Five formal meeting requests from my office have gone unanswered by the White House Yesterday, President Obama repeated his claim that he would be happy to go over ObamaCare and ways to cut spending with House Republicans. You’re going to have to forgive me if I am skeptical that will happen. You see, I wanted to come to Washington because, as a physician, I had some commonsense ideas to increase access and lower the cost of health care in this country. I was willing to work with anyone, Republi... Read more

Today, we are here in Washington trying to resolve the federal government shutdown. The House of Representatives has made several reasonable offers to the Senate and the President. On September 20th, I supported H.J.Res. 59, legislation to fully fund the government with a provision to defund ObamaCare. On September 29th, I supported legislation to fully fund government operations with a compromise to delay the president’s health law for one year and to permanently repeal the medical device tax, ... Read more

Today is Deficit Day—at around 3 p.m. today, the federal government will run out of money. This means all government operations for the rest of the year, nearly $10 billion each day, will be funded by money the government has borrowed. It is no secret that the government spends too much and borrows too much, and under the president’s health care law our deficit will only grow. Over the last three years, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has revised its cost estimates for ObamaCar... Read more

Health care shouldn’t be a partisan issue, so why is the only bipartisan thing about President Obama’s health care law its opposition? A new poll released by Fox News found that 68 percent of all Americans, both Republican and Democrat, are concerned about what their health care will look like under ObamaCare. Fifty-six percent of Democrats say they feel concerned on some level, with 31 percent admitting to being “very concerned.” But despite widespread anxiety, President Obama refuses to acknow... Read more

Twelve years ago today, on a beautiful and clear September morning, America was attacked. These violent and senseless attacks killed nearly 3,000 and changed our country forever. Today, my thoughts and prayers are with every person impacted by this tragedy. Earlier next year, One World Trade Center will be completed. The building, peaking at a symbolic 1,776 feet, is a true testament to our post- September 11 America. The site that has seen so much tragedy now serves as proof that America will a... Read more

Last week, President Obama announced that, after his national security team deliberated for weeks about the best course of action in Syria, he had decided the United States should engage militarily in Syria because of evidence that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons against its own people. The President’s case is entitled to a fair hearing from all of us because when it comes to matters of war and peace, we are Americans first. So when I return to Washington next week, I will review... Read more

On Monday we observe Labor Day. This federal holiday originated as a day to pay tribute to the contributions of the American worker and their achievements. Unfortunately, 7.4 percent of the population remains unemployed this Labor Day. In the state of Tennessee, things are even worse—in July, the unemployment rate was 8.5 percent, much higher than the national average. Since President Obama took office, the average duration of unemployment has almost doubled from 19.8 weeks to 35.6 weeks. But th... Read more

The August district work period is a great opportunity to hear what is on the minds of East Tennesseans. I’m in the process of holding a series of town hall meetings throughout the district, and have heard from many of you about issues important to you and your families. Still, I realize many folks have busy schedules and can’t make these meetings, but it seems that three main issues are on the mind of East Tennesseans: ObamaCare, government spending and immigration reform. I voted against Obama... Read more

When is a deadline not a deadline? When it applies to President Obama’s health care law. Already, almost 20 major provisions have been delayed or cancelled – and it’s not just minor deadlines that, as the president put it, are just a “tweak that doesn't go to the essence of the law.” He’s proposed delaying the employer mandate, one of the central pillars of his law, and this week additional delays were announced. According to the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, as of November 2011,... Read more

There’s a common misconception that because Congress is not in session in August, the work stops and Congress goes on vacation. In fact, some of the most important work I do will take place this month when I hear from East Tennesseans about how they feel on a wide range of issues – from immigration, to health care, to how we can create more jobs. Being aware of your views is critical to representing you. Throughout August, I will be traveling around the First District to host town hall meetings,... Read more