Rep. Parker Griffith (AL), a doctor who recently switched parties to become a Republican, delivered last week's Weekly Republican Address. Democrats were unhappy with his message and he wrote a piece at the Daily Caller on the issue:
America is watching the House of Representatives as it is the last line of defense to protect them from a government-takeover of health care. Recently, the President reversed his earlier stance and endorsed a controversial legislative tactic known as reconciliation to pass a government-takeover of health care. It will change the rules to pass the health care bill by denying Senate Republicans the right to kill the bill by stalling with a filibuster. The House and the Senate would then use reconciliation to pass a set of fixes to the bill, to satisfy the demands of lawmakers in the House.
Reforming our health care system is perhaps the most important issue that Washington will address this Congress. As a member of the Republican Truth Squad during the President’s Health Care Summit and now by delivering the Republican response to the President’s weekly address this weekend, I have been fortunate to play a leading role in the health care debate. My response to the President’s weekly address outlined the dangers of putting government in charge of medical decisions that should be made by patients and doctors. As a physician who spent 30 years treating patients across north Alabama, there is no doubt that our health care system needs to be reformed, however, the President’s bill does nothing to offer a solution to our health care reform needs.