This afternoon, Congressional Republicans went to the House floor to deliver a series of one-minute speeches in an attempt to scare America's seniors, families and small businesses about what America's Affordable Health Choices Act will mean for them. From making misleading claims about cutting Medicare benefits to saying health insurance reform will lead to a government takeover of the health care system — we have debunked them all.
Please visit our mythbuster archive — take your pick, they tried them all today>>
Democrats took to the House floor to address the Republican scare tactics and kitchen sink strategy.
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY):
Our Republican colleagues continue to amaze me with the creativity that they display in finding new ways to say no to health care reform. First, a few weeks ago it was Senator John Ensign who said in the Finance Committee in the Senate, I'm against the public option because, get this, it might work, people will like it. He was against it, because people will like a public option.
Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY):
I have a viewers guide for what's be going on on this side of the aisle this morning and this afternoon. What essentially it comes down to it is my Republican friends don’t want you, the American people, to have what they have. They say they don't want any government-run health care, but 55 of them have Medicare–you don’t see them sending that back. They say while they don’t want the plan that we have to create more choices for the American people, well, they don’t want you to have what they have. Go to the website for the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan and see what a great plan they have. But they don’t want you to have more choice. Frankly, I don’t know what it is they do want. They said 131 days ago they were gonna have a plan. You hear that sound? [silence] That’s the sound of their plan. They don’t seem to have one. And I’ve heard this talk about all the stuff going on behind closed doors. My friends, there are 5 committees, 5 bills — you can read them. I know it's a lot of words but you can see exactly what the plan is. Listen to the American people, give them what you in Congress have. A public option, like Medicare, and choices, like the insurance plan you have.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL):
I’ll tell you what’s scary. What’s scary is when the woman who came into my office a few weeks ago shared her story with me to tell me about her breast cancer experience that she had just been through for the 3rd time. And she told me how I, as a breast cancer survivor, was fortunate because when I was diagnosed all I had to worry about was fighting the cancer. When she was diagnosed, she also one day later lost her job–and with it her health insurance. And so not only did she have to battle breast cancer, but she also was faced with battling how she was going to get her health care taken care of so that she could get well from breast cancer and continue to be the survivor that she has been for many, many years. Americans are tired of the party of no. Americans are tired of obstacle after obstacle standing at that podium insisting on making up things that just aren’t true.
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR):
Well, the Republicans are invoking Freddy Krueger and saying he wrote health reform. Tell you what's scary –scary is losing your job and being confronted with a bill for a continued health insurance that eats up 2/3 of your benefits. Even more scary, and this has happened to people in my district, is having your company go bankrupt and being told that your health insurance will cost more than your unemployment benefits. That is if you can get it. If you’ve never been sick. If your kids have never been sick you can go in the private market and buy a policy that exceeds your unemployment insurance. Of course, if you have ever been sick, pre-existing conditions, forget about it. 132 days ago, the Republicans promised they would have their own health care plan. Where is it?