Health Care Letter to Congressman McGovern

Dear Congressman McGovern,

I have viewed the "Common Health Care Myth's Rebutted" linked to your website, and I still find H.R. 3200 very scary even though you have uncovered some myths and falsehoods (your party does it too!). I have a few questions I would like answered directly.

1. What authority does Congress have in the Constitution to radically overhaul our nation's health care system? You may find this question inconvenient and irritating, but I would like to remind you that you have taken an oath 6-7 times to preserve, protect, and defend it. Please do not cite Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid or these other bankrupt disasters either. You did not vote to create those programs. Just because previous members during the so-called New Deal and Great Society violated their oath, it does not give you the precedent to do the same.

2. Why does this legislation assume that more government regulation, interference, and oversight will bring costs down? I do not know of any modern government social program in the history of the Western world that had brought costs down. Could you name one and cite documented proof that would support your claim?

3. If the rebuttal document claims that certain things such as doctor choice, end-of-life counseling, and plan approval does not mean rationing, government denial of end-of-life care, or pricing out private plans, why are they mentioned in the legislation at all? You know as well as I know that once regulators get to add hundreds of thousands of pages to the Federal Register, they will write rules that will distort the so-called intent of the legislation. How can Congress insure that the scores of rebuttals that are "misunderstandings" will not be misunderstood by the scores of unaccountable bureaucrats and "Czars" that escape Congressional oversight?

4. Are you a doctor? Is anyone who drafted this legislation a doctor? Why is it that the two physicians I am aware of in the United States Senate vehemently oppose this legislation or any form of it being drafted in the Senate?

5. Many increases in health care costs have been directly linked to the high cost of malpractice insurance. It has been documented and proven that in many states or federal court districts stacked with former trial lawyers that malpractice case awards are extremely high. This cost is passed on to the health care consumer, which drives costs up. Why isn't this addressed in the legislation? Is your party bought and paid by the "slip and fall" lawyers of America? You could very well be, because your VP nominee in 2004 made his fortune on some bogus lawsuits. Could it be said then that the public option plans will be subsidizing slip and fall lawyers, since they can still have open season on our doctors, nurses, and other health care providers?

6. When are you going to be scheduling public appearances throughout the 3rd Congressional district to discuss these matters before you vote? There are a lot of questions and not enough answers, and frankly I would bet that a majority your constituents do not want the federal government calling all of the shots in health care.

7. Lastly, why are members of Congress exempt from this legislation? Are all of you too good for this plan? If it is so critical to reforming our health care insurance system, why don't you and your family sign on?

Just so you are very clear...I am not part of an angry mob, even though I am angry. I am not paid by K Street lobbyists, even though it would be nice. I also have not been given marching orders from the GOP, because they take marching orders from me. If you agree with the leadership of your party's contention that our anger is "manufactured", you have made a serious error in judgment and frankly you insult my intelligence. The American people are not stupid; they are generally disengaged from beltway politics. They have been awakened, and they do not like one bit what is going on in Washington.

Please do not claim that the GOP has not offered any alternatives. Most of their amendments have been denied or voted down by party line. I also understand that they have not even been consulted in the House of Representatives negotiations and mark-ups. Most Republicans are providing alternatives that are consumer based and free-market based, and that philosophy seems to have escaped your political party. HR 3200 is pro-government and controlled-market based.

So, I hope you will be courageous and do the right things ... engage your constituents even though you have been unopposed for most of you career. It will not be courageous to defy the people you represent and vote for this legislation. There will be severe consequences at the ballot box. At the least you will be a member of the minority in January 2011, and at the most you will be added to the unemployment rate cited by experts in our "jobless recovery."

Thank you for your time and patience. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime.