Olson Opposes Health Care Bill
November 9th, 2009 | by Jamie Mock | Published in News | 11 Comments
District 22 Representative Pete Olson has issued a statement in opposition to the $1 trillion health care bill that passed the House Saturday by a 220-215 vote.
The bill requires individuals to have health insurance and larger businesses to provide health insurance for employees. It also includes a public option that is not tied to Medicare. Most of the cost is due to subsidies to help low- and middle-income people pay for insurance.
“Americans need reforms that will lower costs, increase access and provide coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions while maintaining individual choice in health care,” said Olson in a statement. “As we know in Texas, medical liability reform lowers health costs. Sadly the massive government controlled version of health care envisioned by Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and passed by the House of Representatives with no Republican input today achieves none of these priorities.
“Raising taxes, eliminating choices for Americans and placing the government in charge of health care is not reform at all. That is why I opposed this bill and encourage the Senate to consider implementing some of the Republicans proposals or start all over from scratch. If Congress truly worked on this together, we could achieve meaningful reforms that do not place jobs and our economy at risk or remove personal decisions from how individuals manage health care.”
Unemployment numbers and a “fragile economy” are among the reasons Olson does not support the bill, saying the employer mandate “will kill more than 5.5 million jobs during a time of growing unemployment.”
Olson also said that employers in District 22 have said that discontinuing private insurance for employees and paying a mandatory 8 percent surtax “makes the most economic sense,” which would mean employees would not have the option to keep their current health insurance.
Olson also lists cuts to Medicare, lack of tort reform, cuts to physician-owned hospitals and removing choice for individual coverage among his reasons for not supporting the Democratic plan.
“Our alternative gives small businesses the same tax incentives for providing health [insurance] that large corporations have,” said Olson of the republican alternative. “It allows small businesses to band together to negotiate lower premiums to provide affordable coverage to employees and provides high risk pools to provide coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.”
November 9th, 2009 at 9:58 am (#)
The leftists are going to try and cram this down out throats despite the fact 52% of Americans are opposed to it. Why do the leftists insist on going against the will of the people?
Who do they think they are anyway? Someone needs to remind them they’re supposed to represent us. Voters should remind
them on election day.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:18 am (#)
They couldn’t even run a podunk program like ‘Cash For Clunkers’, what makes them think they’ll be able to handle
trillion $$ health care?
November 9th, 2009 at 10:19 am (#)
I agree.
When did politicians becomes ‘leaders’? They aren’t leaders, they are elected officials. We, the people are the leaders. I can’t stand a politician that feels they know what is best for everyone else… as if we ‘common’ folk can’t be trusted to know what we want and what is best for us.
Down with oppression.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:33 am (#)
In order to stop this train wreck, we must support alternative candidates in our democratic congressional districts. If Jackson Lee and Gene Green voted for this, then we need to support the candidates running against them in our next election. I suspect the support is already taking place and IF healthcare reform gets passed with Public Option, Abortion, with the inclusion of illegal aliens then many many dems will lose their seats and guys like Olson will move up the ranks and become more powerful. We will see change, no doubt about it. Healthcare may well be the catalyst for the change.
November 9th, 2009 at 10:44 am (#)
Queen Sheila and Gene Green needs their walking papers!
November 9th, 2009 at 10:49 am (#)
The good news is Obamacare is DOA in the Senate.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:51 am (#)
Pete’s common sense approach flummoxes liberals. They’re used to emotions, rumors, and feelings influencing their decisions.
November 10th, 2009 at 6:59 am (#)
wow another dose of common sense! I attended the Olson fund raiser with guest speaker House Minority Whip Eric Cantor and could not help to compare the doom and gloom of liberal/progressives to the upbeat energy of the repubs. Its was so positive last night the few liberals there trying to cast doomNgloom on the dinner left in a huff. Ragean must have been smiling.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:48 am (#)
wow another dose of common sense! I attended the Olson fund raiser with guest speaker House Minority Whip Eric Cantor and could not help to compare the doom and gloom of liberal/progressives to the upbeat energy of the repubs. Its was so positive last night the few liberals there trying to cast doomNgloom on the dinner left in a huff. Ragean must have been smiling.
I didn’t see Shelia Jackass Lee there.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:19 am (#)
FBC- There must not have been a news camera there. That’s what brings SJL out of the woodwork.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:45 am (#)
Shelia Jackazz Lee made Marvin Zindler look shy