Dear Joe:

Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to a government takeover of our health care system. I appreciate having the benefit of your views as I share them.

Clearly, any time a child or a parent goes without the care they need, it represents a very serious crisis for that family. And, I understand that health care costs are escalating every year. But as health care represents 17 percent of our total economy, we have to get any “reform” right. Unfortunately, the President and the Congressional Majority are not “getting it right.”

They seem intent on a government takeover of health care that would have devastating consequences for families and small businesses. Such a takeover will raise taxes, weaken Medicare, ration care, and let unelected government bureaucrats in Washington make medical decisions that may end up denying access to medical and life-saving treatments.

Despite what the President says, more than 180 million Americans are at risk of losing their current private health care under a government-run plan. In addition, proposed Medicare cuts could threaten the very existence of our fine local hospitals. Moreover, the House Majority’s current health care plan is financially unsound and will add to, and not lessen, our staggering national debt.

Instead, Congress should work to empower doctors and patients by making health care more affordable, more accessible, and more accountable. The American people deserve the freedom to choose the health care that is best for their families!

I support health care reform, but we must preserve what works: protecting the doctor-patient relationship in addition to allowing people to choose the personal care that suits their individual needs.

At this point, there is no firm date for the House health reform debate to begin but you should anticipate that it will be a rushed process. Speaker Pelosi says she will unveil a new health care bill, “when it’s ready.” Of course, this is another way of saying that H.R. 3200 will be rewritten behind closed doors and we will have little time, if any, to review its contents!

Fundamentally, I support reform efforts to make quality health care affordable and accessible for every American, but any proposed reform needs to proceed slowly and carefully and must be bipartisan.

Once again, thank you for contacting me.

Sincerely,
Rodney Frelinghuysen
Member of Congress

For those of you looking for more information about the Congressman, you can head over to his website and learn more about him.

I understand, however, how some people will never be able to forget his connection to the Chappaquiddick incident. But putting those issues aside, the man looked pretty good for someone who has recently undergone brain surgery and chemotherapy.

As for the rest of the convention, I thought it was a good night. And I don’t subscribe the theories that the Democrats should have been stronger on the attack. Americans have been promised “change” and a “new politics” and I think the Democrats are carrying out their end of the deal by not using their convention to bash the opponents. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave a nice speech (giving a great shot out to Italian-Americans – whoo hoo!). I didn’t care for Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s speech, but that’s because I don’t think he really said anything…which is par for the course.

Michelle Obama gave a good speech, too, but mainly because she has completely changed course from her previous anti-American stances. I’m sorry, but when a person says that “America in 2008 is a downright mean country” and that this is the “first time in my adult life that I am proud of my country,” those are extremely negative statements. But her speech tonight was very well written and very well spoken. An excellent job by Michelle Obama!

Unfortunately, these conventions are always marred by morons on the outside. The anarchists who are protesting the DNC should be ashamed of themselves. They represent that worn-in crud on the boot of American politics and, frankly, that’s too high of a position for them. I saw one article that reported there were anti-Obama, anti-gay, anti-black, anti-war, anti-Democrat, anti-government, anti-American, and anti-FOX News protesters outside of the convention yesterday…to name a few.

Talk about people who are brainwashed!