States are best positioned to deal with state issues, a fact the founding fathers had in mind when they included the 10th Amendment in the Bill of Rights.  Over the years, that right has been clouded by ongoing federal encroachments that are reflected in a recent series of attempts by Washington to seize even more control over numerous Texas programs, including some of the most successful initiatives of their kinds in the country.

Action Items

» EPA
Texas is a national leader in reducing emissions and known pollutants, and advancing renewable energy sources all while remaining a leader in the nation's energy production. We have successfully balanced the need for environmental improvements with fostering economic growth, new investment, and job creation. Texas continues to advance new, clean energy technology by using market incentives and stable regulation, not costly mandates and taxes.

The Obama administration has taken yet another step in its campaign to harm our economy and impose federal control over Texas. With their efforts to take control of a permitting process that the Clean Air Act allows to be delegated to the states, the EPA is on the verge of killing thousands of Texas jobs and derailing a program that has effectively cleaned Texas' air. An increasingly activist EPA is ignoring the progress Texas has made to clean its air over the last decade, and should instead look to our state's successful approach to issues concerning energy and the environment.

» National Health Care Reform
Texas has consistently been at the forefront in innovative efforts to control medical costs, utilizing market-based solutions to improve the quality of treatments and widen access to care for all Texans. Governor Perry has called for a rejection of federal mandates, and instead promoted state-based solutions, such as Texas' successful reform of the medical liability tort system in 2003. Reform has brought critically-needed doctors back to traditionally-underserved portions of Texas, many in specialties – such as obstetrics – that had been largely chased out of the state by out-of-control trial lawyers. Governor Perry has also championed programs to increase the number of nurses in the state and led the effort to invest millions of dollars in biotechnology and the health care of tomorrow, leveraging the Emerging Technology Fund to help get new technology, treatments and cures to market more quickly. Through common sense laws and the spirit of innovation, Texas is well-positioned for the future of health care.

» Women's Health Program
The Texas Women's Health Program provides preventative health care to more than 100,000 Texas women, including screenings for breast and cervical cancer, diabetes and hypertension, among other services. First implemented in 2007, the program is being phased out by the Obama Administration.

Under federal law, state leaders are left to administer the program and set criteria for who is considered a qualified provider. Consistent with state and federal law, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has developed the program to ensure continued access to care by qualified providers across Texas.

The Obama Administration rejected the state's waiver application because Texas law excludes abortion providers and their affiliates, like Planned Parenthood, from a list of qualified providers. This is despite the fact Planned Parenthood represents less than 2 percent of enrolled providers statewide.

Following the administration’s decision, Gov. Perry directed Health and Human Services Commissioner Kyle Janek to establish TWHP to continue providing the services WHP provided, until the decision is reversed by Congress or the courts.

News & Announcements

• Thursday, October 06, 2011 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on Changes to CSAPR Rule
  Gov. Rick Perry today issued the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) announced changes to the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR).
• Monday, September 12, 2011 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on Announced Job Losses Due to EPA Rule
  The Obama Administration continues to put up road blocks for our nation's job creators by imposing burdensome regulations based on assumptions, not facts, that will result in job losses and increased energy costs with no definite environmental benefit. - Gov. Perry
• Thursday, July 07, 2011 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on New EPA Emissions Regulations
  Today's EPA announcement is another example of heavy-handed and misguided action from Washington, D.C., that threatens Texas jobs and families and puts at risk the reliable and affordable electricity our state needs to succeed. From the attack on Texas' successful clean air program, to threatening endangered species listings in West Texas oil fields, to banning offshore energy exploration, the Obama Administration seems intent on increasing energy costs for American consumers and making us even more dependent on foreign energy.
• Wednesday, April 13, 2011 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on Passage of House Concurrent Resolution 18
  Washington's out-of-control spending has burdened our future generations with massive debt and set our country on a collision course with economic disaster. We must continue to demand that the federal government exercise the same fiscal restraint employers and families throughout the nation use to live within their means. I commend Rep. Creighton for his leadership on this issue and the Texas House for taking this important step to put our nation back on the path to fiscal responsibility.
• Tuesday, April 12, 2011 • Dallas • Press Release
  Gov. Perry: 10th Amendment Gives States the Flexibility to Meet Challenges
  
  Gov. Rick Perry today emphasized the importance of competition between the states and the need to return to the principles of the 10th Amendment to ensure our nation's future prosperity. The governor spoke at the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) Hatton W. Sumners Distinguished Lecture Series.
  » Read the Speech: Gov. Perry: 10th Amendment Gives States the Flexibility to Meet Challenges
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