Peters Statement Regarding Shooting of Rep. Giffords

Press Release

Representative Gary Peters (MI-9) today criticized House Republican efforts to repeal landmark health care reforms instead of focusing on addressing the nation's job crisis. Peters called the effort a partisan, reckless move that will balloon the deficit, and put people at risk.

"Going back to the days when insurance companies had free reign to end health care coverage for the sick or cherry pick who gets coverage and who doesn't is not an option," said Representative Peters. "This reckless effort by House leadership will increase prescription drug costs for seniors and raise taxes on individuals and small businesses while further exploding the deficit."

Yesterday, Representative Peters offered an amendment to the health care repeal bill that would preserve the tax credits that will help small businesses provide private health insurance coverage to their employees. "Our focus should be on adding jobs, not raising taxes on the small business owners who create them. If this repeal bill were to be enacted into law it would make it more expensive for companies to expand and hire new employees, and endanger continued economic recovery."

If Republicans were successful in repealing the new health care reform law, critical new consumer protections and cost controls would be lost meaning:

* Insurance companies would once again be able to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and end coverage when they get sick. 6 million people in Michigan with private health insurance would again be vulnerable to denial of coverage because of illness.

* Seniors would pay thousands more in prescription drug costs, including 66,217 in Michigan who would see significantly higher prescription drug costs.

* Young adults would no longer be able to remain on their parents policies until age 26. In Michigan, 32,800 young adults would lose their insurance coverage.

* The Deficit would balloon by $142 billion over 10 years, and $1.2 trillion over 20 years.

* Tax cuts for small businesses and individuals that buy health care would be eliminated.

* 30 million Americans would remain uninsured, including approximately 910,000 in Michigan.

"House leadership needs to understand that the first thing this Congress should do is pass legislation that will help get the economy moving again, not do the biding of the insurance lobby by taking away health care coverage for families," said Peters.

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