Congress gains 2 new physician members

Health care issues rank high on the agendas of both congressmen-elect.

By Geri Aston, AMNews staff. Nov. 25, 2002. Additional information

Washington -- Two obstetrician-gynecologists soon will make the switch from delivering babies to delivering on campaign promises.

Michael Burgess, MD, of Highland Village, Texas, and Phil Gingrey, MD, of Marietta, Ga., were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives Nov. 5.

The congressmen-elect, who talked strategy over the phone during their campaigns, see the humor in two Republican physicians with the same specialty getting elected at the same time. "I'm sure we'll have an ob-gyn caucus within our caucus," Dr. Gingrey joked.

Although the House will gain two new doctors, it will lose two physician lawmakers. Reps. Greg Ganske, MD (R, Iowa), and John Cooksey, MD (R, La.), lost their Senate bids. Both plan to return to their practices. Dr. Ganske is a plastic surgeon and Dr. Cooksey is an ophthalmologist.

The number of doctors in the House will remain at eight. The Senate's only physician, William Frist, MD (R, Tenn.), was not up for re-election.

Drs. Gingrey and Burgess both hope to be appointed to committees with jurisdiction over health care legislation.

8 physicians will serve in the 108th House of Representatives.

"My aspiration is to be on the Ways and Means Committee," Dr. Burgess said. That powerful panel deals with health care issues, including Medicare. But Dr. Burgess realizes that, as a freshman lawmaker, he might not be able to swing such a plum assignment. If not, he'd like to serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure panel, where he could address the traffic problems plaguing rapidly growing Denton County.

The two doctors are passionate about physician issues and hope to use their knowledge of the health care system to advance medicine's causes in Congress. Both list medical liability reform as top a priority.

"I'd like to be right there and try to help craft and deliver a liability reform package to the Senate and see it passed," Dr. Burgess said. He hopes the GOP's Senate takeover will help make tort reform and other Republican health care initiatives a reality.

"The House has been serving up good legislation only to have it hit a brick wall in the Senate," he added.

The experiences of both doctors as obstetrician-gynecologists -- one of the specialties hit hardest by skyrocketing liability insurance rates -- will be an asset, said AMA President Yank D. Coble Jr., MD.

The AMA's political action committee supported both physicians' bids for Congress. The choice was made not just because they are doctors but because of their stances on health care issues, said AMPAC Chair Roy Vandiver, MD.

"I'm delighted they were both elected," he said. "Over time I think we'll find they will make outstanding lawmakers for the entire country, not just their districts."

Tort reform isn't the only health care issue on the lawmakers' short list for action. "All the things that frustrated me so much in my practice, I could do something about in Congress," Dr. Gingrey said.

He is interested in working on a Medicare drug benefit for seniors, health insurance access for the 41.2 million uninsured Americans and patients' bill of rights legislation.

Dr. Burgess mentions Medicare physician payment, problems with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, and the regulatory burden of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act as topics he would like to address.

"There are big issues out there affecting my brethren," he said.

The road to Congress

Although both men have medical specialty and party affiliation in common, they took very different paths to the House.

The 51-year-old Dr. Burgess was a political novice when he decided to run for retiring House Majority Leader Dick Armey's seat. The physician underdog beat Armey's son, Scott, a former Denton County judge, in the primaries.

According to Troy Alexander, director of the Texas Medical Assn.'s political action committee, Dr. Burgess had "no name recognition whatsoever." He won the race practicing what Texans call "blocking and tackling" and sticking to basic campaign values, Alexander said.

Dr. Burgess was supported by Texas physicians. "Medicine came in by helping him establish a base," Alexander said. He beat his Democratic challenger, businessman Paul LeBon, by 75% to 23%.

Problems that he saw at work every day prompted Dr. Burgess to seek office. "I didn't give up everything to run for Congress because everything was perfect in my practice in relation to the government."

But physician issues will not be Dr. Burgess' only focus. His platform includes making taxes fairer, funding highway improvements, reforming education, opposing abortion and improving homeland security.

His first task, though, will be "starting to learn a new trade," he said. The job is somewhat intimidating.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't humbled by the responsibility, but I'm ready to work," Dr. Burgess said.

The 60-year-old Dr. Gingrey, on the other hand, is no stranger to politics.

His first election was to the Marietta School Board, where he served from 1993 to 1997, three years as board chair. He jokes that he was probably a single-issue candidate but doesn't remember the cause. "One of my children didn't make the cheerleader squad or some such foolishness."

He then won a seat in the Georgia Senate, where he is finishing his second term. Dr. Gingrey continued to practice during his Senate service. He took a year-long sabbatical to run for the U.S. Congress.

Dr. Gingrey won his race against Democratic businessman Roger Kahn by 52% to 48%, despite his district's Democratic leanings. "He stayed the course and ran a positive campaign," said Chuck McMullen, director of the Medical Assn. of Georgia's political action committee. "I think he out-worked him."

Dr. Gingrey was a "good friend of medicine" in the state Senate, where he fought for prompt payment from HMOs, stricter driving laws for teen-agers and health plan liability, and against prescribing rights for optometrists, McMullen said.

"If Dr. Gingrey does half as much for us in Congress as he did in the state Senate, he'll be a great asset," he added.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Docs in the House

Michael Burgess, MD (R, Texas), ob-gyn
Donna Christian-Christensen, MD (D, Virgin Islands), family practice
Ernie Fletcher, MD (R, Ky.), family practice
Phil Gingrey, MD (R, Ga.), ob-gyn
Jim McDermott, MD (D, Wash.), psychiatrist
Ron Paul, MD (R, Texas), ob-gyn
Vic Snyder, MD (D, Ark.), family practice
Dave Weldon, MD (R, Fla.), internal medicine

Weblink

Campaign site for Phil Gingrey, MD (http://www.gingrey.com/)

Campaign site for Michael Burgess, MD (http://www.burgessforcongress.com/)

GOVERNMENT & MEDICINE