November 9th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today condemned Congressman Marion Berry for voting to approve “$2.1 trillion takeover of the nation’s entire health care sector in spite of overwhelming public opposition to the measure.”
Americans for Limited Government estimates the legislation will cost $2.1 trillion over ten years once fully implemented, and “will drive millions Americans off of private, employer-based health care, on to substandard, below-average government-run care, and open the door for a single payer system,” said Wilson.
The final vote was 220 to 215.
“This Congress is rotten to its core,” said Wilson, adding, “Congressman Berry no longer represents his constituents—instead, he serves the Washington political elite. He has succumbed to the insider deals, handouts, and kickbacks Nancy Pelosi needed to secure the votes for the federal government to claim an iron grip of one-sixth of the nation’s economy.”
Citing the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate of H.R. 3962, Wilson said, “This bill will raise taxes by more than $780 billion and cut Medicare by more than $450 billion. In the process, Congressman Berry is enraging political independents and seniors in his district, both critical voting blocs for whom dozens of vulnerable members in the majority must answer to.”
“Congressman Berry, who voted for this abomination, has signed a political suicide pact for which he will be held accountable,” Wilson declared. “He has gone against the express will of his constituents who opposed this legislation.”
The bill would force millions of uninsured Americans to obtain insurance or else pay a fine, includes employer mandates, and creates a national, government-run “public option.” Americans for Limited Government estimates more than 45 million Americans would ultimately be required to enroll in government care at an average cost of $4,700 per individual to taxpayers.
“As health care costs skyrocket because of the elimination of the private sector health options contained in this bill, so too will the costs owed by taxpayers, resulting in hundreds of billions of deficit-spending,” said Wilson. “Because insurance under the plan is mandatory, the more private insurers that are driven out of business by diminishing insurance pools, the more Americans who will be forced onto government-run and subsidized care.”
“This bill will ration care away from seniors, water down and reduce the quality of everyone’s care , increase health premiums, put bureaucrats between doctors and patients, break the public treasury, and leave taxpayers with a bill that cannot possibly be paid back,” Wilson added.
According to Rasmussen Reports, 54 percent of voters oppose the “public option” proposed, which only 42 percent support. In addition, James Carville’s Democracy Corps polls found a full 54 percent of seniors oppose the nationalized health care plan. According to the poll conducted in June, 41 percent of seniors strongly oppose the Obama plan and only 14 percent strongly favor it.
“To pass this monstrosity on the heels of Tuesday’s overwhelming election results against her party, Nancy Pelosi has clearly lost her mind and needs to check her meds. She doesn’t care if vulnerable members like Congressman Berry in her caucus are wiped out in 2010 or not,” Wilson said.
“Congressman Berry is throwing away seniors as a political constituency,” Wilson said, adding, “He has alienated independents, who see their children and children’s children being burdened with an unsustainable debt that will rise to $20 trillion in 2020 and top the Gross Domestic Product in 2011.”
“And Congressman Berry must know there will be a price to be paid for voting for the health care takeover against the express wishes of tens of millions of Americans who like their private health options and want to keep them,” Wilson concluded.
