Robert Pittenger: “We were elected to be Representatives--to represent our districts, to represent our constituents, to listen, and to…”

“We were elected to be Representatives--to represent our districts, to represent our constituents, to listen, and to respond. Mr. Speaker, I have been listening. I have been listening to phone calls. I have been reading emails. I have been hearing what my constituents have to say, and I can tell you that they are deeply concerned. They are concerned with the direction of our country. Yes, they are concerned with a body that can't seem to come together, that can't seem to listen to each other. One of them wrote me just today. He said: I have watched with great interest the ongoing debate between the House and the Senate regarding the new Federal health care law. Quite frankly, I was of the opinion that an absolute stand by House Republicans to defund ObamaCare was an inappropriate step as compared to less drastic measures . . . However, in the mail today, we received a 92 percent proposed increase from Blue Cross-Blue Shield for our current plan in 2014. The explanation of the increase all boiled down to the changes in the insurance market required as a result of the full implementation of ObamaCare. You can easily understand why we are astounded that this is the best health care direction that our country can embark upon. I encourage you to take whatever opportunities come your way to stop this disaster that is looming. The financial impact on people who are not a drain on the government will be immense. Here is another one, Mr.…”