Making Health Care More Transparent

As the only pharmacist currently serving in Congress, one of my top priorities is lowering health care costs for all patients. I believe the most significant and immediate impact we can have on the cost of health care is increasing transparency in the entire health care chain. As I always say, sunlight is the best disinfectant.

This is why I'm very glad President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) this week to increase transparency in health care. Click here to read more about this EO.

I joined Fox Business earlier this week to weigh in as President Trump signed his EO. You can watch our conversation here.

Click here to view our discussion on Fox Business about President Trump's important work to make health care more transparent

Funding for Hangars at Hunter Army Airfield and Savannah Air Dominance Center

The funding bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives this week includes important funding I requested for new hangars at Hunter Army Airfield and the Savannah Air Dominance Center.

I have seen the conditions of the old hangars at Hunter Army Airfield firsthand and they are completely unacceptable. The funding in this bill will ensure that the air crews will have new, state-of-the-art hangars that will protect them and the hundreds of millions of dollars in military equipment being housed there.

At the Air Dominance Center, the current hangar is insufficient to properly house participating aircrafts, especially fifth-generation fighters, that engage in their air exercises. The Air Dominance Center is the Southeast’s predominant air exercise facility due to its location, tarmac space and proximity to multiple military installations and units. The funding in this legislation will provide a new hangar that can accommodate state-of-the-art aircrafts and ensure that it will continue to be a leader in multi-force air exercises for the region.

While I am disappointed that the underlying funding bill includes irresponsible government spending, jeopardizes our national security and prohibits funding for the border wall, I am very glad that this funding for new hangars is included. Now, I urge my colleagues to work in a bipartisan fashion as this funding bill continues to move through Congress so we can get this important assistance across the finish line.

from our nation's capitol CCXVII

Monday, June 24, 2019: After flying back to Washington this morning, my first stop is for a live interview with Fox Business to give my reaction to President Trump signing an Executive Order to increase transparency in health care minutes earlier at the White House. A link to my interview can be found here.

Rep. Carter live on Fox Business

Afterwards, I head to my office where we have our weekly staff briefing and then head to our weekly Whip Team meeting where we have as our special guest Ivanka Trump, who briefs us on the White House’s American Workforce Policy. The mission of this great initiative is to ensure all Americans can benefit from the historic economic boom and record low unemployment rates that our nation is experiencing. Next, I head to the House Chamber for our first vote series of the day and remain in the Chamber afterwards to pay tribute to a great Savannahian who recently passed, Nancy Nelson Lewis. A link to my tribute can be found here.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019: My first meeting this morning is with the Energy and Commerce (E&C) Health Subcommittee where we discuss member initiatives and upcoming legislation that we will be considering. Next, I head to a Doctors Caucus meeting where we discuss our upcoming trip to the southwest border to observe the processing of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) crossing the border and afterwards head to our weekly GOP Conference meeting. During the week the House typically is gaveled into session at 10:00 a.m. and members are given five minute blocks to speak on their initiatives. This morning I head to the Chamber and pay tribute to Michael Tropy, a young man from Atlanta who recently lost his battle with cancer, Cecil Boswell, a WWII veteran from Georgia who served at D-Day and my good friend Dene Sheheane who is leaving his job as Director of Government Affairs at Georgia Tech to become the Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. A link to these tributes can be found here, here and here. Afterwards, I head to an E&C Health Subcommittee hearing where we discuss the reauthorization of four health programs including the Autism CARES Act. A link to this hearing can be found here. After a meeting with representatives from Tyson Foods to discuss their rendering facility in Alma in the First District, I head to the House Chamber for our first vote series of the day.

Rep. Carter speaking to members of the Cancer Advocacy Coalition

Next, I head downtown to speak to members of the Cancer Advocacy Coalition who are meeting here this week. I am honored to serve as co-chair of the Cancer Survivors Caucus along with my colleague and friend Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) and together we have a question and answer session with this great group of advocates to share with them our work in Congress. Once back in my office I meet with the American Ambulance Association followed by a meeting with Georgia Southern University President Dr. Kyle Marrero as he brings me up to date on the great things going on in Statesboro as well as at the Armstrong State campus in Savannah. Next, I head to the Capitol Visitors Center where I have an interview with Captain America, actor Chris Evans.

Rep. Carter with Chris Evans

Chris hosts a non-partisan website called A Starting Point, where he interviews politicians and others to discuss current affairs. Afterwards, I head to the Senate where I meet with members of the Coastal Military Affairs Coalition, a great group of elected and appointed officials from Bryan, Chatham and Liberty Counties who are in town this week. This great group advocates for the needs of the 3^rd ID at both Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield (HAAF). Afterwards, I have on camera interviews with WTOC and WJCL TV in Savannah to discuss the coalition's visit and our success in securing $86 million for new hangars at HAAF and the Air Dominance Center at Travis Field. Next, I head to a reception for Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson who is retiring this fall. Later in the evening, we have two separate vote series before finishing a very busy day.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019: I’m at the Pentagon this morning along with the Coastal Georgia Military Affairs Coalition as we meet with the next Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. James McConville. Gen. McConville is very familiar with Ft. Stewart as he has a son, daughter and son-in-law who are currently stationed at Ft. Stewart.

Rep. Carter meeting with the Coastal Military Affairs Coalition

Afterwards, we meet with the Assistant Chief of Staff of the Army, Maj. General Charles Flynn. Both of these meetings are very productive as we discuss the Army’s new multi-domain operations and what we can do at Ft. Stewart/HAAF to prepare for these initiatives. Once back at the Capitol, I have an interview with WSAV in Savannah to discuss the visit of the coalition and funding for the hangars. Afterwards, I head to a House Energy Action Team (HEAT) meeting where we hear from representatives from Semper Energy based in California before heading to our weekly Conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) meeting where we hear from Jay Powell, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. After our first and only vote series of the day, I head to a members meeting of the E&C Committee where we are briefed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) regarding the situation at the border. Next, I head to a Select Committee on Climate Change roundtable on electricity market design before heading back to my office for a meeting with a former resident of Pooler who is now in Washington working with the Veterans Administration. After meeting with representatives with the Coalition for Tattoo Safety, I meet with 9 year old Gage Spurlock and his parents from Baker County, FL, who are visiting with Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville.

Rep. Carter meeting with Gage Spurlock and his parents from Baker County, FL, who are visiting with Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville

Gage presents me with one of his picture cards and I add it to my collection of other Wolfson patients that have visited our office in the past that I keep in my journal.

Thursday, June 27, 2019: After attending an early morning workshop on Workplace Rights and Responsibilities for members of Congress, I head to my office where I meet with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Next, I record a video and afterwards head to the House Chamber where I spend most of the day as we have a drama filled day with three different vote series. The drama is the result of the failure of Democrats to pass their House version of an emergency border aid package and then Democratic leadership keeping members in suspense on whether they would take up the Senate version that they earlier had refused to bring up. Five hours and three vote series later, the Senate version is voted on and passed thanks primarily to Republican support.

VOTES IN THE HOUSE THIS WEEK

Click here for this week's vote sheet in the House.