Dear Friend,
NATIONAL FRAGILE X FOUNDATION ADVOCACY DAY
As many of you may know, my wife, Sidney, and I are blessed with a precious 20-year-old son, Livingston. Early in his life, we noticed that Livingston was not reaching developmental milestones as quickly as the other children his age. After almost two years of occupational therapy, speech therapy and many diagnostic tests, we were finally able to get a correct diagnosis of Fragile X Syndrome.
On Wednesday, over 150 Fragile X advocates, many of them parents of Fragile X children, visited Capitol Hill educating their Members of Congress on the potential for effective treatments, raising awareness for this disorder and sharing their personal stories. Below, you will find a video of a floor speech I delivered on the National Fragile X Foundation Advocacy Day.
As the only member of Congress who has a child with Fragile X Syndrome, I understand the challenges that many families face who experience this condition. I am committed to improving the health of children and adults across the country living with this disorder.
HEALTH CARE SUMMIT
President Obama recently hosted a bicameral bipartisan Health Care Summit. I welcome bipartisan discussions to start over on health care legislation. However, I will not support the President’s plan that is more of the same tax increases and unfunded mandates. The President’s plan would cost Mississippi $200 million per year to expand Medicaid as our state struggles to make ends meet. If the President is serious about bipartisanship, he will scrap his trillion dollar government takeover of health care for reforms that lower the costs of health insurance. Bipartisanship means drafting reforms together – not simply voting for the President’s proposals.
Republicans continue to offer constructive solutions to making quality health care coverage available, affordable and accessible for every American, regardless of pre-existing health conditions. I believe that if you change your job, you and your family should be able to keep your health insurance.
As I have said before, House Republicans want to give employers more variety in making health care affordable and available to their employees and their families. Allowing smaller firms to join hands and purchase high-quality health coverage at a lower cost, just as big corporations do, is the cornerstone of our cost reducing proposal.
CONGRESSIONAL ARTS COMPETITION
Each spring, a nation-wide high school art competition is sponsored by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Artistic Discovery Contest is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent across the nation, as well as in the Third Congressional District. The artwork of the over-all winner of our district competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol. The informative video below is designed to educate students living in Mississippi’s Third Congressional District about how to get involved.
To view this video, click here.
(Having trouble? Visit www.youtube.com/CongressmanHarper)
All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution. For additional information, such as dimensions and weight requirements, please visit my website.
Thanks again for your support. I am honored to represent you in Congress. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to visit my website listed below or contact one of my offices.
God bless,
Gregg Harper
Magnolia Tribune
