U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), who serves as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, spoke on the Senate floor today to oppose a Congressional Review Act resolution supported by Democrats. Cassidy argued that the resolution would increase insurance premiums for families and remove protections against waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
“The American people want lower health care costs,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Republicans have focused on a way forward on health care that actually lowers costs, fights fraud, and gives power to the patient, not profit to the insurance company, and not ill-gotten gains to the criminal.”
He continued: “If this CRA passes it will eliminate commonsense measures for waste, fraud, and abuse. I don't know why my democratic colleagues are so entrenched in protecting a broken system. They're willing to raise premiums 5% to protect the status quo."
As chair of the HELP Committee during the 119th Congress according to official records, Cassidy has prioritized efforts to reduce health care costs for families and address inefficiencies in federal programs. The committee itself is responsible for oversight of public health policy and legislation across areas such as education and labor as described on its website.
In December, Cassidy introduced the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act with the aim of directing funds directly to patients rather than insurance companies. Last week, he also began an investigation with other Senate Republicans into alleged misuse of federal child care funding in Minnesota.
The HELP Committee plays a significant role in shaping federal regulations affecting health care nationwide according to its official site. It oversees agencies such as the FDA and NIH while working on legislation related to public health and workforce development as outlined online.
Cassidy’s full speech is available online.
For further information from HELP Republicans, updates can be found via their website or Twitter at @GOPHELP.
