Health Care Reform Cost: The Latest Estimates And Gimmicks

Statement

Dear Neighbor,

Many of you have called my office or written asking what you can do to help prevent the passage of this health care bill that would radically alter 20% of our economy. You may wonder if your calls, emails, letters to the editor are working and I can tell you, they are helping. I have received over 10,000 contacts from my constituents on this issue. Almost 5 to 1 are against Nancy Pelosi's health reform bill. Democratic House members, especially conservative Democrats, are feeling the pressure.

Right now the Pelosi Majority is touting a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) preliminary cost estimate of the health care bill and stating that it will reduce the deficit and control costs. However, removing the budget gimmicks, the actual cost of the Democrat's health care bill, estimated by the Senate Budget Committee, would increase the deficit by $582 billion over the first ten years and increase the deficit by $1.6 trillion over the second ten years.

In short, the proposed Health Care bill in front of the House of Representatives:

* Expands entitlement spending by roughly $1 trillion.
* Hits the American people with over half-a-trillion in tax hikes.
* Uses Medicare as a piggy bank -- nearly half-a-trillion in Medicare cuts to create a new entitlement.
* Includes elaborate gimmicks that hide the true cost of the bill.

One example of budget gimmicks is the $463 billion cut from Medicare. The cut is counted as "savings" but at the same time, Pelosi claims that the bill extends the solvency of Medicare. You can't cut a program that is currently underfunded and on its way to insolvency, claim that cut as a savings and then declare that Medicare is solvent. The $463 billion in "cuts" is counted twice when it shouldn't be counted as a savings at all.

This week I went to the House Floor to give a speech against the health care reform bill precisely because of the irresponsible cuts and the $1 trillion price tag. You can watch the video here. Full text of the speech is below.

We must reject this Pelosi nationalization of our health care system and start over with the solutions that America wants: guaranteed issue and renewal of coverage, no health coverage exclusions for those with pre-existing conditions, and no lifetime or annual limits on benefits.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for being so active on the issue and making your voice heard. I appreciate hearing your opinions about my position and I will continue to make your voice heard here in Washington, D.C.

Sincerely,

KEN CALVERT
Member of Congress

Madam Speaker:

Right now, behind closed doors, negotiations are taking place on the $1 trillion dollar bill to provide for the government takeover of health care.

I find it baffling that instead of talking about jobs, my friends on the other side of the aisle continue down a path to radically alter 20% of our economy. Small businesses continue to struggle -- but rather than creating an environment that eases the financial burdens on businesses, the Administration and this Congress are creating uncertainty through health care reform, cap and tax, deficit spending and looming tax increases. A recent analysis of the current health care bill shows that it could cost America one million jobs by the end of this decade. That is unacceptable.

I recently polled my constituents and two-thirds are absolutely opposed to the health care bill. They want Congress to start over and focus on the items we agree on. Let's return to the question of how do we make health care more accessible, more efficient and less expensive. Let's kill this bill and save American freedom and our economy. Thank you and I deem back the balance of my time.

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