New 2006 House Democratic Members

Health Policy Positions

 

 

Harry Mitchell, 5th - AZ

Office:  2434 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-2190

 

¨       Only member with a statute in his honor

 

·         Disapproves of private plans in Medicare

·         Supports government negotiation of Part D

·         Supports government support of stem cell research
 

 

Gabby Giffords, 8th - AZ

Office:  502 CHOB

Phone:  202-225-2542

 

¨       As state legislator, she worked to expand health care coverage to Arizona families

¨       Member of Financial Services Committee

¨       Member of New Democrat Coalition

·         Allowing the federal government to negotiate drug prices to reduce costs with the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program.

·         Expanding eligibility for Medicare to allow individuals to buy into Medicare at age 50.

·         Opposing arbitrary across the board cuts in payments to Medicare providers.

·         Addressing the “donut hole” — the complete lack of coverage for drug spending between $2,251 and $5,100 that affects 25% of Medicare recipients.

 
 
 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave Loebsack, 2nd - IA

Office:  1513 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-6576

 

¨       University political science professor

¨       Member of Education and Workforce Committee

 

·         Supports universal health care, including national health system
 
 


 

 

 

Chris Murphy, 5th - CT

Office:  501 CHOB

Phone:  202-225-4476

 

¨       In State Senate, he was appointed chair of the General Assembly’s Public Health Committee

¨       Member of New Democrat Coalition

 

·         Supports guaranteed issue for Part D

·         Would eliminate all financial penalties for late enrollment in Part D

·         Supports government negotiation of Part D

·         Supports elimination of private plans in Medicare Part D, prefers one size fits all government run plan
 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Wilson, 6th - OH

Office:  226 CHOB

Phone:  202-225-5705

 

¨       State Senator

¨       Member of Blue Dog Coalition.

¨       Member of Financial Services Committee

 

·         Supports Patient Bill of Rights
 

 

Carol Shea-Porter, 1st - NH

Office:  1508 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-5456

 

¨       Professional social worker

¨       Member of Education and Workforce Committee

 

·         Supports Medicare for all – dedicated to nationalized health care system

·         Supports government negotiation of Part D
 
 


 

 

 

Bruce Braley, 1st - IA

Office:  1408 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-2911

 

¨       Supported by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America

¨       Member of New Democrat Coalition

 

·         Believes that access to quality health care is a right, not a privilege

·         Supports guarantee of health insurance to every American child

·         Supports expansion of SCHIP and increase federal funding to states that insure all children

·         Supports creating a catastrophic care pool that can be used to extend healthcare to catastrophically ill individuals not covered by their insurance.

·         Supports AHPs

 
 

 

 

 

 

Brad Ellsworth, 8th - IN

Office:  513 CHOB

Phone:  202-225-4636

 

¨       Member of Blue Dog Coalition

 

·         Supports reimportation of drugs from Canada
 

 

 

 

Betty Sutton, 13th - OH

Office:  1721 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-3401

 

¨       Labor lawyer

 

·         Supports elimination of private plans in Medicare

·         Supports reimportation of drugs from Canada

·         Give authority to the government to negotiate drug prices under Part D
 

 

 

 

Baron Hill, 9th - IN

Office:  223 CHOB

Phone:  202-225-5315

 

¨       Member of Blue Dog Coalition

¨       Member of New Democrat Coalition

¨       Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee

¨       Has brother in-law with high cost health care issue

 

·         Believes Medicare prescription drug benefit is confusing

 
 
 


 

 

 

Albio Sires, 13th - NJ

Office:  1024 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-7919

 

¨       As Speaker of the NJ State Assembly, he passed legislation to help working families pay for their health care costs.

¨       Member of Financial Services Committee

 

·         No positions cited
 
 


 

 

 

 

Zach Space, 18th - OH

Office:  315 CHOB

Phone:  202-225-6265

 

“Insurance companies and drug manufacturers will not like my position on health care”

 

·         Supports eventual implementation of a policy guaranteeing adequate health care for every American through expansion of federal programs

 
 

 

 

 

Yvette Clarke, 11th - NY

Office:  1029 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-6231

 

¨       Has strong legislative background on health care as a member of NYC council.

 

·         Believed a basic level of healthcare is the right of every American

·         Would cut costs by investing in better prevention, rather than eliminating or limiting healthcare services and medicines

·         Healthcare delivery systems must be increasingly public and accountable to the voters and taxpayers

·         Will work hard to eliminate disparities in health outcomes based on income levels, race, ethnicity and gender

·         Supports Medicare and others to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors by supporting the purchase of less expensive prescription drugs from countries like Canada

·         Guarantee affordable services to middle and lower-income families

·         Opposes the Deficit Reduction Act

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Timothy Walz, 1st - MN

Office:  1529 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-2472

 

·         Believes the government should negotiate drug prices for all Americans

·         Believes that reforming and strengthening the health care programs designed to improve the lives of seniors, veterans and children is the first step in taking on the health care crisis

 
 
 


 

 

Tim Mahoney, 16th - FL

Office:  1541 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-5792

 

¨       Member of Blue Dog Coalition

¨       Member of New Democrat Coalition

¨       Member of Financial Services Committee

 

·         Vague on senior prescription drug plan

·         Vague on affordability of health insurance premiums
 

 

 

 

 

Steve Kagen, M.D.  4th - WI

Office:  1232 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-5665

 

Steve Kagen is a physician – allergy consultant on CNN. He would pursue what he calls, No Patient Left Behind which would guarantee access to affordable health care for everyone, everywhere in the United States.

 

The 5 essential elements in No Patient Left Behind include:

·         Open Disclosure of all health care related prices;

·         Unitary Pricing, so all people pay the same amount for the same product or service;

·         A Single Insurance Risk Pool, to leverage down insurance prices for all citizens;

·         Deductible Rates set at 3% of a household's taxable federal income; and

·         A Renewed Commitment to caring for uninsured children and working parents.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve Cohen, 9th - TN

Office:  1004 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-3265

 

·         Opposed cuts to TennCare

·         Supports a strong Medicaid/Medicare

·         Supports reimportation from Canada
 
 


 

 

Ron Klein, 22nd - FL

Office:  313 CHOB

Phone:  202-225-3026

 

¨       As member of state legislature, he took interest in genetics issue

¨       Member of Financial Services Committee

¨       Member of New Democrat Coaltion

 

·         Does not believe Medicare Part D plans do enough to control drug prices

·         Believes drug program for seniors is too complex
 

 

 

 

Phil Hare, 17th - IL

Office:  1118 LHOB

Phone:  202-225-5905

 

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