Family Values

Protecting Family Values

I believe my values are shared with most Mississippians. As a Southern Baptist, I am a strong supporter of Christian family values.  I do not support gay marriage and believe in the traditional definition of marriage. 

Wicker: Planned Parenthood Scandal Demands Swift Action

Taxpayer Dollars Should Go Toward Programs That Support Women’s Health

August 3, 2015

Nearly 1,500 Mississippians have contacted me in recent weeks horrified by videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sale of fetal organs obtained from abortions. I share their outrage.

In the coming days, the Senate is expected to consider a bill, S. 1881, introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), that would redirect Planned Parenthood’s federal funding to alternative programs that support women’s health. Planned Parenthood has received substantial funding from taxpayers under the Obama Administration, amounting to more than half a billion dollars each year. Although the group cannot use these funds for abortions, the video’s suggestion of grotesque and potentially criminal practices merits an urgent reconsideration of its federal aid.

Holding Planned Parenthood Accountable

As a longtime champion of the right to life, I am a cosponsor of the legislation to redirect Planned Parenthood’s funding. I reject the suggestion that the bill is an attack on women’s health, as Planned Parenthood advocates assert. Instead, it is a safeguard against the inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars. Planned Parenthood is hardly the only option for women to seek important health-care services. Mississippi, for example, has more than 170 community health center sites, which play a major role in providing quality primary care and screenings for women across the state.

I also expect any misconduct by Planned Parenthood concerning fetal tissue and partial-birth abortions to be properly investigated. I recently joined 48 Senators in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services urging an internal review and full cooperation with any investigations.

Streamlining Restrictions on Abortion Coverage

A clear majority of Americans oppose the use of federal funds for abortion, but no law exists protecting all taxpayer dollars from this use. Instead, Congress prohibits abortion coverage on a year-by-year basis through the Hyde Amendment, which is attached to annual appropriations bills.

In February, I introduced the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” to replace this piecemeal approach with a comprehensive, across-the-board law banning public funds for abortion. My bill would eliminate any possible loopholes, ensuring that no federal program, including those under Obamacare, is exempt from abortion restrictions.

Protecting the Unborn From Painful Late-Term Abortions

I also hope the Senate will act on Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” which has already been passed twice by the House of Representatives. The bill would prohibit the abortion of a fetus that is 20 or more weeks past fertilization, except in cases of rape, incest, or where the woman’s life is at risk. The United States is one of only seven countries in the world, including North Korea, that allows elective abortions at such a late stage of pregnancy. Science reinforces the need for greater protection of the unborn, indicating that a fetus can feel pain at 20 weeks.

I remain committed to upholding and protecting our country’s fundamental promise of life and liberty for all Americans, including the unborn. Since Roe v. Wade, more than 55 million innocent lives have been taken by abortion. The Center for Medical Progress, which released the incriminating footage of Planned Parenthood officials, has announced that there are more disturbing videos to come. At the very least, these revelations are an unambiguous reminder that when issues of medical ethics and government funding meet, they should be deliberated in the public square – not behind the closed doors of the nation’s largest abortion chain.

The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program

Time For Reform

July 28, 2015

Hospital readmissions are costly and detrimental to both patients and taxpayers. In 2013, almost 18% of Medicare patients were readmitted to the hospital within 30 days. Although this rate is somewhat lower than in previous years, patients are still being readmitted too often, potentially costing Medicare more than $26 billion annually. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), an estimated $17 billion of that expenditure is related to readmissions that could have been avoided.

Hospitals and taxpayers have a major stake in improving the way Medicare considers patient readmissions. In 2010, Congress instituted new penalties for hospitals with high readmission rates. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), authorized in the Patient Production and Affordable Care Act, requires CMS to penalize hospitals up to 3% of Medicare reimbursement when a substantial proportion of their patients return to the same or another acute hospital setting within 30 days of discharge. The program has shown promise by encouraging hospitals to invest in improvements in care coordination and effective discharge planning.

The effects of the policy have been widespread. According to CMS, roughly two-thirds of US hospitals were subject to a penalty in their first year. The latest numbers suggest nearly 80% of hospitals are now being penalized ($428 million in the 2014-2015 fiscal year).

Asking hospitals to be accountable for readmission is an important step forward, but a closer look at the effect of the HRRP reveals important concerns about the complexity of readmissions and what drives them. With 3 years of data on penalties, the evidence suggests that hospitals that care for chronically ill and low-income patients are far more likely to be penalized than other institutions. Based on analyses of CMS data from 2014, safety-net hospitals – defined as those in the upper quartile of the Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) index – were nearly 60% more likely to have been penalized all 3 years compared with non-safety net hospitals. That is, among 660 safety-net hospitals, 455 (69%) were penalized all 3 years, whereas among the 660 hospitals in the bottom quarter of the DSH index, only 291 (33%) were penalized over the same period. Similarly, hospitals that are struggling financially – those with the lowest (often negative) margins – were 36% more likely to be penalized than hospitals that are performing better financially.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which provides guidance to CMS, reviewed the effect of the HRRP and found that a higher proportion of vulnerable patients – mainly older patients living in poverty or with disability – correlates closely with the hospital’s likelihood to receive penalties because of HRRP. However, despite the data and potentially serious consequences, CMS has not yet made any refinements for socioeconomic status to the penalty formula.

Accountability is an integral part of health care, and the HRRP has the potential to encourage accountability where it is currently lacking. Finding methods to keep older patients healthy and out of the hospital is an important goal. A policy that does not consider other important factors in patients’ lives is fundamentally unwise, and likely not to be effective over time.

Hospitals should not be penalized simply because of the demographic characteristics of their patients. However, the evidence indicates that HRRP is doing exactly that, penalizing the safety-net institutions that provide care for patients who otherwise would struggle to find care. Targeting hospitals for penalties, even if indirectly, simply because those hospitals care for more poor patients is not good policy.

As a response to these unintended consequences, 2 of us (J.M. and R.F.W.) have introduced The Hospital Readmissions Program Accuracy and Accountability Act of 2014. The bill is straightforward. It requires CMS to consider socioeconomic status when calculating penalties for readmissions. The bill preserves the key features of greater accountability that the HRRP introduced, but also directly addresses the problems created by this provision for safety-net hospitals that serve the most vulnerable U.S. populations. This effort has garnered bipartisan support from 8 senators in Congress, and the goal is to get the legislation enacted this year. A similar effort is also underway in the House of Representatives.

This op-ed appeared in the Journal of American Medical Association on July 28, 2015.

It was authored by Sens. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Dr. Andrew Boozary from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Related Files

JAMA_The Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.pdf (157.33 KB)

Miss. Senators Push for Agency Cooperation on Investigations of Planned Parenthood Videos

Cochran, Wicker Among 49 Senators Concerned Over Planned Parenthood Video

July 23, 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today pushed for the Obama administration to cooperate with investigations into whether Planned Parenthood Foundation of America is violating policies and laws restricting the sale of organs from unborn babies.

The Mississippi Senators are among 49 Senators who signed a letter to Health and Humans Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell seeking an internal review of Planned Parenthood’s compliance with laws and regulations relating with fetal tissue and partial-birth abortions. The letter was prompted in part by video footage depicting senior Planned Parenthood executives discussing organ harvesting.

In the letter led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), the lawmakers assert that the video raises important policy questions associated with late-term abortions and asks Burwell to cooperate with congressional and other investigations stemming from the Planned Parenthood video footage.

“This video raises a number of questions about the practices of the organization, including whether they are in compliance with federal laws regulating both the use of fetal tissue and partial-birth abortions,” the letter stated.

“Congress is undertaking efforts to address these questions, and we expect the Department of Health and Human Services to fully cooperate with ensuing investigations – including future requests for information and hearing participation. To that end, we further expect the immediate preservation of any and all Department electronic and paper records that could have any relevance to any ongoing or forthcoming lawful investigation,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators also asked Burwell to confirm that she has “commenced or will immediately initiate a thorough internal review of the compliance of the Department and Planned Parenthood – one of the Department’s grantees – with all relevant and applicable federal statutes, regulations, and other requirements. Please also include a description of the expected scope of the internal review, as well as an estimated completion date.”

Cochran and Wicker are both supporters of pro-life legislation restricting federal funds for abortions and late-term abortions, including Wicker’s “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015” and the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.”

A copy of the letter is available here: http://1.usa.gov/1OofPYI

Wicker: Peace in the Balkans Remains Vital to U.S. Interests

Miss. Senator Part of U.S. Delegation to Honor Srebrenica Victims

July 20, 2015

The tragic events of July 11, 1995, had repercussions that were felt around the world. The slaughter of more than 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica – which had previously been designated a United Nations “safe area” in Bosnia and Herzegovina – was one of the Balkan War’s final breaking points.

Just over a month later, 5,000 troops from 15 nations carried out Operation Deliberate Force, a NATO-led air campaign designed to force a resolution to the conflict. Many Mississippians had a role in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the years that followed. Members of the National Guard’s 155th Infantry Battalion who were deployed there in 2001 represented more than 40 communities in our state.

Earlier this month, I was part of an official U.S. delegation led by former President Bill Clinton to participate in Srebrenica’s 20th anniversary ceremony. This small delegation also consisted of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

In Congress, I currently serve as co-chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, which oversees security, human rights, and conflict prevention in Europe. As Europe’s worst massacre since the Holocaust, Srebrenica remains a powerful reminder of how regional instability and ethnic hatred can escalate in horrific ways.

Rising Threat of Russian Aggression

Americans have a practical stake in the future of the Balkans and the power of freedom and democracy there. The area has long been a hot spot for violence, as was witnessed during both World War I and World War II. Now, Russia seems intent on expanding its influence in the region. If another outbreak of extremism were to occur, Americans would again be called on to defend our national security and economic interests.

Emotions are still raw, and ethnicity remains a source of deep division, but reconciliation continues in significant ways. International courts have clearly labeled the Srebrenica massacre as a genocide, and some of its perpetrators have been imprisoned for their crimes. Bosnia and Herzegovina, once home to suffering and violence, is now seeking membership in the European Union.

Truly honoring the victims of Srebrenica means recommitting to the region’s future success. We owe it to the victims’ families, who still grieve for their loved ones. We owe it to the willpower of U.S. leaders like President Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who helped facilitate the peace agreement in Dayton, Ohio, that brought a formal end to the war. We owe it to the Americans whose military service paved the way for peace.

Two Decades of Progress Helped Along by Americans

We are faced with crises around the world, but letting history repeat itself should not be one of them. There will no doubt be roadblocks to a sustainable peace in the Balkans. The true test of reconciliation will be whether there is a willingness to rise above these obstacles.

For example, the decision of a few protesters to throw rocks at the Serbian prime minister should not eclipse the respect shown by thousands in attendance at Srebrenica’s anniversary ceremony. Likewise, Russia’s veto earlier this month of a UN Security Council resolution calling the massacre a “genocide” does not change the conclusion of multiple international courts, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. There is a strong international consensus for accountability when innocent lives are taken because of ethnicity or religion. This means facing history’s hard truths rather than trying to rewrite them.

Srebrenica is one of these hard truths, but it is also a story of progress helped along by Americans. Recognizing the courage and sacrifices that have been made on behalf of unity and freedom is important to moving forward. Peace has been maintained in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 20 years. We all have an interest in seeing it continue.

Wicker: Education Reform Bill Passes Senate

Legislation Puts States, Teachers, Parents Back in Control of Students’ Success

July 16, 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today supported final Senate passage of a bill to reform the nation’s education system and to prohibit national mandates such as Common Core. The “Every Child Achieves Act,” S. 1177, authored by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., received overwhelming bipartisan support with a vote of 81-17.

“Congress has taken a meaningful step to reform America’s broken education system,” Wicker said. “In recent years, the Department of Education has been acting as a National School Board. This legislation would return that power back to the states, school districts, teachers, and parents to decide what is best for their students. Ultimately, improving students’ chances of success should be the top priority. This bipartisan proposal would put that goal back into focus.”

The measure now awaits action by a House-Senate conference committee to resolve differences between the chambers’ bills.

Highlights of S. 1177 include:

• Strengthening state and local control by restoring responsibility for creating accountability systems to the states.
• Ending the Common Core mandate.
• Prohibiting the Secretary of Education from adding new requirements for states or school districts seeking waivers from federal law.
• Creating a STEM Master Teacher Corps to recruit and retain teachers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
• Strengthening the charter school program.
• Helping states fix the lowest-performing schools through federal grants.

Wicker Statement on Supreme Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Miss. Senator Issues Opinion on Obergefell v. Hodges decision

June 26, 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision on Obergefell v. Hodges:

“I have always believed that marriage should be between a man and a woman, a belief shared by many Americans. There are people who hold strong views on both sides of this issue, and reasonable people can respectfully disagree. I will continue to work to protect the First Amendment rights of those who, based on their religious convictions, oppose same-sex marriage.”

Wicker is a cosponsor of the “First Amendment Defense Act,” which would prevent the federal government from discriminating against any individual or institution that defines marriage as a union of one man and one woman. It would also bar the government from denying any federal grants, contracts, licenses, or tax exemptions from individuals or groups based on their beliefs.

Wicker, Coons Introduce Resolution Supporting World Malaria Day

Bipartisan Measure Recognizes Importance of Fighting Widespread Epidemic

April 24, 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Chris Coons, D-Del., have introduced a resolution commemorating World Malaria Day, which will be observed on April 25. Both senators, Wicker and Coons, chair the Senate Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Caucus. The resolution recognizes the importance of reducing malaria prevalence and deaths to improve overall child and maternal health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

“It is critical that we continue to support malaria programs,” Wicker said. “Even though the disease is preventable and treatable, malaria remains a threat for nearly half of the world’s population and a national security interest for the United States. Although we have conquered this deadly disease in America, it is in our best interest to assist less-developed countries in their fight against malaria.”

“As we approach World Malaria Day, we are reminded of the incredible successes we’ve had in recent years, but we’re also reminded of how much work still lies ahead,” said Coons. “Last year alone, we saw nearly 200 million cases of malaria around the world that led to more than 580,000 deaths. Most of those deaths were children under five years old, and 90 percent of them struck in Africa. These are sobering statistics, but we know that this terrible disease is both preventable and treatable. That’s why we have to continue investing in our fight against malaria at the federal level and in cooperation with our incredible partners. Together, we can rid the world of this disease.”

In 2014, transmission of malaria occurred in 97 countries. Children under the age of five account for an estimated 78 percent of malaria-related deaths each year. The President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) – started by President George W. Bush in 2005 – has helped reduce malaria deaths by 35 percent since its inception by partnering with local governments, the private sector, and faith communities and organizations.

Other cosponsors include: Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Ben Cardin D-Md., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Richard Durbin D-Ill., Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

Wicker Votes to Approve Anti-Trafficking Bill

Miss. Senator Adds Provisions to Strengthen Statute of Limitations, Increase Access to Support for Victims

April 22, 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today voted in favor of landmark legislation to combat human trafficking in the United States. The bill, “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act,” S. 178, would broaden protections for victims and hold traffickers and purchasers equally accountable for their crimes. The legislation passed the Senate by a vote of 99-0.

“This measure is an important step forward in empowering the victims of a horrific crime – the buying and selling of humans for sex or labor,” Wicker said. “These efforts would strengthen the enforcement of current laws and develop effective strategies to support victims – many of whom are young women and children. America is a beacon of freedom and prosperity. The fact that traffickers still find and transit victims here is a crime in itself that deserves our full attention and swift action.”

The legislation includes a Wicker amendment that would extend the statute of limitations to allow child victims to file civil suits against perpetrators up to 10 years after they reach the age of 18.  Under current law, the statute of limitations expires 10 years after the cause of action arises.

Wicker’s amendment would also create a Department of Justice database for education and outreach.  The database would assist survivors, families, law enforcement, crisis hotline personnel, and advocates, providing valuable resources on counseling, housing, legal assistance, and other services.

The underlying bill also includes a provision championed by Wicker to treat trafficking victims as victims and not as criminals. The provision would establish trafficking survivors’ courts with specialized court dockets and judicial supervision that would put the well-being of victims first.  Often, these juveniles are charged with a delinquency offense and detained when they need counseling and support.

Mississippi recently launched a new human trafficking task force with the expertise of officials from government, law enforcement, education, the judicial system, and social services. The task force is responsible for conducting research, reviewing Mississippi’s anti-trafficking laws, and submitting recommendations by July of this year.

Wicker Outlines Anti-Trafficking Priorities

Miss. Senator Announces Support for ‘Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act’

March 12, 2015

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today expressed support for landmark legislation to combat human trafficking in the United States. The bill, “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act,” S. 178, would broaden protections for victims and hold traffickers and purchasers equally accountable for their crimes.

“Trafficking does not discriminate by background or race, but women and children are especially at risk,” Wicker said. “This is the ‘War on Women’ that should be in news headlines. As policymakers, our energy would be well-spent on fighting sex trafficking – a daily war fought by young women robbed of their freedom, their dignity, their childhoods, and often their very lives.

“The United States can take a leading role in the fight against trafficking. This starts with targeted, practical legislation like the ‘Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.’ Our efforts should strengthen the enforcement of current laws and develop effective strategies to support victims.  America is a beacon of freedom and prosperity.  The fact that traffickers still find and transit victims here is a crime that deserves our full attention and swift action.”

The “Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act” follows in a long line of bipartisan efforts to punish the perpetrators of trafficking and support the rehabilitation of its victims.  Broad federal action began in 2000, when Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly passed the “Trafficking Victims Protection Act.”

Wicker has filed three amendments to S.178, inspired by the “End Trafficking Act,” which he introduced in 2014. 

  • The first amendment would create a Department of Justice database for education and outreach.  The database would assist survivors, families, law enforcement, crisis hotline personnel, and advocates, providing valuable resources on counseling, housing, legal assistance, and other services.
  • The second amendment would extend the statute of limitations to allow child victims to file civil suits against perpetrators up to 10 years after they reach the age of 18.  Under current law, the statute of limitations expires 10 years after the cause of action arises. 
  • The final amendment would expand the definition of “child abuse and neglect” in the “Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.”  This new definition recognizes the serious role that commercial sexual exploitation plays in abuse and neglect by ensuring that the minimum standards for defining child abuse include the commercial exploitation of children.

The underlying bill also includes a provision championed by Wicker to treat trafficking victims as victims and not as criminals. The provision would establish trafficking survivors’ courts with specialized court dockets and judicial supervision that would put the well-being of victims first.  Often, these juveniles are charged with a delinquency offense and detained when they need counseling and support.

S. 178 is endorsed by 200 advocacy groups, including the NAACP, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Rights 4 Girls, National Association to Protect Children, Fraternal Order of Police, and the National Conference of State Legislatures.