Dems Vote to Strengthen Failing Healthcare Program that is Hurting American Small Businesses
| Jason Altmire (PA-04), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Lois Capps (CA-24), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Kathy Castor (FL-11), David Cicilline (RI-01), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark Critz (PA-12), John Garamendi (CA-03), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Tim Holden (PA-17), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Steve Israel (NY-02), Bill Keating (MA-09), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Gary Peters (MI-09), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Loretta Sanchez (CA-46), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-16), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-21), Niki Tsongas (MA-03), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)
Kissell Votes to Strengthen Failing Healthcare Program that is Hurting American Small Businesses
North Carolina Democrat Again Toes the Party Line to Defend the Government Takeover of Healthcare Which Continues to Burden America’s Economy WASHINGTON — The CLASS Act is one of the most egregiously flawed elements of the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare, but Larry Kissell toed the party line today and voted to keep the failing program. Despite the fact that the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare has left more Americans uninsured and continues to crush small businesses with new mandates and fees, Kissell has demonstrated multiple times now that he will defend the law at all costs. “Larry Kissell is so committed to defending his big-spending Democrat policies that he won’t even agree to reform the most obviously flawed and failed programs in the government takeover of healthcare,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “Kissell refused to consider common-sense reform efforts even though American families and small businesses are increasingly struggling with the consequences and price tag of the Democrats’ healthcare takeover.” Even the Obama Administration admitted the CLASS Act portion of their government takeover of health care is fiscally “too flawed to salvage”: “HHS officials acknowledged that CLASS fell apart simply because it was too flawed to salvage.” (Sam Baker, “Obama’s HHS ends controversial program in health reform law,” The Hill‘s Healthwatch Blog, 10/14/11)
But Democrats want to keep the program in place simply to block Republicans from achieving a policy victory, regardless of its merit: “It’s not as though the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act is generating good press for President Barack Obama’s health care law. In fact, Republicans are sure they can make it a symbol of the out-of-control spending they think the rest of the law would cause.
“When a program is loathed this much by congressional Republicans and doesn’t even generate much enthusiasm among Democrats, why fight repeal? Because the effort to repeal CLASS really doesn’t get the Republicans anywhere, according to Democratic strategists — so there’s no reason for Democrats to accept repeal or give the effort any attention.” (Brett Norman and Jennifer Haberkorn, “CLASS Act: Abandoned yet defended,” Politico, 1/31/12)Larry Kissell voted against the Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act of 2011 which would repeal the failed CLASS Act. (H.R. 1173, Roll Call #18, Passed 267-159: R 239-0; D 28-159, 2/1/12) Larry Kissell once again marched alongside his Democrat leaders in defending their government takeover of healthcare, even though its consequences continue to pile up. Kissell’s legacy from this vote is leaving American taxpayers with a health insurance program so fiscally flawed it cannot function properly, even though 2012 is projected to be another year with a trillion dollar deficit.
###
|