Sen. Pat Roberts  (R-Kansas) Delivers Weekly GOP Address On Donald Berwick

In the Weekly Republican Address, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas criticizes President Obama for his recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services without even a Senate hearing.

Sen. Roberts says, "As part of the new health care law, Dr. Berwick will have to a cut half a trillion dollars from Medicare, obviously limiting seniors' choices. Now as a result of the recess appointment, Dr. Berwick will take office through the back door without any formal public vetting as prescribed by the Constitution. This flies in the face of what was promised to be the most transparent administration in our nation's history."

Sen. Roberts notes Berwick's affinity for the British National Health Service: "Unfortunately, the British system rations care to contain costs. The following disturbing statement of Dr. Berwick speaks for itself: 'most people who have serious pain do not need advanced methods; they just need the morphine and counseling that has been around for centuries.' Now is this the person we want making health care decisions for us -- for our parents-- our grandparents -- our children; grandchildren?"

He concludes, "Americans will not know how much saving a life is worth until Dr. Berwick is calling the shots. There should be a public forum where he must address who should make medical decisions- your doctor? The patient? The family? Or the government? We urge the president to reconsider his recess appointment of Dr. Berwick and encourage the Finance Committee to at least hold a public hearing now." 

Related: Human Events

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