Press Releases
Bucshon votes to Repeal Obamacare
Washington, DC,
May 17, 2013
Yesterday, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 45, a bill to comprehensively repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), most commonly known as Obamacare. H.R. 45 is the first vote for full repeal of Obamacare in the 113th Congress. Representative Larry Bucshon (IN-08) released the following statement: “Because of this ‘train wreck’ of a law, many Americans are losing their employer provided health insurance, having their workweek cut back to part-time, and seeing their premiums increase while businesses are strapped with job killing taxes, like the medical device tax. This specific tax has already caused many businesses to scrap plans to expand and create much needed jobs here in Indiana. “As a physician, I understand that this law fails to help patients get access to quality, affordable healthcare, prevents businesses from expanding and creating much needed jobs, and puts government bureaucrats between the patient and their doctor. The IRS is intrusive, untrustworthy and is targeting American citizens on the basis of politics, yet this agency is expanded by Obamacare and will be responsible for the implementation of much of the law. “It is no wonder 49 percent of the American people have said the law is so complicated they are having a hard time figuring out how implementation will affect their family. As a physician and member of Congress, I am part of that 49 percent. “That is why I am proud to support our nation’s patients by voting to repeal this disastrous law so that we can replace it with common sense, patient centered reforms.” BACKGROUND: Rep. Bucshon participated in a press conference with the GOP Doctors Caucus to highlight the third anniversary of Obamacare becoming law. He also spoke on the House floor today to explain why Obamacare should be repealed. That video can be accessed here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrwJft46NPc. Bucshon: Obamacare's burden on school districts. Indiana is home to over 300 medical device companies, creating over 54,800 jobs that pay an average salary of $59,706 dollars and the medical device industry provides a $50 billion dollars to Indiana’s economy. The healthcare law levies a 2.3% excise tax on this industry. Because of this, many companies have decided not to expand and many across the county have announced layoffs. The House has voted 37 times to fully and partially repeal, defund, or dismantle the law. Of those votes, 7 different bills have been signed into law that directly repeal or rescind funding from at least 8 different Obamacare provisions. On March 14, 2013, members of the Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to 17 of the nation's largest health insurance companies requesting analyses of the effect of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (PPACA's) policies, mandates, taxes, and fees on health insurance premiums. The report can be found here - http://energycommerce.house.gov/rate-shock. The report, “chronicles the massive premium increases awaiting Americans when full implementation of the PPACA occurs in eight months, definitively contradicting the promise that the law will lower costs. As this report demonstrates, consumers purchasing health insurance on the individual market may face premium increases of nearly 100 percent on average, with potential highs eclipsing 400 percent. Meanwhile, small businesses can expect average premium increases in the small group market of up to 50 percent, with potential highs over 100 percent.”
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