Capito Joins Bipartisan House Coalition to Oppose Speaker Pelosi’s Trillion Dollar Health Plan

West Virginians Deserve Meaningful Health Reform, Not a Government Over-Reach That Will Raise Taxes and Slash Billions of Dollars From Medicare

WASHINGTON – Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., released the following statement this evening as the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 2,000-page, trillion-dollar health reform plan that will raise taxes, raise premiums and cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare:

“I have long-said that West Virginians deserve meaningful health care reform, but this bill is not the bipartisan consensus-building legislation that my constituents have asked for,” said Capito.

“Legislation that touches every single American and would reform nearly one-sixth of our economy demands transparency and consensus. Unfortunately, the Speaker and our friends on the other side of the aisle chose to openly reject any semblance of bipartisanship in favor of a bill that will cost well over a trillion dollars, raise taxes on job-creating small businesses and cut nearly $400 billion from Medicare and Medicaid.”

“On top of $56 billion in cuts to home health care and $143 billion in across the board cuts to Medicare providers, by gutting Medicare Advantage the Speaker’s bill blatantly breaks the President’s promise that if you like your current plan you can keep it.”

“And as this economy continues to sputter under a stimulus plan that has failed to result in real job growth, the last thing small businesses need is yet another tax hike.”

“We can do better than this troubling government over-reach and I urge the Speaker and her colleagues to start over and come clean on their promise for a reasonable dialogue about how we can find common ground.”

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What West Virginians Are Saying About the Speaker’s Bill…

State Journal Editorial: Congress’ Overreach: Health Care Reform: “The American people are seeing their elected representatives in Washington ponder the future of health care. It's not a confidence-inspiring exercise. First, polls say most Americans do not want government involved in their personal medical decisions…. What we have is a battle between those who believe in the merits of big government -- with its attendant big costs -- and those who believe in the promise of the American marketplace.” (State Journal Editorial, November 5, 2009)

Hoppy Kercheval: House Health Bill a Trillion Dollar Mistake: “A bad headache doesn’t usually require brain surgery, yet that’s the approach the Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are preparing to take with their health care reform bill. The House plan will unleash the biggest, most expensive government takeover of the health care delivery system since the creation of Medicare. …the current system needs reform, but the House Democrats should put down the scalpel and see if there is a less traumatic way to treat the patient.” (Hoppy Kercheval Commentary, November 6, 2009)

Daily Mail Editorial: Liberal’s Health Plan is No Plan at All: “Liberals' "solution" would cost more than $1 trillion over 10 years, with subsidies and taxes all around. All Americans would have to have insurance by 2013 or pay fines. Most employers would have to offer insurance or pay taxes, a provision sure to kill jobs. There would be billions for a government health plan, billions in new taxes on health insurance and medical devices, and new taxes on "the rich." Yet this complicated, intrusive, expensive approach would not cut health costs. With Americans' economic future on the rocks, many members of both parties doubt this is the way to go.” (Daily Mail Editorial, November 4, 2009)

Wheeling Intelligencer on Speaker Pelosi Health Bill: The Speaker’s bill “…would limit Americans' choices in regard to health insurance - and treatment. It would slash Medicare funding, to the detriment of senior citizens. It would send the already astronomical national debt skyrocketing…. It would increase taxes and health care insurance costs for millions of Americans.” (Wheeling Intelligencer Editorial, November 7, 2009)