Congressman Dave Reichert

Washington, DC, Mar 21 -

Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08), a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, today rejected a health care overhaul that would cripple efforts to rejuvenate the economy in the middle of a recession. The legislation would implement a government-run health plan estimated to cost more than $1 trillion, slash Medicare benefits by $523.5 billion, force crushing tax hikes of $569 billion on families and job creators, and take away their current health plans. The measure passed this evening.
 
“I voted against this bill because the majority of Americans have spoken loud and clear: they don't want this bill,” Reichert said. “The legislation Congress voted on today is still a government takeover of healthcare. It still hurts our seniors and makes devastating cuts to Medicare. It still taxes medical devices including pacemakers, prosthetics and wheelchairs. And the taxes it imposes will stifle investment and cause millions of employers to cut wages and lay off their workers. In the middle of a recession, that is exactly the wrong thing to do.

“The American people were promised ‘If you like it, you can keep it.’  I’m sorry to say, that promise was broken here today. The American people will bear the brunt of these slashed benefits, and many of them will be put out of work by the half-a-trillion dollar tax hike in this bill. Yes, we do need to reform and strengthen our health care system, but this should be done without saddling Americans with massive tax hikes in the middle of a recession, and without cutting $500 billion in seniors’ health care. This has been a flawed process from the very beginning because the American people have been left out. Congress must work together on real solutions that begin to bring down the cost of health care and bring it to those who need it most, but this is not the right way.”

For more information on Congressman Reichert’s solutions for health care, including his work during the House Ways & Means Committee debate on health care legislation, visit http://reichert.house.gov/HealthCare.