Washington, DC – Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI) issued the following statement on today’s introduction of the House Democrats’ proposed government takeover of health care:

“Speaker Pelosi’s $1 trillion government-takeover of health care will force millions of Americans to lose their current health insurance, increase premiums and impose massive new taxes and mandates on employers, especially small businesses.  With unemployment rapidly approaching 10 percent, it is not surprising that Senate leaders have all but declared many of these provisions dead on arrival.

“Worse yet, the Democrats put the federal government in charge of your personal health care decisions. This will lead to longer wait times to see a doctor and more treatments being denied. Canada regularly sends premature babies to be cared for in the U.S. Cancer survival rates are much lower in countries where the government controls the health care system.  Why is the Speaker suggesting we copy those failed models?

“Republicans believe a better way reform health care is to focus on bringing down the cost of health care, not simply spending $1 trillion more on it.  We do that by: 1) getting rid of junk lawsuits that force doctors to order unnecessary tests and drive up costs, 2) reforming outdated health insurance regulations so small employers and individuals get tax incentives and the purchasing power like those of large corporations, and 3) eliminating the waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid that is costing taxpayers billions of dollars every year.”

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