CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 155, Pt. 20 27135 Now, This New Bill That Has Been Of- Health Coverage Is Legal Or Not
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November 6, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE, Vol. 155, Pt. 20 27135 Now, this new bill that has been of- health coverage is legal or not. In its legislation has for the American peo- fered by the Democrats is 2,000 pages roughly 2,000 page manifesto, this boss ple. Quite frankly, I agree with that long. You may recall that the last bill will soon control every decision you paper’s characterization of H.R. 3962 offered by them was only a thousand and your doctor want to make. that, ‘‘In a rational political world, pages long and had 53 new government Mr. Speaker, throughout the health this 1,990-page runaway train would agencies and programs. In fact, many care debate, I have heard a number of have been derailed months ago.’’ may be familiar with this diagram that complaints from the majority that we Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, in the shows what additional new programs are focused too much on the number of case of this legislation, it seems to me were created under the 1,000 page bill. pages in their government takeover like we live in Boss Hogg’s Hazzard You might think this is pretty con- bill. In addition to the sheer number of County, instead of a rationally based fusing and would cause a lot of dif- pages of H.R. 3962, I think it’s equally society. I urge my colleagues to look ficulty for a lot of people. Well, guess important to point out other numbers beyond the rhetoric that Speaker what? associated with the bill that are even PELOSI and the Democrats use to pro- With a 2,000-page bill they added an- more troubling. mote ‘‘The Worst Bill Ever’’ and look other more than 90 new programs and $1.2 trillion—the total cost of the bill at the numbers associated with this agencies to the 53 that are on the origi- for the American taxpayer. legislation. nal chart. Here is the original chart. $2.5 million—the cost of each of the Mr. Speaker, Boss Hogg went off the This is all of the bureaucracy and con- 400,000 words in this bill for the Amer- air in 1985. Unfortunately, this legisla- fusion and cost that has been added in ican taxpayer. tion is real and poses a real threat to this new bill. If anyone on either side $730 million—this is the amount of the foundation of our health care sys- of the aisle has any doubt about wheth- new taxes created in this bill for small tem. Tomorrow, or whenever we vote er the simple proposals offered by the business, individuals who cannot afford on H.R. 3962, I hope all of my col- Republican alternative have broad- health care coverage and employers leagues have the sense to defeat this ir- based public support, most of these who cannot afford to provide coverage rational legislation. proposals, 60, 70, 80 percent of the that meets the Boss Hogg’s standard. f American people support. Certainly 10.2 percent—the Nation’s current un- HEALTH CARE they do not support this kind of bu- employment level reported just yester- reaucracy. Certainly they do not sup- day by the Department of Labor. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a port the kinds of tax increases that 190,000—the number of jobs lost in the previous order of the House, the gen- could cost as many as 5.5 million jobs, month of October reported yesterday tleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. THOMP- according to one projection out today. by the Department of Labor. SON) is recognized for 5 minutes. And they certainly do not support this 5.5 million—the estimated number of Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. kind of government takeover of our jobs that could be lost as a result of Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday of this week I American health care system. taxes on businesses that cannot afford was here in this Chamber with my freshmen Republican colleagues, and f to provide health care coverage. This is according to a model developed by one we were preparing to do Special Orders HEALTH CARE of the President’s chief economic ad- about all the concerns we have with The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. visers, Christina Romer. the 1,990-page Pelosi health care bill, MAFFEI). Under a previous order of the 114 million—that’s the number of and I had this bill with me, and it was House, the gentleman from Georgia people who could lose their current in this bag. I was sitting in a chair and (Mr. GINGREY) is recognized for 5 min- health care coverage—coverage, of I was standing in the row next to it. utes. course, that they like—under the pro- I was approached by one of the fine, Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Speak- posed government-run health plan in dedicated public servants we have, em- er, let me introduce you and my col- H.R. 3962. ployees here in this Chamber that are leagues to someone. I would like to 3,425—Mr. Speaker, the number of dedicated to our safety and security. focus for just a moment on this first times the word ‘‘shall’’ appears in H.R. They came up to me because somebody poster. 3962 that results in new duties for bu- had observed this rather large uniden- This is the Health Choices Czar. You reaucrats and mandates on individuals’ tified object from the gallery and want- may not know him today, but if Demo- businesses and states. ed to make sure that it wasn’t some- crats have their way and they pass 118—the number of new bureaucracies thing left there intentionally, a hazard. their government takeover health care, created by H.R. 3962. I assured him this was not a hazard to we will all know him soon enough. Mr. Speaker, when the Democratic the Members here, that this was a In the fictional Hazzard County, majority says Republicans focus too 1,990-page Pelosi health care bill. Georgia, he was known as Boss Hogg much on the number of pages of H.R. Though, on second thought, it was a from 1979 until 1985. Portrayed by the 3962, they really avoid a deliberative hazard, a hazard to anyone carrying it late actor Sorrell Booke, he was an in- debate, because this bill is bad legisla- around, being as heavy as it is but a famous government corrupt official on tion. In fact, the editorial on Monday’s hazard to our health care system here ‘‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’’ who every Wall Street Journal called H.R. 3962, in the country. week tried to exert his will on the peo- ‘‘The Worst Bill Ever.’’ That editorial Mr. Speaker, my background is ple he was supposed to be serving. On said, ‘‘Epic new spending and taxes, health care. Twenty-eight years I the show, if it wasn’t for honest citi- pricier insurance, rationed care, dis- worked on rehabilitation services serv- zens like Bo and Luke Duke and Crazy honest accounting: The Pelosi health ing older adults, mostly, licensed as a Cooter, he might have been able to run bill has it all,’’ and I am quoting the nursing home administrator, dedicated Hazzard County into the ground. Wall Street Journal. to make a difference in the lives of in- Mr. Speaker, Boss Hogg is a fictional According to this editorial, Speaker dividuals facing life-changing disease character. The Health Choices Czar PELOSI and the Democrats in Congress and disability. I am here with tremen- created under the Democrats’ health are more like Boss Hogg looking to dous concerns on behalf of our seniors care bill, unfortunately, is not. This exert their will on the American people tonight on what this bill does to them. boss, created by President Obama and than they are responsible Members of Let me talk a little bit about Medi- NANCY PELOSI, is very real. This boss Congress. It states, ‘‘Democrats have care. My Democratic colleagues must will have the power to tell you what dumped any presence of genuine bipar- consider that Medicare is overfunded. I health products you can and cannot tisanship and moved into the realm of can tell you that it is not. Medicare buy. This boss will be able to decide pure power politics.’’ today pays on the average of only 80 to whether you need to pay him a tax. Clearly, the Wall Street Journal un- 90 cents for every dollar of costs that a This boss will decide whether your derstands the ramifications that this hospital or a doctor has, 80 to 90 cents. VerDate Mar 15 2010 14:57 May 25, 2012 Jkt 079102 PO 00000 Frm 00107 Fmt 0688 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR09\H06NO9.004 H06NO9 pmangrum on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with BOUND RECORD.