Ripon Forum


Vol. 45, No. 3

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In this Edition

September 11, 2001 was a day without adjective. Even a decade later, it is hard to properly describe the grief, anger, horror and pain we all felt watching the attacks unfold. 

Intell’s Top Cop – Q&A with Mike Rogers

With the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2011, terrorist attacks upon us, the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee discusses the effort he is leading to keep America secure.

Preventing a Cyber 9/11

The Maine Senator and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Susan Collins, discusses her plan to protect America’s cyber networks from attack.

Intelligence Comeback: Fact or Fiction?

The former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Pete Hoekstra, looks at the improvements that have been made in the intelligence community over the past decade.

Is it Time to Consider a New Approach to Airline Security?

Are Americans getting their money’s worth on airline security? This aviation security expert says they are, but that it’s also time to move beyond pat downs and body scans.

Leaving Afghanistan

As the U.S. enters the tenth year of the war in Afghanistan, the Tennessee Congressman John Duncan writes it’s not just time to end the conflict, but it’s something Eisenhower would do.

Expeditionary Economics and Countering Violent Extremism

Foreign assistance will not defeat terrorists. But it would be a terrible mistake to discount the vital role that economic growth must play in fostering global stability.

How 9/11 Shaped the Millennial Generation …and the Lessons for Republicans Today

The author and Fox News commentator discusses 9/11’s impact on young Americans and how it has shaped not only their lives, but their view of American politics today.

Amid the Battle Over Spending, The Fight Over Health Care Continues

“At a time when businesses large and small are struggling to survive in a weakened economy, this added burden is completely misguided and unacceptable.”

In the Wake of Fukushima

“In the wake of the nuclear incident at Fukushima, Japan, the world held its breath wondering if the facilities would be capable of recovering from one of the most significant natural disasters in recorded history,”

Minority Rules: A snapshot on redistricting heading into next year

“For decades past, targeted and passionate activity at all levels has improved the political empowerment of the African-American community. The 2010 census indicates that similar activities may now be needed for other emerging minority communities.”

Ripon Profile of Nan Hayworth

Up close and personal with NY Rep. Nan Hayworth in our latest Ripon Profile.

Amid the Battle Over Spending, The Fight Over Health Care Continues

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In the midst of the debate on controlling spending, Congress continues its fight against President Obama’s expensive health-care law. Since January, the House has voted to repeal and defund ObamaCare, but the Senate has not acted.

To repeal and replace Obamacare with real solutions, we must do a better job educating Americans on specific ways the law will harm their families. The health law places expensive new mandates on individuals and job creators and creates a new bureaucracy to ration care. As a former heart surgeon, I’m fighting to repeal these provisions immediately. Otherwise, they’ll increase costs, destroy jobs and delay patients’ access to life-saving care.

President Obama’s individual mandate will increase health costs by forcing Americans to purchase expensive Washington-approved coverage for services they may not want or need. Our Founders never intended to empower Congress to regulate economic inactivity under the Commerce Clause. Instead of protecting individual freedom, Washington Democrats opted for a heavy-handed approach, arguing Congress can do anything it wants.

President Obama’s individual mandate will increase health costs by forcing Americans to purchase expensive Washington-approved coverage for services they may not want or need.

Small businesses across America joined a lawsuit with 26 states to prevent this overreach. Despite a recent 2 to 1 decision by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the law, the battle continues before other courts and will ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

As this case makes progress through the courts, I am working closely with my colleagues to undo the damage of the law through legislation. In addition to enacting unconstitutional mandates on individuals, ObamaCare also punishes job creators around the country if they do not sign up for government-sanctioned health care.

To combat this, I recently introduced H.R. 1744, the American Job Protection Act, to eliminate the damaging employer-mandate provision in ObamaCare. The bill removes requirements stating employers with 50 or more full time “equivalent” employees may be assessed a “free rider” penalty.

At a time when businesses large and small are struggling to survive in a weakened economy, this added burden is completely misguided and unacceptable. The Congressional Budget Office warns of job loss in the next 10 years because of this provision. We must repeal it now to permit businesses across the country to focus on growing their companies, hiring workers and doing their part to improve the economy.

I also joined my colleagues in a fight to stop ObamaCare’s new rationing panel, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). During my career as a heart surgeon, I often treated patients who had difficulty finding a primary care doctor because they were on Medicare. The new health law exacerbates this problem.

ObamaCare creates more life-threatening delays for seniors under the President’s IPAB. This 15-member panel of presidential appointees will make new cuts to meet annual spending targets. IPAB will have unprecedented control over patients’ personal medical decisions but limited medical expertise. The law limits the membership of doctors with real experience caring for patients, instead selecting number crunchers focused only on costs. Experts in “technology assessment” will help devise payment formulas that prevent new life-saving medical breakthroughs.

At a time when businesses large and small are struggling to survive in a weakened economy, this added burden is completely misguided and unacceptable.

Secretary Sebelius insists IPAB may not “ration” care, but she admits the new law fails to define the word. By slashing payments below costs, IPAB will deprive patients of needed care. While IPAB can’t outlaw needed treatments, it can force frail patients to wait longer or travel farther. It can also penalize doctors who offer a new and more effective treatment

We cannot serve patients’ best interests by allowing unelected bureaucrats to make critical medical decisions. Even Democrats who voted for Obamacare support repealing IPAB before it begins.

ObamaCare’s policies hurt the people they claim to protect. Rather than creating thousands of new jobs as was promised, America’s unemployment has remained stagnant at 9 percent for months. This law is not the answer to our nation’s health care needs.

Now is the time to act and repeal it and replace it with commonsense solutions to lower costs and protect the doctor-patient relationship.

Charles Boustany represents the 7th District of Louisiana in the U.S. House of Representatives. A cardiovascular surgeon for over 20 years, Dr. Boustany serves as Chairman of the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee and is a member of the GOP Doctor’s Caucus.