For Immediate Release: Thursday, March 11, 2010

Congressman Shadegg Hosts Emergency Health Care Town Hall on Saturday to Hear Concerns

We are anticipating the vote in Congress on health care reform next week. I’m hoping that you will join me in an Emergency Health Care Town Hall on Saturday, March 13, 2010, at Scottsdale Christian Academy to voice your concerns before I head back to Washington to vote.

As you know, national health care reform has prompted intense debates in the U.S. Congress as well as at many kitchen tables around the country. As we continue to discuss the future of health care in America, I encourage everyone to voice their thoughts on the legislation under consideration.

I would like to hear your recommendations on how we can improve health care in America. Your input will play a vital role as I consider each and every provision in this legislation. This will very likely be my last chance to hear from you on health care reform!

Please share this invitation widely with family, friends, and anyone who may be interested in attending my Emergency Health Care Town Hall on Saturday. I would be honored if you would join me.

Date: Saturday, March 13, 2010
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Scottsdale Christian Academy
14400 N. Tatum Blvd
Phoenix, AZ 85032

If you have any questions, or if you require special assistance, please contact (602) 263-5300 so that proper accommodations can be made.

Please visit http://johnshadegg.house.gov/ for updates.

Several sources are reporting that Senator John McCain has withdrawn his support from the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010, S. 3002.

Arizona’s senior senator will now get behind another effort being proposed by Utah Senator, Orrin Hatch (R) offering an alternative to the McCain-Dorgan bill. Supposedly, the revised bill will seek transparency to the supplemental industry without the heavy handed regulatory components of the original bill.

Apparently, McCain was under intense pressure by millions of Americans who rely on vitamins and supplements as part of their daily dietary regimen.

One is also left wondering that if this was not an election year and Senator John McCain was not facing a serious primary challenger, he would have remained committed to sponsoring and passing the bill.

McCain Withdraws Support For Dietary Supplement Safety Act, OverTheCounterToday.com
McCain Withdraws Support from Supplement Safety Bill, Natural Products Insider

For Immediate Release: Friday, February 26, 2010

Jonathan Paton is reaffirming his opposition to the Democrats’ latest plan to push through a government health care bill. But after a year of wavering, what stance has Gabrielle Giffords decided to take this week?

“Does Gabrielle Giffords support Nancy Pelosi’s plan to ram through a government health care plan?” Paton asked. “We know she supports the contents of the bill — or at least she did. Problem is, it’s hard to keep track of all of her different positions on this issue.”

In a long-winded statement Thursday, Gabrielle Giffords said a lot — a whole 469 words — but as usual, she conveniently avoided taking any stance on the issue. Jonathan Paton is making his position clear.

“Southern Arizonan’s have watched this congresswoman do the same thing on nearly every issue, and they have had enough. For the better part of 2009, Rep. Giffords skirted taking a stance on President Obama and Nancy Pelosi’s plans to take over the health care system. She moderated discussions between chosen ‘experts,’ but never shared her own opinion. Then, she went back to Washington and voted for the worst piece of legislation that has gone through this Congress,” Paton said. “Unlike Gabrielle Giffords, I won’t leave you guessing. I won’t say one thing and then do the other. I oppose any plan that would risk our quality of care and hand more power and obligations over to a federal government that is already bloated and indebted to the Chinese. It’s time for Gabrielle Giffords to get the message: Her constituents don’t want this bill. And unlike her stance, that’s not something that changes depending on the day of the week.”

For more information, go to patonforcongress.com

The Obama Ministry of Truth continues to blatantly lie and denigrate all who oppose them.  But if one would take the time to turn off Idol for one night, you might find out the the “Party of No” has been working their collective butts off coming up with idea after idea.

The virtual embargo on reporting Republican legislation has allowed Democrats and their allies in the media to keep up the “Republicans have no plan” attack. Just hours after the president’s speech, for example, the Democratic National Committee released a new commercial claiming that Republicans “refuse to offer a plan” to reform the health care system.

Just for the record, in case you want to check them out, these are the bills proposed, so far, by Tom Price [Head of the House GOP Study Committee] and his allies in the House:

• H.R. 77 The Health care Incentive Act

• H.R. 109 Americas Affordable Health Care Act of 2009

• H.R. 198 Health Care Tax Deduction Act of 2009

• H.R. 270 TRICARE Continuity of Coverage for National Guard and Reserve Families Act of 2009

• H.R. 321 SCHIP Plus Act of 2009

• H.R. 464 More Children, More Choices Act of 2009

• H.R. 502 Health Care Freedom of Choice Act

• H.R. 544 Flexible Health Savings Act of 2009

• H.R. 917 To increase the health benefits of dependents of members of the Armed Forces who die because of a combat-related injury

• H.R. 1086 Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2009

• H.R. 1118 Health Care Choices for Seniors Act

• H.R. 1441 Ryan Dant Health Care Opportunity Act of 2009

• H.R. 1458 Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2009

• H.R. 1468 Medical Justice Act of 2009

• H.R. 1658 Veterans Healthcare Commitment Act of 2009

• H.R. 1891 Sunset of Life Protection Act of 2009

• H.R. 2520 Patients’ Choice Act

• H.R. 2607 Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2009

• H.R. 2692 CAH Designation Waiver Authority Act of 2009

• H.R. 2784 Partnership to Improve Seniors Access to Medicare Act

• H.R. 2785 Health Care Paperwork Reduction and Fraud Prevention Act of 2009

• H.R. 2786 Patient Fairness and Indigent Care Promotion Act of 2009

• H.R. 2787 Medical Liability Procedural Reform Act of 2009

• H.R. 3141 Strengthening the Health Care Safety Net Act of 2009

• H.R. 3217 Health Care Choice Act of 2009

• H.R. 3218 Improving Health Care for All Americans Act

• H.R. 3356 Medicare Beneficiary Freedom to Choose Act of 2009

• H.R. 3372 Health Care OverUse Reform Today Act (HealthCOURT Act)

• H.R. 3400 Empowering Patients First Act

• H.R. 3438 Access to Insurance for all Americans Act

• H.R. 3454 Medicare Hospice Reform and Savings Act of 2009

• and H.R. 3478 Patient-Controlled Healthcare Protection Act of 2009

Obama is right, other than these 32 bills, [all written in 2009] the GOP has absolutely no ideas to present.

“It’s frustrating,” Price says. But Republicans believe that in the end, the public won’t buy the administration’s line. “The American people are smarter than that,” Price says. “They know there are alternatives out there. That’s what August was all about.”

Yeah, and that is what November will be about too.

I don’t think it is a surprise to anyone the hypocrisy of the current administration. The filibuster was the “savior” of democracy under the “totalitarian terror” of the Bush administration and yet it is now the bain of democracy. The difference between conservatives and liberals is conservatives want the legislative process to be cumbersome. A hindu sage once said, “before we bring down the heavens, lets sit down and think a little while.”

Click the link to watch the video..

Biden: “I pray God when the Democrats take back control we don’t make the kind of naked power grab you are doing.”

So, stop “crying” already.

For Immediate Release: February 22, 2010

After Appropriations Hearing Dust Up Dr. Chris Salvino Challenges Rep. Sinema to Debate on Healthcare

Tempe, AZ -Last week, GOP Congressional candidate Dr. Chris Salvino testified before the House Appropriations committee on ways to help save the state of Arizona money spent on healthcare. Rep. Sinema became upset because Salvino had dared to send out a press release announcing that he was providing testimony.

“Perhaps Rep. Sinema wasn’t prepared to talk about the issue last week, that is why I wrote her today,” said Dr. Salvino.

Today, Dr. Salvino wrote to Rep. Sinema and challenged her to a debate on the healthcare issue. [The text of the letter is below]

“With Harry Mitchell ducking town hall meetings and Rep. Sinema’s position as President Obama’s lead Arizonan on healthcare reform, I thought that she might be willing to have an honest dialogue on the healthcare issue. Last week when I testified Rep. Sinema was clearly not interested in talking about policy, I hope that changes,” concluded Dr. Salvino

February 22, 2010

The Honorable Kyrsten Sinema
Arizona House of Representatives
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007

VIA FACSIMILE 602-417-3015

Dear Representative Sinema:

I write to you today in reference to our exchange from last week when I was providing testimony to the House Appropriations Committee. Specifically, you took issue with the fact that I had put out a press release about my testimony, and you seemed uninterested in discussing the issue at hand. I and other members of the committee were clearly surprised by your reaction.

My purpose was to help educate legislators on the costs associated with the use of helicopter transport in connection with acute trauma care, something that as a trauma surgeon I have firsthand experience with.

My opponent, Congressman Mitchell voted for the disastrous Pelosi-Obama Healthcare Plan, but he won’t engage his own constituents on the issue – that is unfortunate.

However, most Arizonans know President Obama personally selected you to lead the discussion effort in our state on his healthcare proposals. It is with this in mind, and considering that perhaps discussing healthcare at a different venue might be more to your liking, I would like for you and I to debate healthcare in a public forum.

In case you were unaware I have introduced my own healthcare plan and attached a copy of it, the HELP (Health Expense Lowering Plan) for your review.

To schedule the event please call my Campaign Manager, Teresa Martinez on her cell phone at ***-***-****. Thanks again and I look forward to this event!

Most sincerely,

Chris Salvino, M.D.
Republican Candidate
Arizonas Fifth Congressional District

MCCAIN AGAIN COMMITS TO BIG GOVERNMENT, ELIMINATING CONSUMER CHOICE

PHOENIX, ARIZONA. FEBRUARY 12, 2010. Renewing his commitment to big government in the face of growing skepticism about Washington’s expanding powers, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) introduced legislation last week to further regulate vitamins and supplements. His partnership with U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota) follows other liberal efforts with Joseph Lieberman on global warming, Ted Kennedy on amnesty and Russ Feingold on First Amendment regulations, recently overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA) of 2010 (S.3002), introduced by Sen. McCain and co-sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), seeks to regulate all dietary supplements.

The introduction of this legislation does not come in the face of health and safety concerns, but rather is an apparent response to athletes’ use of over-the-counter supplements as performance enhancers.

“Use of vitamins and supplements should not be regulated simply because a few athletes want to redirect attention from their doping,” said U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Hayworth.

Americans across the country would likely see a rise in prices and a decrease in availability of vitamins and supplements with the passage of this bill, as supplement manufacturers would be subject to excessive reporting requirements and broad recall authority by the FDA.

This bill is yet more “bipartisan” legislation by the 24-year incumbent that panders to those interested in increasing the size and scope of the federal government. Senator McCain voted for the massive bank bailout bill in 2008, which included $150billion in earmarks. During his presidential run he proposed spending $300 billion to buy up every bad mortgage in America, again bailing out banks and borrowers. And according to the Heritage Foundation his support for amnesty legislation would have cost taxpayers $2.6trillion.

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Dr. Chris Salvino Releases GOP Healthcare Plan, Challenges Mitchell to Listen to Arizonans

Tempe, AZ  Today, Dr. Chris Salvino released the details behind his HELP Plan (Health Expense Lowering Plan) as a common sense alternative to the disastrous proposal supported by Harry Mitchell and Nancy Pelosi. To view the full plan go to www.drchrisforcongress.com/HELP.

Last summer it seemed that Nancy Pelosi and her good friend Harry Mitchell decided that they would no longer listen to the will of ordinary Americans, and they pushed forward an out of control healthcare bill that slashed Medicare and tried to nationalize nearly a sixth of our economy. It was one of the main reasons I decided to run for Congress, said Dr. Chris Salvino.

Now that his legislation has failed I urge Harry to get his partys leadership in Congress to scrap their legislation, and instead look at policies that will actually make a difference like my HELP Plan, concluded Salvino..

Some of the HELP Plan highlights:

• $500 federal tax deduction
• No government mandate to purchase insurance
• No penalty on businesses who do not provide coverage for employees
• Access to cheaper prescription drugs
• More flexibility of the types of health plans for individuals as well as those in group plans
• Streamlines national medical records that will lead to less errors and faster service

by Clint Bolick
Goldwater Institute
 
Even before an array of national groups and taxpayers mounted a brave and seemingly unwinnable challenge to nationalized health insurance, an Arizona doctor began the fight to strengthen protection for health care freedom at the state level. Three years later, his idea has spread like wildfire.

Eric Novack is a superb orthopedist (as my once-shredded rotator cuff can attest) and a family man with no background in politics and little time for a crusade. But in 2007, he was worried about threats coming down the road to the freedom to practice medicine. He decided to do something about it.

Working with the Dr. Jeffrey Singer and the Goldwater Institute, he drafted the Health Care Freedom Act, which would amend Arizona’s Constitution to protect two essential rights: the freedom not to participate in a government health-insurance system, and the right to directly purchase lawful medical services outside of any insurance system.

Despite being heavily outspent by special-interest groups mobilized, the measure failed on the 2008 ballot by less than one-half of one percent of the vote. Last year, the Legislature referred a revised version to the November 2010 ballot.

Meanwhile, the election of Barack Obama highlighted the threat to health care freedom for everyone. So the American Legislative Exchange Council adopted the Arizona legislation as a model bill. It has been introduced in 36 states, leading both the New York Times and the Washington Post to cover it extensively. Earlier this month, the Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate approved the measure, and other states are moving forward with plans to adopt it.

The act would provide a shield with which states can protect their citizens against excessive federal regulation. The Goldwater Institute has pledged to defend the constitutional amendment against legal challenges if Arizona voters decide to approve it.

And it all started with one man’s good idea–proving once again how big a difference each of us can make.

Clint Bolick is director of the Goldwater Institute Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation.

Gabrielle Giffords likes to portray herself as a Blue Dog Democrat. Her voting record belies her Blue Dog claims. Giffords is a Nancy Pelosi clone: a radical far left liberal who voted the way Nancy Pelosi wanted her to vote. Let’s review the facts.

 The so-called $787 billion “Stimulus Bill,” which not one member of the House of Representative read because major parts were not even printed, was approved by the House on February 13, 2009. Approximately 30% of the money was spent in 2009 providing no stimulus and no jobs. Unemployment climbed past 10% even though President Obama claimed it would keep unemployment below 8%. Gabrielle Giffords voted for the bill without reading.

 The so-called S-CHIP $33 billion explosion of government run health care was originally designed to cover poor children. The Congressional Budget Office stated this bill opens coverage to higher income children and opens the program to adults for the first time. Gabrielle Giffords voted for the bill because Nancy Pelosi demanded her vote. The bill passed on January 14, 2009.

 The so-called Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is anything but fair. It is a sop to the trial attorneys that allows alleged pay discrimination lawsuits to proceed years after any alleged discrimination took place. This bill increases the legal costs of businesses, which will contribute to higher prices to consumers. The bill is without value but passed the House on January 9, 2009. Gabrielle Giffords voted for the bill because Nancy Pelosi demanded her vote.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act, the so-called “Cap and Trade” bill is the largest tax increase in American history. The bill is based not even on “settled science” but plain bad science, with data intentionally manipulated by politically drive and corrupt scientists. The House passed this bill on June 26, 2009. Gabrielle Giffords voted for the bill because Nancy Pelosi told her so.

 The Stupak Anti-Abortion Amendment, which passed the House on November 7, 2009, was added to the so-called Affordable Health Care Act for America Act to prevent federal funds from being used for abortions. Pelosi actually fought against passage of this amendment but lost. Pelosi allowed the Amendment to be offered in the House as a compromise toward passage of the Health Care bill. Gabrielle Giffords voted for passage of the Stupak Amendment.

 The Affordable Health Care for America Act, which in the final analysis was found unaffordable by Massachusetts voters, was passed on November 7, 2009. This bill added over $1 trillion to the deficit because certain costs were stripped from the bill to artificially lower the cost. Even the Obama administration stated the bill would add to the deficit. Gabrielle Giffords voted for a bad bill because Nancy Pelosi told her so.

 The Medicare Physician Payment reform Act, passed by the House on December 19, 2009, was the legislation stripped from the Health Care bill above to artificially lower the bill’s cost. This bill adds more than $200 billion to the cost of health care and is an example of the dishonesty of House Democrats. Gabrielle Giffords voted for this bill because Nancy Pelosi said so.

 The so-called Permanent Estate Tax Act of 2009 was passed by the House on December 3, 2009.  The bill provides for a 45% inheritance tax on estates larger than $3.5 million. It cancels a one year repeal of the tax schedule for 2010. The tax is not indexed for inflation, which like the Alternative Minimum Tax, will continue to increasingly tax more and more income from taxpayers. It is a bad bill that taxes money already taxed. Gabrielle Giffords voted for this bill. Why? You already know.

 Gabrielle Giffords has not been doing the people’s work. She has been doing Nancy Pelosi’s bidding. Giffords voted eight out of eight times for bad bills. She even voted for at least one bill without reading it. She cannot deny it. She has betrayed her constituents. She has betrayed her oath. She has betrayed her country.

 The shame of it. She should resign.