In my view, healthcare is the most controversial and complex problem we face as Americans.

We need to find workable, common sense solutions. I believe simply throwing money at healthcare is the wrong approach. I also oppose the Washington backdoor deal-making that took place in order to get the votes needed to pass the current healthcare legislation. If the healthcare bill was really in everyone’s best interest, it would have had the required votes based on its own merits.

We need to ask what we specifically want to accomplish with our healthcare. Do we want to assure better coverage, reduced costs, and improved availability? If so, do we want to accomplish this with government intervention or through free market solutions?

If we look at government’s management of the United States Postal System, Amtrak, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, there are plenty of reasons to question government’s ability to manage any system cost effectively. Do we really want to add healthcare to the losing roster?

There are many reasons the Republican Party was right to stand united in trying to prevent the current healthcare bill from passing.  Perhaps the most important reason is the impact it will have, is on small businesses. The financial implications for businesses, which are already struggling in this economy, are significant. As the added financial burden forces these businesses to lay off even more workers, the consequences will be felt by all of us. Even in a good economy, this would be the wrong direction for us. In our current recession it is devastating.

Jobs and health care go hand in hand. We need jobs to provide healthcare, yet people need healthcare protection even when they are out of work. Too often, even those who are employed find it difficult to cover the costs of medical insurance and healthcare.

We need to explore free market solutions. Opening competition in the insurance industry by allowing free trade across state lines will drive down costs and improve services. I want to see us, as citizens, strive for profitable independence, not government dependence. As a free people, we are powerful when we find solutions that allow us to stand on our own. If we rely on government handouts, we lose our freedom to the rules and regulations that come with government intervention and control.

I believe that gainful employment is central to solving the healthcare crisis in our country. My vision is to address the issue of unemployment first and foremost as we carefully monitor the impact of the new healthcare bill on the American People.   


Don Chamberlain
Republican Candidate
7th Congressional District of Alabama