Rep. John Kline (R-MN), senior Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, came out of today’s White House health care summit calling on Democrats to set aside their controversial government takeover of health care and allow a vote on step-by-step reforms that will bring down the cost of health care. Kline outlined a plan to make health care less expensive for small businesses - one of several solutions put on the table by Republicans in an effort to reach bipartisan agreement. Yet Democrats refused to scrap their existing, 2,700 page plan and left open the possibility of forcing it to a vote through what has been described as a legislative “trick."
“Today’s meeting between Congressional leaders and the White House was a stark reminder to the American people that there are fundamental differences between those who want to grow the size, scope, and power of the federal government and those who believe Americans should be in charge of their own health care decisions," said Rep. Kline. “It is disappointing that the Administration and congressional Democrats immediately declined to do what the American people have asked for - to scrap this current big government health care takeover and start over with a step-by-step approach to reform. The costs of not closing the book on a big government plan weigh heavily on all Americans but particularly our small businesses that are set to see their cost of doing business skyrocket under new mandates and tax increases."
Key to expanding an affordable health insurance market for smaller employers would be to establish small business health plans. These partnerships would allow small businesses to band together in associations and spread the risk of issuing insurance, thereby lowering the cost of health care for employers and employees.
“At today’s summit, we outlined a different approach to health care reform. For small businesses, our plan would expand access to affordable health insurance by giving them the same advantages enjoyed by large corporations and unions. This contrasts with the Democrats’ plan, which would subject employers to a new federal bureaucracy that will dictate a raft of rules and red tape. On issue after issue, we’re fighting for sensible solutions that drive down costs without upending one-sixth of our nation’s economy and reshaping the way Americans get health care," said Kline.
