Johnson questions wisdom of government take over of health care
Democrats: Americans must have insurance -- or else
July 16, 2009
Today on Capitol Hill, U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) took issue with the $1.5 trillion Democrat health care proposal that forces people and employers to have insurance coverage -- or else. People would be penalized as much as 2.5 percent of their income for failure to buy health insurance. Most employers would be required to insure their employees or pay a penalty equal to as much as 8 percent of their total payroll.
The 1,018-page plan mandates that the federal government would be responsible for ensuring that every person, regardless of their health or income, has health insurance.
“If you like your health care plan, you should be able to keep it. Surely we can make health insurance more affordable, more accessible and more available without the government taking over the health care industry and Big Brother bulling people and employers. In essence, the Democrats are telling the American people that they must have health insurance – or else. That’s not right.” said Johnson.
At the Ways and Means Committee mark-up, Johnson criticized the House Democrats $1.5 trillion plan for jeopardizing the doctor/ patient relationship, killing jobs, and forcing more than 100 million Americans out of the health coverage they currently receive through their job. By penalizing employers -- including millions of small businesses -- who cannot afford to pay for health care, these new mandates will mean even fewer jobs in an already stretched economy with almost 10% unemployment.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “A new study by the Kaufman Foundation finds that small business entrepreneurs have led America out of its last seven post-World War II recessions. They also generate about two of every three new jobs during a recovery.” The National Federation of Independent Businesses recently warned that the new mandates in the Democrats’ health bill could cost one million small business jobs alone.
At the Ways and Means Committee mark-up of the House Democrat plan, Johnson offered numerous changes to the 1,000 page bill. Under the House Democrats’ plan, most employers would be required to insure their employees or pay a stiff fine. That is why Johnson offered an amendment that would remove the employer mandate from the bill that forces business owners to
guarantee health insurance for every single employee. “Let’s not punish the small business men and women we are counting on to start hiring workers again.”
In addition, Johnson proposed amendments that would deny health insurance benefits to illegal immigrants, prohibit any public health plan from using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions, and rule out “self-verification” on income to qualify for lower-income, government-run health programs. Johnson also offered to strike the prohibition on physician-owned hospitals that would dramatically impact and even close North Texas facilities like Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas, Heart Hospital Baylor - Plano, Presbyterian Plano Center for Diagnostics & Surgery in Plano, Reliant Rehabilitation Hospital - North Texas in Richardson, Baylor Heart and Vascular Center in Dallas, and Texas Institute for Surgery in Dallas.
Johnson also backed several other amendments, including one to remove the costly government-run health plan from the bill. “Consider two of our existing government-run healthcare programs, Medicare and Medicaid. These programs are in financial jeopardy and it takes an act of Congress to reform them. In the last session of Congress, some 452 bills were offered by Members of Congress to push for much-needed reforms in these government-run programs. Of those, only 12 became law – not a great track record when it comes to fixing broken government healthcare plans! Are we sure we want to push millions more Americans into this kind of a government run plan?”
Johnson also spoke in favor of a provision that says Members of Congress who vote for a government-run health plan will have to enroll in that plan. “Members of Congress should stop asking the American people to make sacrifices they are not willing to make themselves,” continued Johnson.
Johnson supports improving access to health insurance for all Americans but fears that the House Democrat plan will put bureaucrats between patients and doctors and ration care like in Canada and Europe. In addition, with an estimated price tag topping $1.5 trillion, and reports that the costly health plan still leaves 17 million Americans without health insurance, Johnson feels there are better, less expensive ways to make health insurance more affordable, accessible and available. Johnson believes that the problem isn’t that Americans currently don’t spend enough on health care; it’s that money is being spent inefficiently. Johnson supports the House Republican proposal that will reduce costs, expand access and increase the quality of care in a way America can afford.
“While I have grave concerns about a government takeover of our nation’s healthcare, a bipartisan solution to healthcare reform is achievable and must be a primary goal of this Congress,” concluded Johnson.
To view the organizational chart of the House Democrats’ health care reform plan, go to www.SamJohnson.house.gov.
Johnson represents portions of Dallas and Collin Counties.
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