California elected officials react to historic health care overhaul

AP Photo/Pool
The final vote the health care bill 3962 is shown as members of the house attend the vote on Saturday Nov. 7, 2009 in Washington. In a victory for President Barack Obama, the Democratic-controlled House narrowly passed landmark health care legislation Saturday night to expand coverage to tens of millions who lack it and place tough new restrictions on the insurance industry. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.
Nov. 7, 2009 | The Associated Press

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says its a good thing. at least one democratic congresswoman who voted for the health care reform measure says she may not be able to vote for it in the final form

Rep. Jane Harman, D-El Segundo, says it will be hard for her to vote for the final bill if it includes the anti-abortion amendment sponsored by Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.

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"The Stupak amendment would essentially make it impossible for most women to use their own funds to purchase insurance to pay for abortions,'' she said in a statement. ``This is not chipping away at a woman's right to choose, this is an outright assault on my constitutional rights -- and it is wrong.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he was ``encouraged'' by the House vote.

``I have long supported comprehensive health care reform and I am very encouraged by the progress happening in Congress, moving the nation closer than ever before to fixing our broken health care system,'' he said in a statement.

He added that more work is needed to ensure the final reform package slows the growth in health care costs, improves the quality of care and provides health insurance coverage for the uninsured, while also ensuring states are not strapped with unfunded mandates and unfair costs.

``Finding the appropriate balance will be the difference between success and failure, and I urge our federal partners on both sides of the political aisle to continue to work together to prevent this historic opportunity from slipping away,'' he said.

The Republican governor's statement was at odds with the California Republican Party, which issued a statement praising the state's Republican congressional delegation for voting unanimously in opposition to the bill.

``California's Republican members of Congress tonight stood together on the side of the American people and against a giant, costly new health care bureaucracy that will transfer decisions about Americans' health out of the hands of patients and doctors and into thousands of bureaucrats' little cubicles in Washington, D.C.,'' said California Republican Chairman Ron Nehring in a statement.

``Nancy Pelosi's legislative monstrosity will make health care more expensive for families, raise taxes, cut Medicare and put bureaucrats in between doctors and patients. Other than that, it's a great bill,'' he said. ``Republicans will continue to support fiscally responsible health care reforms that empower patients and doctors, not bureaucrats, trial lawyers and tax collectors.''

``I am old enough to remember the days of back-alley abortions. Some women I know had them. I cannot bear the idea that the 111th Congress would restore that horror.''

She said she voted for today's bill, ``but if it contains the Stupak amendment when it emerges from conference committee, my conscience demands that I reconsider my support.''

Rep. Judy Chu, D-El Monte, says she supports the bill, even if it is imperfect.

``With today's passage of H.R. 3962, America has never been closer to truly reforming our broken health care system,'' she said in a statement. ``The magnitude of this accomplishment cannot be overstated ...

``I believe the ultimate goal of health care reform is to provide stable and affordable health care for every American while preserving what works in today's system, expanding choice and containing costs.

``The Affordable Health Care for America Act accomplishes those goals by creating a public health insurance option that would compete on a level playing field with private insurers within the Health Insurance Exchange.

``A bill of this size and complexity can never be perfect. As a long- time supporter of a robust public option, I would have preferred a stronger government plan with the power to better negotiate rates and help keep overall premiums down.

``I am also disappointed that under H.R. 3962, legal immigrants will still have to wait five years before being able to access Medicaid or Medicare benefits. But faced with the choice of reform or continuing the status quo, I felt that I had to support reform, and this bill goes a long way toward reforming our system for the better.''

Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America issued a statement expressing disappointment that a public option was included in the bill.

``The House passed a bill today that includes a government-run health insurance plan that would unfairly compete with the private insurance marketplace, limit consumer choice and increase the taxpayer burden,'' Charles Symington of the group said in a statement. ``This bill picks winners and losers, and small businesses and health care consumers are the biggest losers today.''

He said that to finance the public option, a 5.4 percent surtax would be imposed on small businesses that file as individuals and would force small employers with more than $500,000 in payroll to offer their employees health insurance and subsidize their premiums, 72.5 percent subsidy for individual plans and 65 percent for family plans, and that if a small business cannot afford to provide employee insurance, it will be subject to an 8 percent payroll tax.

``An unreasonable employer mandate coupled with a huge tax increase will put many small businesses in the untenable position of deciding between job cuts, employee pay cuts, or shutting their doors,'' he said. ``Health care reform should not be financed on the backs of small businesses that are struggling to make ends meet in this very difficult economic time.''




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