Chet Edwards For Congress

Cleburne Times-Review: Chet Edwards: Health care reform: common questions and answers

August 30, 2009

Over the past two weeks, I have had nearly 30 meetings on health care reform with doctors, nurses, small business owners and everyday citizens. Our telephone town hall included nearly 20,000 constituents from all twelve counties in District 17.

It is clear to me that citizens from all walks of life take the issue of health care reform seriously, and they want Congress to do the same. The most common frustration I hear is that it is extremely difficult to understand what is in the House health care reform bill, HR 3200. I share that frustration because the bill is 1,000 pages long and written in the language of lawyers.

If that weren’t bad enough, some proponents and opponents of the bill seem more interested in sound bite marketing than in fair-minded analysis. As a result, it is hard for any objective person to determine what is and is not in HR 3200.

I would like to share with you the most common questions I am hearing from constituents and respond to them.

Cleburne Times Review: Edwards discusses health care

Cleburne Times-Review

By Matt Smith
August 19, 2009

— Editor’s note: This is part one of a two-part question and answer session with U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards. Part two will appear Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, visited the Times-Review on Tuesday to discuss health care legislation and the debate surrounding it.

BCS Eagle: Edwards: Keeping an open mind on reform

Bryan-College Station Eagle
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
By U.S. Rep. CHET EDWARDS

Editor's note: This is the first of three columns U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, will write on health-care reform over the next month.

We are a country of diverse interests, but we share common values and hopes for the future. Among those core values are fairness and hard work. If we put in the hours at work every day, we expect a fair wage and stable benefits to ensure we can support our families, provide them a good education, and have access to affordable, quality health care.

B-CS Eagle: TEEX awaits word on funds

By ERIKA JARAMILLO
Bryan-College Station Eagle
Monday, June 29, 2009

Officials at a College Station-based training facility that prepares first responders for terrorist attacks are awaiting word on federal funding that would ensure its nationally recognized programs continue.

If a spending bill pending in the U.S. Senate is approved and signed into law, the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center at Texas A&M will receive a $23 million grant for anti-terrorism training.

June 12, 2007
Edwards covers Iraq, immigration, oil

By STEVE SNYDER | Navasota Examiner editor

A good politician knows how to relate well to a crowd.

In the case of Congressman Chet Edwards' speech to a Navasota/Grimes County Chamber of Commerce luncheon May 31, a little joke was in order at the top of the lineup.

"I have good news for you: Neither the U.S. Congress nor the Texas Legislature is in session today," he said.

After that, Edwards got down to brass tacks. He started by avowing Congress is not as partisanly divided as portrayed by national news media stories.

"If all I did was watch national television ... the only impression I would have right now is that we're fighting over Iraq and Attorney General Gonzales ... and it's all partisan," he said. "What I would tell you is ... there are good people on both sides of the aisle but they don't make the news."

Before getting to a discussion of Iraq, and other issues, Edwards went back to a bit more levity, referencing throat surgery he had at the start of the year.

"I could not speak for two months ... and I'm looking to see if we can't get this district in the Guiness Book of World Records ... for longest period of time without a Congressman talking," he said.