The 112th Congress begins (Rep. Phil Roe)

We are also starting to immediately fulfill our pledge to
repeal and replace ObamaCare with reforms that keep control of healthcare
decisions in the hands of patients and their doctors. Before the 111th Congress
came to an end, I led a number of my colleagues in writing to
then-Speaker-Designate Boehner asking him to act swiftly to restore a
patient-centric healthcare system by scheduling a vote on repealing, and then
replacing, ObamaCare. 

Republicans are sending a message that we are not in favor
of inserting Washington bureaucrats into a patient’s relationship with his or
her doctor; that we are not in favor of increasing the cost of health
insurance; that we are not in favor of weakening Medicare to create a new
entitlement; and that, at a time of record unemployment, we are not in favor of
legislation that will eliminate jobs.

Now, we must replace ObamaCare with a healthcare bill that
will work to control costs and that is built upon the principle that when
individuals are given control and ownership, we will achieve better access to
coverage and see the entire system move in a positive, patient-centered
direction. As the new Chair of the Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions, I will help write comprehensive healthcare
legislation that will protect the doctor-patient relationship.

Our long-term goal must be to create a quality education
in our classrooms and workplaces because it is essential to America’s economic
competitiveness and success. I strongly believe that quality education directly
impacts economic growth, so we need to invest in our children’s future. The
better the quality of education we can provide our children, the more
opportunities they will have in life, and the higher chance they will be able
to land a job, keep their job and advance their career. Working in partnership
with our states and local communities, I am hopeful to make some common-sense
changes to our education policy and improve the quality of education for every
child in America.

If we accomplish these goals, I have no doubt this
Congress will be remembered as among the most productive and successful in a
long time.