Congressional Delegation Reacts to Health Care Bill Analysis

Republicans in the Oklahoma congressional delegation reacted today to a new analysis of the health care bill written at the federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid:

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa:
“This report from President Obama’s own Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) confirms what those of us against the government takeover of health care feared. As a result of the passage of the Democrats socialized medicine measure, health care costs are expected to increase faster than they otherwise would have. This will have a negative impact on Oklahomans, especially the elderly and those living in rural portions of our state. The Democrat leadership in Congress rushed this through without regard for this type of information, and now Americans are faced with tax increases, premium increases, cost increases and an overall reduction in the quality of their care.”

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Muskogee:
“A new independent report from the Obama Administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services confirms that the health care bill will increase costs and cause seven million seniors in Oklahoma and across America to lose their coverage. This is another indication that the bill will not work as advertised. Sooner or later, I believe the American people will insist this bill be repealed and replaced with solutions that work.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore:
“This report validates all of Oklahomans’ worst fears about ObamaCare. The president’s own analysts have now verified that concerns about cost hikes, Medicare cuts, and doctor shortages aren’t just slogans — they’re the new reality now that government-controlled health care is the law of the land. We knew from the start that claims like ‘if you like your health care, you can keep it’ were false, and now CMS has confirmed that 14 million people will likely lose their employer-provided coverage, not to mention all the seniors who will lose coverage when Medicare providers drop out of the program. It’s a shame that President Obama and Speaker Pelosi didn’t listen to the American people, who knew all along that this plan was a disaster.”

U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City:
“The report confirms what we feared all along. This misguided health care bill will increase costs on American families and businesses as they struggle to recover from the worst economic recession in a generation. It’s time to stop taxing and regulating families and businesses into the ground and provide them with the freedom and incentives they need to grow and prosper. That is why I support repealing the recently-passed health care bill and replacing it with cost-saving, market-based reforms that will increase consumer choices while driving down the excessive costs that have shut so many people out of our health care system in the past.”