Rick Berg

Rep. Rick Berg, R-N.D., announced Friday afternoon that he will serve as an original co-sponsor for the “Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act,” a bill sponsored by Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., that would repeal the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress last March.

The bill is expected to be voted on in the House next week.

During his successful campaign against incumbent Democrat Earl Pomeroy, Berg criticized the health care reform legislation as a “government takeover” of health care.

Here’s a news release issued by Berg’s office on Friday:

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Rep. Rick Berg (R-ND) has announced that he will serve as an original co-sponsor for the first major piece of legislation to be debated under the 112^th Congress: the repeal of the government takeover of health care.

“Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act,” sponsored by Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), has been introduced as the first official effort to repeal the health care law passed by Democrats last year.

The introduction of the repeal act coincides with the release of the latest national unemployment numbers.  While North Dakota still maintains an unemployment rate of just 3.8 percent, the lowest in the county, national unemployment remains unacceptably high at 9.4 percent.

“North Dakotans have sent a loud message to Washington that they did not want the government takeover of health care,” Rep. Berg stated. “North Dakota has made it through the recession with low unemployment and a positive business environment, but it’s clear that the rest of the nation is still struggling. This job killing, $500 billion tax is not what our economy needs.  I am committed to listening to North Dakotans and working toward repealing President Obama’s national health care law and replacing it with one that puts patients and their doctors, not government bureaucrats, in control of their health care decisions.”

Rep. Berg, who was sworn in as North Dakota’s sole Congressman Wednesday afternoon, has already been quick to take action on several pieces of legislation.  In addition to his co-sponsorship of the repeal, he intends to serve as a co-sponsor for the REINS Act, which will require Congressional approval on every new major rule proposed by an executive branch agency before it is imposed on the American people.

Rep. Berg is one of only two freshman members of Congress to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee.   He has also been selected to serve on the subcommittees for Select Revenue Measures, Human Resources, and Social Security.