Moving Forward

Having trouble reading this email? Click here to view in your browser.

Moving Forward The last few weeks have been difficult for everyone. Now that the government has reopened and the House and Senate are meeting to work out their differences on a budget, I think it's time we look at ways we can avoid this kind of government dysfunction in the future. As I've said before, East Tennesseans didn't give me the job of shutting down the government. My job is to cut spending, reduce the tax burden on American families and shrink our bloated government. I've also heard from many Tennesseans with concerns about ObamaCare, specifically how it will impact their families and jobs. We must find a better way to work together to tackle the issues facing our country and I know we can do so without shutting down the government. First, we must put petty, partisan politics aside and sit down at the negotiating table. We will never overcome our differences if we refuse to negotiate. We live in the greatest country in the world, but we have a lot of work and soul-searching to do to keep it that way. No one wants America to fail, and we need to find ways to work together. Many of my colleagues and I believe the president's health care law is so deeply flawed that it must be repealed, but unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in those efforts, despite all the problems we've seen since the websites were launched. Now it's time to focus on the problems that the law is causing and continue making our case to the American public. If the Administration and Senate Democrats continue to oppose repealing or defunding this law, perhaps they will be open to ensuring individuals are afforded the same protections under the law as employers by delaying the individual mandate. Second, I think that Congress needs to return to regular order when considering bills to fund government operations. The House has already passed four of twelve appropriations bills, but the Senate has not taken up a single one. If the Senate had considered those four bills, those agencies funded would have remained open in full during the government shutdown. Under regular order, the House and Senate would agree on a budget and then write 12 spending bills based on the levels agreed to in the budget. These spending bills would individually be sent to the president to be signed into law. According to the Congressional Research Service, it has been 14 years since the House, Senate and president have agreed on a budget to fund the government for a full fiscal year. Because of the shutdown, many Americans became familiar with the term continuing resolution, or CR. A CR is a short-term funding bill that allows for the government to remain open at the previous year's levels even when Congress doesn't send the president appropriations bills to be signed into law. CRs are not ideal because they limit the ability of Congress to look at individual line items in the overall budget, making it difficult to cut wasteful spending in a responsible way. Returning to regular order would not only avert government shutdowns, it would also ensure Congress is evaluating every government program each year.   Lastly, just because we were unable to fully repeal ObamaCare, it doesn't mean we should or will give up on protecting those that will be hurt most by this law. We can provide continued oversight of ObamaCare through Congressional hearings that highlight some of the major problems with the law and make suggestions of ways to fix it. Since the launch, Americans have seen that this law is not ready for prime time. The most telling of all might be the website "glitches." How can you fine, tax and penalize Americans for not purchasing insurance without giving them a functional, user-friendly place to compare options and pick a health care plan? This only underscores the need to delay the individual mandate, and I think this is something we can work in a bipartisan way to get done. I will continue to look for ways to protect families from this unworkable, flawed law. I will also continue sharing my ideas and suggestions on better ways toward health care reform. Feel free to contact my office if we can be of assistance to you or your family. Our contact information can be found on our website, www.roe.house.gov. CONNECT WITH US E-News Sign-up Forward to a Friend Contact Phil TAKE A SURVEY Do you believe the president's health care law should be repealed and replaced? Yes, I believe the president's health care law should be repealed and replaced.  No, I do not believe the president's health care law should be repealed and replaced.  I am unsure at this time.          Choose Your Answer Washington, DC Office 407 Cannon House Office Bldg Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6356 Fax: (202) 225-5714 Kingsport Office PO Box 1728 Kingsport, TN 37662 Phone: (423) 247-8161 Fax: (423) 247-0119 Morristown Office 1609 College Park Drive, Suite 4 Morristown, TN 37813 Phone: (423) 254-1400 Fax: (423) 254-1403

Click Here to view this email in your browser