Oct. 12, 2009
Op Ed: Where I Stand On Health Care Legislation
As it currently stands, I am opposed to the House draft health care legislation. I continue to believe that the current direction of health care reform relies too heavily on taxes on individuals and small businesses, and the overall cost of health care legislation remains too high. Moreover, though changes have been made to how the public option will work, the overall bill does not represent my belief in a free-market approach to health care reform.
Additionally, I have signed onto several letters expressing concern over specific parts of the bill. You can view those letters here:
Bright supports small businesses in health care reform legislationBright sends letter opposing small business surtax in health care legislationBright: health care reform cannot fund abortionsBright, Ellsworth urge tougher abortion restrictions in health care legislationBright supports Blue Dog principles in health care reform
There are also a few articles from sources in the district outlining my opposition to the current legislation. You can read them below.
Bright: No to current healthcare billLance GriffinDothan EagleJuly 17, 2009
Congressman Bobby Bright said he will vote against the current House version of the Healthcare Reform Bill unless it changes drastically.
"Not at all, not the way it is now," Bright said during a phone interview with the Dothan Eagle.
Bright said he opposes a "public option" for healthcare reform. According to the current House bill, the public option would be a government subsidized plan that competes alongside current private healthcare plans. Bright said the public option placed too many healthcare decisions in the hands of government officials and could put private plans at a competitive disadvantage.
"I have said this from the beginning, that I would support a healthcare plan that is market driven," Bright said.
Bright said he also opposed tax increases on individuals making more than $250,000 annually because he believed it would disproportionately affect small business owners.
"For them to try to pay for healthcare reform on the backs of small businesses, I can't support that," he said.
Bright and 21 other members of Congress sent a letter Thursday to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi expressing concern over the tax.
"Especially in a recession, we need to make sure not to kill the goose that will lay the golden eggs of our recovery," the letter stated.
Two other healthcare bills are currently making their way through the Senate. Bright said one is sponsored by Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and is similar to the House version. He said another, sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, "has potential" as well as some bipartisan support.
The House bill is about 1,800 pages. Bright said he has been reading the bill since it was released last week. President Barack Obama is urging Congress to pass healthcare reform as early as September.
"I have a copy of the House bill and before I either support it or turn it down, I will have read it and I will understand it. I will be an informed voter," Bright said.
'Blue Dogs' focus of health care debateBill Theobald and Deborah Barfield BerryThe Montgomery AdvertiserJuly 27, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Fiscally conservative House Democrats, including Alabama Rep. Bobby Bright, thrust themselves into the middle of the health care debate last week, blocking legislation drafted by their own party's leadership.
"We're not 'Blue Dogs' anymore -- we're the bulldogs," Bright said. "We're slowing this thing down. There's no rush. We need to talk more about this. We need to investigate this. We need our constituents more involved in this."
If the 52 members of the Blue Dog Coalition remain united against the bill, they could bar its passage in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and later in the full House.
On Tuesday, objections by Blue Dog members of the committee to the cost and other aspects of the health care bill prompted committee chairman Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to delay discussing and amending the legislation for at least a day.
Also Tuesday, President Barack Obama met with Democrats on the committee.
Eight of those Democrats are Blue Dogs, who said they have serious problems with the bill's estimated cost: $1 trillion over 10 years.
Only one committee Blue Dog, Rep. Jane Harman of California, spoke in favor of the bill.
Members of the Blue Dog Coalition say the House bill:
Wouldn't reduce the growth in health care costs.
Would punish small-business owners by raising taxes on families making more than $350,000 per year as a way to pay for health care reform.
Would not insure all of the approximately 46 million people without health insurance. The bill would leave about 9 million people uninsured, the Congressional Budget office estimates.
Bright said lawmakers are hearing from constituents who are concerned about the escalating cost of health care and who are "even more frightful that whatever they replace it with might be worse."
"We do have some challenges with the cost and the accessibility of health care right now," said Bright.
Bright said he wouldn't vote for the bill as it's written because he opposes a government-run program, a proposed mandate that businesses provide insurance for workers or pay a payroll tax, and proposed new taxes on individuals and families to help finance health care reform.
He called the mandate "un-American" and said it "creates a tremendous burden" for businesses.
"They're already on shaky ground with the economy being unstable," he said.
Republican leaders are targeting Blue Dogs and freshmen Democrats in hopes of lining up more opposition.
"There's a lot of disgruntlement on the other side of the aisle," said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La., a physician and a GOP pointman on the issue.
Boustany said that even if all the Republicans oppose the measure, they will need Democrats to defeat the legislation.
"A lot is going to depend on the Democrats," said Boustany. "We don't have the votes. The pressure is on them."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California downplayed any conflict within her party on Tuesday, as did Obama.
The president has said he wants health reform legislation to pass before Congress leaves for its August recess.
Two House panels, the Ways and Means Committee and the Education and Labor Committee, have approved the House health care reform bill.
A similar bill has won approval in the Senate health committee, but that bill doesn't address how to finance the health care reform effort. The Senate Finance Committee is struggling to reach bipartisan agreement on that issue.
Some lawmakers say Congress may have to work through its normal monthlong August break to reach consensus on health care reform.
"I think everybody on Capitol Hill ... wants quality affordable heath care for all citizens," Bright said. "We need to throw party labels out the window and get to work. If we quit playing 'gotcha' politics, we can get this done."
Health Care a hot topicHolli KeatonTroy MessengerAugust 5, 2009
Congressman Bobby Bright made another stop in Pike County Wednesday to hear what local residents had on their minds. And, unlike many of the stops before, health care issues were on the top. "I think probably health care has been very much discussed," Bright said, as he mingled with those gathered at Sister's Restaurant Wednesday afternoon. "I would say 90 to 95 percent of people I've discussed it with are against any federal involvement in health care."
Larry and Jo Rawson, of Troy, were some of those residents.
"I personally think the government should stay completely out of it," Rawson said. "(Bright) needs to vote no on every one of those health care bills.
"I'm just really fed up with what's going on in Washington, and if we don't do something to stop then we're going to end up in bad shape."
Bright, who also went to Goshen Town Hall Wednesday, has been traveling throughout his district this week hearing these types of concerns. And, after hearing what his constituents had to say, Bright said he will have no choice but to vote against any health care legislation. "I will assure you when we get back it will be on a hot track to get voted on," Bright said. "I have to represent my constituents and most of them are against it, and I am, too."
Bright said while all the health care bills on the floor now go too far, he wouldn't be opposed to some type of legislation that phases in health care assistance gradually.
"I would look at a graduated or phased in plan," Bright said.
Health Care wasn't the only issue on local residents' minds.
Bright said he also heard, as he has many times since taking office, concerns over the economy and climate changes.
"People want to know what we are going to do to stop people from losing jobs," Bright said.
Bright also brought some good news for the Pike County area -- more money. In the House this year, Bright recently worked to pass two bills that impact Pike County. One secured $5 million for the Javelin Missile, built at Troy's Lockheed Martin. The other will allocate $500,000 to Troy University's Health and Science Center.Bright: Proposed health plan bad for small businesses
Lance GriffinDothan EagleAugust 5, 2009 Congressman Bobby Bright organized Tuesday's Small Business Survival Seminar in Dothan to give small business owners access to information, experts and programs designed to help them navigate the current negative economy. However, many small business owners attending the seminar believed the current health care reform debate may be the single most important issue that will determine their survival.
That may be why the bulk of Bright's remarks to the overflow crowd at the Southern Alabama Regional Council on Aging building dealt with the issue.
"I don't think you need any more burden in the form of taxes and in the form of penalties," Bright told the crowd Tuesday afternoon.
Bright said he still plans to vote against any of the five versions of the health care reform bill circulating through the House and Senate unless significant changes are made. He said a coalition of Blue Dog Democrats helped to delay a vote on the bill until after the August Congressional recess and that he hoped the bill continued to "move to the middle."
Some versions of the bill require small businesses that earn more than $500,000 annually to provide health care coverage for its employees, or pay a penalty. Earlier versions, Bright said, lowered the income threshold to $250,000.
Bright said some believe health care reform can be paid for through cost savings in the industry, but he disagrees. And, if the added cost isn't passed along to small businesses, the middle class or the wealthy, then who will pay for it?
"That's the question, and there is a lot of emotion out there on both sides," he said. "I think anybody in America wants everybody to have access to adequate health care, but can we afford it and that's what everyone is up in arms about." Bright said he believes "some form" of health care reform will pass this fall. "If I can't support it, I want to make sure it is the least intrusive it can be," he said.
Bright tours local medical facilitiesMarkeshia RicksThe Montgomery AdvertiserAugust 18, 2009 U.S. Rep. Bobby Bright, D-Montgomery, got to see how technology can help save lives before anyone ever touches a real patient and how the generosity of volunteer health care professionals helps uninsured people stay on their feet.
During his recess from Congress, Bright stopped by Baptist Health's Institute for Patient Safety and Medical Simulation, Medical Outreach Ministries, and Baptist Medical Center South on Monday for a tour and to talk about the ongoing debate over national health care reform.
At the Baptist Health Institute for Patient Safety and Medical Simulation, Bright saw first hand how nurses could prepare for emergency situations using lifelike models that are controlled by computer. A joint project between Auburn University and Baptist Health, the 22,500-square-foot facility is the only one of its kind in the United States. It is used to train such medical professionals as nurses and doctors, along with non-clinical health care professionals. "I'm impressed and I wasn't expecting to be," said Bright, who has visited several hospitals and medical facilities. In addition to seeing the nurses in action, Bright also got to hear their thoughts on the health care debate. Several said what they found disturbing was the feeling that things are moving quickly, but there still really is no health care reform plan. Terri Trice, a nurse, said she would like to see some type of change, but everything is moving too fast. "I think we have to slow it down quite a bit," she said. Bright said people are right to feel that way because there are five different plans floating around Capitol Hill and he's not really happy with any of them. But he does expect one of the plans to get passed, particularly now that the White House appears to be backing away from the public option. Bright approves of the possible shift, but said he still has problems with any plan that could penalize small businesses that don't provide health insurance. Bright also said he was disappointed in how the extremist views of the very liberal and the very conservative have hijacked the debate on health care reform and distorted it with myths and misconceptions.
"The sad part is what people are experiencing right now is what I'm told every day in Washington," he said. "Extremists on the right and extremists on the left are controlling the perception out there. We've got a health care problem and we need to work together for the betterment of our country and not get into all this partisan bickering." People like 64-year-old Grover Hardegree certainly would appreciate less bickering and more fixing of the health care system. He's uninsured and has had to rely on the generosity of the volunteer medical professionals at Medical Outreach Ministries. His insurance was canceled after he became disabled and he's been uninsured for the past three years. He's counting down the 11 months until he will turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare. "If it wasn't for the people here, I would be dead," Hardegree said of Medical Outreach Ministries. Bright said people like Hardegree are the reason why something has to be done about health care.
"We don't want any more people like Mr. Hardegree to fall through the cracks," he said.
Rep. Bright talks health care reformBryan HenryWSFAAugust 17, 2009 MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - Fresh off his trip to the Middle East, Congressman Bobby Bright paid a visit to the Institute for Patient Safety and Simulation in south Montgomery. Before starting his tour at the clinic, Congressman Bright weighed in on President Barack Obama's apparent willingness to give up the fight for the public health insurance option.
"This was a smart move because he realizes he doesn't have the votes," said Bright. During his interview with WSFA 12 News Congressman Bright never answered the question of whether he himself plans to sponsor legislation to reform health care. He's been on the record as saying 'no' to the current proposals out there but that may be changing.
"For example, there's one plan in Senate that I think we'll take a look at. It seems to be a middle of the road proposal that maybe we can all agree on," said Congressman Bright.
Still, some prominent Democrats like former Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean hope the President will stick with the public option calling it necessary for reform. Back on tour at the clinic, Congressman Bright believes if President Obama does in fact take the government-run insurance proposal off the table, Bright thinks that dramatically increases the chances of Congress passing a new health care bill this fall. Only time will tell.
One fact that won't change in the health care debate. Nearly 50 million people reportedly don't have any health insurance.
