This week, the House Education and Labor Committee held a markup of H.R. 5800, the Ban Surprise Billing Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to protect patients from surprise medical bills. Due to the inaction of hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies to protect patients from surprise billing, Congress must now step in to correct their missteps. I’m confident that we can deliver much-needed relief to patients who have been blindsided by unforeseen medical bills.
The Washington D.C. Admission Act
In Federalist No. 43, James Madison warned that if our nation’s capital city was located within the confines of a state, the federal government would be subject to undue influence from different entities. Instead of heeding Madison’s warning – and addressing existing scandals and corruption that plague the District of Columbia – House Democrats are advancing legislation that would turn the federal district into our nation’s 51st state.
This week, I worked tirelessly at the committee level to offer a commonsense amendment to ensure that federal bribery probes of D.C. officials do not get sidelined by this bill. Unfortunately, Democrats are insistent about D.C. statehood at all costs, and they went on record against this good government approach. This legislation harbors negative implications to our Constitution, and I look forward to debating it on the House floor.
Equal Rights Amendment
On Thursday, I spoke on the House floor about the Democrats’ attempts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The 14th Amendment already provides women, and all Americans, equal protection under the law. But the goal of the Democrats’ legislation is different. Their goal is to expand access to abortion up to birth and to overturn the broadly supported policies that protect taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortions. To view my remarks, click here.
