By STEWART M. POWELL – Nov. 4, 2009
WASHINGTON — In one last salvo aimed at the House Democratic plan to overhaul health care, Houston-area Republican congressmen claimed Wednesday that famed medical institutions such as the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the Texas Medical Center will suffer the brunt of a federally controlled medical system.
“Once this (Democratic) bill passes those great institutions will be run by the federal government, and they’ll be controlled by the federal government,” cautioned Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston. “The federal government will be in control of who gets paid, how much they get paid and whether or not you get the procedure.”
The GOP lawmakers are hoping to raise the specter of unchecked federal intrusion into the facilities and the nation’s $2.3 trillion health care system as the House prepares to debate rival Democratic and GOP proposals. A House vote could happen this weekend.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, said the lawmakers gleaned a “very loud and clear” message from consultations with Houston-area hospital officials who fear the Democrats’ health care reform will destroy American medicine. The Texas Republicans said provisions in the Democratic measure also could force closure of planned or existing doctor-owned hospitals across Texas, taking jobs and jeopardizing $1 billion in investments, among other things.
Democrats’ proposal would create a fallback government-run insurance plan to help cover some of the estimated 47 million uninsured. Republicans would rely on insurance reforms to expand coverage.
“It’s not take the Democratic bill or leave it,” Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, said. “Here’s another choice.”
GOP lawmakers complained that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., thwarted Republican participation in negotiations that led to the Democratic package that’s due to move through the House before the Veterans Day recess.
“We can fix this with bipartisan effort,” said Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land. “But unfortunately, that olive branch hasn’t been extended.”
Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, remains a strong advocate of the Democrats’ proposal.“While we still have work to do, the current version of the House of Representatives legislation builds on what works in today’s health care system and fixes the parts that are broken,” Green says. “It keeps current health care plans and coverage, while not forcing anyone to change insurance options.”
John Culberson should be voted out of office, unless he gets out of the pocket of the insurance companies and gets behind reform of our country’s health care. It is a national disgrace that the richest nation in the world leaves so many of its people without health care. Does Rep Culberson not understand that we are all in this together. We either care about our fellow Americans, regardless of their economic means, or we do not. Unfortunately, to date, Rep Culberson has shown that he does not. For God’s sake, stop trying to frighten us about the dire consequences of the federal government “taking over health care” and get on with taking care of the American people, ALL of them.
I am outraged, appalled and frightened for the future of Americans when the speaker of the house and the president of the U. S. A. conspires to circumvent the public’s ’say’ in a critical issue such as Health Care Reform. The very idea that the articles of the bill that will be voted upon shortly is being hidden from the people and from the reps who will vote on it is nothing short of CRIMINAL! CRIMINAL!
Our nation has stooped to a new low. I am ashamed in the eyes of the American public, other countries, and our children. The ramifications of this behavior are astronomical. Something must be done about this deception. The president and speaker of The House are convinced that we are idiots and must be ‘kept from the ugly truth.’ The ugly truth is that we must be ashamed of what has become of us.
What HAS become of us?