December 9th, 2009, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Bill Wilson today urged Maine Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to oppose the “public option” trigger now proposed by Senate Democrats, a plan that would implement the “public option” based on the insurance company participation in establishing “non-profit” plans.
According to TalkingPointsMemo.com, under the plan “Insurance companies will have the option of creating nationally-based non-profit insurance plans that would offered on the exchanges in every state. However, according to the aide, if insurance companies don’t step up to the plate to offer such plans, that will trigger a national public option.”
“A vote for a triggered ‘public option’ is the same as a vote for the ‘public option,’” Wilson said. “Everyone knows the game will be rigged so that the trigger will automatically be pulled later. The fact is, the Reid proposal authorizes the establishment of the ‘public option,’ and that is reason enough to vote no.”
“Only Senators Snowe and Collins can stop this madness,” Wilson declared. “Now is a time for choosing for Senators Snowe and Collins, with the ‘public option’ aimed at the American people.”
“They must decide whether they will be the ones who pull the ‘trigger’ and help the government take over the nation’s entire health system. Or, whether they will stand with the American people and stop the trigger from being pulled,” Wilson explained.
In the latest Rasmussen Reports poll, 51 percent of voters surveyed say they oppose the proposed legislation. Only 41 percent support it.
“This plan will only result in the establishment of the government-run ‘public option’ that will lose trillions of dollars, ration of health care away from seniors, raise the cost of premiums, drive the American people off of private health options, and bankrupt the Treasury,” Wilson said.
A recent Congressional Budget Office study states, “Average premiums per policy in the non-group market would in 2016 would be roughly $5,800 for single policies and $15,200 for family policies under the proposal, compared with roughly $5,500 for single policies and $13,100 for family policies under current law.”
The Senate version of the “public option” will start operating at massive deficits starting in 2015, according to an Americans for Limited Government analysis of Congressional Budget Office data. By 2019, the “public option” will have spent some $361 billion more than it took in via new taxes.
“Senators Snowe and Collins can be heroes if they stop this highly unpopular, budget-busting government power grab. They are in an historic position to save health care for millions of Americans,” Wilson concluded.
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