The American People Deserve the Truth” About Democrats’ Trillion-Dollar Health Care Takeover, GOP Leader Says

In a speech on the House floor this morning, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) blasted Democratic leaders’ efforts to censor a chart that illustrates the bureaucratic labyrinth that would result for American health care with enactment of Washington Democrats’ proposed trillion-dollar government takeover of health care.  Democratic leaders have attempted to block Members of Congress from using the chart, produced by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) and the Republican professional staff of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC), in official communications with their constituents.  The transcript of Boehner’s remarks follows:

“Mr. Speaker, Democrats in Congress don’t want the American people to see this chart.  This is the chart that outlines the Democrat proposal moving through the House of Representatives that contains as many as 53 new Federal programs, Agencies and Commissions.  That’s right; they’re trying to restrict Members of Congress from showing this to their constituents.  They say it’s misleading.  Well, there’s nothing misleading about it.  They just don’t want anyone to see it.

“Well, here it is.  I’m using it.  Are they going to turn out the lights, are they going to turn out the cameras?  Why don’t they want the American people to see this? 

“Well, I think the American people deserve the truth about the Democrats’ $1.6 trillion takeover of our of our health care system.  More bureaucracy, more taxes, more mandates - and more government involvement in your life.

“And guess what?  It also means less jobs for Americans.  According to a model developed by the President’s own Council of Economic Advisors Chairperson, this proposal will cost Americans some 5.5 million jobs over the next 10 years; the National Federation of Independent Business says that at least a million small business jobs will be lost; and, even the Congressional Budget Office over the weekend made it clear that this will cost low-wage workers an opportunity to get a job.

“Listen, after the ‘stimulus’ didn’t work, most of my constituents are continuing to ask the question, ‘where are the jobs?’

“We have a ‘stimulus’ that’s not working, we have a national energy tax bill that came through here this month that will cost millions of Americans their jobs, and while this will ruin the health care system that we enjoy in America, let’s not forget, it will cost us millions of American jobs when most Americans continue to want to know, ‘where are the jobs?’”