(Washington, DC) - This afternoon, the tricommittee - composed of the leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means and Education and Labor - released the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.  As Congressman Baron Hill is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee that will review the bill, he released the following statement:

“As the health care reform debate is progressing rather quickly, I want to make sure that folks back home know what is transpiring up here and what I am looking for in terms of effective health care policy.  I am deeply committed to reforming our broken system for the better, but will not be rushed to judgment on something so serious.

The America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 became available to Members about 1 p.m. this afternoon.  I plan on reading the bill thoroughly in preparation for the Energy and Commerce Committee markup session that is scheduled to begin Thursday. 

While reviewing the bill, I will be focusing heavily on the following overarching issues: Does this legislation place an emphasis on addressing the ills of our current health care system?  Does the bill focus on containing costs and thwarting the sharp increases in health care costs Hoosier families have experienced over the last several years?  Does the bill increase the quality of care available while expanding effective and affordable health care for every American?  Are there adequate protections for small businesses that, particularly during this period of economic downturn, are not purchasing health care for their employees because of high costs and largely not an unwillingness to do so?  Does this legislation place the same emphasis on rural health that it does on our urban counterparts?  Does it contain provisions to ensure that health care reform is deficit neutral?

I also intend to continue contacting stakeholders and listening to folks back home for ways to improve the bill, particularly during the committee process.  My position on the committee affords me the opportunity to offer ways of altering the bill, and I take that responsibility very seriously.  This is a serious issue that affects all Americans and, as such, merits significant time for consideration and review.