FACT CHECK: Dem Claims on ObamaCare Repeal Don’t Ring True

Speaker of the House ^ | 1/17/11 | Kevin Smith

[markomalley]

Americans want a step-by-step, common-sense approach to health care reform that lowers costs, not the job-crushing, government takeover of health care that was rammed through Congress last year.  And this week, House Republicans will keep their pledge to pass legislation to repeal the law and work on common-sense policies that actually lower costs for families and small businesses, expand access to affordable care, and protect American jobs.  But that hasn’t stopped Democrats from making claims about the GOP repeal effort that don’t pass the straight-face test.  Here are just a few examples:

• Dem Claim: On January 6, 2011, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) released a statement implying that ObamaCare creates jobs by panning the GOP repeal effort. The statement was entitled: “GOP Bill To Repeal Health Reform Is A Job-Killer."
  FACT: By piling more debt onto the backs of our kids and grandkids, and imposing a costly maze of taxes, penalties, and mandates on job creators, ObamaCare will lead to fewer jobs.  The New York Times reported this weekend that “[e]conomists tend to agree that the law could lead some employers to hire fewer low-wage workers.” In an op-ed for USA Today, the president of the National Center for Policy Analysis notes that as firms now consider dropping health insurance for their employees, “The next step will be to drop their jobs.” Bottom line: analysis by the Heritage Foundation concludes that "The best way to prevent further erosion of the economy is to repeal the new law.”
  

  
  

• Dem Claim: GOP repeal bill would leave Americans with pre-existing conditions vulnerable.
  FACT:  In the last Congress, Republicans offered a better, market-based solution to guarantee access to affordable health care for those with pre-existing conditions – all without job-crushing government mandates. The proposal fully funded and reformed high-risk pools and reinsurance programs to guarantee that all Americans, regardless of pre-existing conditions or past illnesses, have access to affordable care – lowering costs for all Americans without piling more debt onto our kids and grandkids. (H.R. 4038, Title I, Introduced 11/6/09; Summary available here.)  House Republicans will be looking at similar reforms this year.
  

  
  

• Dem Claim: GOP repeal bill would take away insurance coverage for children through age 25 who stay on their parents’ policy.
  FACT:  The plan offered by Republicans included the same proposal, allowing young adults through age 25 to remain on their parents’ policies. Republicans will continue to support this reform. (H.R. 4038, Title II, Introduced 11/6/09; Summary available here.) 
  

  
  

• Dem Claim: GOP repeal bill will leave seniors vulnerable who are counting on the “donut hole” to be closed.
  FACT: The Democrats’ ‘fix’ was a backroom deal with PhRMA that will raise prescription drug costs and cost taxpayers tens of billions.  This backroom deal may have helped enrich PhRMA’s bottom line, but the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has confirmed that the new health care law will increase premiums for 33 million seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D by as much as nine percent (p. 78) and cost taxpayers $42.6 billion (p. 38).
  

  
  

• Dem Claim: ObamaCare does not promote taxpayer funding of abortion, and legislation is not needed to keep abortions from being funded by taxpayer dollars under ObamaCare.
  FACT: In a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune editorial board, facing questions about his commitment to the pro-abortion cause, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel emphasized that the Executive Order on abortion signed by President Obama in March 2010 – ostensibly to eliminate the need for the pro-life Stupak Amendment to be attached to ObamaCare – does not carry the force of law, and as such, has the seal of approval of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and others who oppose a ban on taxpayer funding of abortion (Chicago Tribune, 1/14/11). Emanuel also seemed to acknowledge that the EO was a maneuver by the Obama Administration to circumvent a bipartisan majority in the House – and the will of the American people – which supported the pro-life Stupak amendment.

House Republicans offered the only health care plan in the last Congress that actually LOWERED premiums – the American people’s number one priority for health care reform.  This year, led by the Ways & Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI), Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), and Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN), Republicans will be listening to the American people and putting together common-sense reforms that lower health care costs, expand access to affordable care, and protect American jobs.  That’s the promise Republicans made in the Pledge to America, and it’s a pledge they intend to keep.

READ MORE:

Priorities of the People: Repealing ObamaCare Critical to Creating Jobs, Growing Economy   (1/17/11)
What Repealing ObamaCare Means for American Families, Small Businesses   (1/7/11)
House Majority Releases Report Documenting ObamaCare’s Devastating Impact on American Jobs   (1/6/11)

[maddog55]

Again.. liberals don’t care about facts.

[b4its2late]

Liberalism is a mental disorder. Nuff said.

[goseminoles]

Good post with links. Thanks.

[b4its2late]

The right knows what it has to do. The left is in a constant circle of destruction of our country through fiscal follies.

[Nevadan]

re: Americans want a step-by-step, common-sense approach to health care reform that lowers costs, not the job-crushing....

ooooooh, “job crushing”! That just sounds so violent. I am afraid that some lunatic hearing that phrase will be induced to mow down some more congressmen and take out innocent victims! Tell the Speaker of the House that he needs to shut up to stop the violence!

[hosepipe]

Democrats can't believe there are people that don't want FREE government money or FREE government anything..

What they really don't like is people saying NOTHING IS FREE..

UNTIL they run out of others people money..

[Lou L]

ObamaCare will lead to fewer jobs.

I can envision Obamacare leading to jobs-but they will come at a terrible price. The "jobs" will be for layers upon layers of unionized, healthcare bureaucrats...some might have a healthcare background, but many will be more of an "administrator" or "clerk." These jobs will include numerous tiers of healthcare jobs within hospitals--the lowest being orderlies, followed by various levels of nurses, general practitioners (who may or may not be actually licensed as a doctor), and somewhere up the chain there will be specialists. They'll all be paid on a sliding scale of course, offering typical benefits, and paying the most to those with the most tenure.

But that's just the people who can actually provide some kind of healthcare service. On top of all that, will come the administration: those people who grant requests, who may help you fill out special requisitions, or offer special groups ways of requesting exemptions, which may or may not actually do anything.

There will be numerous "eforcement"-related jobs--with the IRS and other agencies. These people will enforce that everyone have insurance (unless you have a previously-mentioned exemption), they'll monitor that healthcare treatments and services aren't handed out like candy (because some rationing will HAVE to occur), and they'll most likely monitor whether or not doctors are performing any moonlighting services or doing anything else not officially permitted by the local, regional, and national healthcare czars.

All of that will come with a huge price tag however, which will inevitably come with higher taxes, because once the system takes hold, there won't be any stopping it.

[PubliusMM]

The only properly “common-sense approach to health care reform” is to get the government clear out of it. There is simply NO Constitutional authority for any meddling by government at any level in the health care concerns of the American citizenry.