H.R. 550 recklessly gives the department of Health and Human Services the power to grant over $400 million in grants to federal, state, and local health departments and agencies to "improve" communications with government agencies. We have seen what grants and funding do to small businesses, holding them hostage to the standards and guidelines set forth by the department who grants them the money. We know that this money will be used to manipulate our health agencies on local, state, and federal level to enforce even stricter mandates and guidelines. As your constituent, I urge you to consider the ramifications a bill like this will have. Though it may seem well-meaning, this country is no stranger to the manipulation of data. What will happen when that data is used against us to justify even more authoritarian laws?

As your constituent, I urge you to consider the ramifications a bill like this will have. Though it may seem well-meaning, this country is no stranger to the manipulation of data. What will happen when that data is used against us to justify even more authoritarian laws? In 2012, California passed AB2109 that would require parents who decided to opt out of vaccinations to sign a form that declared they understand the risks and consequences of not doing so. Data collected from this law set the foundation for SB277, a law in California that justified eradicating both the religious and personal belief exemption due to "Public Health Concerns" that vaccination rates were lowering, when in fact, they only had numbers now to reflect there had been a rise in those opting out due to AB2109. The same tactic was again used to pass even stricter mandates in California when SB276 was introduced. Legislators argued that because of such a high rise in medical exemptions, the need to retroactively change the qualifications for a medical exemption were necessary to combat, yet another possible public health threat. The reality is that having eradicated both personal belief and religious exemptions, families who once used the other available exemptions as they were easier to obtain, were actually families who originally needed medical exemptions. Hence, the rise in medical exemptions. While H.R.550 sounds like a simple bill to improve communications between government agencies, it is very much a source of imminent power for those who should not have it. Data mining with the intent to propose even stricter mandates is not something we as a people are a stranger to anymore. You must oppose H.R. 550 to stop this road to stricter, authoritarian laws and mandates.

In 2012, California passed AB2109 that would require parents who decided to opt out of vaccinations to sign a form that declared they understand the risks and consequences of not doing so. Data collected from this law set the foundation for SB277, a law in California that justified eradicating both the religious and personal belief exemption due to "Public Health Concerns" that vaccination rates were lowering, when in fact, they only had numbers now to reflect there had been a rise in those opting out due to AB2109. The same tactic was again used to pass even stricter mandates in California when SB276 was introduced. Legislators argued that because of such a high rise in medical exemptions, (due to the eradication of other exemptions) the need to retroactively change the qualifications for a medical exemption were necessary to combat, yet another possible public health threat. The reality is that having eradicated both personal belief and religious exemptions, families who once used the other available exemptions (as they were easier to obtain,) were actually families who needed medical exemptions. Hence, the rise in medical exemptions. The result of this left thousands of families in California without an adequate way to educate their children. Many of those families are still struggling today. H.R. 550 does not just improve the communication between government and health agencies. H.R. 550 is the caveat for even more opportunities to reason with the public using manipulated data. By doing so, H.R. 550 will have helped pave the road to even stricter mandates, lock downs, and authoritarian mandates and laws that keep our people submissive. We are still a free country, please do your job in keeping it that way and vote no against H.R. 550.

With the rise in religious and medical exemptions amongst adults, I am concerned about H.R. 550 and its funding of over $400 million to health departments and agencies on a federal, state, and local level including tribal and territorial. My concern stems from watching the erosion of our constitutional rights over the last 2 years and the lack of resistance from our representatives to protect our civil, constitutional rights. What will happen if the information provided by the modernization of the systems is used to support favorable results by HHS to enforce even stricter authoritarian laws? While I understand the need for better communication, I am concerned that HHS will create guidelines that health departments and agencies must follow that are not in the best interest of the people, but that of those who profit most on overreaching policies. I would also like to know how you plan to prevent a bill like this from threatening the existence of important protections like a religious or medical exemption if/when the data shows how many are in existence? Will public health trump our constitutional rights? Which have you given an oath to protect? Can HHS be trusted? Can you, as my representative be trusted?