Health Care

Northeast Community Center in Spokane.

I voted against President Obama’s radical health care law because it increases premiums for working families (10-13% according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office), raises taxes on small businesses, and cuts Medicare for seniors. 

The law was also too expensive ($2.3 trillion over 10 years) and it will increase the deficit at a time when government borrowing is already out of control and the national debt stands at $15 trillion. 

The health care law will also be a job killer.  After the law passed, America’s major corporations filed statements with the government on how the law’s tax changes would affect their earnings (as they’re required to do by law).  Boeing said it would take a $150 million hit.  AT&T said it would have to pay $1 billion.  The list goes on and on.  All of these companies will be affected.  

The Obama health care law will also put tremendous strains on our private health care system. Since the law requires 16 million more people to enroll in Medicaid - and since Medicaid reimburses only slightly more than half of medical costs - that will obviously have a devastating financial impact on doctors and hospitals.

On Jan. 19, 2011, I voted to repeal the health care law.  Throughout 2011, I also voted for several bills to defund it.  We should replace the current law with common-sense, market-based solutions to increase health care access and lower costs for all Americans. 

We should allow businesses to pool together to purchase insurance, permit insurance to be sold across state lines, and limit junk lawsuits. 

We should also promote healthier lifestyles, deploy new health technologies, and expand access to care in rural areas.  That’s what the American people want and deserve.

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