As congressional Democrats prepare for a House vote on 2,000+ pages of new health care taxes, red tape, and federal mandates, House Republicans have unveiled a commonsense alternative that makes targeted, meaningful reforms that will bring down the cost of health care and expand access to quality coverage, including for those with pre-existing conditions. A new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office confirms the Republican plan will lower health care coverage premiums by as much as 10 percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years.
“The American people are clamoring for sensible health care reform, and rightly so. Health care costs continue to rise, and too many Americans don’t have access to the affordable, quality coverage they need," said Rep. John Kline (R-MN), the Education and Labor Committee’s top Republican. “Speaker Pelosi’s plan for a government takeover of our health care system is simply the wrong prescription. That’s why Republicans have proposed an alternative plan that focuses on Americans’ number one concern - lowering the skyrocketing cost of health care."
In a letter released last night, CBO confirmed the GOP plan will result in lower health care premiums - and no tax increases - for American families and small businesses. This stands in stark contrast to Democrats’ proposal, which currently boasts a price tag of $1.3 trillion: a cost that will be transferred to families, small businesses, and seniors through roughly $730 billion in tax increases and $500 billion in Medicare cuts.
“The choice is clear: we can explode health care spending with the Democrats’ plan, or we can finally bring down premiums and make health care more affordable with the commonsense Republican alternative," said Kline. “As we’ve pledged from the beginning of this debate, Republicans are delivering sensible solutions that will expand access to affordable, quality care at a price our country can afford."
