Washington, D.C. - Mr. Chairman, I rise today in reluctant opposition to H.R. 4157, the Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005. It is unfortunate that the House Republican leadership refused to allow this Congress the opportunity to strengthen this bill and protect the privacy of patients.
Like many of my colleagues, I support moving our health care system into the “information age” – it holds the promise of saving lives, saving money, and saving time. However, I am concerned that H.R. 4157 does not adequately protect the privacy of patients. In light of millions of electronic data records being exposed due to recent high-profile security breaches, it is troubling that this legislation does not adequately address this critical issue.
Unfortunately, the House Republican leadership would not allow us the opportunity to vote on an alternative bill that was based on the bipartisan Senate health information technology legislation (S. 1418). This alternative proposal included safeguards for Americans to protect their personal medical records from identity thieves.
Mr. Chairman, health information technology should not be a partisan issue. Congress should not miss the opportunity to transition our health care into the 21st century, but it must be done in a manner that will protect the sensitive health information of millions of Americans. I am hopeful that the final version of the legislation will be fashioned in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion by the House-Senate Conference.