Washington – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, released the following statement marking the six-month anniversary of ObamaCare.

“Six months ago, Speaker Pelosi said ‘we have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.’  Well, six months have passed and hard working families, employees, and small business owners have read the bill and they have found a disaster.”

The Obama/Pelosi health care bill was signed into law on March 23, 2010 over the objections of the vast majority of Americans who understood how the bill would negatively affect America’s health care system.  In the last six months, more facts have come to light and the bill has grown increasingly unpopular.  The top 10 problems with the bill include...

1. Eliminate jobs– According to a recent estimate from the National Federation of Independent Business, 1.6 million jobs will be lost between 2009-2014 as a result of the Obama/Pelosi health care law.
2. Increase healthcare costs– The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services said that the new health care law will increase health care spending by 6.3 percent annually and will cause health care to consume almost 20 percent of our Gross Domestic Product.
3. Increase the deficit and debt–The Congressional Budget Office recently adjusted its estimates of the health care law’s effect on our nation’s debt and determined that under the new law our deficit and debt will increase because the Obama/Pelosi health care overhaul did not address the real problems with the system like the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), entitlement reform, and the rampant waste fraud and abuse. 
4. Increase taxes and regulations on Americans and small businesses– The Obama/Pelosi health care law will impose numerous new taxes on individuals and medical devices and unprecedented mandates. Furthermore, the new 1099 mandate requires businesses to report to the IRS annual purchases from any contractor above $600 – a huge and unnecessary compliance cost.
5. Decrease access and quality of care for seniors–Even before the Obama/Pelosi health care law was enacted, Medicare was not sustainable.  ObamaCare will exacerbate the problem.  In Washington State alone, seniors will be cut out on $500 billion in Medicare and over 22,000 seniors will lose their Medicare Advantage.
6. Decrease choice in your healthcare coverage– By decreasing reimbursement rates and imposing new mandates on employers, individuals and families will have decreased quality of care and less access to the services they need most.
7. Allow taxpayer funded abortions– An Executive Order is not law, and taxpayer funds will be used to subsidize entities that perform abortions.
8. Increase the number of Federal Government dependents– 34 million Americans now will rely solely on the Federal government for health care.
9. Increase premiums for individuals, families, and businesses– The Wall Street Journal reported that the new health care law is causing rates to increase up to 20 percent for some buyers.  On average, the health care law will result in a $2,100 increase in annual health care premiums for individuals and families.
10. Increase emergency room visits– Because Medicaid recipients use the emergency room as their primary care facility and the law now drastically increases the number of Medicaid participants, it will increase emergency room visits.

“There is no doubt there are flaws in our health care system but an expansion of the federal government and increased spending is not the answer,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers.  “Real reform includes increasing access by allowing individuals and small business to purchase insurance across state lines, eliminating waste, fraud and abuse, and reforming the medical liability system.  I support repealing the Obama/Pelosi health care bill and replacing it with solutions that will lower costs, empower patients, and ensure that seniors and our dependents receive the care and decency they deserve.”

Rep. McMorris Rodgers voted against the Obama/Pelosi bill on March 21, 2010.  To watch her floor speech, click here.