U.S. Congressman LOUIE GOHMERT: Proudly Serving the First District of Texas

U.S. Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) issued the following statement after voting against H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a bill that would lead our nation to an unprecedented federal takeover of the health care system.

“Speaker Pelosi and the Majority, after weeks of arm twisting and backroom deals, forced through a vote on a sweeping government takeover of health care on the House floor last night that threatens to bankrupt the country. Again, they have blatantly ignored the voices of struggling Americans that truly desire reform with quality, affordable access to health care. Instead, they have made an uprecedented power grab that forces millions of individuals off their private insurance, while forcing millions more into unemployment.

This bill institutionalizes the “Washington knows best” mentality in our economy and tells Americans that they and their doctors cannot be trusted to make their own health care decisions.  The bill also provides funding for abortion, slashes 500 billion dollars in Medicare funding that will significantly hurt our seniors, wrongfully penalizes employers and small businesses with hundreds of billions of dollars in tax increases, and adds nearly 17,000 new IRS agents to monitor and harass Americans on a monthly basis.  Once the government controls, rations, and pays for healthcare, it will then have the right to monitor the lives and businesses of all Americans.

The term “reconciliation” is such a mockingly sad misnomer. Ironically, the Senate took H.R. 3590, entitled the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009, and stripped out every word and inserted their own health care bill while forgetting to mention anything about health care for veterans or their survivors. Now, the House majority will force through a package of supposed fixes to the health care takeover that leaves the sweetheart deals in place and further increases taxes on Americans. Then the Senate will pass the "fixes" that actually raise health care costs on a party line vote with a procedure intended for passing deficit-reduction measures.

Despite the disappointing result late yesterday evening in the House of Representatives, I will continue to fight to preserve liberty and free enterprise in Washington, D.C. Having heard from so many passionate Americans, we must continue to fight to prevent Washington from taking over any more of the American economy.”