Federal spending must be reduced, but it should not be at the expense of programs like Social Security and Medicare. It is important that these programs remain strong and intact for current and future generations who have and will contribute to these programs through years of hard work.

I support a three-pronged approach to ensure the long-term success of Medicare. The first is to repeal the Affordable Care Act in order to prevent the rationing of Medicare. In order to pay for the $2.8 trillion health care law, Medicare has been stripped of nearly half a trillion dollars in funds. Second is to preserve the current Medicare program for those 55 and older. The third is to strengthen health and retirement security by taking power away from government bureaucrats and empowering patients with control over their own care.

I cosponsored H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019. This bill provides Medicare transitional coverage and retroactive Medicare Part D coverage and site-of-service transparency. It requires insurance companies to make drug pricing available to the doctor's office so a patient knows how much a prescription will be prior to heading to the pharmacy.

I support legislation that ensures everyone is treated fairly by Social Security by eliminating the WEP/GPO. There are approximately 1.3 million firefighters, police officers and other public servants who earn both Social Security and a public state pension. When they retire, Social Security uses a complex algorithm to determine their benefit, which results in their benefits being reduced by hundreds of dollars per month. This one-size-fits-all approach simply is not working.

I believe Congress has a responsibility to address the challenges facing Social Security and Medicare. I will work with my colleagues to make sure these vital programs are around for our children and grandchildren.