Was Healthcare.gov ready for primetime?:

On Thursday, the Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on the failures of the Obamacare website. I had the opportunity to ask the people who built the website why they won’t apologize to the American people for costing them millions of dollars for a system that does not work.

Click on the image below to watch the video of me questioning the witness about the failures of the Obamacare website.

Since its rollout on October 1^st, we have seen many problems, crashes, glitches, and systems failures that have come to define open enrollment on the Obamacare website. The hearing was a great opportunity to find out why the administration assured the American people the website would work by talking to the very contractors responsible for creating and implementing it.

Stories about problems with Obamacare are already coming in from across the nation and our state - but I want to hear from you. Share it here.  You can also share your story on my Facebook or my Twitter page.

Investing in America’s Infrastructure:

This week, the House overwhelming passed the bipartisan Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013(WRRDA). The legislation will strengthen and maintain our nation’s ports and inland waterways to promote American competitiveness and economic growth.  WRRDA also deauthorizes roughly $12 billion in old and inactive projects. In the First District we understand how waterways like the Ohio and Monongahela Rivers are critical to our economy. Every year, billions of dollars of products from coal to chemicals are shipped through them, and they support nearly 10,000 jobs for our friends and neighbors.

This bill was supported by a wide range of groups including more than 70 major organizations representing both business and labor.

President Obama Needs to Keep Up His End of the Bargain:

The President has repeatedly said he is willing to negotiate on all economic issues, but only after Congress ended the shutdown and raised the debt limit. It’s time for these negotiations to begin. Congress held up its end of the bargain and I hope the President does the same. We need to take on our most serious problems now—a weak economy, a growing national debt and a health care law that isn’t working.  We need to get to work on real economic reforms and demonstrate that Congress can function in a bipartisan fashion.

To watch me speak on the House floor on Wednesday, click on the image below.

Constituent Meetings:

This week I met with a number of constituents and local business owners. Dr. Philip Hall, from Bridgeport, and Dr. Tressie Duffy, from Martinsburg, visited my Washington D.C. office to discuss ways Congress can help local hospitals and wellness centers combat prescription drug abuse.

If you are ever in the Washington D.C. office please drop by and say hello. If you wish to setup an appointment just give my office a call at 202-225-4172.