Pat Tiberi

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Chairman, it is a pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Francis Rooney), a new Member of this Congress, and a new member of the Joint Economic Committee.

Mr. TIBERI. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TIBERI. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Chair, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, there are several perspectives, important perspectives, to health care and health insurance: one, value delivered to patients in terms of insurance plan options, choice of doctors, access to treatment, and, most importantly, health outcomes; two, health insurance premiums and healthcare cost sharing; three, budgetary cost to the Federal and State governments; four, supply of healthcare services, including by doctors and hospitals and through medications; and fifth, indirect costs to the economy, such as reduced job creation and labor force participation. The Affordable Care Act fails on all five counts, and that is why we are here today, to start the process of repealing and replacing it. The program is dysfunctional, and its costs have become and will become more unsustainable. Supposedly, the central objective for passing the ACA was to insure those who did not have coverage. I was there. Yet, the increased government sprawl shown in this chart in health care is striking. The Joint Economic Committee chart from the time of the law's passage illustrates the law's mind-numbing complexity. Unsurprising to anyone skeptical of bureaucratic solutions, the Obama healthcare system has not worked. Instead of empowering innovators, doctors, patients, ObamaCare has implemented a complex scheme that relies on unelected bureaucrats. And this chart demonstrates that clearly. Mr. Chair, ObamaCare means fewer choices. In fact, Kimberly, a constituent in my district, recently told me that she had a brain tumor. She said: Virtually no doctors take the marketplace insurance, so I am left to change doctors who I have seen for 30 years and switch to new doctors who I don't trust and cannot provide the same healthcare benefits that I have received in the past. Traumatic for her. Remarkably, the enrollment failure is happening, despite penalties on individuals failing to obtain coverage and on employers failing to provide it. Even with billions of dollars in subsidies, in my opinion, this illustrates that many would likely prefer to trade their subsidies for more flexibility, the choice of their own doctors, and useful alternatives. ObamaCare also means higher premiums. Ohioans, on the individual marketplace, have seen increased premiums by 111 percent since passage of ObamaCare, and now in my State, the average premium is over $5,000. Republicans agree that the system needs reform, but ObamaCare cannot be reformed. The argument that parts of the American healthcare insurance system were not working previously, and that more people now have health insurance, is irrelevant to the decision to repeal ObamaCare. Nobody claims that the former system was perfect. I certainly don't. Certainly, the government can increase coverage with subsidies, increase coverage with mandates, but what has it done to the underlying health care that is being provided? The extent and method by which ObamaCare increases coverage has caused huge and unnecessary collateral damage to all others in the marketplace, all others with respect to patient choice of their doctors, the quality of the care that they are receiving, the supply of health care, and, certainly, State and Federal budgets. The focus of ObamaCare advocates has been almost exclusively on increasing the number of insured by government subsidy and mandate. I get that. I understand that, but not on maximizing healthy outcomes. Those aren't the same things. Health insurance is not an end in itself. Effective treatment to healthcare problems is. Private investment is so needed to push forward medical discoveries, innovation, accelerate drug development, personalize medicine, and harness technology to coordinate our health care and help administrate it. There is a better way. You will hear from the other side of the aisle that Republicans have no plan to replace ObamaCare. Here are the plans. It is just not true. The goal of the Republican plan is not to go back to the way things were before ObamaCare; it is to move forward. We want to facilitate a well-functioning market in health care, and health insurance as well. In the United States, we let the marketplace work things out. Republicans want to fix those obstacles and make it better. Among the features of the Better Way is: portability, patient- centered care, insurance across State lines, medical liability reform, new mechanisms for small businesses and individuals to power together to negotiate, flexibility for our Governors, a patient-centered, patient-focused program. The government has a role and a responsibility to provide support for those who can't afford it, for those who fall through the cracks. A refundable tax credit is part of our plan, addressing preexisting conditions is part of our plan, and keeping dependents up to 26 on their parents' plan is part of our plan. But the deeper points to recognize are: One, there is no reason why a free market could not offer insurance to individuals that provides continuous coverage throughout their lives. There is no reason that helping the poor should not limit the choices and flexibilities of everyone else, which ObamaCare has done, much less interfere with the larger economy. Moreover, the law has had an impact on employment. I see it every week. Economics Professor Casey Mulligan of the University of Chicago estimated that the ACA taxes will affect nearly half of the working population in America, reducing average wages, hours worked, and GDP. And based upon CBO estimates, the overall impact of the ACA on the supply of labor will become progressively worse as time passes. ObamaCare took certain problems in healthcare insurance--a large number of uninsured, lack of individual coverage for preexisting conditions, higher premiums for individuals--and used them as an excuse to create socialized medicine. The repeal of ObamaCare will take us off that path and replacement will offer shortcomings to other problems. Going forward, Republicans stand ready to provide support away from ObamaCare through a transition. And getting an improved healthcare system in place improves consumer choice. I understand the anxiety that many are feeling right now listening to the Democrats tell them that health care is going to be yanked out from under them. When I was a kid, my dad, a steel worker, lost his job. We lost our health care. We lost our insurance. I know what that anxiety is like. And I want to assure everyone today, that is not what we are doing here today. I know what we are doing here today. We are empowering patients. We are empowering doctors, not bureaucrats. We are giving them more choices, more opportunities, and a better healthcare system. Mr. Chair, I ask that we support this resolution. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 611 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 1219), 612 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended S. 3028), 613 (on passage of H.R. 5143), 614 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 6076), 615 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended House Amendment to S. 2971), and 616 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5790) I did not cast my vote due to a death in the family. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all of the votes.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jim Miller on the occasion of his retirement as Federal Liaison for the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System. For well over fifteen years, Jim diligently worked as an advocate for Ohio's public pension system. By utilizing his unique knowledge and experience, Jim proved himself to be a remarkable asset to both Ohio's public employees and elected officials. It has been said that Jim has never met a stranger. His quick wit, comfort with people and passion for his work played a large role in his tremendous success. Whether he was speaking with the most senior member of Congress or a junior staff member, Jim was able to relate and connect with them. This candor allowed parties to come together in an effort to garner meaningful results for beneficiaries and taxpayers alike. As Jim transitions to his next stage in life, his knowledge and guidance will truly be missed, yet few are more deserving of a peaceful and relaxing retirement. On behalf of Ohio's 12th Congressional District, I would like to thank Jim Miller for his many years of service and wish him a happy retirement.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize The Ohio State University, their emergency management team, and all our police officers and first responders who took swift action on Monday to keep our students safe and stop an attacker wielding a knife. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims who were injured, and I wish them a quick and full recovery. As a fellow Buckeye, it is difficult to even fathom that senseless violence like this can happen even on one of our own campuses. I walked those sidewalks as a student, and just a few days ago I was with my wife on campus. With the unpredictable threats and the potential emergencies we face today, we must be prepared, and we must always be vigilant. I am sincerely grateful to The Ohio State University that they were ready. An OSU police officer, who is also a graduate of the university, is a hero for stopping a potential terror attack that ISIS has claimed responsibility for. The university effectively utilized emergency response protocol to keep thousands of students on campus out of harm's way. Mr. Speaker, America's universities and colleges are places where students should safely engage with their classmates, where they are challenged, and where they find opportunities to succeed in our great Nation. That is certainly the case at The Ohio State University. As we continue to pray for our students' safety and security, we must stand with the Buckeye community. We are Buckeye strong.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Brady for his leadership on this issue. Madam Speaker, Chairman Upton unveiled the 21st Century Cures Act back in 2014 to initiate quicker development and pathways to approve treatments and cure diseases. This bipartisan and bicameral bill is another example how the House is delivering on patient-focused solutions for Americans. I am incredibly pleased that three of my initiatives are included in this final package, the first of which is a bill that provides necessary regulatory relief to providers and fixes a site-neutral policy to hospitals that were in the middle of construction when the policy went into effect. Second, the 21st Century Cures Act gives relief to long-term care hospitals from the 25 percent rule and commonsense Medicare reforms. Lastly, the bill includes a provision of a bill I sponsored that provides infusion therapy to Medicare beneficiaries in their home. I look forward to continuing work on these issues with my colleagues in the next session of Congress. I want to congratulate Chairman Upton for his incredible work on this. He solicited feedback from stakeholders, Members, patients, and has worked tirelessly to make this bill the best version possible. His accomplishments during his chairmanship are admirable, and I am grateful to call him a close friend. Let's pass the 21st Century Cures Act on a bipartisan basis, Madam Speaker, and get America back in the driver's seat on medical innovation.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I ran into a guy back during the campaign in my district who was a prosecutor when Steve LaTourette was a prosecutor. He called him a prosecutor's prosecutor. I guess I shouldn't be surprised because when Steve LaTourette came to this Congress 6 years before I came, he became a legislator's legislator. And to Henry and Emma and to his children at home: that corner back there became Steve's corner. It was a corner that we spent a lot of time in. Two of the people who spent a lot of time in that corner with your dad were Mike Simpson, a Congressman from Idaho, and Frank LoBiondo from New Jersey. They apologize they could not be here tonight, but wanted me to tell you they miss him dearly, just as you do. Part of what I am going to say, I said at the memorial, but I want to say it again. Steve was a unique guy and not a guy that I would have thought that I would have become friends with because he was a University of Michigan guy and I am an Ohio State guy. But despite that, we did become friends. Not only did we become friends, my daughters had a tremendous amount of respect for him. When I asked them after Steve passed to give me a word or a phrase that reminded them of Steve, they came up with these four words or four sayings. One said, Funny. Steve could be brutally funny with a wicked sense of humor. Another said, Kind. Another said, Nice man. And, finally, the fourth said, Christlike. I laughed at that inside because I knew Steve would laugh at that. But then I looked up Christlike and I got words that fit Steve to a T: gentle, kind, unselfish, generous. It was really an amazing thing and I never thought one of my daughters could see that in a guy, with the words that have been described by our colleagues who loved him. They loved him dearly because his heart was always in the right spot of trying to get things done. No matter who it came from or whose idea it was, Steve was always about helping the little guy. As Marcy Kaptur from Ohio said, he not only saved jobs in Cleveland, he added to them. He helped Lake Erie. He was passionate about it. He was passionate about helping his constituents. Whether it was repairing a bridge or building a road, transportation and infrastructure issues were just amazingly important to him. He became an expert in the field. Whether it be something about a railroad or an airport, a seaport, Steve knew it. Trucking, he was on it. I miss Steve back in that corner. He was an amazing counsel and a friend. He was a mentor. As my daughter said, he was one of the funniest, kindest, and yes, nicest and most Christlike human beings I have ever met. Take comfort in knowing that the world is a better place because of your dad.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 544 (on passage of H.R. 5719), 545 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5320), 546 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5946), 547 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 2285), 548 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5523), 549 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5625), 550 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended House Amendment to S. 1550), 551 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 4419), and 552 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5963) I did not cast my vote due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all of the votes.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 528 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 3957), 529 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5659), 530 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5713) and 531 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5613), I did not cast my votes due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all of the votes.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 535 (on passage of H.R. 3438), 536 (on passage of H.R. 5461), 537 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5859), 538 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 6007), 539 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended HR. 5977), 540 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 6014), and 541 (motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended H.R. 5147) I did not cast my votes due to illness. Had I been present. I would have voted ``yea'' on all of the votes.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5713, currently under consideration.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill provides needed regulatory relief for our hospitals, specifically long-term care hospitals. I am happy that the Ways and Means Committee has come together in a bipartisan effort on this bill, and I want to thank my colleague and dear friend from the Garden State, Bill Pascrell, for cosponsoring this bill with me today. H.R. 5713, the Sustaining Healthcare Integrity and Fair Treatment Act, or the SHIFT Act, will give relief to all long-term care hospitals, or LTCHs, from the 25 percent rule before it fully goes into effect next month on October 1 of this year. This CMS rule, which has been delayed for 10 years, allows for no more than 25 percent of patients to come from one inpatient acute care hospital in one quarter. My bill will reinstate the 50 percent threshold that was in effect prior to July 1, 2016, and delay the rule for 9 months. During a time when patients and healthcare providers are facing increasing burdens and higher costs, I am pleased that we could come to an agreement that will help over 400 hospitals across America. This bill will also provide relief for four specific groups of LTCHs that treat highly unique groups of patients. I was glad to work with a number of my colleagues to incorporate their bills within this bill, including Mr. Buchanan's and Mr. Pascrell's bill, H.R. 4650; Mr. Jason Smith's bill, H.R. 5559; Mr. Crowley's bill, H.R. 5614; Dr. Price's and Mr. Lewis' bill, H.R. 5688; and finally, Mr. Levin's bill, H.R. 5723. The SHIFT Act also allows the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program to limit reimbursement for providers or suppliers who may be exploiting program integrity loopholes and engaging in waste, fraud, or abuse. This will prevent hard-earned taxpayer dollars from going to bad actors. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, September 20, 2016. Hon. Kevin Brady, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Brady: I write in regard to the following bills: H.R. 5713, Sustaining Healthcare Integrity and Fair Treatment Act of 2016; H.R. 5659, Expanding Seniors Receiving Dialysis Choice Act of 2016; and, H.R. 5613, To provide for the extension of the enforcement instruction on supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals through 2016. As you know, H.R. 5716, H.R. 5659, and H.R. 5613 were each referred to both the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means. I wanted to notify you that the Committee on Energy and Commerce will forgo action on each of these bills so that they may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. This is done with the understanding that the Committee on Energy and Commerce's jurisdictional interests over these bills and similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered and that the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as these bills or similar legislation move forward. In addition, the Committee reserves the right to seek conferees each of these bills and requests your support when such a request is made. I would appreciate your response confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 5716, H.R. 5659, and H.R. 5613 and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during consideration of these bills on the House floor. Sincerely, Fred Upton, Chairman.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5713) to provide for the extension of certain long-term care hospital Medicare payment rules, clarify the application of rules on the calculation of hospital length of stay to certain moratorium- excepted long-term care hospitals, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I don't think I have any more speakers and am ready to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the Speaker for allowing me the opportunity to present this bill today, this bipartisan bill that came out of the Ways and Means Committee. I really can't add much to what Mr. Pascrell said, and I really appreciate his leadership, not only on this issue, but on the issue of traumatic brain injury. There has been nobody in the Congress who has talked more, spent more time in educating folks and trying to come up with solutions to traumatic brain injury, and I appreciate his leadership. I thank the Speaker for allowing us to present and advance this package, this healthcare package through the process today. I ask all my colleagues to vote for it. We must help those beneficiaries that suffer from acute, long-term illness and injuries, and I believe this bill will do just that. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the storied meteorological career of Jym Ganahl. For five decades, Jym has served his friends and neighbors as their meteorologist. His accurate and educational forecasts helped to warn us of impending inclement weather as well as plan our day's activities. Beginning his career in 1966 with KWWL-TV in Waterloo, Iowa, Jym quickly became a valuable asset in the news room. In 1978, Jym joined WCMH-TV in Columbus, Ohio, and has since become a staple in our community. For nearly four decades we have tuned in to hear Jym's report, and generations have grown up hoping Jym would give them the good news that a snow storm was imminent and school would be canceled. In addition to his talent as a meteorologist, Jym is also a valuable mentor to aspiring young men and women. His guidance and tutelage helped many achieve their goals. Unfortunately, the hands of time do not stop and central Ohio witnessed Jym's last forecast on September 4, 2016. Although we will still be seeing him on television during his WCMH tailgate-party broadcasts during football season, the weather forecast will not be the same without his humor and knowledge. I have enjoyed working with Jym Ganahl over the years and I congratulate him on his 50-year career as meteorologist. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. TIBERI

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3590, the Halt Tax Increases on the Middle Class and Seniors Act, is a commonsense bill that repeals an onerous tax on 3.8 million households in America; 3.8 million households in America in 2016 alone. We should encourage patients to seek the care they need, not to create more burdens and restrict access to medical care, as this ObamaCare tax does. Now, if Americans out there watching listened to the previous speaker say things like ``politically motivated bill,'' ``undermine Affordable Care Act,'' ``a contradiction,'' here is the contradiction. This bill was introduced over a year ago by Congresswoman Martha McSally from Arizona, but this isn't the first time this bill has been introduced. It was introduced in the last session of Congress by a gentleman whose name is Ron Barber, a former Congressman from Arizona and a Democrat. How interesting. What a contradiction that is. So, this so-called politically motivated bill, according to AARP-- this is AARP saying this, which supports the legislation--56 percent of all returns claiming this deduction had at least one member of their household age 65 years or older. My mom and dad, over 65, on a fixed income. But, yet, some are opposed to this bill. Let me tell you who is for it. AARP, Americans for Prosperity, National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Tax Reform, 60 Plus, Association of Mature American Citizens, Campaign for Liberty, Small Business & Entrepreneurial Council. Mr. Speaker, I am a proud cosponsor of this bill, and I would like to thank Congresswoman Martha McSally from Arizona for her passion for this legislation, her tireless work for this legislation, testifying before the Ways and Means subcommittee on this legislation, and trying to help those 3.8 million households in America, many low-income and middle-income households in America, and bringing this important issue to light today. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally).

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), our majority leader.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I have great affection for my colleague from Oregon as well, but today we are making this piece of legislation, this thing called the Affordable Care Act, better. In fact, JCT says that, in 10 years, nearly 10 million households in America will be paying this new tax--again, moderate- and low-income households. For those 10 million people, we are making it better. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold). He is from suburban Chicago, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, and has been active in supporting this legislation and helping get it passed out of committee.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black), who is a leader on the Ways and Means Committee on healthcare issues.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany). Dr. Boustany is the Tax Policy Subcommittee chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, but more importantly, an expert on healthcare policy, due to his life's work as a physician.

Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let's go through the latest of the ACA. I concur. More Americans have insurance today. Many have it through Medicaid. In my State, we tried to apply for a Medicaid waiver program that the administration denied. In my district, there are people who have Medicaid today, but that doesn't mean they have better health care. In fact, you could have insurance, but not have access to your doctor. You can have insurance, but not have access to the hospital where your doctor practices. That is an increasing problem throughout my district. You could have insurance, but the deductible is too high. You could have insurance, but the premiums are going up. In fact, the average proposed rate hike in the individual market is 24.3 percent. In the 17 States that have approved final rates for next year, the average increase is 26 percent. You are paying more oftentimes and getting less. That is an update that I haven't heard from the other side. Paying for it. Picking away at it. In December of 2015, just last year, this Congress voted in a bipartisan way to delay the medical device tax, to delay the excise tax on high cost employer health care plans, known as the Cadillac tax, delay the tax on health insurance, none of it paid for, and, oh, by the way, signed by President Barack Obama. Ladies and gentlemen watching today--Bob and Betty Buckeye in Ohio-- this must be a surreal debate that you are listening to. Yes, this Republican bill, sponsored by Martha McSally, was first introduced by a Democrat last session of Congress, a Democrat from Arizona. But yet, today, someone will make this partisan. That is unfortunate to the 3.8 million households, Mr. Speaker, who would be positively impacted by this bill if it became law this year, or the 10 million households, most of whom are middle class and low- income. That is why the AARP supports this bill. This is about commonsense legislation. This is about helping regular people. This is about fixing a problem within the Affordable Care Act, which has been bipartisan until today, apparently. With healthcare costs continuing to rise, Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Martha McSally takes a step in the right direction with this bill by providing relief from ObamaCare taxes. Among all of the harmful policies included in the President's health care law, this one is really unsettling because it targets our sickest Americans and our seniors. The only way you benefit from this is if you have thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket costs. We could strive to make it easier for these people, most of whom are middle- and low-income, to afford their complex and expensive care. But instead, the Affordable Care Act makes it more difficult. This is easy. This shouldn't be partisan. This is common sense. Join me, Congresswoman McSally, and groups like the AARP in supporting this commonsense legislation to help our most vulnerable. I yield back the balance of my time.