by Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX)

When I was a practicing physician, I had patients with the best private health insurance available as well as patients with Medicare and Medicaid. I have seen what works and what doesn’t.

Meaningful reform should make it easier for Americans to shop for health care insurance, just like we shop for car insurance.  Let’s reform the tax code so that it treats small businesses, families and individuals looking for health care insurance the same way it treats big companies.  Let’s remove the barriers for patients with pre-existing conditions, and let’s allow patients to shop across state lines.

Medical liability reform is an important area that is largely ignored by Democrats.  President Obama has proposed “demonstration projects,” but these are not needed, because the President should look no farther than to Texas for what should be the national model for how it is done right.  A few of the impressive accomplishments of Texas’ 2003 reforms ... more

That is the question we asked thousands of our followers on Twitter and fans on Facebook last week and the responses are still coming in!  You can see the many faces of your fellow GOPers and their great responses by checking out Republican Faces.  While you’re at it, why don’t you add your own picture and Republican reasoning to the collage by submitting your information on this form.

In April of 2009, I accepted Chairman Steele’s offer to join the staff of the Republican National Committee.  I came in with an understanding that we, the RNC, operate on the “kindness of strangers.”  Those strangers that I speak of are ordinary citizens sending their hard earned dollars to the RNC to serve as their voice in the political process.  The average contribution to the RNC is $42.00.  Despite the stereotype that we are the party of the rich, the vast majority of our donations are from small donations; as opposed to the Democratic National Committee that gets its donations from big labor and the Hollywood elites.  Accordingly, I watch carefully every dollar spent by my colleagues as we work to carryout the mission of the Committee.

My colleagues will tell you how I encourage them to shut down their computers, cut off their lights, and turn off the air conditioning units before they leave the office at night.  I had to explain to a young intern who cracked about my ... more

Will Senate Finance Committee Democrats vote today to burden Americans with higher health insurance premiums, taxes and deficits?

This morning’s RNC Research Briefing shows while President Obama has often pledged that his government-run health care experiment “will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government,” the Senate Finance Committee Democrats’ bill does the exact opposite. A new report shows Sen. Max Baucus’s (D-MT) bill would raise health insurance premiums for American families by $4,000 over the next decade because of the $506 billion in health care taxes and fees, as well as the $404 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid shifting costs “to private sector businesses and consumers.”

And don’t believe all the rhetoric that this version of a government-run health care experiment is “deficit-neutral.” Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) hid hundreds of billions of additional costs that would eventually create deficits shouldered on the backs ... more

Welcome to the all-new GOP.com!  We are happy to have you.  Please take some time to look around. 

Under the Discuss tab, you will find several dedicated blogs:

• The Action Blog will ask you to go beyond reading and start doing
• Change the Game By Michael Steele is where you can find out what the Chairman thinks
• Co-Blog is the blog of Jan Larimer, the Co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee
• Stomping Grounds features blog posts from the RNC Research department
• Say It Loud is the blog for our Coalitions department
• Communications features blogs from the RNC Communications division
• Political is where our colleagues in the field report from
• Feeding the Machine is the more tech-minded blog from New Media

Tying all these blogs together is this one, Sound Reasoning, the main GOP.com blog.  Here, we will direct you to the hot topics on the other blogs and tabs while also telling you what’s new here at the RNC, talking about the news of the day, highlighting action in OurGOP, and ... more

Finding out that President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize made some of us over here wonder: For what other awards should the president be nominated?  How about the Heisman Trophy, the Hollywood Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, Bud Light’s Real Men of Genius Award, America’s Next Top Model, or the Humility In Action Award From Arianna Huffington? (Vote now on the RNC’s Facebook Page!)

Chairman Steele captured the sentiment of many when he said:

The real question Americans are asking is, ‘What has President Obama actually accomplished?’ It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. One thing is certain – President Obama won’t be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action.

The DNC  then put out a statement saying, “The Republican Party has thrown in its lot with the terrorists -- the Taliban ... more