STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN JOHN D. DINGELL
RANKING MEMBER
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE

It is critical that the HHS medical privacy regulation be implemented on April 14th as scheduled, and that it be implemented without any weakening changes. American’s private health information should remain private. It should not be placed on the auction block and sold to the highest bidder. Failure to prevent this will not only put consumers in great jeopardy, but also will violate commitments the President made in the election about how he would protect the privacy of American citizens.

The decision to open this regulation to further debate and comment is not one I would have made. Nor do I believe it is a decision that millions of Americans approve of, particularly those who stand to suffer the brutal consequences of employer or genetic discrimination. We must protect all Americans, including the ill or potentially ill, from discrimination in the workplace. This issue is fundamental, and clear.

Let’s not forget that the only reason we are having this debate is because Congress, and only Congress, failed to do its job. The job we were hired for – to protect the best interests of Americans. Congress didn’t act, so HHS, rightfully, and as mandated did. I find it ironic that a Republican Congress who failed to act the first time around now wants a shot to do it again. To what end, I ask?

We are not talking about a precursory peek into American’s medicine cabinets. We are talking about a full blown examination of every drug, every hiccup, and every illness Americans suffer, or don’t suffer. It is time to put a lock on the medicine cabinet and keep Americans’ private records private.

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(Contact:  Laura Sheehan, 202-225-3641)