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U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health, issued the following statement in response to President Bush's State of the Union Address.
"The president's health care proposal is a non-starter. At a time when we need to confront the growing number of uninsured and the skyrocketing price of health insurance, the president has created a plan that would actually make both problems worse.
"President Bush's proposal would lead to a giant tax increase on middle class workers who negotiated good health care benefits through their jobs. In many cases, workers who participate in the most costly plans suffer from serious health problems, and their care should not end up costing even more with this tax increase.
"The president falsely believes he can begin to target the rising cost of health care premiums by taxing employee based health benefits. Quality health benefits through employers should be the norm, and should not be discouraged. I am concerned that the president's proposal would lead to more employers dropping their health insurance plans and leaving more New Jerseyans uninsured.
"At the same time, the president's tax deduction plan will not reduce the number of uninsured. Individual health plans are more expensive to purchase and provide considerably less coverage, and the deduction itself will not provide enough financial assistance to allow uninsured middle and low income workers to participate.
"While I cannot support the president's health care proposal tonight, I look forward to working with the president and his administration to address both of these challenges in the coming months." |
