Republicans Say “No” to Comprehensive Reform
EmailABC News’ Jonathan Karl reports: The pre-buttal from Republican congressional leaders leaves no doubt as to how they're handling President Obama's health care plans.
"The American people want us to do everything we can to stop it," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, at a Capitol Hill news conference.
"We ought to do is skinny this thing down, target the problems in the system that we can all agree on," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Boehner and McConnell used the news conference to starkly outline their differences with the president over health care.
The biggest difference: They don't believe comprehensive health care reform is necessary.
"We don't think a comprehensive approach on this is the way to go," McConnell said, adding that Americans want to improve the system they have, not replace it.
The American people, McConnell said, are "recoiling" from the Democratic proposals. "You could hear it out across the country, "Stop. Back up. Start over. And get it right."
The Republican leaders insisted that there is room for common ground, however, on some issues, including:
- Malpractice reform
- Making insurance portable
- Protection for those with pre-existing conditions
- Allowing interstate competition
- Insurance pools for small businesses
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This article demonstrates why I can not imagine voting for the current Republican party. Polls clearly show that the public supports healthcare reform. A majority supports a public option. The Republican party only cares about its campaign donors. If you do not give, then take a hike.
Posted by: Whylee98 | September 9, 2009, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
Gee is anyone surprised that the No Nothing party would say no and then put at the top of their list mal practice reform which 1. effects .05% of the cost of your premium
2. and which after the Texas mal Practice bill was signed into law in 2003 has had zero effect on healthcare premiums in Texas.
And who in their right mind would believe that BlueCross or UNH in New York will suddenly start charging New Yorkers the same rates as Bluecross cconsumers in West Virginia. The GOP is quite comfortable making sure that 47 million remain uninsured and that corporations and consumers go broke paying their premiums, just as long as those healthcare company contributions keep rolling in to fatten the coffers of the GOP.
Thank goodness we have Medicare and Tricare today because if left to a vote in this Congress today, neither would get many GOP votes and would be branded as pure socialism.
Posted by: Leichtman | September 9, 2009, 2:13 pm 2:13 pm
Whylee98- Guess you haven’t read the lastest polls out today that say 52 percent oppose Obama’s Heathcare plans while only 34% approve. I don’t know what your smoking but 34% is not a “clear majority”. Sorry to burst your bubble dude.
Posted by: Shelly | September 9, 2009, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
interesting comment Shelly. Since the POTUS is 6 hours from laying out precisely what his plan is exactly what they or YOU actually oppose. A Gallup poll I read last week said only 50% supported a Public Option and those same people then said they support Medicare but opposed a British type healthcare system that this clearly is not. Just like the birthers who objected to POTUS’ speech to school children and then back off when they actually read its content, I suggest you wait 6 hours until there actually is an Obama Plan before you start your screeching.
Posted by: Leichtman | September 9, 2009, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
What Else is new with the Republicans NO Is their favorite word, unless of course your Lobbyist throwing big money at them!
Posted by: Angie in PA | September 9, 2009, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm
A recent study found that 62 percent of all bankruptcies filed in 2007 were linked to medical expenses. Of those who filed for bankruptcy, nearly 80 percent had health insurance
But the Repubs are fine with this…
According to another published article, about 1.5 million families lose their homes to foreclosure every year due to unaffordable medical costs.
But again, Repubs think everything is rosy.. no need for change, Obama’s a socialist.
Lets all just accept that the Repubs should be on the endangered species list and recall what they think about endangered species.
Posted by: DewyB | September 10, 2009, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
national average healthcare costs are 12,500 a year. That will double in 8 years. I cant afford 20% of my salary now and 50% a year in 8 years will bankrupt me and most Americans. Our economy will crash as all disposable income is eaten up by healthcare costs. There will be no more middle class. This is to serious of a situation to mess around with egos and politics.
Posted by: Mr. Magoo | September 10, 2009, 7:46 pm 7:46 pm
Yeah Repubs give us reform written by health insurance companies for health insurance companies. That will help the uninsured and the rest of us struggling to get by.
Posted by: Jerry | September 16, 2009, 10:28 am 10:28 am
Reform, from the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary: to put or change into an improved form or condition; to amend or improve by change of form or removal of faults or abuses. Let me predicate this by stating that I’m NOT 100% sold on ObamaCare, as there are some very big loose ends. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican. But the Republicans consistently speak of this as a health care REVOLUTION … maybe they think it is as reform is a bad word to the conservative right. But that’s not what reform means. And Leichtman and others are distorting the truth at best when they say Americans don’t favor health care reform. They in fact do … the figures you cite Leichtman are the latest poll numbers of American support/disapproval of the current Democratic plan. Americans very much favor health care REFORM but want to make sure Congress gets it right (or as close as possible by these morons) because such a law will be PERMANENT. There won’t be any rolling back. I have health care and hell no I don’t want to lose it … but do I think it can be better? Hell yes. I welcome constructive change to a $45 co-pay on every doctor’s visit (and I have a PPO plan that more and more is looking and acting like an HMO). Reform is very much needed, so for Boehner and his cronies to say American’s don’t want that shows how out of touch the party remains with the American people. I’m the first to admit I don’t have the answers, but I do know that a comprehensive bill that makes sense is mandatory… I’m just not sure that’s ObamaCare. And I know that the Republicans haven’t brought to the table one viable solution. How can they when they don’t favor true reform? And here we are stuck. God bless America.
Posted by: Ryan Gray | September 22, 2009, 8:35 pm 8:35 pm