Oklahoma delegation rejects health care study

WASHINGTON — As House Democratic leaders continued to hunt for votes on sweeping health care legislation, a congressional committee reported Wednesday that the bill would improve coverage for nearly 2 million Oklahomans.

It also would provide tax credits to almost 1 million families and 80,000 small businesses in the state and improve Medicare for 582,000 seniors.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee released estimates — based on data from the Census bureau, the Congressional Budget Office and other federal agencies and departments — of how the bill would benefit people in all 435 of the nation’s congressional districts.

According to the committee, 135,000 uninsured people in Rep. Dan Boren’s district would get coverage if the bill is passed and 19 community health centers would get millions more dollars in federal aid.

But Boren, the only Democrat in the Oklahoma congressional delegation, remained firmly opposed to the bill on Wednesday and wasn’t even being lobbied by Democrats trying to get 216 votes for the bill passed by the Senate and a package of changes to the legislation.

Boren, D-Muskogee, said Wednesday, "I think everyone is in agreement that access and affordability of health care is a large problem both in my district and across America. The question is how do we address it?

"I think the worst way to deal with these challenges is to raise taxes on individuals, impose job killing mandates on small businesses and cut seniors’ Medicare Advantage benefits.

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