Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. To Discuss Jobs & Health Care In The Weekly Republican Address

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (R-MD) will discuss Republicans’ efforts to lower health care costs and promote economic growth when he delivers the Weekly Republican Address on Saturday, May 18. On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 45, legislation fully repealing and defunding the president’s health care law, which is raising costs, reducing access to quality care, and making it harder for small businesses to hire.

“The president’s health care law is already undermining our economy -- employers are cutting workers and cutting hours, costs are going up, and even Democrats are worried the whole thing is headed for a train wreck,” House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said. “A physician and strong voice in Congress for patients and families, Andy Harris has shown outstanding leadership on health care issues, and I look forward to hearing what he has to say in our weekly address.”

Thursday’s vote marked the third time the Republican-led House has voted to fully repeal the president’s health care law since 2011. President Obama has signed several other bills that repeal or defund parts of the law.

“As a physician for nearly thirty years who helped mothers and their new babies get through childbirth, I have seen what is good and what is bad about America’s health care system, and ObamaCare makes our system worse,” Rep. Harris said. “Instead of lowering costs like Washington Democrats promised, ObamaCare is leading insurance companies all over the country to raise their rates by double and triple digits. Small businesses are having to think long and hard about whether they will cut back worker hours, lay off staff, or quit providing health care to their employees. Together we can fix the broken parts of the system by focusing on patient-centered changes to improve the quality and access to care.”

Before being elected to Congress in 2010, Congressman Andy Harris spent nearly 30 years as a physician and on the faculty at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He also conducted NIH funded research while at Johns Hopkins and is one of the only members of Congress to have done so. During Operation Desert Storm, he served in the Naval Reserve Medical Corps where he cared for members of the military at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Andy and his wife Cookie live in Maryland’s First District, have five children, and one grandchild. He brings his expertise in the medical field to his seat in Congress and position on the Committee on Appropriations.

The text and the audio of the Weekly Republican Address will be released Friday afternoon and embargoed until Saturday, May 18 at 6:00 a.m. EST, when the address will be available to view and download.