Hensarling Statement on Second Anniversary of President Obama's Federal Takeover of Health Care
WASHINGTON – House Republican Conference Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) issued the following statement today to mark the second anniversary of the signing of President Obama’s health care reform legislation into law. The House has since voted to repeal the law as part of the House Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators.
“The president’s health care law was a legislative abomination two years ago and it still is today as it continues to threaten our nation’s job creators, taxpayers, families, and senior citizens. The importance of repealing this law – piece by piece if necessary – cannot be overstated.
“Because the president cannot stand by his record of failed policies and broken promises, he has resorted to the politics of envy and division—while using the rhetoric of ‘fairness.’ But is it ‘fair’ the administration has issued nearly 2,000 waivers from the health care law, more than half of which went to unions and the president’s political allies? Is it ‘fair’ the law will do dramatically different things than the president and his party’s leaders promised Americans the law would—and would not—do?
“Democrats said the law would create jobs – it didn’t. They said it would lower costs – it hasn’t. They said Americans would be able to keep their own plans and their own doctors – they won’t.
“Before the law was passed, Nancy Pelosi told us it would ‘almost immediately’ create 400,000 jobs. Instead, we are now told by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that it will cost us almost one million jobs from this economy.
“President Obama told us his law would make health care more affordable and ‘lower … premiums by $2,500 per family per year.’ Instead, the CBO now projects that the law’s new benefit mandates will force premiums to rise in the individual market by $2,100 per family.
“One of the most ominous parts of the law is the creation of a new government control panel – the Independent Payment Advisory Board. The board will be comprised of 15 unelected bureaucrats – hand-picked by the president – whose sole job it will be to control Medicare’s cost growth by imposing price controls that will slash senior access to doctors and other providers.
“While Democrats seem to think that 15 unaccountable Washington bureaucrats deserve the power to decide personal medical choices for seniors, Republicans believe no government acronym, no government bureaucrat, and no government board can ever substitute the good judgment of a chosen family doctor. That is why this week House Republicans passed the Protecting Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act to put a stop to this reckless new government intrusion before it begins. It marked our 26th vote to repeal, defund, or dismantle a part of the president’s law.
“It is time to take a stand against the president’s health care rationing board. It is time for Harry Reid and the Democrat-controlled Senate to pass the PATH Act, stop blocking our actions on behalf of seniors and job creators, and work with us to fully repeal this dangerous law in its entirety.”
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For additional information, contact:
House Republican Conference Press Office (conferencepress@mail.house.gov)
