“Your concerns about a government takeover of health care have been totally ignored by Speaker Pelosi and her allies, who worked behind closed doors to write the bill. After months of debate, the bill they introduced today is essentially the same bill the American people have flat-out rejected."
Those are the words of Congressman Tom Price, who happens to know a little something about health care, as he's also one of the few doctors in Congress.
Truth be told, Congressman Price's words were tempered when you consider the reality of what's really happening in Washington. Pelosi's latest incarnation of ObamaCare - dubiously titled the "Affordable Health Care for America Act," (H.R. 3962) - is not merely "the same bill the American people have flat-out rejected" ...
... It's actually far worse.
At nearly 2,000 pages, it's almost twice the size of Pelosi's first bill (H.R. 3200) and includes even more of what the American people have already flat-out rejected.
And make no mistake, Pelosi and Barack Obama and Harry Reid have every intention of ramming this latest version of ObamaCare down the throats of the American people with lightning speed... before you and millions of other concerned Americans have a chance to once again rally against it.
According to the Heritage Foundation, "Pelosi and the rest of the congressional leaders want to fast-track the legislation." As Congressman Price observed, the "future of American health care is in the balance and we are on the clock."
After shutting the American people out of the process altogether, Pelosi and House Democrats are moving to hold a vote on her nearly 2,000 page bill, in a matter of days or even hours, without having any substantive debate.
Remember, "we are on the clock." How we respond right here and right now will determine the fate of health care in this country forever.
We can stop this government takeover of health care, but the time to make our voices heard is now.
Pelosi's Bill Is Even Worse Than You Think.
Everything that was intolerable in the first House health care bill (H.R. 3200), is still in the second incarnation (H.R. 3962).
Congressman Price again:
"Government-run insurance? Still in the bill. Higher taxes? You betcha. An individual mandate that restricts choices and innovation by requiring Washington to define what qualifies as health insurance? Check. A job-killing employer mandate, a budget-busting expansion of the Medicaid entitlement, and countless provisions that set Washington bureaucrats firmly between you and your doctor? Better believe it."
Price adds:
"H.R. 3962 has all the 'government takeover' of H.R. 3200 with an extra thousand pages thrown into the mix. That's a whole lot of government involvement in personal, private health care decisions."
As if that's not enough, here, courtesy of Congressman Mike Pence's House Republican Conference, are just a few more goodies Pelosi threw into H.R. 3962:
Page 111 - Section 223 establishes a new board of federal bureaucrats (the "Health Benefits Advisory Committee") to dictate the health plans that all individuals must purchase.
Page 211 - Section 321 establishes a new government-run health plan that, according to non-partisan actuaries at the Lewin Group, would cause as many as 114 million Americans to lose their existing coverage.
Page 297 - Section 501 imposes a 2.5 percent tax on all individuals who do not purchase "bureaucrat-approved" health insurance - the tax would apply on individuals with incomes under $250,000, thus breaking a central promise of then-Senator Obama's presidential campaign.
Do you believe Pelosi and Obama when they say "if you like your plan you can keep your plan" ... that you ultimately won't be forced to live with government-run insurance?
Check out this provision...
Page 94 - Section 202(c) prohibits the sale of private individual health insurance policies, beginning in 2013, forcing individuals to purchase coverage through the federal government.
Of course, Members of Congress and their family members need not worry about how this radical overhaul of our nation's health care will affect them because...
Page 225 - Section 330 permits--but does not require--Members of Congress to enroll in government-run health care.
Here Are A Few More Little Nasties In Pelosi's H.R. 3962.
We're not finished. It would be impossible to mention every egregious provision in Pelosi's 1,990 page bill, but here are a few more notables... just in case your blood isn't already boiling.
Page 110 - Section 222(e) requires the use of federal dollars to fund abortions through the government-run health plan--and, if the Hyde Amendment were ever not renewed, would require the plan to fund elective abortions.
Page 313 - Section 512 imposes an 8 percent "tax on jobs" for firms that cannot afford to purchase "bureaucrat-approved" health coverage; according to an analysis by Harvard Professor Kate Baicker, such a tax would place millions "at substantial risk of unemployment"--with minority workers losing their jobs at twice the rate of their white counterparts.
Page 336 - Section 551 imposes additional job-killing taxes, in the form of a half-trillion dollar "surcharge," more than half of which will hit small businesses; according to a model developed by President Obama's senior economic advisor, such taxes could cost up to 5.5 million jobs.
Page 520 - Section 1161 cuts more than 150 billion [dollars] from Medicare Advantage plans, potentially jeopardizing millions of seniors' existing coverage.
Page 733 - Section 1401 establishes a new Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research; the bill includes no provisions preventing the government-run health plan from using such research to deny access to life-saving treatments on cost grounds, similar to Britain's National Health Service, which denies patient treatments costing more than 35,000 [pounds].
And last, but certainly not least:
Page 1174 - Section 1802(b) includes provisions entitled 'Taxes On Certain Insurance Policies' to fund comparative effectiveness research, breaking Speaker Pelosi's promise that 'We will not be taxing [health] benefits in any bill that passes the House,' and the President's promise not to raise taxes on families with incomes under 250,000 [dollars].
"The Worst Bill Ever: Epic New Spending And Taxes, Pricier Insurance, Rationed Care, Dishonest Accounting: The Pelosi Health Bill Has It All."
That's what the Wall Street Journal had to say about H.R. 3962. But that's not all the Journal said:
"The health bill she [Pelosi] unwrapped last Thursday, which President Obama hailed as a 'critical milestone,' may well be the worst piece of post-New Deal legislation ever introduced."
Here's a scary prognosis:
"Taxes will need to rise precipitously, even as ObamaCare so dramatically expands government control of health care that eventually all medicine will be rationed via politics."
The Journal also writes:
"Yet at this point, Democrats have dumped any pretense of genuine bipartisan 'reform' and moved into the realm of pure power politics as they race against the unpopularity of their own agenda. The goal is to ram through whatever income-redistribution scheme they can claim to be 'universal coverage.' The result will be destructive on every level -- for the health-care system, for the country's fiscal condition, and ultimately for American freedom and prosperity."
That last paragraph gives us valuable insight as to exactly how we can stop these idiotic leftist health care schemes once and for all.
Extreme liberals in the House and the Senate, as well as Barack Obama, are indeed racing against their rising unpopularity.
And health care will only be passed if these extreme liberals can make false and empty promises and ram legislation through Congress before the American people realize they are being duped.
That's been their plan of action with each and every previous incarnation of ObamaCare and that is still their plan today.
Pelosi and her allies in Congress forgot long ago that they serve the American people... that they work for you.
And they weren't exactly thrilled when the American people soundly rejected their first health care "reform" scam.
So now, instead of heeding the will of the people, they've decided to take off the gloves.
It's almost as if they're saying; Oh... so you (the American people) didn't like our first health care offering... fine... we'll show you who's boss... let's see how you like what we're going to ram down your throats now.
But you can stop them... you can make a difference ... you've already made a huge difference.
Your Blast Faxes and phone calls were the reason the Pelosi-Reid Congress had to put the brakes on each and every previous incarnation of ObamaCare.
You made a difference then and you can make a difference right now.
With this latest bill, Pelosi, Obama and Reid are hoping that the American people are tired... that you will give up on this fight. Let's prove them wrong.
Let's put a lid on this scheme once and for all.
The time to speak up is now.
FROM GOPUSA
