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| September 16th, 2009 |
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Media Contact(s): Mark Eddington and Andrea Saul, 202-224-5251 |
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Printable Version |
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HATCH REACTS TO BAUCUS HEALTH BILL
“This is yet another example that shows the President cannot deliver on his promises to the American people of bipartisan health care reform.” -Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) |
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WASHINGTON – Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), member of the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committees, today responded to Senator Baucus’ health care proposal.
“As I have said all along, I believe Senator Baucus was sincerely interested in a real bipartisan legislation,” said Hatch. “Unfortunately, the White House and the Democratic leadership failed to give him the needed flexibility to reach such a compromise. Now we have another health care reform proposal that simply leads to more government, more spending and more taxes.
“This is yet another example that shows the President cannot deliver on his promises to the American people of bipartisan health care reform. At a time, when our national debt is on a path to double in the next 5 years and triple in the next 10 years, we are facing a historic deficit of $1.6 trillion this year alone, Medicare is going bankrupt within a decade, states are facing a combined deficit of almost $200 billion and unemployment is almost in double digits – this proposal spends another $900 billion, imposes a job-killing employer mandate that will harm low-income Americans, imposes $349 billion in new taxes, expands insolvent government programs and cuts Medicare by almost half a trillion dollars.
“I am very concerned about new mandates on families which authorize the federal government to track their behavior and levy a new tax of up to $3800 on families making more than $66,000 if they fail to get a Washington-defined insurance plan, along with the impact of the new excise taxes that will raise the cost of everything from insurance premiums to thermometers and hearing aids.
“If anyone believes that Washington, let me repeat Washington, can do a plan that will cost close to a trillion dollars, cover all Americans, not raise taxes on anyone, not increase the deficit and not reduce benefits or choices for our families and seniors – then I have a bridge to sell you. We still have time to push the reset button and start on a real process that builds on areas of compromise, not strife. Let us put the focus back on families, not Washington.”
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