Congress is out for one more week on its spring recess, and presumably the members of Congress are enjoying some quality family and constituent time. During a recent press event, U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, R-FL vowed to sponsor and support legislation to repeal the federal health-care law and replace it with anti-health-care fraud legislation. His press release goes on to say that if the anti-fraud bill were enacted, it would save an estimated $20 billion a year in Medicare waste, fraud and abuse. (Read the repeal bill, S. 3152.) While most in Congress will admit that the possibility of getting either of these bills to pass the current Congress is remote at best, forcing multiple votes on these ideas in the Senate will help make sure the voters in November know exactly where their member of Congress stands on the current health-care law and efforts to clean up Medicare waste, fraud and abuse. It is the intention of the Senate's GOP leaders to force votes on both of these issues often during the coming months leading up to the November election.
While similar efforts will be under way in the U.S. House of Representatives, the rules of the House serve to block most if not all legislative initiatives not favored by the speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and her party. With that in mind, chances of conducting duplicate votes in the House of Representatives on repeal and replace will be harder to come by. However, the House leadership will be working hard to craft a few votes between now and November.
Meanwhile, back in Central Florida, WFLA radio host Bud Hedinger was interviewed Friday on Fox News about his upcoming radio interview with the Mount Dora doctor who is warning his patients about the effects of the recent health-care reform law. In case you havent heard about this: Urology doctor Jack Cassells practice door now dons a sign that reads: "If you voted for Obama, seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your health care begin right now, not in four years." Also available in the doctors waiting room is reading material on the various time lines contained in the new health-care law and how it will affect your health care. The doctor insists that he is not intending to refuse seeing any patients because of their political views, but instead would like all of those entering his office to know the full ramifications of the new law. The Mount Dora doctor has received numerous requests to appear on national news outlets, and he agreed to be the guest of Hedinger this Monday on Central Floridas 540 AM, WFLA. Read about the interview and the Mount Dora doctor here.
So, while Congress may be on its recess for one more week, Floridians are still plugging along in various ways to educate, repeal and replace the current health-care reform law.
Stay tuned.
Elizabeth B. Letchworth is a former four-times elected United States Senate Secretary for the Majority and Minority (retired). She is currently the owner of GradeGov.com.
