Time for Hall to Take a Stance: Pelosi Unveils Trillion-Dollar Healthcare Bill

Where Does John Hall Stand on Healthcare Takeover’s Higher Costs, Increased Taxes, and Cuts to Medicare?

Washington- After months of horse trading and party infighting, Democrats have finally introduced their government healthcare takeover bill. Now that they’ve gotten around to putting something on the table, it’s time for John Hall to make his position on this final product known: Will he stand up against higher taxes, fewer jobs and sweeping cuts to Medicare? Or will Hall side with Nancy Pelosi and the rest of his friends in Washington to support his party’s reckless march toward government-run healthcare?

Contrary to Democrat leaders’ claims that their bill for government-run healthcare is more palatable to the ‘moderate’ wing of the Democrat party, one senior liberal stated otherwise:

“But there were signs Tuesday that at least some prominent advocates of a left-leaning reform package were ready to deal in the interest of moving a bill. Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), who has introduced a measure to create a single-payer universal health care system every Congress since he was elected, pressed a closed-door huddle of House Democrats on the urgency of swift action...‘I want single payer, but I’m smart enough to know what we have here is progress.’” (Tory Newmyer, “House Leaders Ready to Unveil Moderate-Favored Plan,” Roll Call, 10/28/09)

Without question, the Democrats’ bill reeks of government-run healthcare. Priced at a whopping $1 trillion, it forces companies to comply with stringent regulations and imposes drastic fines for noncompliance.

“The final product in the House, reflecting many of President Barack Obama's priorities, includes new requirements for employers to offer insurance to their workers or face penalties, fines on Americans who don't purchase coverage and subsidies to help lower-income people do so. Insurance companies would face new prohibitions against charging much more to older people or denying coverage to people with health conditions…The price tag, topping $1 trillion over 10 years…” (Erica Werner, “House Democrats to unveil health bill with government-run insurance, hefty sign-up requirement,” Associated Press, 10/27/2009)

“Now that the Democrats’ takeover of healthcare has been revealed, John Hall owes New Yorkers an answer: Will he side with them or his friends in Washington?” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “John Hall's support for a massive healthcare takeover would be nothing more than a spineless attempt to appease his party bosses and line his own campaign coffers while New York families are stuck with the price tag for a bill that raises taxes, kills jobs, and slashes Medicare. With the bill finally public, Hall can either take a stand for New York taxpayers or turn her back on them in an attempt to gain favor with his Washington party bosses.”