John Fleming RSS Articles

Fleming Continues Fight to Stop Retirement of Air Force A-10s

Thu, 10 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

U.S.Representative John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) released the following statement after joining his colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee earlier today in passing the FY 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to provide the necessary authorities and funding for America’s military. Rep. Fleming worked successfully for the adoption of an amendment that would halt the retirement of dozens of National Guard and Reserve aircraft, including the 24 A-10 Thunderbolts assigned to the 47th Fighter Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base.

“This NDAA strikes the balance of showing concern for our government’s growing debt while ensuring that our armed forces have the training, equipment, and leadershipneeded to carry out the mission of protecting the United States. The NDAA upholds our commitment to those who have served by rejecting Obama Administration proposals to create new TRICARE fees and increase others. It places responsible limits on the President's proposed troop reductions and provides a modest pay increase for our men and women in uniform. The FY13 NDAA would also protect the invaluable benefit soldiers at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk regularly receive from Barksdale's A-10s, which provide highly realistic close air support sorties. As the House and Senatecontinue working on the FY13 defense authorization and appropriation bills, I intend to work closely with Congressman Alexander and our state’s U.S. Senators to ensure that this provision remains intact.”

Dr. John Fleming is Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a physician and small businessowner and represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana.

FLEMING: Undeniable: Entitlements are unsustainable

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Medicare is on a steady downward course to financial ruin and everyone should care. Its trustees admit that Medicare’s main trust fund could run out of money as early as 2017. Since the U.S. Treasury is under no obligation to make good the shortfalls, the checks to doctors, hospitals and pharmacies will be even less than they are today, covering a fraction of the actual cost of care, potentially shutting off access to health care for millions of seniors.

Medicare’s role in our nation’s health care system should not be underestimated. With 48.7 million beneficiaries and an annual price tag of more than $500 billion, Medicare’s share of the federal budget is 13 percent and growing. Today’s payroll deductions and retiree premiums cover less than half of Medicare’s annual price tag. In fact, for Medicare to pay for itself, payroll taxes would need to increase by 31 percent, and the cost to beneficiaries would more than quintuple to nearly $8,000 annually.

Yet, Americans love Medicare, as they should, since benefits far exceed payroll tax and premium payments.

Americans who receive Medicare benefits and enroll in a low-cost supplemental policy have little or no out-of-pocket costs for a host of health care services, from doctor visits to medication, and motorized wheelchairs to diabetic shoes. That array of services to an aging population is expensive, especially when it’s provided to everyone 65 and over, regardless of financial need. This heavily subsidized, federal entitlement program is provided regardless of whether the person is poor, middle class or even Warren Buffett.

Medicare is sustained on the backs of hardworking taxpayers, health care providers and even younger Americans who have private insurance, but who pay higher health care costs because of Medicare. Over the last 20 years, arbitrary federal price controls have led to dramatic decreases in Medicare’s reimbursements to health care providers. Some doctors have accounted for the reduced Medicare reimbursements by charging more for private insurance patients. But insurers now benchmark their fees, often aligning with Medicare’s reimbursement rates. This means the vast majority of health care practitioners who provide care under Medicare, Medicaid or even private insurance, operate under arbitrary, nonnegotiable, federal price controls for a substantial portion of their care delivery. That’s led to poor outcomes, rapidly rising costs, spot shortages, inequities, perverse incentives for overutilization, fraud and even overpayment of certain services.

Obamacare greatly accelerates the demise of Medicare, gutting more than $500 billion from the program and double-counting supposed savings. Worse still, Obamacare entrenches price controls, rations care and eliminates any hope of reinvigorating the free market and encouraging patient choices.

Medicare’s viability is instrumental to the American health care system. We are approaching a near- to mid-term health care and budgetary collapse, but there are several necessary steps we can take to address the looming crisis. The first order of business should be to repeal the president’s health care initiative, that is, if the U.S. Supreme Court does not find it unconstitutional in the meantime. Our next step is to reform the patchwork health care system, starting with the reintroduction of market-based principles into the Medicare system. Health care costs will never be brought down to sustainable levels until we restore market forces. Price controls do not work, whether instituted by Congress or a board of bureaucrats, and whether adhered to by Medicare or private insurance. Americans continue to demand a wide spectrum of choices and freedoms and we must respond robustly.

Democrats and Republicans agree that this country needs a safety net for our seniors and those with disabilities. But inefficient, government-controlled health care and the exploding deficit are leading us to where we will not be able to offer affordable medical services to our aging population. Without real reform, those with the greatest health and financial needs will lose whatever coverage they have.

It must all begin with reforming Medicare.

Rep. John Fleming, a physician, is a Louisiana Republican.

Fleming Calls for Resignation of EPA Official Who Wants to “Crucify” Energy Companies

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) issued the following statement, calling for the resignation of an EPA official who illustrated his agency’s strategy for dealing with oil and gas companies by comparing it to Roman crucifixion:

“I have seen the video of Al Armendariz and it’s very disturbing. Mr. Armendariz, an administrator with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Dallas office, described his enforcement philosophy with these words: ‘The Romans used to conquer little villages in the Mediterranean. They’d go into a little Turkish town somewhere, they’d find the first five guys they saw and they would crucify them. And then you know that town was really easy to manage for the next few years.’

“The use of threats and intimidation to force energy companies to submit to an extremist agenda may be fitting under a totalitarian regime, but it is never acceptable in the United States. The sad reality is that Mr. Armendariz employed this strategy. Without real evidence, the EPA tried to stop a company that was safely drilling with hydraulic fracturing. The case was finally dismissed earlier this year, but it stands as an example of the EPA’s willingness to ‘crucify’ energy companies.

“Mr. Aremdariz’s apology for his remarks is simply not enough. He should no longer be in a position from which he can wield his authority to intimidate hard-working companies.”

Note: Congressman Fleming spoke today on the House floor about this issue. The video of his remarks can be seen here. Congressman Fleming also co-signed a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson urging her to fire Mr. Armendariz

Fleming Warns that President Obama is not Serious about Entitlement Reform

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) issued the following statement after the release of the Medicare and Social Security Trustees’ annual report:

“Maybe now President Obama and his liberal allies will get serious about entitlement reform. The Trustees’ projections show a shortened lifespan for Social Security and sound another urgent warning that Medicare is spiraling toward a crisis. The president’s Trustees also claim that Obamacare is somehow extending the life of Medicare. That idea would be laughable if the health care of millions of seniors was not at stake. The president already took money away from Medicare savings to foot some of the massive bill for Obamacare.

“The population is aging and health care costs are rising. Obamacare failed to address those issues and that means Medicare is still facing insolvency. It’s time for the administration to stop spinning its do-nothing approach and finally recognize that Medicare is on an unsustainable path. I and my fellow House Republicans continue to offer meaningful steps toward Medicare reform while Washington liberals have little to offer but more posturing and name-calling.”

Fleming on Reintroduction of H.Res. 615: "Any health care law should apply to Congress, too."

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) issued the following statement after introducing House Resolution 615 today, legislation he first drafted in 2009 to urge Members of Congress to use the same health care that they require for the American people:

“I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will find Obamacare unconstitutional and overturn it, and that’s why I have reintroduced H.Res. 615. If Obamacare is overturned, Members of Congress are likely to put forth new health care proposals, and when they do, the principle of H.Res. 615 must be preserved: Congress must live with what it creates. Any health care reform that is crafted for the American people must apply equally to Congress. I first wrote H.Res. 615 in 2009, when the Members of Congress who were writing Obamacare tried to exempt themselves from all of its requirements. They were unsuccessful, and I want to ensure that future efforts also require that Representatives and Senators must lead by example and be bound by whatever health care reform they create for the American people.”

Fleming: Interior Secretary’s Remarks Show Clueless Arrogance

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) released a statement today in response to remarks by President Obama’s Interior Secretary. The House Natural Resources Committee, of which Rep. Fleming is a member, issued a subpoena today seeking documents related to a report issued by the administration in 2010. The report erroneously suggested that a panel of outside engineers supported a moratorium on deepwater drilling. Those engineers said they actually opposed the moratorium. In responding to the subpoena, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said today, “So, you know, it’s that time of season in Washington, D.C., where congressional committees will spend their time going after issues that are not of significant importance… So from my point of view, what the House Natural Resources and energy committee is doing is simply a distraction in the name of politics.” Congressman Fleming’s response follows:

“Secretary Salazar’s comments demonstrate the clueless arrogance of the Obama Administration. The drilling moratorium that was imposed in 2010 wiped out jobs in the energy sector and among Louisianasmall businesses that support the energy industry. In addition, our domestic energy production from deepwater drilling was halted by the Obama policy, leaving repercussions that impact energy prices still today. While the Secretary wants to dismiss this investigation, the fact is the administration imposed its moratorium after issuing a report in which false information was inserted. The American people deserve to know who in the administration authorized this.

“The actions, and now the words of the Obama Administration have made it clear that the White House has little concern for the jobs of the hard-working people in our nation’s oil and gas industry. For Secretary Salazar and his boss, President Obama, this matter may be ‘simply a distraction,’ and ‘not of significant importance,’ but the people of Louisiana would beg to differ and still want answers.”

Dr. John Fleming is Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a physician and small business owner and represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana.

Obamacare's Medicaid Problems

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Obamacare has received critical scrutiny from our nation’s highest court. Skeptical Supreme Court Justices questioned the government’s power to force you to buy a product. I believe Obamacare is unconstitutional. If it’s not overturned, it must be repealed.

But the litigation produced a stunning remark from Justice Elena Kagan, who cheered for Obamacare when it was pushed through Congress. Justice Kagan was the administration’s Solicitor General before she was nominated to the Supreme Court.

During Wednesday afternoon’s hearing, Justice Kagan was incredulous toward the argument that states are coerced by Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. “…why is a big gift from the Federal government a matter of coercion?” she asked, “…it’s just a boatload of Federal money for you to spend on poor people’s healthcare. It doesn’t sound coercive to me.” She tried to illustrate her point by role-playing with the attorney and saying it would not be coercive to offer him a job that paid $10 million a year. But he wisely didn’t play along, and pointed out that it wouldn’t be such a great deal if the money he was being paid was actually his in the first place.

That’s the issue. Medicaid money is not a “big gift” to states. Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion IS coercive. It is a boatload of your tax dollars and mine, and it comes with expensive strings attached.

I’ve dealt with Medicaid for about 36 years, first as a doctor treating Medicaid patients, and then in Congress, trying to reform a broken system. Under Obamacare, the federal government expands the Medicaid rolls, forces additional requirements on states, provides only part of the funding to run it, and then mandates that states supply the balance, or lose federal dollars. The system’s low reimbursement rates have also forced out doctors, making it harder for patients to find care.

For years, I’ve studied the subject of addiction, the terrible process that can enslave people to drugs and alcohol. Drug dealers will cruelly give away their product to get someone addicted and to entrap him as a customer with a need for more. That’s a sad metaphor of what the federal government is doing with Obamacare and Medicaid. They inject the needle of “free money” into the veins of the states and then make it impossible for states to withdraw, all the while demanding that states spend more and more to keep the program going. Over time, the federal money is rapidly withdrawn, leaving the states to pay for huge, costly mandates that will send them into bankruptcy.

We have two choices for confronting this cynical crisis. Some, like Senator Mary Landrieu, who remains fully committed to Obamacare, play the Washington game for more federal money; more of your hard earned tax dollars. I believe it’s time for real reform. We can either save the program through smart changes that cut costs and help patients, or stand by and watch as that “boatload of Federal money” sinks in a sea of debt and leaves states high and dry.

Congressman John Fleming serves the 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Fleming Rejects Temporary Highway Bill

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) issued the following statement after voting against H.R. 4281, the Surface Transportation Extension Act, which passed the House of Representatives today:

“Federal surface transportation programs have been operating under temporary extensions and flawed stimulus packages for two years. It’s time to give state transportation planners and road builders the certainty they need. Unfortunately, the 90-day extension that was passed today simply creates more uncertainty for the highway industry and multiplies the cost of projects at a time when getting the most out of every tax dollar is critical.

“The two-year extension that was approved earlier this month by the Senate is far from perfect, but it was passed with bipartisan support and could offer a solution that would enable us to give certainty to the industry today.”

Fleming Votes for Cutting Spending and Balancing the Budget

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) issued the following statement after voting for the House Republican budget, which passed today:

“Today I voted for the budget put forward by the Republican Study Committee; a budget that would get us to balance. When it failed, I voted for the Paul Ryan budget, which did pass. The Ryan plan would get us in balance, though not as quickly as the RSC plan or as quickly as Iwould prefer. Neither plan was perfect, but either would accomplish what President Obama and his liberal colleagues haven’t even attempted: a balanced budget. Out national debt is nearly $15.6 trillion, and stopping this crisis of spending must be one of the foremost priorities of this Congress.

“For all of the talk from the other side, this process reaffirmed a familiar point. Democrats refused to give a single vote to President Obama’s budget, which failed 414-0. And the House also strongly rejected a budget based on the president’s deficit commission, a budget that included tax increases. It garnered only 38 votes. Once again, it’s clear that they completely lack the political will to lead, and have no plans to change course from the reckless spending that’s giving us our fourth straight year of annual deficits that exceed $1 trillion.”

Fleming Supports Subpoenas to Investigate Obama Drilling Moratorium

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) joined his colleagues today on the House Natural Resources Committee calling for the issuance of subpoenas in the investigation of the Obama Administration’s Gulf of Mexico drilling moratorium:

“The Obama Administration’s Department of the Interior (DOI) has been stonewalling Congress on this matter for nearly a year. In 2010 the department falsely claimed that a panel of engineers gave its stamp of approval to a drilling moratorium that cost jobs, devastated the Gulf economy, and created a lasting impact on our nation’s energy supply. Days later, those engineers revealed that the department inserted the moratoriumrecommendation after they had completed their review. The engineers said they 'never agreed' to it and, in fact, said the moratorium would be an act of 'punishing the innocent.'

“Since April 2011 our committee has been trying to investigate the White House editing of this federal report which led to the shutting down of oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Our document requests have gone largely unanswered, while the executive branch has played bureaucraticgames to avoid its responsibility. The department even blocked its own Inspector General from turning over necessary documents.

“The DOI’s lack of transparency has been stunning and obstructionary. Jobs were lost and our domestic energy supply cut. That’s why there must be subpoenas. It's time the administration answer to the people on this matter."