Among the many contested seats coming up for a vote in the March 1st Republican primary is the 26th Congressional District seat held by Dr. Michael Burgess. The seven-term incumbent has two opponents in the current race for Congress.
After spending nearly three decades practicing medicine in North Texas Dr. Burgess has served the constituents of the 26th District since 2003 in the United States House of Representatives. According to his webpage (www.burgessforcongress.com) the congressman states: “I currently serve on the prestigious House Energy and Commerce Committee where I serve as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade and sit on the Subcommittees on Health and Oversight and Investigations. In addition, I am a member of the Rules Committee and the Helsinki Commission. In 2009, I founded the Congressional Health Caucus, on which I serve as co-chairman.”
He continues, “Because of my medical background, I have been a strong advocate for health care legislation aimed at reducing health care costs, improving choices, reforming liability laws to put the needs of patients first, and ensuring there are enough doctors in the public and private sector to care for America’s patients and veterans. I have voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act 54 times. I have played an important role in bipartisan efforts to reform the Food and Drug Administration.
“Ever since I came to Congress, I have made repealing Medicare’s Standard Growth Rate (SGR) formula a top priority. At the beginning of the 114th Congress, over ninety percent of both chambers of Congress supported the formula’s repeal and it was signed into law. As one of the largest entitlement reforms in the past few decades, this landmark policy will ensure greater access and quality for seniors, more stable reimbursements for providers, and a more fiscally solvent Medicare system as a whole.”
As a member of Congress representing one of the fastest-growing areas of the country, Rep. Burgess says transportation is a top priority. “In 2005, I successfully amended the Highway Bill to include development credits, design-build, and environmental streamlining. During my time on Capitol Hill, I have worked to build, maintain, and improve the safety of our roads, bridges, air service, and transit in the North Texas region. On other issues, Burgess says, “As a fiscal conservative, I believe Americans deserve a federal government that is more efficient, more effective, less costly, and always transparent. I am a proponent of a flat tax and have introduced a flat tax bill every term I have served in Congress.”
As a strict adherent to the Constitution, Dr. Burgess opposes unnecessary government expansion and control over personal freedom. “I believe in giving people more control over their lives and their money. I am committed to reducing illegal immigration into our country and have taken action to ensure our borders are secure and our immigration laws are enforced. I strongly oppose any proposal to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants.”
In the video below, which ends abruptly as we were having some fun regarding the many other issues we didn’t have time to get into, Dr. Burgess talks about the most serious issues facing our country, and how we can deal with them in the coming years. However, since the congressman mentioned the subject of how a bill gets passed, here’s the hilarious “Schoolhouse Rock” Saturday Night Live skit he was referring to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUDSeb2zHQ0
Bob Weir is a long-time Flower Mound resident and former local newspaper editor.
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