When Congressional Democrats bring their healthcare reform legislation to the House floor, I will be voting NO and I want to take a few moments to explain why.  Everyone agrees that our healthcare system needs to be reformed.  Healthcare in America is too expensive and too many Idaho families are worried about losing or have already lost their health coverage.  Businesses, small and large alike, are struggling to provide health insurance for their employees, and too many are being forced to ask employees to share the cost of higher premiums and co-payments in response. 

Regrettably, rather than working on real reforms to improve access to healthcare for all Americans, Democrats in the House are debating a bill that would raise Americans’ taxes, create a massive new tax burden and do little to address the problems in our current health system.  Rather, at a cost of more than a TRILLION dollars, HR 3200, the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, will create a government-run healthcare program that will cause millions of Americans to lose their current coverage, place new burdensome requirements on small businesses and individuals, put seniors’ access to care at risk by decreasing Medicare reimbursements, and increase taxes on our nation’s small business owners, farmers, ranchers, and families.  I cannot and will not support this legislation.