Posted on 03/26/2010 7:07:31 PM PDT by Born Conservative
Event held at GOP office in Wilkes-Barre. Kanjorski spokesman issues response.
WILKES-BARRE – The Republican Party rolled out a college student, a small business man, a physician and its candidate for Congress Thursday to blast Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski for voting for the national health care bill.
Barletta, 54, is unopposed in the May 18 Republican primary. Kanjorski, 72, is serving his 13th term in Congress. He is opposed in May by Democratic Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien.
Barletta spoke next to a stack of papers – the 2,308-page health care bill in the local GOP headquarters.
“We already are facing skyrocketing insurance premiums,” Barletta said. “This health care bill will continue to drive doctors out of Pennsylvania. It jeopardizes the life of the unborn child. The bill is a job killer. Congress spent a year and a half working on a health care bill that nobody wants.”
Ed Mitchell, spokesman for Kanjorski’s campaign, said Barletta is quick to criticize, but questioned what the Hazleton mayor’s solution would be. He issued a statement from Kanjorski.
“Once again, Lou Barletta, the original Republican Mr. No, has told us what he’s against,” Kanjorski said. “What’s his plan for affordable, accessible health care for all Americans? Unfortunately, Lou Barletta has sided with the insurance companies, not the American people.”
Kanjorski said he voted to keep the insurance companies from denying health care to people with pre-existing conditions, to close the doughnut hole in the Medicare prescription drug program to save seniors money, to allow a family’s children to stay on their parents’ plan until age 26, and to provide incentives to small businesses to provide insurance coverage for employees.
“Unfortunately, there is a great deal of confusion about what this bill will do,” Kanjorski said. “I am disappointed that Barletta is continuing to promote such inaccurate information.”
Kanjorski said many newspapers have editorialized about the health care bill, debunking “many of the myths about the health care reform bill and stated the strong need for the bill.”
He said more than 350 organizations have supported this bill, including AARP, the American Medical Association, the Catholic Health Association and Geisinger.
Barletta has said instead of forcing this bill on the American people, both sides should stop the inflammatory rhetoric and parliamentary tricks and start over.
“Our health care system needs to be reformed,” Barletta said. “Runaway cost increases, the medical malpractice insurance crisis, and the failure of politicians in Washington to enact meaningful health care reform have driven insurance premiums and the cost of prescription drugs through the roof. Everyone should have access to affordable, quality health care.”
Barletta said an incremental approach would be better: Pass the things on which the majority of people agree such as covering preexisting conditions, and helping recent college grads get on their feet. He said real health care reform bill should include meaningful tort reform and allow for shopping for insurance across state lines.
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Ping
Got a web link for the Barletta Campaign?
another “Dr. No” in Congress sounds just about right these days...
“Kanjorski said he voted to keep the insurance companies from denying health care to people with pre-existing conditions, to close the doughnut hole in the Medicare prescription drug program to save seniors money, to allow a family’s children to stay on their parents’ plan until age 26, and to provide incentives to small businesses to provide insurance coverage for employees.”
If he bothered to read the F’n bill, he would have known that EXISTING legislation does all of the above. He voted for HIPAA and CHIPRA - both of which are supposed to do all of this AND provide portability!
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