Press Releases
Mar 21, 2010
Historic Health Reform Approved
Issues: Health
For the first time in America's history, all Americans will have access to quality, affordable health care under a final package of health insurance reforms passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today. The legislation will protect Americans from the worst insurance industry practices, offer the uninsured and small businesses the opportunity to obtain affordable health care plans, cover 32 million uninsured Americans, all while reducing the deficit by $143 billion over the next decade and more than a trillion dollars over 20 years. The House approved the measure by a vote of 220 to 211.
Mar 18, 2010
Tri-Committee Chairmen Release Joint Statement on Introduction of Health Reform Bill to Provide Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans
Issues: Health
Leaders of the Committees with jurisdiction over health policy, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander M. Levin (D-MI), and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA), issued the following joint statement upon introduction of comprehensive health reform legislation: “In the coming days, the House will take an up or down vote to improve the lives of tens of millions of American families and small businesses owners. The important reforms in this bill will end the worst insurance industry practices of denying care because of preexisting conditions, cutting off treatments due to annual or lifetime limits, or increasing premiums to pad the insurance companies’ bottom lines. Health reform will improve the fiscal health of our nation, reducing our deficit by $130 billion in the first ten years and more than $1 trillion over the second decade." (more)
Dec 21, 2009
GAO Examines Use of Enforcement Strategy for Handling Nursing Homes Providing Extremely Poor Care
Issues: Health
Rep. Waxman, along with Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Reps. Pete Stark (D-CA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), released a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) examining the federal government's use of sanctions on nursing homes whose negligent practices are found to be harming residents.
Dec 3, 2009
Rep. Waxman Requests Authorizations for Three Water Resources Development Act Projects
Rep Waxman submitted three authorization requests for Army Corps of Engineers projects for the 30th District to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for inclusion into the 2010 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
Nov 7, 2009
House Makes History on Health Reform
Issues: Health
For the first time in America's history, all Americans will have access to quality, affordable health care under updated health insurance reform legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today. The legislation will cover 96 percent of Americans by 2015, while reducing the deficit by tens of billions of dollars over the next decade. The House approved the measure by a vote of 220 to 215.
Oct 29, 2009
Affordable Health Care for America Act
Issues: Health
On October 29, 2009, House Democratic leaders unveiled the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962. The three panels with jurisdiction over health policy in the House have been working together as one committee to develop a single bill that fulfills President Obama's goals of reducing health care costs, protecting and increasing consumers' choices, and guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
Oct 29, 2009
House Leaders Unveil Reform to Medicare Payments for Physicians
Issues: Health
In conjunction with comprehensive health reform legislation, House leaders introduced a bill that would permanently reform the Medicare physician payment system. The "Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act" (H.R. 3961) will repeal a 21 percent fee reduction scheduled for January 2010 and replace the physician payment formula with a more stable system that ends the unrealistic cycle of threats of ever-larger fee cuts followed by short-term patches.
Jul 20, 2009
CBO Scores Confirm Deficit Neutrality of Health Reform Bill
Issues: Health
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released estimates this evening confirming for the first time that H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act, is deficit neutral over the 10-year budget window - and even produces a $6 billion surplus. CBO estimated more than $550 billion in gross Medicare and Medicaid savings. More importantly, the bill includes a comprehensive array of delivery reforms to set the stage for lowering the future growth in health care costs.
Jul 20, 2009
Chairman Waxman Responds to Inaccurate <i>Investors Business Daily</i> Editorial
Issues: Health
Chairman Waxman wrote a letter to the editor of the <i>Investor's Business Daily</i> in response to a misleading and factually incorrect editorial on health care reform.
Jul 14, 2009
Democratic Leaders Introduce America's Affordable Health Choice Act
Issues: Health
On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced the America's Affordable Health Choice Act of 2009. The three panels with jurisdiction over health policy in the House have been working together as one committee to develop a single bill that fulfills President Obama's goals of reducing health care costs, protecting and increasing consumers' choices, and guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
