Congressman Robert Hurt
Weekly Column 4/1/13
It was great to be back in Virginia’s 5th District this past week meeting with our local elected officials from three cities, 21 counties, and 38 towns across our district. While the 5th District spans across 10,000 square miles from the North Carolina line up to Fauquier County, it is important to me that I visit with all areas of our district and hear the concerns of constituents from Southside to the Northern Piedmont. I was pleased to touch base and give my thanks to our Senators, Delegates, Board of Supervisors, City and Town Council members, School Board, and Constitutional Officers who join me in representing the people of Virginia’s 5th District.
As I listened to our local leaders across our district, it was clear that uncertainty caused by Washington is a top concern in Virginia’s 5th District. Whether it is budget uncertainty, regulatory uncertainty, or the uncertainty caused by the continued implementation of the President’s health care law, our families and small businesses are negatively impacted by uncertainty and over-reach in Washington.
The President’s health care law, while adopted in March of 2010, is being felt by all Americans as it continues to be implemented three years later. Studies have now confirmed what we on the House side have been saying all along – the President’s health care law will cause the cost of care to rise and will result in less jobs for the American people. A recently released study noted that premiums will rise as high as 32% on our families. The Congressional Budget Office reported that nearly 7 million Americans will lose their job-provided health insurance. And the cost of regulations and taxes contained in the law have imposed billions of dollars in regulatory burdens on our small businesses, preventing them from expanding and hiring more workers in our local communities.
Listening to the concerns of those we represent, the House of Representatives remains committed to replacing this expensive government takeover of health care with free market oriented, patient-centered reforms that will lower costs and improve the quality of care. That is why our budget that was adopted this month repeals the President’s health care law to protect families, workers, and small businesses from its devastating consequences.
My visits with our local leaders and with constituents throughout the district over the past two and a half years make it clear that the President’s health care law and all Washington-created uncertainty are putting a strain on our local communities. As I represent the people of the 5th District in Washington, I remain committed to reducing over-regulation and working towards solutions that will deliver affordable, quality care to all 5th District Virginians and all Americans.
If you need any additional information, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.
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