Four Conservative Doctors on Call — in Congress

What are the odds? Four conservative obstetrician-gynecologists from the South have made their way to Congress — as members of the House. “We’re all Southern, conservative, and pro-life,” Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe, one of the conservative quartet, told Politico.

The other three are Texas Reps. Ron Paul and Michael Burgess and Georgia Rep. Phil Gingrey. The foursome delivered a total of about 17,000 babies during their medical careers.

So how do M.D.s end up in Congress? “Doctors are lifelong learners,” Burgess told Politico. “I think that’s one of the things that makes doctors uniquely suited for the task of being a member of Congress, apart from the political, that we do seek out answers throughout our professional lives because that’s part of our makeup.”

And naturally healthcare represents an area of key interest for the doctor-politicians. “When I first ran for Congress, it was right around the time the first SGR [doctor payment] cuts were coming into play,” said Burgess, who practiced for 25 years before coming to Congress. “This was going to clearly impact Medicare patients. That was part of what focused my attention on getting into politics.”