Barack Obama’s own economic advisor, Dr. Christina Romer.

Americans asked Congress to give them real health care reform that would increase access to affordable quality care without piling additional debt on future generations, costing more jobs, or putting the government between patients and their doctors. Unlike Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues, Republicans listened to the pleas of the people and introduced fiscally responsible and effective health care reform legislation – H.R. 4038, the Common Sense Health Reform and Affordability Act.

H.R. 4038 represents a comprehensive approach to eliminating inefficiencies and waste, instead of a government takeover that will only create more. Our bill focuses on reducing premium costs for all Americans to make health insurance more affordable and accessible without raising taxes or cutting Medicare benefits for seniors. According to CBO, under H.R. 4038, insurance premiums will be $5,000 less expensive than the cheapest health insurance plan available under the Democrat bill.

There are better solutions to improve health care for American families than H.R. 3962. It is time for Congress to listen to the people and reach across the aisle to craft commonsense solutions that will address the problems in our health care system.

Although H.R. 3962 has passed the House, the debate on health care reform is far from over. I encourage you to continue to e-mail me with your thoughts on health care by clicking here.. You can read more about the Republican alternative legislation and stay up-to-date on the debate by visiting my Health Care issue page.

Congressman Davis Launches New “Support Our Troops” Webpage

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Davis has created a new section of his website dedicated to helping Kentucky families show their appreciation to our men and women in uniform.

Congressman Davis said, “Each year, Veterans Day gives us the opportunity to honor our nation's heroes and thank those men and women who are serving our country abroad. To help you and your family say ‘thank you’ to these great veterans, I have created a new section of my website offering resources and information on various organizations that need volunteers, donations, and fundraising help to continue their mission to the troops.

“On the new ‘Support Our Troops’ section of my website, Kentuckians can find out how they can give back to veterans and make things a little easier for active-duty soldiers. I have also compiled information about some of the extraordinary ways communities within the Fourth District are paying tribute to our nation’s heroes. I hope this website will help us all find a new way to give back to the men and women who have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom.”

To visit Congressman Davis’ Support Our Troops webpage, click here.

Congressman Davis Rejects Democrats’ Trillion-Dollar Government Takeover of Health Care

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Congressman Davis issued the following statement tonight after the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) passed the House by a vote of 220 to 215:

“Americans asked Congress to give them real health care reform that would increase access to affordable health care without piling additional debt on future generations, costing more jobs, or putting the government between patients and their doctors.

“Instead of listening to the people, Democrats pushed forward a tyrannical bill that cuts senior benefits by half a trillion dollars; creates 118 new agencies, boards and programs; kills jobs; and raises taxes by over $730 billion. My Republican colleagues and I know we can craft fiscally responsible health care legislation, and that is exactly what we did in H.R. 4038, the Common Sense Health Care Reform and Affordability Act, our alternative legislation.

“Our bill heeds the pleas of the people without spending $1.3 trillion, killing jobs, or hurting seniors. We had a real chance to make a difference and fulfill our duties to this great country today. Instead, the Majority in Congress turned its back on true reform and on the American people.”

Earlier today, Congressman Davis spoke on the House floor to urge his colleagues to vote down H.R. 3962. Video of Congressman Davis’ floor remarks can be viewed here.

The expansive provisions included in H.R. 3962 will affect the entire American health care system, which comprises one-sixth of our nation’s economy. The 1,990 page bill creates an enormous new health care bureaucracy that will drastically expand the government’s role in health care decision-making by families and doctors. The bill also creates a government-run “public option” that could eventually force private insurers out of business, putting the U.S. on a path to a single-payer, government-run health care system.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that H.R. 3962 will cost $1.3 trillion. To pay for its overwhelming cost, H.R. 3962 includes $732.5 billion in job-killing tax increases. These tax increases will affect every American, including families making $250,000 or less, small businesses, people who are unable to afford insurance, and businesses that want to hire new workers. Americans who do not obtain “acceptable health insurance coverage” must pay a 2.5% tax. The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation has confirmed that failure to pay this tax could result in criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

At a time when unemployment rates have reached generational highs, H.R. 3962 deals another blow to small business and job creation with a new $135 billion employer mandate tax ("pay or play") and a new $150 billion small business surtax. These tax increases could cause more than 5.5 million Americans to lose their jobs, according to a model developed by President Barack Obama’s own economic advisor, Dr. Christina Romer.

H.R. 3962 also cuts Medicare by more than one-half trillion dollars over the next ten years, including over $150 billion from the Medicare Advantage program. CBO estimates that six million seniors will be denied access to Medicare Advantage because of this bill. The bill will also cause premiums for seniors in the Medicare prescription drug program (Part D) to increase by at least twenty percent.

In addition, H.R. 3962 fails to include adequate verification of citizenship status. CBO estimates that 2.5 million more illegal immigrants will receive taxpayer-subsidized health insurance under H.R. 3962 (as opposed to Speaker Pelosi’s previous health care reform legislation, H.R. 3200).

House Republicans introduced an alternative health care reform bill, the Common Sense Health Care Reform and Affordability Act (H.R. 4038). Congressman Davis is an original co-sponsor. H.R. 4038 was offered as a substitute amendment to H.R. 3962 by Republican Leader John Boehner [OH-08]. It failed by a vote of 176 to 258.

H.R. 4038 includes smart, fiscally responsible reforms focused on reducing premium costs for all Americans to make health insurance more affordable and accessible. Under the Republican plan, insurance premiums will be about $5,000 less expensive than the cheapest health insurance plan available under the Democrat bill.

Our 219-page bill costs $61 billion and reduces the deficit by $68 billion over ten years, for a net savings of $7 billion. Unlike H.R. 3962, the Republican bill does not make any cuts to Medicare and does not raise taxes.

H.R. 4038 represents a comprehensive approach to eliminating inefficiencies and waste, instead of a government takeover that will only create more. CBO has estimated that H.R. 4038 will reduce health care insurance premiums for all purchases by as much as ten percent.

In addition, H.R. 4038 would:

Establish Universal Access Programs to guarantee access to affordable health care for those with pre-existing conditions;
Reward State innovation by providing incentive payments to States that reduce premiums and the number of uninsured;
Encourage pooling through Small Business Health Plans;
Allow Americans to buy insurance across State lines;
Institute real medical liability reform to end junk lawsuits and reduce the practice of defensive medicine;
Prohibit insurance companies from unjustly cancelling coverage or instituting lifetime spending caps;
Allow dependents to remain on their parents’ policies through age 25; and
Promote healthier lifestyles by giving employers greater flexibility to financially reward employees who adopt healthier lifestyles.

You can read a complete summary of H.R. 4038 by clicking here.

To read more of Congressman Davis’ thoughts on health care, visit his Health Care Issue Page. On Tuesday, November 10th, Congressman Davis will release his weekly column which will discuss H.R. 3962 and the Republican alternative health care legislation in more detail.

Congressman Davis Statement on Record Unemployment

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressman Geoff Davis released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the nation’s economy lost 190,000 jobs in the month of October and the national unemployment rate rose from 9.8 percent to 10.2 percent:

“For months, the American public has asked Congress to focus on policies that will encourage job creation and speed our economic recovery, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Majority remains determined to make it more expensive to do business in the U.S.

“From the so-called ‘stimulus’ bill and the flawed national energy tax to the misguided attempt to enact a government takeover of our health care system, the Democrat Majority’s agenda has a central theme: making it more complicated and more expensive to create new job opportunities in America.

“The latest unemployment numbers reaffirm that out of control spending, higher taxes and government expansion are nothing short of detrimental to our economy.
“It is past time to rein in Congress and bring fiscal responsibility back to Washington, and we can start by getting rid of Speaker Pelosi’s trillion-dollar health care legislation. Her bill contains $750 billion in new taxes and could cause an estimated 5.5 million more Americans to lose their jobs.

“Instead of a government takeover of health care, we need to focus on crafting legislation that will provide tax relief for working families and small businesses and put our economy back on the path to economic recovery.”

Health Care Debate Update: Republicans Release Common-Sense Health Care Reform, Thousands Gather on the Capitol Steps to Oppose Speaker Pelosi’s Health Bill

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:00:00 GMT

Today, Congressman Geoff Davis joined thousands of Americans and his Republican colleagues on the West lawn of the Capitol to demand a better solution to health care reform.

Congressman Davis stated, “Thousands of Americans gathered today to voice their opposition to a government takeover of health care. Over the summer, the message rang clear that H.R. 3200 was unacceptable. Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi’s new bill, H.R. 3692, is much the same, with 900 additional pages of tax increases, regulations, and bureaucracy.

“There are better solutions. This week, my colleagues and I introduced an alternative health care reform bill. The Republican plan is a thoughtful, targeted and responsible beginning that will reduce insurance premiums, increase coverage, reduce the deficit and provide real reform to end frivolous malpractice lawsuits, all without raising taxes or costing American jobs.

“I encourage all Fourth District Kentuckians to visit my website where they can read both bills, review summaries and supplemental information, and most importantly, share their opinion on this major debate.”

Kentuckians can read the House Republican alternative health care bill here. The Republican Health Care Reform plan will:

Reduce health care insurance premiums for all purchasers;
Reduce the federal deficit by $68 billion over the next ten years;
Prohibit insurance companies from unjustly cancelling coverage;
Prohibit insurance companies from instituting lifetime spending caps;
Improve coverage for those with pre-existing conditions;
Allow Americans to buy insurance across State lines; and
Institute real medical liability reform.

Republicans will offer their alternative health care legislation as a substitute amendment during debate of H.R. 3962.

While a vote on health care reform is anticipated in the coming days and the Speaker reportedly continues to adjust her bill, Kentuckians can stay up-to-date with developments in the legislation and in the debate by visiting http://GeoffDavis.house.gov. To view a photo album of the House Call on Congress press event, click here.

Fox News: GOP Health Care Bill Delivers Lower Premiums Than Democrats' Plan

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Courtesy of Republican Ways and Means Committee

(Click to Play)

Americans repeatedly say their top health care reform priority is lowering the cost of health coverage. In an analysis conducted by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), health insurance premiums for many families would be nearly $5,000 more expensive under Democrats’ bill compared to those in the Republicans’ plan.

CBO estimated that the Republican bill would reduce health insurance premiums for those who do not have access to employer-provided coverage by up to 8 percent, for employees who get coverage through a small business (50 or fewer employees) by up to 10 percent, and for employees who get coverage through a large business (more than 50 employees) by up to 3 percent.

According to CBO, average annual health care premiums for families who do not have access to employer-provided health care would be $11,000 in 2016 if Congress does not pass a health reform bill. Under the Democrats’ bill, CBO predicts these premiums would actually increase to $15,000, and that’s for the Democrats' cheapest insurance plan!

Given that CBO predicts the GOP bill would reduce expected premiums in 2016 by up to 8 percent, this would mean the annual premium for the cheapest plan under the Democrats’ bill ($15,000) would be nearly $5,000 more expensive than those under the GOP bill ($10,120). Incidentally, CBO says the Democrats’ “cheapest” plan is unlikely to attract many families, meaning average premiums would be even higher in the Democrats' exchange.

Top Ten Tax Increases Included in H.R. 3962

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

New information on the tax increases in H.R. 3962 as released by the Republican Ways and Means Committee.

More information on H.R. 3962 is available here.

Democrats Reintroduce Health Reform in Bigger, More Expensive Packaging

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

On October 29, 2009, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the Democrats’ new health care reform legislation. The Speaker, who once famously promised the “most open and transparent Congress in history,” added more than 900 pages to H.R. 3200 behind closed doors to develop a bigger, more expensive and more complicated health care reform package, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962).

The American people asked Congress to start over on a new bill that would increase access to affordable health care without piling additional debt on future generations, costing more jobs, or putting the government between patients and their doctors. Unfortunately, the Democrat Majority chose to ignore the voice of the people and propose a bill that includes the same unpopular provisions that were in the Democrats’ previous health care legislation (H.R. 3200) and more.

At 1,990 pages (about 400,000 words), it will take Members of Congress and the American public time to read and comprehend this massive bill, but one thing is already clear: H.R. 3962 is not reform. Speaker Pelosi’s new legislation includes massive tax increases on small businesses and families, harmful cuts to Medicare benefits for seniors, unfunded mandates, budget gimmicks and would make the federal health care bureaucracy more complicated and more rigid by creating over 110 new boards, bureaucracies, commissions and programs.

According to analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), H.R. 3962 comes with a trillion-dollar price tag. Specifically, CBO estimates that H.R. 3962 will cost approximately $1.2 trillion over the next ten years, a violation of President Barack Obama’s “target” spending total of $900 billion for health care reform legislation.

Health care reform is not reform without provisions that reduce health care costs for individuals, families, businesses and the government. In a recent letter, the Blue Dog Democrats said, “Rising health care costs are the single largest threat to our long-term fiscal picture, our economy and the pocketbooks of America’s families. In order to get a handle on our deficits and address the long-term financial liabilities of Medicare and Medicaid, we must take steps to reduce the growth rate of health care costs.” The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Office of the Actuary reported that H.R. 3200 would increase national health expenditures by $750 billion over the next ten years. With double the pages and double the government, H.R. 3962 is likely to be even worse.

To pay for its overwhelming cost, H.R. 3962 includes $729.5 billion in job-killing tax increases. These tax increases will affect every American, including families making $250,000 or less, small businesses, people who are unable to afford insurance, and businesses that want to hire new workers.

In these times of economic hardship, the American people need jobs, not more taxes. When the cost of Speaker Pelosi’s bill is measured in terms of jobs, the bill is more expensive than H.R. 3200. According to the economic model developed by President Barack Obama’s chief economic advisor, H.R. 3962 could cause up to 5.5 million Americans to lose their jobs.

We can increase access to and reduce the cost of quality health care in America. However, H.R. 3962 does not get the job done. Health care reform is an incredibly complex issue that must be carefully debated to find the right way forward. My Republican colleagues and I stand ready to work with the Majority to pass commonsense bills that will improve our health care system.

You can read H.R. 3962 by clicking here. In addition to the legislative text, you can find reading guides and summaries of the bill as they become available. Speaker Pelosi is expected to reveal additional changes to H.R. 3962, so check website often for the most up-to-date information.