Measure Sought By Obama Administration Now Headed To Senate
posted November 8, 2009
Rep. Zach Wamp assailed a Democratic-sponsored health care bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a close vote late Saturday night.
The bill, urged by the Obama administration, now goes to the U.S. Senate. It was supported by Congressman Jim Cooper from Middle Tennessee and Congressman Steve Cohen from Shelby County. The vote was 220 to 215.
Rep. Wamp said, “Big government is not the solution, it’s the problem. The Pelosi health care bill will force states to add millions to their Medicaid rolls without the money to pay for it down the road. Seven Democratic governors, including our own Phil Bredesen, have spoken loudly against it. And every day, I hear from many more Tennesseans who oppose this bill.
“Health care costs amount to one-sixth of the U.S. economy and the Democrats want the government to take it over. The 1,990-page Pelosi health care bill will cut Medicare, create new federal bureaucracies, increase the cost of health insurance, raise taxes on middle class families and cost more than a trillion dollars.
“In just 219 pages, the Republican alternative addressed the issue of pre-existing conditions, eliminated the insurance industry from capping lifetime benefits or cancelling coverage and provided responsible medical liability reform. Instead of imposing unfunded mandates on states like Pelosi’s bill, our solution would have increased affordable access to health care for all Americans without further burdening state budgets.
“Our nation has had a policy since 1977 that prevents taxpayer dollars from funding abortions because it is so offensive to so many in our country. Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan introduced an amendment to the bill that simply continues this policy, which is a consensus position since Roe v. Wade became the law of the land. I support this amendment and it is my deep hope that it remains when the final House-Senate bill is negotiated.
“The Republican alternative would have done all of this without adding to our nation’s mounting debt. The Congressional Budget Office reported that the House Republican health care plan will reduce health care premiums by up to 10 percent and lower federal budget deficits by $68 billion over the next 10 years. The goal of health care reform should be lowering costs and giving Americans more control of their health care decisions.”
Georgia Rep. Nathan Deal made this floor speech against the bill:
“I rise in opposition to this bill and I express three major concerns.
“First of all, I raise a question. The question is, what authority in the United States Constitution gives this Congress the right to mandate that every citizen must purchase a
health insurance policy, and upon failing to do so shall be fined and possibly imprisoned? I think the answer to that question is - there is no such constitutional authority.
"Secondly, make no mistake about it. Illegal Aliens will receive government funded health care under this bill because all they are required to show is a Social Security number and a name. There is no way to prevent the same Social Security number from being used by numerous individuals, and there is no requirement that a picture ID be produced in order to prove that the person is in fact the name which appears on the Social Security card. If you think identity theft is a problem now, just wait until this bill passes.
"And thirdly, this bill requires states to increase their Medicaid roles to 150% of the federal poverty level. In an ever increasing fashion, states will have to absorb the cost of this burden. I offered an amendment that would have allowed states to opt out from under this mandate, but it has been rejected. In states like mine where we have to balance our budget right now school teachers and law enforcement officers are having to take unfunded furlough days. If this bill passes it will get even worse. We should not be passing a bill that takes days and money out of the paychecks of teachers and law enforcement officers to pay for this piece of legislation.”
Chuck Fleischmann, Republican candidate for Congress in the Third District, said, “Once again the liberal leadership in Washington has proved how out of touch they are with the American people and how out of touch they are with common sense ideas in general. They just don’t get it.
“The Congressional Budget office has put the price tag of this bill at $1.8 trillion, and others have put it as high as $2.6 trillion. The American people cannot afford the cost of this bill. We, as a nation, cannot afford the 13 new taxes that are now law. Neither can we afford the insurance mandate that our Democratic congress has now placed upon us. Lastly, it is completely unacceptable for our government to be looking over our shoulders and dictating the terms of our medical care.
“Prior to passing this bill, during the debate on the House floor, Speaker Pelosi said that the 3,000 town halls attended by members of Congress this past summer helped to make this a better bill. Excuse me? At the time of the town halls, the bill being proposed by Speaker Pelosi was 1,100 pages. The bill passed tonight was 2,000 pages. Madam Speaker, you and your liberal colleagues were obviously not listening this summer. The American people were calling for less government, not more. They were calling for true reform, not a government takeover of the health care system.
“The alternative proposed by the Republicans in the House is true health care reform, brought about by cost saving ideas. Allowing the purchase of health care insurance across state lines in order to create more competition within the market, permitting individual Americans to create Health Savings Accounts, and bringing about tort reform in order to lower medical costs is what should have been voted into law tonight. However, what should we expect from a Congress that remains completely out of touch with the people they are supposed to represent?
“When I am elected to Congress I promise to put a stop to out of control spending and government intervention in our lives, while working towards solving the mess that Nancy Pelosi has thrown us into tonight.”
Robin Smith, another GOP Third District Congressional candidate, said, “Tonight the House turned away from the wishes of the American people for more affordable health care and embraced a government-run system that limits our freedoms and burdens future generations with the financial cost of liberal policy mistakes. It is appropriate that this egregious legislation was passed in the dead of night.
"Only in today’s Washington could a bill be passed over the vocal objections of the majority of Americans that actually threatens our citizens with imprisonment if they do not comply with its requirement to purchase a health care policy. It speaks to the dishonesty of the House leadership that Speaker Pelosi broke her promise to place the text of the bill online for 72 hours before a vote. Her actions demonstrate without question that the liberal agenda in Washington is not about reform, it is about expanding government control of our lives. I commend the members of the Tennessee delegation, Republican and Democrat, who voted against this bill.
"Since July 1 when I announced my candidacy, I began speaking for commonsense, market-driven reforms that will reduce costs of health care and increase the opportunity for affordable health care. I have met with countless physicians who join me in calling for the halt of junk lawsuits and address cost reduction through competition and buying pools. I still stand with physicians, other providers and patients against health care controlled by government.
"One year from today Tennesseans across the Third District will have an opportunity to stand in the voting booth and pass judgment on the actions of this Congress. They will decide if they want a congressman who will fall in step with Nancy Pelosi and her radical agenda for government-run health care and explosive deficit spending or someone who has stood for authentic conservative values here in Tennessee and will continue the fight in Washington.”
A group called Change That Works praised the bill, saying, "Members of the U.S. House of Representatives set the standard for what real health insurance reform look like when it passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act earlier this evening. The bill’s affordability provisions will finally make health insurance coverage attainable for millions of individuals and small businesses.
“Today’s vote is a big victory for Tennesseans whose lives are negatively affected by the out of control costs of health insurance in our state,” said Tony Cani, Tennessee Director of Change That Works. “Only a comprehensive solution like the one passed tonight can prevent insurance company discrimination based on things such as pre-existing condition, and reduce costs at the same time.”
He said the House bill "offers affordable, stable health insurance for every American for the first time in history. It ensures affordable coverage for 96 percent of Americans, is entirely paid for, and includes a strong public option that drives down costs and holds insurance companies accountable by letting families shop for the health insurance plan that best meets their needs.
"In Tennessee, the average family cost for health insurance premiums has already increased 77 percent since 2000. Projections show that without reform, an average Tennessee family will have to pay nearly $20,000 a year for premiums by 2019 – and that doesn’t even include out of pocket expense and co-pays. These out of control medical costs regularly force Tennesseans to choose between medical care and paying for regular household expenses such as groceries or a mortgage.
"Assistance for small businesses is also a vitally important component of the bill. It eliminates skyrocketing premium costs by introducing competition and ending the insurance companies’ stranglehold on local markets. The bill also provides small employers with access to large-group rates in the new Health Insurance Exchange, which will enable them to offer a larger choice of plans to employees. In addition, the legislation helps an estimated 3.6 million small businesses afford coverage for their workers.
Becky Link of Gallatin, owner of a small business in Nashville who is allied with Change That Works, said, "Last year my small business's insurance costs rose 9 percent after some major medical claims. This year with no outstanding medical expenses, we've been told our rates will increase 22 percent.
“Costs are out of control. When I'm planning my business’ financial future I cannot predict health care costs, and soon won't be able to afford them. This bill will stabilize costs and give us more affordable options. With rate increases like this, small businesses like mine cannot wait."
A group called The Tennessee Health Care Campaign also urged passage of the bill. Officials said, "Even though the Senate must now pass its own bill, and a conference committee made up of House and Senate members must combine the House and the Senate bills into one bill, tonight's action by the U.S. House is an important step forward. Tonight's bill passage will protect employer based coverage for 3,692,000 Tennesseans. It will improve Medicare for 1,008,000 elderly and disabled people in Tennessee and close the donut hole for 84,000 people. Over 113,000 small business will receive tax credits and another 130,600 businesses will obtain affordable coverage through the Insurance Exchange. Over 511,000 uninsured Tennesseans will be eligible for affordable, guaranteed, and high quality coverage and over 22,000 people will be saved from bankruptcies."
Tony Garr, the director of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, said he agrees with Congressman Cooper's comments, "Without passage of this House bill, the Senate could delay reform indefinitely. That would be the worst possible outcome because our current health-care system is not sustainable. Congress needs to pass good health legislation in the next few months for the good of the country."
Mr. Garr said the Congressional Budget Office "estimates that the House bill will cut the deficit by over $30 billion over the next decade and that it will continue to create an annual budget surplus over the next 20 years. Despite state administrative estimates that health reform may costs Tennessee over $100 million a year, it will bring in annually over $ 1 billion in federal funding, creating local high quality health care jobs for thousands of Tennesseans that pay local taxes. These new jobs and taxes will go a long way in helping Tennessee's annual budget shortfall."
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