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Congress returned to work last week, and many lawmakers report that health care is eating up much of the agenda.

“A lot of other issues have just been cast aside,” said Rep. Howard Coble, a Greensboro Republican. “Cap and trade for example, or the card check bill. Everything is taking a second seat to health care.”

Speaking of health care, Coble recently gave a video  interview to the Washington News Observer on the topic. In it, he offered  his own prescription for health care reform.

“The most expensive form of health care delivery on non-emergency matters involves emergency rooms,” Coble told the news Web site.

Coble used as an example someone who needs medical care but can’t pay the doctor and has no insurance. “I would like to see that delivery of health care qualify as a charitable contribution,” he said. “This would take care of the primary care physician...at least in some small way.”

Coble said that he believed reform of the delivery of health care was needed but said estimates of 46 million uninsured people were “embellished.” The U.S. Census Bureau reported last week that the number of people without health insurance coverage was 46.3 million last year.

“I think the uninsured are probably somewhere between 12 and 15 million,” Coble said. “Granted that’s a problem, but it’s not as severe a problem if it were...46 million.”

Washington Watch asked Coble why he took issue with the Census figure.

“What I was basing that on — and I can’t support this scientifically — but I was deducting from the 46 million a good number of illegal aliens and a good number of the 20- to 30-year-olds who think they’re invincible” and don’t feel the need to carry insurance, Coble said. He added that the census may miss some who have Medicaid.

In other notes:

Roll Call, a newspaper that focuses on Congress, lists Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro as the 40th most wealthy member of Congress. No other North Carolina lawmaker is on the list.

Rep. Virginia Foxx said Monday that she is cosponsoring legislation to require so-called government czars — high-ranking administration officials with responsibility for overseeing particular policy areas — to be vetted by the Senate or lose funding for their positions.

“Congress must reclaim its oversight role in the confirmation process of high-ranking administration officials,” Foxx said.

Votes

Despite just returning their shoulders to the big legislative wheel, the House and Senate did take some recorded votes last week. They included:

In the House: HR 965 — Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act. Members voted 311–107 in favor of the bill, which makes permanent a federal-state program that encourages citizen involvement in restoring watershed areas in the states that surround the Chesapeake Bay.

Democrats Brad Miller of Raleigh and Mel Watt of Charlotte voted in favor.

Republicans Coble and Foxx voted against.

In the Senate: S 1023 — Travel Promotion Act of 2009. Members voted 79–19 in favor of the bill. The measure would, “establish a nonprofit corporation to communicate United States entry policies and otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United States,” according to its title.

Hagan, a Democrat, voted for. Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, voted against.

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com