Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the top Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today as Americans begin to wade into the more than 2,000 pages of Speaker Pelosi’s government takeover of health care. This latest big government agenda item is the product of partisan deliberation behind closed doors and out of view of the American people.
“American families are demanding Washington come clean on the policies that will directly affect their lives, yet House Democrats continue to shun any sense of transparency. This latest government takeover of health care was written out of sight of the American people along clearly partisan lines and fails to abide by repeated promises that this debate would be open to public comment and contribution. It defies common sense that Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats would think the American people will blindly trust Washington with the unprecedented power to remake one-sixth of our economy. While this bill was crafted by only a few, the consequences will be felt by all Americans."
NOTE: Small businesses have been put on notice that they will bear the brunt of the new taxes and mandates under the Pelosi government takeover of health care. Expanding on Democrats’ failed economic policies that have substituted bigger government for job creation, congressional Democrats are now asking small businesses to accept a controversial play-or-pay mandate, fines and penalties for failure to abide by Washington’s standards, and outright tax increases. All of this spells disaster for job creation - and it could have been avoided had Speaker Pelosi and congressional Democrats chosen to draft sensible, targeted, bipartisan health care reforms in consultation with the American people.
