MURPHY TO VOTE "YES" ON HEALTH CARE BILL
Carole Osterink
ccSCOOP Editor
03-19-10 - 8:11 p.m. - At 6:18 p.m. today, Open Left reported that Congressman Scott Murphy was the seventh member of the House to change his vote from no to yes on the health care reform bill.
At 7:38 p.m., Murphy's press office released the following statement from the Congressman:
"Last November, I voted against the House health care reform legislation
because I did not believe it adequately addressed the fundamentally
flawed system that has led to skyrocketing health care costs, bankrupt
families, and excessive profits for insurance companies. In the months
since that vote, I have worked closely with my constituents, my
colleagues in Congress, and with President Obama to address many of
these concerns and ultimately strengthen this legislation." |
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Murphy talking about health care last August in Columbia County |
"From the beginning, I have said that I support meaningful health care
reform that is fiscally responsible and stops the out of control growth
of health care costs. This legislation will not only make coverage more
affordable for New York families, but it will also reduce the federal
deficit by $138 billion in the first ten years and $1.2 trillion over
the next ten.
"Furthermore, this bill is serious about slowing the out of control
growth of health care costs that are devastating our families and small
businesses. I am pleased that the final legislation reflects many of my
recommendations to encourage individuals to make healthy choices, reward
doctors based on quality outcomes, and combat Medicare fraud and abuse.
By simply implementing several common sense policies, we can slow the
rising costs of health care for New York families.
"As a small businessman, I am also keenly aware of the impact rising
health care costs have on small businesses and New York's economy. The
bill before us makes significant improvements over the House-passed
legislation by eliminating the employer mandate for small businesses,
providing meaningful tax incentives, as well as creating heath care
exchanges that allow businesses to band together to negotiate better
prices from insurance companies. On a local level, I fought to ensure
that several of our largest employers-paper mills and medical device
manufacturers-are treated fairly under this legislation. These reforms
will ensure that our local businesses can continue to provide quality
coverage while creating jobs and driving economic growth.
"Over the last year, I have held more than 100 district events to ensure
an open and honest discussion about health care reform. I have
listened very carefully to the diverse views of our district. Yet
despite all of our differences, we remain united in the basic belief
that our current health care system can be improved. This legislation
takes health care choices out of the hands of insurance companies and
puts them back in the hands of families and doctors. These reforms will
ensure that insurance companies are prohibited from the practices of
excluding those with pre-existing conditions, capping benefits, and
discontinuing coverage when people get sick.
"Lastly, to put this in very personal terms, I'm here today in
Washington with my son Duke, who is 4. This year, our nation will spend
over $2.6 trillion on health care, up from $2.3 trillion last year, and
the rate of spending is only increasing. If we do not act to reign in
this out of control system, by the time he graduates high school we will
be spending over $7 trillion a year on health care. For these reasons,
I intend to vote Yes on the President's health care reform legislation."
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