JOHN BOEHNER

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) appeared at a news conference with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) today to highlight the fact that House and Senate health care legislation would lead to higher premiums, higher taxes, fewer jobs for struggling families, and fewer Medicare benefits for seniors. Boehner outlined how Democrats’ plans put the nation on a path to government-run health care and noted that Republicans have offered better solutions to lower the cost of health care and increase access to affordable health insurance.  Following are Boehner’s remarks:


“Americans want reform of their health care system, not a trillion-dollar experiment that increases premiums, raises taxes, cuts Medicare benefits, destroys jobs, and jeopardizes the health coverage for millions of our fellow citizens. That can hardly be called ‘reform.’

“The Democrats’ plans put us on a path to government-run health care. Now, how do they do that?

“If you like what you have, you can’t keep it. Independent experts have made it clear that their bill will force millions of Americans off of their current plan into the government-run plan.

“The federal government will stack the deck in favor of the government plan. There will be no competition among health insurance providers. And because the federal government has no cost of capital, and they set all the rules, they'll drive all their competitors out of business.

“The pay-or-play mandate in the House bill would push employers to drop coverage, forcing Americans and their employees into the government-run plan.

“These bills include new taxes on individuals that don't buy acceptable coverage, new taxes on employers that don't offer health insurance benefits, and new taxes on health care insurance policies, thereby increasing the cost of insurance for the 84 percent of Americans who have health insurance today.

“The House bill alone has 53 new boards, bureaucracies, commissions and programs that all amount to more bureaucracy at the expense of doctors and patients.

“This trillion-dollar government approach will lead to higher premiums, higher taxes, fewer jobs and fewer benefits for seniors. Republicans have offered common-sense solutions to lower the cost of health care and increase access to affordable health insurance. It's time for Democrats to scrap their big government plan, sit down and work with Republicans on common-sense solutions that'll make our current health care system work better.”

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