Nunes and Guthrie Announce Goal of Healthy Future Task Force

Washington, D.C. – House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy today announced the formation of the Healthy Future Task Force, led by Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Devin Nunes (CA-22) and Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Brett Guthrie (KY-02).

The Task Force will build on Republican health policy successes and craft a patient-focused agenda for the future.

“We would like to thank House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy for giving us the opportunity to put together solutions to modernize, personalize, and improve health care in the United States. Our goal is to bring together the best ideas that we can implement in order to make health care more affordable, promote innovation for new treatments, and increase health care choices for all Americans. Republicans are united in preventing Democrats’ goal of a government takeover of health care, which will lead to fewer cures, less choices, and worse health care. We have a great team ready to get to work and listen to the American people to form a solution-based health care agenda,” said Nunes and Guthrie.

Republicans have a long record of patient-oriented accomplishments including:

• A Historic Ban on Surprise Medical Bills
• 21^st Century Cures
• The Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit for Seniors
• Medicare Advantage
• Expanding Telehealth
• Record Investments in the NIH
• Fighting the Opioid Epidemic
• The Children’s Health Insurance Program
• Protections for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions

Democrats focus on top-down approaches, papering over the failures of our current programs and insisting on “one size fits all” government takeovers like Medicare for All. By contrast, Republicans believe in a more modern, innovative, and flexible agenda that emphasizes:

• Lower costs,
• Keeping people healthy,
• Finding better therapies and cures,
• And giving all Americans a wide array of choices to provide them with peace of mind.

Over the next year and a half, the Healthy Future Task Force will listen, learn, and lead in developing this next chapter of the health care agenda. The Task Force will craft legislative proposals that Republicans can advance after retaking the majority. This agenda will focus on:

• Breaking down barriers to help all Americans live healthier and longer
• Increasing care choices
• Expanding the range of available providers
• Encouraging investment in new cures and therapies
• Lowering the cost of health services
• Providing a strong safety net for the most vulnerable Americans
• Protecting access to care for all Americans
• Ensuring patients remain in control of their health care

Leader McCarthy also appointed the following House Republicans to serve on the Task Force:

Tom Cole (OK-04)
Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08)
Morgan Griffith (VA-09)
Mike Kelly (PA-16)
Richard Hudson (NC-08)
Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (OH-02)
Rick Allen (GA-12)
Bruce Westerman (AR-04)
Jim Banks (IN-03)
Kevin Hern (OK-01)
John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13)
Greg Murphy, M.D. (NC-03)
Beth Van Duyne (TX-24)
Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (IA-02)
Victoria Spartz (IN-05)

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Local Tulare boxer headed to Tokyo Olympics

I want to congratulate Tulare native Richard Torrez Jr. on qualifying for the U.S. Olympic boxing team as the top-ranked American in the super heavyweight division. Torrez Jr. hails from a third generation boxing family; his grandfather, Manuel, started the Tulare Athletic Boxing Club in 1945. Be sure to read about Richard’s inspiring story in this profile piece from The San Joaquin Valley Sun.

The Tokyo Olympics open on July 23, 2021. I’ll be rooting for Richard to bring home Olympic gold.

Valley Boys and Girls Club visits me in D.C.

Today, I was honored to meet with a group of Central Valley students representing the Boys and Girls Club of the Sequoias at my Washington, D.C. office. It was a pleasure to speak with them and welcome a group of my constituents back to the Capitol for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Although the Capitol building currently remains closed for tours, I am hopeful that more Central Valley residents will soon be able to visit D.C. and enjoy the countless landmarks and museums that chronicle our nation’s great history.

My meeting with Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig

Yesterday, I met with Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig at The Red Caboose restaurant in Clovis for a productive discussion on the various issues impacting Fresno County. Supervisor Magsig and I look forward to continuing our work on behalf of the people of Fresno County.

My meeting with Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval

Today I met with Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval at Fresno State to discuss the local, state, and federal issues impacting the university community. I look forward to working closely with President Jiménez-Sandoval as he continues a proud tradition of helping Fresno State students succeed in the classroom and in our local communities.

House Intelligence Committee Republicans probe COVID-19 origin

Since 2012, Republican Members of the House Intelligence Committee have been examining the growing threat to America posed by the Communist Chinese government. As part of our ongoing investigation, we recently released an interim report on the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak. Significant circumstantial evidence indicates that the COVID-19 outbreak resulted from a laboratory leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. You can read the report here.

As noted by Byron York in The Washington Examiner, President Biden’s recent call for the Intelligence Community to more closely examine the origins of COVID-19 follows a letter I sent to the President notifying him of the circumstantial evidence collected by House Intelligence Committee Republicans and asking him to begin a whole-of-government effort to identify the origins of the virus. Regardless, I will continue to investigate the truth behind the spread of COVID-19 from China, the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to cover up the virus’ origin, and whether U.S. taxpayer money directly or indirectly supported dangerous dual-use scientific research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

My meeting with Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld

Yesterday, I met with Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld to discuss his important work on the Fresno City Council and the various federal issues impacting the San Joaquin Valley. Councilman Bredefeld and I look forward to continuing our work on behalf of the people of Fresno.

My meeting with Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer

Today I met with Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer to discuss his plans to revitalize the city of Fresno in the wake of Governor Newsom’s destructive COVID-19 lockdowns. I look forward to working with Mayor Dyer on issues where congressional action can help Fresno communities and small businesses, such as securing federal grants for key infrastructure projects like Veterans Boulevard.