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Health Care Costs Are a Math Problem, Not a Talking Point
Last week on the House floor, I laid out why Washington keeps getting health care wrong. We have turned health care into a financing system instead of a system that lowers prices and improves outcomes. For every dollar the federal government is taking in this fiscal year, we are now spending $1.62. Health care costs and interest on our debt are driving that imbalance. The Affordable Care Act now spends more than $195 billion a year on subsidies while covering only about 7 percent of the health care market. Nearly 41 percent of subsidized enrollees pay no premium at all, and fraud continues to explode. 6.4 million people were improperly enrolled last year at a cost of $27 billion. We have technology that could cut costs, reduce fraud, and improve care right now. Wearables, artificial intelligence, and clean claims processing already exist. Washington keeps blocking them. If we want affordable care, we have to stop writing blank checks and start fixing the system.
A Step Forward for Innovation and Public Safety
Last week, H.R. 4242, the Innovate Less Lethal to De-Escalate Tax Modernization Act, passed out of the House Ways and Means Committee. I introduced this bill to modernize outdated tax law that still treats many less-than-lethal devices as firearms. Updating the tax code removes unnecessary barriers, supports innovation, and helps ensure law enforcement and communities have access to safer tools. More information on H.R. 4242 can be found here.
An Unequivocal Stand With the Jewish Community
 I am outraged by the shameful and cowardly terrorist attack targeting the Jewish community in Sydney. I will always stand unequivocally with the Jewish community against antisemitism, terror, and anyone who excuses it or condones it.
Recognizing Some Amazing Constituents of AZ-01!
 It is a pleasure to celebrate the success of Jubilate Conservatory of Music with Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce. Congratulations to Laya Field and the team of music teachers and volunteers that continue to encourage classical music education in our community!
 It is a pleasure to recognize the success of Matt Winkleman and Native Ceuticals at the recent Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce!
ATA Edge Conference
At the ATA EDGE Policy Conference, policymakers and innovators came together to address the next phase of telehealth. The focus was clear: permanent virtual care policies, lower costs, and fewer barriers to innovation. Technology is already transforming health care delivery, and smart policy decisions can help scale those gains while improving outcomes for patients.
New HSA Guidance Under One Big Beautiful Bill
The Treasury and the IRS released guidance this week that explains how the One Big Beautiful Bill expands access to Health Savings Accounts and gives more families the ability to save tax-free for care. The guidance confirms that tele health visits will continue to qualify for HSA use before meeting a deductible starting in 2025. It also makes clear that beginning in 2026, bronze and catastrophic plans count as HSA-compatible, which opens the door for many who have never been eligible before. The guidance also allows individuals in certain direct primary care arrangements to contribute to an HSA and use their HSA dollars for monthly DPC fees starting in 2026. These changes expand choice and help more people manage their care with tax-free dollars.
What I'm Reading and Why it Matters
A Powerful New Drug Is Creating a ‘Withdrawal Crisis’ in Philadelphia
I am closely following new reporting on medetomidine, a powerful veterinary sedative now saturating the fentanyl supply in major U.S. cities and driving a dangerous new withdrawal crisis. Hospitals in Philadelphia alone recorded more than 7,200 emergency department visits for withdrawal in the first nine months of 2025, nearly triple the total for all of 2023. Unlike traditional opioid overdoses, this drug creates life-threatening withdrawal marked by extreme spikes in heart rate and blood pressure that often require intensive care. Medetomidine has already been detected across much of the country, and my office is tracking these developments closely as they evolve. This is a reminder that the drug crisis is not static. It is adapting faster than our systems, and policy must be grounded in real data, emerging threats, and the hard realities facing communities and hospitals right now. |