Transcript Document
2006 Election Results and Their Effect on HIT and You! Friday, November 17, 2006 Noon – 1:00 P.M. Eastern A Member Exclusive Webinar sponsored by the HIMSS Office of Advocacy & Public Policy Learning Objectives 2006 Elections in Perspective To Prepare for the 110th Congress The 109th Congress Lame Duck Session To Prepare for State Legislative Sessions What Can We Expect from the 110th Congress? 2 Federal Update U.S. Senate Democrats Republicans Current 45 55 Change +6 -6 Total 51 49 U.S. House Democrats Republicans Current 203 232 Change +29 -27 Total 231* 197 *218 is a majority **As of November 16, 7 House races remain undecided and some of them may remain so for weeks as recounts and runoffs determine 3 the ultimate winner. 100 Hour Agenda • January 3, 2007: Implement lobbying reform including a ban on privately funded travel. • January 4, 2007: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. • Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut interest rate on student loans in half. Allow government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients. Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds. • All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no 4 increasing the federal deficit. Looking Ahead to the 110th Congress • Democrats will begin oversight of the President’s programs • Lobbying reform may stop privately funded congressional travel to Annual Conference and HIMSS member sites • HIT focus will be on federal funding, privacy and personal health records • HIT may be one area where Republicans and Democrats can work together • Very important to get additional support from all caucuses (Congressional Black Caucus, Hispanic, Blue Dogs, The Women’s Caucus and others.) 5 6 Lame Duck Session • Congress returned on November 13 • Continuing Resolution (CR) expires on November 17 • Plan to pass another CR until December 8 • Need to complete 9 appropriations bills • Difficulty for any HIT legislation at this time • Working on the agenda for the 110th 7 Congress New Congressional Leaders The following Democrats may become Committee Chairmen in January 2007 when their party takes control of the House and Senate. These chairmen include: • Senate Appropriations: Robert Byrd of West Virginia; Tom Harkin of Iowa chairing the Health Subcommittee • Senate Finance: Max Baucus of Montana; Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia chairing the Health Subcommittee • Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts • House Appropriations: David Obey of Wisconsin; Obey also chairing the Health Subcommittee • House Energy & Commerce: John Dingell of Michigan; Henry Waxman of California chairing the Health Subcommittee • House Ways & Means: Charles Rangel of New York; Pete Stark of 8 California chairing the Health Subcommittee State Update Governor Races • • • • • • Democrats gain 6: MA, NY, MD, OH, AR, CO Mirror image shift: 28R-22D to 28D-22R One incumbent loss - Maryland Republicans retain: CA,TX, FL, GA, MN • Democrats retain: PA, IL, MI, WI, OR, KS 9 10 State Update State Legislatures For the first time since 1994, the Democrats took control of the majority of the nation’s legislatures. • Democrats control both legislative chambers in 23 states, Republicans in 16. In 10 states, control is split. • Nebraska’s unicameral legislature is nonpartisan. • Going into the election, Democrats controlled both chambers in 19 states, Republicans in 20 and 10 states were split. • Democrats went from 47 chambers to 54; the GOP went from 49 to 42. • Two chambers were tied before the election and two different chambers were tied after the voting.* 11 *As of November 9, 2006 Guest Speaker: The Honorable Alan Wheat Alan Wheat is the President of Wheat Government Relations, a firm he established in 1998. Retired Member of Congress, who served on the powerful House Rules Committee for 12 years and in the Missouri General Assembly for six years. After leaving Congress, he was a Vice President at SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline). He also headed the Washington office of the international relief and development organization CARE, as the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. In 1996, he was asked by President Clinton and served as Deputy Campaign Manager for the Clinton-Gore campaign. . 12 Questions for the 110th Congress • Will Democrats be willing to work with the President in an effort to effectively govern the country? If not, what is their potential strategy? • Who will be the Leaders from the Republican side of the aisle? • Are all these recent words and events of reconciliation to be taken seriously? • Is the country tired of the ideological warfare from both Parties? • Will there be more fiscal discipline with the 13 Democrats in charge? Top 7 Issues for 2007 1. 2. 3. 4. Civil Rights Women’s Rights Education Health costs and insurance 5. Immigration 6. Privacy 7. Energy & environment 14 Summary • Democrats control the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and majority of Governorships • Documented scrutiny of Bush Administration • HIT will still be key topic • HIMSS members need to educate new leaders on potential for HIT to transform healthcare 15 Questions? HIMSS Government Relations Team David W. Roberts, FHIMSS, Vice President, Government Relations, 703-837-9811 Blair Hedgepeth, Manager, Government Relations, 703-837-9810 Mari Franks, Coordinator, Government Relations, 703-837-9827 Tom Leary, Director, Federal Relations, 703-837-9814 Jonathan French, Coordinator, Federal Relations, 703-837-9822 Tom Keefe, Director, State Government Relations, 703-837-9813 Arnol Simmons, Coordinator, State Government Relations, 703-837-9826 Sharolyn Rosier Hyson, Manager, Public Policy Communications, 703-837-9819 901 King Street, Suite 200 Alexandria, VA 22314 [email protected] 16 Mark Your Calendar’s for the Latest in Health Information Exchange Forums! CONNECTING COMMUNITIES REGIONAL FORUMS December 12 – Salt Lake City December 14 – Chicago May 3 – Orlando May 10 – Boston For more information www.himss.org/hieforums CONNECTING COMMUNITIES REGIONAL FORUMS Featured Speakers • • • • • • • Bill Braithwaite, Chief Medical Officer, eHealth Initiative and Foundation, Washington, DC Holt Anderson, Executive Director, North Carolina Healthcare Information and Communications Alliance, Park, NC John Halamka, Chief Information Officer at CareGroup Healthcare System, Boston, MA John Blair, President and CEO at Taconic IPA, Inc, Fishkill, NY Marc Overhage, Research Scientist, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN Bob Steffel, Executive Director, Greater Cincinnati HealthBridge, Inc, Cincinnati, OH Carladenise Edwards, President and CEO, The BAE Company, LC, Miami Shores, FL For more information, see www.himss.org/hieforums