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Democrats’ rush and tax is not the way to reform health care

Rush and Tax vs. Common Sense

President Obama and some Democrats insist the Congress rush and tax on health care just like they rushed the so-called stimulus and cap and trade tax. Liberal Democrat leaders must rush to pass their change because the more Americans find out about the Democrats’ change, the more they oppose it.

In today’s weekly Republican address, Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl contrasts the Democrats rush and tax change with the Republicans common sense ideas that do not require a government takeover of the health care system, or massive new spending, job-killing taxes, or rationing of care:

The full transcript of Senator Kyl’s remarks is below the fold.

Hello. I’m Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl, of Arizona.

Republicans believe all Americans should have access to quality health care and that we must find ways to reduce health care costs.

The debate in Washington is about how we can achieve these goals.

Republicans have put forward common-sense ideas, including rooting out Medicare and Medicaid fraud, reforming medical liability laws to discourage frivolous lawsuits, strengthening wellness and prevention programs that encourage healthy living, and allowing small businesses to band together and purchase health insurance like large corporations do.

These changes do not require government takeover of the healthcare system, or massive new spending, job-killing taxes, or rationing of care.

Democrats in Congress have a different approach. Their plan would increase spending by more than two trillion dollars when fully implemented, and would, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, ‘add additional costs onto an already unsustainable system.’

It would empower Washington, not doctors and patients, to make health care decisions and would impose a new tax on working families during a recession. A study by the respected Lewin Group shows it would also move millions of people who are happy with their current insurance to a new government plan.

They propose to pay for this new Washington-run health care system by dramatically raising taxes on small business owners. Small businesses create jobs — approximately two-thirds of new jobs in the last decade.

With a shaky economy and the need for new jobs, the last thing the President and the Congress should do is impose new taxes on America’s small businesses. New taxes on small business would cripple job creation, especially jobs for low-wage earners.

This week, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office told the Senate Budget Committee that the health care-reform measures drafted by Democrats would worsen our economic outlook by increasing deficits and driving our nation more deeply into debt. So, there’s good reason to be skeptical when the President tells us we need to pass the Democrats’ bill to help the economy.

The President and Congressional Democrats have even proposed cutting Medicare to pay for their plan.

How can we justify dipping into funds for seniors’ care to pay for a new government plan, especially since Medicare is already in financial trouble? This would ultimately lead to shortages, rationing, and the elimination of private-plan choices—something our seniors rightly fear.

These are not the right steps to achieving the reform Americans want.

But the President and some Democrats insist we must rush this plan through. Why? Because the more Americans know about it, the more they oppose it. Something this important needs to be done right, rather than done quickly.

We know Americans would prefer us to work together to ensure access to affordable quality health care for all. But Americans do not want a government takeover of health care that will jeopardize their current coverage, ration care, and create mountains of new debt and higher taxes.

“We urge Democrats to support a plan that would lead to real reform and include the innovative ideas Republicans have put forward that would cut costs, improve access, and preserve the kind of care that millions of Americans already have and like. That’s the kind of reform Americans would be sure to support.”

COMMENTS

  • miken

    Reducing lawsuits will help, but probably not have much of an impact on health care costs.

    I don’t think much will come of the businesses banding together to buy health care, except maybe for franchises.

    Rooting out Medicare and Medicaid fraud isn’t exactly a new idea, and I think most conservatives would realize this won’t work.

    Boosting wellness and prevention care doesn’t reduce costs, though perhaps it will help lower costs for those without care now.

    Now if they added in a provision for foreign doctors to practice without doing a residency again in the US, that would help.

    Provisions for additional types of licensing, kind of like an advanced nurse who can do stitches and the like, would be good too.

    • Vegas_Rick

      and don’t provide a basis for any of them.

      Why won’t reducing law suits help cut costs? Malparctice insurance rates aren’t through the roof?

      Why won’t economies of scale bring down prices if small businesses can buy together?

      etc

      Come on, you can do better.

  • Fernman

    While I understand that Senator Kyle does not have all the answers for the health care issues, VP Bidens’ “… We Have to Go Spend Money to Keep From Going Bankrupt” mentality is sheer lunacy.

    We cannot spend ourselves out of the cap and tax problem and we sure as heck cannot spend ourselves out of this health care problem!!!

    Are people so dumb they cannot see this!!!!!

  • CSUFBomb

    …but otherwise Kyl’s plan doesn’t have enough meat to resonate with many average Americans.

    I’d like to hear more depth on how to open up competition amoung insurance companies to drive down prices similar to what we’re seeing in laser eye and cosmetic surgeries. I’d like to hear a lot more about portability. I’d like to hear at least a discussion of how to expand coverage – maybe by using debit cards so the uninsured can join the marketplace and shop for healthcare. I’d like to hear more about a la carte options, so consumers can more specifically customize their health care plans and pay only for what they need. I’d like to hear a plan to deal with people with pre-existing conditions.

    Now’s the time to launch a counter-offensive against the Obamanation bureaucrat plan – more details, more attention to meaningful messaging, and more fact-based marketing.

    • The_Rebel

      more from the Republicans about the consequences if this government healthcare takeover doesn’t work. What will we do then? Has anyone actually given this possibility (more likely probability) any serious consideration. I’d rather have no plan than take that chance. We know how past entitlement legislation has turned out. You can’t even reform entitlements, let alone eliminate them.