Ohio's 8th Congressional District Blog

“More Spending, More Debt, And Fewer Jobs Under Speaker Pelosi’s 2,000-Page Health Care Proposal”

Posted by Press Office on November 05, 2009

At his weekly press briefing today, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) discussed the Republicans’ plan to lower health care costs for American families and small businesses and increase access to quality care at a price our nation can afford. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirmed the GOP plan will lower premiums for the American people by up to 10 percent, while Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) $1.3 trillion government takeover of health care will increase Americans’ costs add to our already skyrocketing debt. Following are excerpts of his remarks:

BOEHNER DISCUSSES THE REPUBLICANS’ PLAN TO LOWER HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR AMERICANS FAMILIES:

“The American people’s top priority when it comes to health care is to lower the cost of health care, and only Republicans have offered a common-sense, step-by-step plan that will lower the premiums. The Congressional Budget Office has confirmed that our plan will lower premiums for the American people by up to 10 percent, which is exactly what Americans want. All told, the GOP plan -- under our plan, premiums for families and small businesses would be nearly $5,000 per year lower than Speaker Pelosi’s plan, according to the Congressional Budget Office estimates, and we’ll do it with one-ninth of the number of pages.”

BOEHNER DEFINES THE CHOICE BETWEEN THE GOP PLAN TO LOWER COSTS VS. SPEAKER PELOSI’S GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF HEALTH CARE:

“So the choices couldn’t be clearer. Speaker Pelosi’s plan is going to raise costs while ours lowers cost. Speaker Pelosi’s plan raises taxes while ours does not. Her plan cuts Medicare benefits for seniors; ours does not. Speaker Pelosi’s plan tries to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions under an unworkable one-size-fits-all approach. Our plan is better because it enhances Universal Access Programs and implements other vital reforms to guarantee access to every American seeking affordable insurance, including those with pre-existing conditions. Speaker Pelosi’s plan adds to the already exploding federal deficit. Ours actually reduces spending and reduces the deficit.”

BOEHNER HIGHLIGHTS THE DEBT BURDEN ON OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS UNDER SPEAKER PELOSI’S GOVERNMENT-RUN PLAN:

“Tomorrow, the federal government is expected to report that thousands more Americans have lost their jobs. The President presented his trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ plan as a jobs program. But since the ‘stimulus’ bill has been signed into law, nearly three million Americans have lost their jobs. Americans are asking ‘Where are the jobs?’ but all they’ve gotten from Democrats here in Washington is more spending and more debt. And there’s only going to be more spending, more debt and fewer jobs under Speaker Pelosi’s 2,000-page health care proposal.”

Comments

The opinions expressed below are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent those of this office.

Louis James commented on 11/6/2009

As a resident of New Jersey (in Congressman Pascrell's district), I applauded your efforts to bring some sanity to this out of control Health Care Legislation roller coater ride (more like the haunted house). As a clinician, in reading the Pelosi bill, there is nothing in this that specifically addresses the QUALITY of the care that patients will receive for their money. It, and similar bills, only state that "methods to measure health care quality" will be identified and developed with the Secretary of HHS making the final decisions. It is evident that the majority of Americans understand this hand have rejected this plan. It is astounding that all of these proposals focus on the money in great detail, but not on the essential unmet needs of our health system. As a practitioner, the greatest failure has been the significant decline in how much actual time the doctor spend with the patient, which is has become more directly tied to the level of reimbursement than ever before. At a recent meeting on Comparative Effectiveness Research and Personalized Medicine, one oncologist described how they used all of the available health data and published literature to determine whether to administer more chemotherapy to their patient of if that would have been more harmful. The focus was on the benefits of the data, but not on their own role or the time they spent with their patient. When it was mentioned that their own involvement with the patient was more critical to the treatment success than the data, they evaded the issue. It is willful negligence to commit such massive amounts of money and literally rob generations of Americans without first determining what needs to be done. When one drafts a business plan, it is essential to clearly delineate what you intend to do, how you intend to do it, how much money you will need and how you intend to spend it. Our elected officials condemn the business sector for misleading investors, yet it is ok for them to force money from hard working people and expect them to accept their assurances that they will fill in the details later. I know a number of people who, sadly, lost money investing with Bernie Madoff. However, with a Ponzi scheme, you can elect not to participate...With Pelosi-Care, we do not have that option.
Dale Oesterling commented on 11/6/2009

I urge you to work with pro-life members of your party as well as Congress across the aisle to vigorously oppose all attempts to use the budget to force tacpayers to fund abortion and abortionists
Bob Morgan commented on 11/6/2009

If the GOP really has a superior plan, why is it a secret to the entire country? Why are you not sitting down and sharing your ideas instead of saying NO, NO, NO to everything? You are a failure as a politician or a leader. You will never have a voice at the table if you refuse to take a seat and refuse to participate. How are costs magically going to drop without changing the way we look at healthcare altogether? Why should healthcare access be regulated by the insurance company? You said that the Democrat's health plan is the worst threat to the security of this country that you have seen in all your years in office. Surely you jest. Have you forgotten about 9/11 or what's going on in the Middle East or North Korea? People get shot every day in this country. People go broke or die every day suffering from lack of care, lack of a job, inability to pay for a home or food or health care. What's wrong with you? You have insulted every man and woman and their families who have valiantly served this country to say that healthcare is the biggest threat to this country. The real threat to this country is inane ineffective politicians who whine and moan and accomplish nothing other than to provide themselves with a very handsome living.
Ann Russ commented on 11/7/2009

30 years working in Health Care and 18 years as a consumer with disabled kids…. And you have hit almost all the problems on the head, with solutions that will work to help fix the problems. Thank you very much for being one of the few voices of our government speaking up for reform American-style, not destruction, Euro-Socialist style. I would hate to see us have the kind of care friends and family of mine have in Canada and France. Suggestion for thought as we build fixes to the real problems..is there a way to build in an incentive for people to buy their own health insurance? I recall when California required showing liability insurance in order to renew our Driver’s license and how the numbers of insured suddenly soared, and competition got fierce with lower rates here. What about linking proof of health insurance coverage to a privilege like obtaining a driver’s license or getting a government check? This would mean that the 10 million or so who are already eligible but just haven’t signed up for Medicaid etc would have to sign up in order to drive a car. That would decrease by about 10 million that famous “uninsured” number. It would also mean all those 20-somethings who choose to not spend the $100/month on minimal health insurance because they would rather spend it on something else would have to sign up in order to keep driving their cars. There go another 10 million or so "uninsured". Just like the number magically dropping from 47 million uninsured to 30 million uninsured once the Dems figured out that 17 million of that number were not citizens, the number would magically drop to 10-12 million once all the folks who can actually afford insurance buy it, or are already eligible for government health care sign up. Thank you..keep up the work. Keep shouting SMALLER CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EQUALS MORE FREEDOM AND PROSPERITY from the rooftops. And next time Repubs are in power, I am counting on you to help them not lose their SMALL FED GOVT WAYS!!
John Rittenhouse commented on 11/7/2009

cudos! I just observed your opposition to the Pelosi Health Care bill. Thanks to your sir from another American from Delaware!
beverly adams commented on 11/7/2009

i truly think it is unconstitutional for the govt. to prevent a medicare patient to pay a doctor, out of pocket for services. the doctor is a private supplier of a service and should have the freedom to do his business as he sees appropriate. please continue with debate. take as long as it takes to make it right. no rush. lets do what is constitutional. MAKE INSURANCE COMPANIES TAKE A RELATIVE PROPORTION OF INSURANCE COVERAGE OF THE UNINSURABLE IF THEY WANT TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN THE US. PLEASE DO IT RIGHT.
Bob Morgan commented on 11/8/2009

"We encourage you to participate" but you left out "we will not post anything that disagrees with our self-serving stance." All I can say is thank God for Democrats. The bill passed and I will NEVER vote for a Republican again. Thanks Boehner for totally turning me off to your party.
Keith Burns commented on 11/8/2009

"the most unconstitutional thing I've seen in my life." - John Boehner of the health care bill. Well looks like you're out of touch with reality Boehner. First off, if you want to complain about unconstitutional bills that have been passed, look at the Patriot Act. Oh wait, you supported it even though you agreed that it had to much control over the people. Talk about just going along with your party. Congratulations Boehner, you are just a follower with no instincts on how to lead.
David Prior commented on 11/8/2009

An ex-Buckeye, voting straight ticket for more than 30 years. Listened to your address to Congress last night on health bill. It was commanding. Wish that you had others on the team to provide such details to citizens. How do we wake up America? Almost feel like I'm living in a commune. We need to get rid of the upper eschelon of the party, including Steele. No one can seem to carry the message of the party, except you. How many people in insurance companies are going to lose their jobs. Another industry wiped out by the democrats. And Cap and Trade will be the nail in the coffin. Thank you.