Source: Ways and Means staff calculations, using Department of Labor and Department of Treasury data.  Baseline for debt data, which is tracked to the day, is January 21, 2009.   ### Read more

"If the goal of reform is to provide the best possible patient care, let's take the government-controlled 'public option' — and any legislative trick that could lead to a public option—off the table. It will result in long waiting lines to see a doctor, substandard care, and an end to medical discovery." We aren't among the doctors invited to a Rose Garden event today to "join the… Read more

Washington D.C. – In public comments to the U.S. Department of Labor, Ways & Means Republican Members today expressed their strong opposition to the Department’s proposed federal mandate that state Employment Service (ES) employees administer TAA-funded benefits and services under the expanded Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for workers program.  Earlier this year, lawmakers in… Read more

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Camp, Ranking Member Committee on Ways & Means stated, “Today’s grim statistics reflect the continuing failure of Democrats’ 2009 economic stimulus law to achieve the 3.5 million jobs 'created or saved' they promised.  It’s well past time for Democrats to wake up to the reality that their plan is a failure, and to work with Republicans to create… Read more

Late last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) directed Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to discontinue any communications with their enrollees about the potential impact on beneficiaries of health reform proposals – paid for with massive cuts to the MA program.  According to CMS, those communications were “misleading and confusing.” Below are five statements about… Read more

I’d like to thank the Chairman for holding this important hearing.  As he knows, Republicans enacted many improvements to our nation’s pension laws in 2006.  The Pension Protection Act was a bipartisan piece of legislation that garnered the support of many current and former Democrats on this Committee, including that of now-White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.  I think it is… Read more

President Obama and Congressional Democrats have repeatedly pledged to the American public that health care reform will not lead to rationing of health care services.  However, sometime after the bill was originally unveiled, House Democrats removed the prohibition on rationing care from the duties of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee, a government board tasked with recommending the… Read more

Medicare Advantage is a recently instituted federal program that allows individuals eligible for Medicare to opt to take their coverage from a private carrier, such as a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) of Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). These MA deals usually offer somewhat better coverage at a somewhat higher price. The entire program is meant to introduce competition into… Read more

Washington, DC – Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) today requested the Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General (IG) open a formal investigation into the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to slap a gag order on all Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans (except AARP, whom is spending millions of dollars to try to raise support for President… Read more

Washington, D.C. - Committee on Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) and Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Kevin Brady (R-TX) today commented on the poultry language in the final conference agreement for the 2010 Agriculture Appropriations bill: Congressman Dave Camp stated, “Today’s announcement shows we can keep our food supply safe without unnecessarily inviting trade… Read more