RSC Update: Monday, February 22, 2010

From the Chairman

Today, the Obama administration unveiled its health care plan, which is really just another version of the same government takeover of health care that Americans have already stamped “reject.” Frankly, it’s the Senate plan papered over with a few changes. This time, however, they also threw in price-fixing for good measure.

The not-so-new White House plan still: levies mandates on individuals and employers; leaves $650 billion in savings on the table every year by ignoring real medical liability reform; puts Washington bureaucrats in charge of defining “quality” health care; cuts Medicare Advantage; raises taxes to pay for new entitlement programs (only this time the Medicare payroll tax is even higher than in the Senate bill); and gives the government-run plan a beachhead to eliminate the private insurance market.

The Obama administration also included in its proposal a “Health Insurance Rate Authority” to make sure that insurance premiums aren’t any higher than Uncle Sam says they should be. This attempt at price-fixing isn’t merely an insult to market-based economics. It’s a clear admission by the President that his plan won’t address rising health care costs. What’s clearer is that this administration still has not gotten the message from the American people. Our hard work must continue until this government takeover of health care is shelved once and for all.

Sincerely,

Congressman Tom Price

Chairman, Republican Study Committee