Jim McDermott: “The Republicans put it in by caving to the pharmaceutical industry and tied the hands of the Secretary.”

Last year, we came together with MACRA. That landmark reform repealed the SGR and already started the process of transforming how we try to pay physicians under Medicare.

I intend to carefully scrutinize ideas that may not be in the best interests of the program or the beneficiaries.

It includes a new tool known as the rapid response mechanism that, when used, allows us to promptly raise concerns with the Mexican and Canadian Governments when there are allegations of worker rights violations.

The truth is that Medicare must be strengthened, not cut, and benefits must be expanded, not scaled back.