Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-4):
“As much as party leaders in Washington have tried to make this decision about being Democrat or being Republican, this is not about partisan politics. It’s about simple truths. And the simple truth is that you cannot take $500 billion out of a Medicare program that will be bankrupt by 2017 and not hurt our seniors. You can’t ask the government to pay for a program that costs nearly one trillion dollars and not expect higher taxes, bigger deficits, and greater debt. You can’t give Washington bureaucrats more power over our citizens’ health and expect higher quality service. And you can’t place mandates on our employers and citizens and not expect jobs and family budgets to hurt as a result.
“The legislation was crafted behind closed doors and without substantive input from Republicans or Democrats in Congress. Instead of starting with a clean slate and seeking unity on healthcare reform, the majority leadership ignored the input of the American people and relied on legislative scheming and backroom deals to pass the bill.
“I fear that the process used to pass this healthcare bill sets a precedent that is an affront to the principles of transparency and accountability that our nation has been built upon.”
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01):
“This evening a bipartisan group of the House of Representatives voted against the Senate’s healthcare bill and the House “fix” to the Senate bill. The fact that this reform bill had to be passed on a Sunday, after much arm twisting and influence, is indicative of the fact that this is a flawed bill on many levels. This bill was put together behind closed doors and away from the full and open view of the American people. As a result, we had a bill before us which was full of sweetheart deals and elements unsavory to a majority of my constituents and the American public. Finally, there are no guarantees that the “fix” will be passed intact by the Senate as part of the reconciliation process, leaving the current Senate bill unchanged.
“The bill does not protect the TRICARE benefits our servicemembers were promised when they volunteered for duty, thus breaking an agreement they made in good faith. We also know that this bill raises $52 billion in taxes on small businesses which create 70% of the new jobs each year across our nation, and upon which we’re relying to rebuild our economy. Additionally, this bill cuts $528.5 billion from Medicare, an action which Doug Elmendorf, the Director of the bipartisan Congressional Budget Office said could ‘reduce access to care or diminish the quality of care’. Lastly, this bill will add over $1 trillion to our national deficit, when we are already spending at levels we’ve never before seen and when each and every American is saddled with more than $40,000 in federal debt.
“Since my election to serve the people of the First Congressional District, I’ve made healthcare reform a priority. One of my first outreach efforts was to create a Healthcare Advisory Council. I then held numerous town hall meetings and met with healthcare providers across the District. My constituents and I agree that we need healthcare reform that increases access and portability of care while reducing costs. Instead, we’ve passed a bill which does not reduce costs and adds hundreds of billions to the federal deficit.”
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA06)
“For nearly a year now the American people have rejected the Democrats’ health care proposals. They have sent letters and e-mails, made phone calls, attended town hall meetings and come to Washington to rally at the Capitol. Their message has been simple and consistent: We don’t want a government takeover of our health care system.
With complete and total disregard for the will of the American people, House Democrats pushed through their health care legislation, which is defined by federal regulations, mandates, a myriad of new big government programs, and a significant increase in federal spending and debt at a cost to our country too high to bear. This legislation, which I voted against, gives Washington bureaucrats ultimate control over what is best for you and your family – deciding when and what treatment you can receive.
I know Americans are frustrated by rising health care costs, and that is why we in Congress must work in a bipartisan way to cut health insurance costs and make health care better, more available, and more affordable for all Americans. Unfortunately, the only thing bipartisan about the health care bill that passed the House tonight is the strong bipartisan opposition to the bill. It raises taxes, raises health care costs, adds to our national debt, and hurts America’s seniors, families and small businesses.
Specifically, the Democrats’ health care bill includes $569 billion in new taxes and over a trillion dollars in new government spending. This includes $52 billion in new taxes on employers, including small businesses, that cannot afford to provide health coverage or that don’t offer coverage. The effect of this type of tax, similar to a payroll tax increase, would ultimately fall squarely on workers in the form of lower wages or reduced employment. Additionally, the legislation includes $17 billion in new taxes on Americans who do not comply with the individual insurance mandate which is sure to further stifle economic growth.
Additionally, the Democrats’ health care bill includes $523 billion in Medicare cuts, including $200 billion in cuts to the popular Medicare Advantage program which will hurt millions of seniors.
It’s your job to make health care decisions for your family. The government’s job is to ensure you have access to affordable alternatives and then get out of the way. That is why I strongly support the Republican alternative that would empower patients with choices, make high quality coverage more affordable, and protect and preserve the doctor-patient relationship. Unlike the Democrats’ plan, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that the plan offered by House Republicans will lower premiums by up to 10 percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years, all without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses and while improving the quality of your health care. It allows for the purchase of health insurance across state lines, allows individuals and small businesses to join large pools to get more competitive rates, provides tort reform to cut down the high cost of defensive medicine, allows full tax deductibility of health insurance premiums, portability of health insurance and protection against pre-existing condition exclusions. This legislation, that I support, focuses on strategies that help Americans obtain the best quality health care at the least cost, and ensures that the government fosters increased access to quality care based on individual choice, not by taking away choices from people on the grounds that government knows best.”
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA10)
I do not question the need for Congress to find a way for the millions of Americans without health insurance to be assured of quality, affordable health care. The majority of my constituents in the 10th District of Virginia have made clear that they want an open and transparent process in which Republicans and Democrats work together to pass responsible health care reform that lowers costs and offers greater access to affordable health care.
They told me that they don’t want more government spending.
They don’t want government-run health care.
They don’t want a plan that hurts America’s seniors, families or small businesses.
What they do want is a plan that fixes what’s broken and keeps what’s working without adding billions of dollars to an already ballooning deficit.
I cannot support today’s bill because it will raise over $500 billion in new taxes during a recession and times of high unemployment. This will especially hit small business employers at a time when the federal government should be assisting in job creation, not raising taxes.
This legislation cuts billions of dollars from Medicare, a program that our seniors rely on.
It requires individuals to purchase health insurance. If you don’t purchase health insurance, the government will fine you a minimum fine of $750, up to the maximum penalty of 2 percent of your income. This provision has drawn the attention of the citizens of Virginia, with the Virginia General Assembly, in a bipartisan vote, becoming the first legislature in the nation to pass legislation opposing this mandate.
This bill mandates billions of dollars in additional Medicaid spending in unfunded mandates for cash-strapped states.
It breaks a promise to members of our nation’s armed services, their families, veterans, and employees, with its failure to protect the military’s TRICARE system — health care programs provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This means that, under this legislation, unless an individual has TRICARE for Life, additional health insurance would have to be purchased.
Madam Speaker, I am committed to working with my colleagues to pass real health care reform in a cost effective manner. This legislation fails that test.
Rep. Eric Cantor (VA-07) on YouTube:
