Rokita Report - Replacing Obamacare, Supporting Trade & More

Statement

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 114th Congress. I trust this finds you and your family well, as we work together to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington.

Replacing ObamaCare

Since the start of the 114th Congress, I have worked with my colleagues on the Republican Study Committee's Health Care Task Force to draft a plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare. This week, we released our bill - the American Health Care Reform Act. The bill repeals ObamaCare and contains conservative ideas for real health care solutions and it also:

Creates a standard deduction for health insurance, leveling the playing field for those who purchase insurances plans from the individual market and those that get their plans through work.

Expands federal support for high-risk pools.

Expands portability so Americans can move between insurance markets.

Allows customers to shop for plans across state lines.

Permits small businesses to pool together and negotiate better rates.

Provides funding to develop biomedical breakthroughs to tackle serious medical issues, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

Creates a reward to cure Alzheimer's Disease, which costs the Medicare program more than $10 billion annually.

Prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for elective abortions.

One of the most egregious parts of ObamaCare is the medical device tax. It is a tax on innovation and one I have been fighting to repeal since 2011. Medical device makers will be taxed $29 billion over a decade for each life-saving device the companies manufacture, including pacemakers and stents. I look forward to continuing to lead on this issue in the coming weeks.

How Trade Benefits Indiana

Free and fair trade is good for all Hoosiers and I believe Indiana is a state that works and does best when our businesses have great economic opportunity.

In 2013, Indiana exported $34.2 billion in goods and $8.7 billion in services. More than 50 percent of these goods went to countries where the United States has Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). In total, Indiana exported to 202 countries. Trade supports nearly 7,000 jobs in Indiana's 4th Congressional District and nearly 800,000 jobs across the entire state, accounting for more than twenty percent of all jobs.

One of the best tools that Congress has available to promote free trade is Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). I have heard much misinformation about TPA, with some suggesting it gives the President free reign to negotiate trade agreements without the consent of Congress. While I share my constituents' concerns with the President's past abuses of power, I believe TPA is, in fact, the best way to restrain the President's unilateral authority.

The truth is TPA allows Congress to set the negotiating terms for future trade agreements. If the President does not adhere to the terms of TPA, Congress can reject the measure. These safeguards ensure that President Obama cannot act unilaterally in negotiating future trade treaties.

If the U.S. does not act, we will allow countries like China to set the rules of global trade. Already we have seen declines in U.S. exports, while countries like China are seeing substantial increases in their export business. We simply cannot afford to sit on the sidelines, get mired in political debate, and forfeit U.S. leadership in the global economy.

Indiana Guard Change of Command

Last week, there was a change of command at the Indiana National Guard. After over 45 years of service in uniform, Adjutant General R. Martin Umbarger retired. He was succeeded by Major General Courtney P. Carr at a change of command ceremony on May 30th. I was honored to be on hand to witness the event.

Major General Umbarger has a servant's heart and led the Indiana Guard for 11 years. During his command, 19,000 Indiana National Guard members were deployed and nearly 4,500 were activated for duty to help with natural disasters in Indiana. As Secretary of State, I had the privilege of working with Major General Umbarger to protect Hoosiers serving in the military, both out of state and overseas, by promoting and improving absentee voting processes. Later, as a U.S. Representative, we worked on federal legislation to study the structure of our military and to see how the Reserve components could best be used.

I am confident that Major General Carr is ready for his new assignment. He began his career in 1983 after graduating from West Point. From 1991 to 2011, he served in the Indiana National Guard. In 2007, he served as Commander of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat team, which brought 4,500 Indiana Guardsmen to Iraq in the largest Indiana Guard deployment since World War II.

Change of Command Ceremony for the Indiana Guard

The ceremony for the change of command was steeped in tradition. The key part of the ceremony is the passing of the colors from the outgoing commander to the incoming commander. The colors represent the organization's history and the loyalty of its soldiers. They are also symbolic for the commander's authority and express the commander's commitment and responsibility to the unit. I wish Major General Carr well in his new role.

Command of the Indiana Guard is a high honor. The combined strength of the Indiana Army National Guard and Air National Guard makes it the sixth largest guard in the nation. Not bad for our nation's sixteenth most populous state.

Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington. Take care.

Sincerely,

Todd Rokita

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