They Haven’t Been Listening
November 19, 2009
The Reid bill has only been online a few hours now, but what we’ve seen isn’t pretty
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks (as prepared) on the Senate floor Thursday regarding importance of getting it right on health care reform:
“For months, we’ve been warning the American people of the Democrats’ plans to raise premiums, raise taxes, and slash Medicare in order to fund more government. Americans know that is not reform. And unfortunately the Majority hasn’t been listening.
“While two committees have publicly reported legislation, the bill we are being asked to consider was assembled behind closed doors, out of sight without input from the public for over the last 6 weeks.
“We are being told we must rush to pass this legislation, even though most of its provisions won’t take effect for another five years — until 2014. That’s a little bit like being asked to pay your mortgage four years before you’re allowed to move into your house.
“Americans reasonably want to know:
• How much will it cost?
• Will their premiums go up?
• What is hidden in the fine print?
• Are favored interests or states getting sweetheart deals?
“The American people want to take the time to get this right.
“Over here we have the House bill and the Senate bill together. Each of them roughly 2,000 pages to rewrite one-sixth of our economy with stunning unintended consequences for ourselves, and for our children and for our grandchildren.
“The Majority Leader’s bill is 2,074 pages long. When fully implemented—and the way to look at the true cost of this bill is how much will it cost over a 10-year period—when this 2,074 page bill is fully implemented it will cost $2.5 trillion.
“According to CBO, federal health care spending will actually go up, not down as a result of this mammoth effort to rewrite one-sixth of our economy.
“It cuts Medicare by $465 billion, nearly half a trillion dollars in cuts to a program that is so important to our seniors. Hospitals, Medicare Advantage, nursing homes, home health, hospice—all of those will be slashed in this $465 billion cut to Medicare.
“It raises taxes $493 billion.
“So you have here massive cuts in Medicare and massive tax increases.
“Who gets hit with the tax increases? You do.
• If you have insurance, you get taxed
• If you don’t have insurance, you get taxed
• If you need a life-saving medical device, you get taxed
• If you need prescription medicines, you get taxed
• There’s also a new Medicare payroll tax
“So what is the bottom line here? After 6 weeks of drafting a bill behind closed doors, the Majority has produced a bill that increases premiums, raises taxes, and slashes Medicare by half a trillion dollars to create a new government program. This is not what the American people want. I don’t believe they think this is reform. This is not the direction to take.”
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks (as prepared) on the Senate floor Thursday regarding importance of getting it right on health care reform:
“For months, we’ve been warning the American people of the Democrats’ plans to raise premiums, raise taxes, and slash Medicare in order to fund more government. Americans know that is not reform. And unfortunately the Majority hasn’t been listening.
“While two committees have publicly reported legislation, the bill we are being asked to consider was assembled behind closed doors, out of sight without input from the public for over the last 6 weeks.
“We are being told we must rush to pass this legislation, even though most of its provisions won’t take effect for another five years — until 2014. That’s a little bit like being asked to pay your mortgage four years before you’re allowed to move into your house.
“Americans reasonably want to know:
• How much will it cost?
• Will their premiums go up?
• What is hidden in the fine print?
• Are favored interests or states getting sweetheart deals?
“The American people want to take the time to get this right.
“Over here we have the House bill and the Senate bill together. Each of them roughly 2,000 pages to rewrite one-sixth of our economy with stunning unintended consequences for ourselves, and for our children and for our grandchildren.
“The Majority Leader’s bill is 2,074 pages long. When fully implemented—and the way to look at the true cost of this bill is how much will it cost over a 10-year period—when this 2,074 page bill is fully implemented it will cost $2.5 trillion.
“According to CBO, federal health care spending will actually go up, not down as a result of this mammoth effort to rewrite one-sixth of our economy.
“It cuts Medicare by $465 billion, nearly half a trillion dollars in cuts to a program that is so important to our seniors. Hospitals, Medicare Advantage, nursing homes, home health, hospice—all of those will be slashed in this $465 billion cut to Medicare.
“It raises taxes $493 billion.
“So you have here massive cuts in Medicare and massive tax increases.
“Who gets hit with the tax increases? You do.
• If you have insurance, you get taxed
• If you don’t have insurance, you get taxed
• If you need a life-saving medical device, you get taxed
• If you need prescription medicines, you get taxed
• There’s also a new Medicare payroll tax
“So what is the bottom line here? After 6 weeks of drafting a bill behind closed doors, the Majority has produced a bill that increases premiums, raises taxes, and slashes Medicare by half a trillion dollars to create a new government program. This is not what the American people want. I don’t believe they think this is reform. This is not the direction to take.”
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