WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Health Republican Leader Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) sent a letter to Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Subcommittee on Health Chairwoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) reiterating their request for a hearing on the Democrats’ $32 trillion plan for a government takeover of the American health care system.
On February 5, 2019, the leaders sent an initial request for a hearing, but there has been no identifiable effort to schedule a hearing.
“We have a responsibility in this Committee to investigate this proposal falling so clearly within the Committee’s jurisdiction. Medicare for All would impact all Americans. Given that Medicare for All remains a critical issue supported by over 100 members of the House majority, the American people have a right to be informed of how the House Democrats expect to address such a massive policy change," Walden and Burgess wrote.
They continued, “On April 30th the House Rules Committee held a hearing on the Medicare for All Act of 2019, the Ways and Means Committee has confirmed the committee will hold a hearing, and tomorrow the House Budget Committee is holding a hearing on Medicare for All. However, this Committee has failed to be a leader on Medicare for All, even when other House Committees have taken the initiative to request reports on this policy and affirmatively state their intent to hold hearings on the Medicare for All proposal. While the Republican members of the Committee oppose moving to a government run, single payer health care system as proposed by the misleading named Medicare for All policy, it is imperative that important questions about this policy be answered in this Committee."
