Washington, DC, July 24, 2014 – Ten representatives from Virginians for Quality Healthcare (VQH), met with Congressman Tom Price (R, GA-6) in his office on Capitol Hill on July 24 to present him a Certificate of Recognition for the leadership he has shown in proposing the Empowering Patients First Act, a healthcare alternative offering Americans accessibility, affordability, choices, innovation, quality, and responsiveness. The Certificate designates the Congressman as a Healthcare Freedom Guardian.
For nearly 20 years, Dr. Price worked in private practice as an orthopedic surgeon. He was first elected to represent Georgia’s 6th District in November 2004. Congressman Price has steadfastly introduced variations of his current House Resolution 2300, Empowering Patients First Act, into numerous Congresses.
In an interview that followed presentation of the certificate, Congressman Price assessed the prospects of Congress passing his HR 2300 this year as being “not possible,” explaining:
We have got a recalcitrant bunch in the Senate led by (Senator) Harry Reid who simply refuses to engage in a positive dialogue about the kinds of positive solutions. That is why elections are so important. I’m looking forward to November … and a positive outcome in that election. Virginia has a role in that.
We look forward to a Republican Senate. When that happens, I think we can have that honest, open, and productive discussion about the kinds of things that need to be reformed in healthcare. … We will be introducing a similar bill in the next Congress and look forward to having it come across the finish line.
Republican leadership is not behind any one bill. That is why the work you (VQH) are doing in your role is so vital and so important to educate others and bring others to the fold and have them recognize this is the kind of solution, positive solution, patient-centered solution, that we ought to be addressing. I have great confidence that as more members of the House of Representatives and the Republican Congress embrace (the bill), then the leadership will follow.
Congressman Price also thanked VQH for its grassroots activities supporting patient-centered healthcare solutions in Virginia, citing:
… the incredible work you are doing and the necessary and vital work you are doing to educate people on the positive solutions that are available. This is going to take a team effort in order to make certain we turn this thing around and move in the right direction, which again is where patients and families and doctors make the medical decisions.
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