“These 30 senators have clearly lost track of even the most rudimentary accounting procedures,” said Wilson, adding that, “The so-called ‘public option’ would take one-sixth of the nation’s economy and put it in the hands of an already bankrupt government. In the process, the quality of everyone’s health care would be watered down, Medicare would be severely cut, and they would further bankrupt the public treasury.”

The letter from Senate Democrats to Reid stated, “[W]e are asking for your leadership on ensuring that the merged health reform bill contains a public insurance option.”

Wilson pointed to Senator Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) opposition to the “public option,” who said it would likely face the same problems as Medicare and Medicaid. “Why don’t we fix the two public options we have now instead of creating a third one… I think if you asked, do you want a public option but it would force the government to go bankrupt, people would say no.”

“The Senate should be listening to Senator Landrieu’s voice of moderation on this issue,” said Wilson.

According to the Associated Press, Reid intends to include the “public “option” in the final bill before the Senate.

“Senators must reconsider and reject this radical approach that will add trillions of dollars to the national debt over the coming years, does not pay for itself, and will destroy private health options by making them unaffordable. They must not follow Reid’s lead into financial oblivion,” Wilson said.

Wilson disagreed with the letter which stated, “Without a not-for-profit public insurance alternative that competes with… insurers based on premium rates and quality, insurers will have free rein to increase insurance premiums and drive up the cost of federal subsidies tied to those premiums.”

“Simply, increased government involvement in health care will increase the costs associated with delivering health care. What these senators are really arguing for is a practical, government-run monopoly over delivering care,” Wilson said.

Wilson pointed to a recent Price Waterhouse Cooper report commissioned by America’s Health Insurance Plans that stated, “by 2019 the cost of single coverage is expected to increase by $1,500 more than it would under the current system and the cost of family coverage is expected to increase by $4,000 more than it would under the current system.”

The report continues, “This amounts to an additional 18 percent increase in premiums by 2019.” The report states that this average increase is a “composite of increases by market segment”: a 49 percent increase for the individual market, a 28 percent increase for employers with fewer than 50 employees, an 11 percent increase for larger employers, and a 9 percent increase for self-insured employers.

According to Rasmussen Reports, 57 percent of voters nationwide believe it will raise the cost of health care, and 53 percent believe the quality of care will get worse. A full 51 percent are opposed to the plan. And 63 percent “are strongly opposed to a public option if they think it could lead employers to drop the existing coverage they provide employees.”

Americans for Limited Government estimates that the “public option” will cost taxpayers some $2.1 trillion over ten years, and “leave the nation in a downward spiral of declining quality while costs skyrocket and taxpayers are broken.”

According to analysis by the Congressional Budget Office, the Senate Finance Committee bill will cut Medicare and Medicaid by approximately $404 billion, and include tax increases of $406 billion over ten years.

“The nation does not need a ‘public option.’ As Senator Landrieu points out, the unsustainable public options we have are already rapidly driving the nation into bankruptcy. What Congress ought to be focused on is entitlement reform, not entitlement expansion,” Wilson concluded.

Interview Availability: Please contact Alex Rosenwald at (703)383-0880 or at arosenwald@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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Wilson pointed to a recent report by America’s Health Insurance Plans that stated, “by 2019 the cost of single coverage is expected to increase by $1,500 more than it would under the current system and the cost of family coverage is expected to increase by $4,000 more than it would under the current system.”

The report continues, “This amounts to an additional 18 percent increase in premiums by 2019.” The report states that this average increase is a “composite of increases by market segment”: a 49 percent increase for the individual market, a 28 percent increase for employers with fewer than 50 employees, an 11 percent increase for larger employers, and a 9 percent increase for self-insured employers.

“The whole point of so-called health care ‘reform’ was to reduce the costs of health care,” said Wilson. “Now, we learn that the Baucus bill does precisely the opposite—increasing the cost of private premiums at an even faster pace than they would have.”

“Which,” Wilson added, “is the point. The idea is to push Americans off of private health options onto the government-run scheme.”

The Committee voted 14-9 in favor of the Baucus-led bill, which ALG estimates could extend to as many as 45 million at a cost of $2.1 trillion over ten years. Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine was the only Republican voting in favor.

“The Senate Finance Committee has accepted the doctrine of quantity over quality—that every American must have health care, no matter how much government’s mandate that it be so reduces quality over time,” said Wilson.

Wilson pointed to the average cost per individual covered under the Baucus plan, which is $2,858. “The Baucus plan puts the basic price per individual at about $2,000 less than what it actually costs today for a health premium. Which means that the plan will provide below-average medical care to participants, millions of whom will be forced on to the plan,” Wilson explained.

Last week, Wilson blasted the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for “understating” the cost estimates of the Senate Finance Committee bill, which according to ALG estimates was $1.271 trillion off the mark.

Wilson also took issue with the amount of individuals that estimated to be covered under the Senate plan by the CBO. “The CBO estimates that a government program in which 91.5 million people under the age of 65 are technically eligible for will only result in 29 million new enrollees,” Wilson said. “That just does not pass the smell test.”

According to the CBO letter to Senator Max Baucus, taxpayers would subsidize care for those making 400 percent above the poverty level, or individuals who make $43,320 a year or less. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that includes 91.5 million people under the age of 65, or 125.8 million in total. Currently, 80.5 million now receive their health care from the government.

Wilson said that means at least 45 million will be eligible, “and eventually, will be forced on to, by government mandate, on to these government-run plans.”

According to the CBO analysis, the Senate bill will cut Medicare and Medicaid by approximately $404 billion, and include tax increases of $406 billion over ten years.

“Rather than put this bill in the trash where it belongs, the Senate Finance Committee is consigning the American people to a future of health care rationing without their own private options at a cost that will break the public treasury once and for all,” Wilson concluded.

Interview Availability: Please contact Alex Rosenwald at (703)383-0880 or at arosenwald@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office released its cost-estimate of the Baucus-led bill on the Senate side. By 2019, CBO estimates, 29 million more people will be covered with taxpayer-subsidized care. It estimates the final cost will be $829 billion over 10 years.

Wilson said the cost is misleading. “But for some reason, CBO estimates that the total cost per individual per year will only be about $2,858,” said Wilson, adding that “The trouble with that figure is it is a whole lot less than the average cost for a premium in the United States, which is currently $4,700.”

“Which can only mean one of two things. Either, under ObamaCare there will be below-average, watered-down care provided, or the cost estimates are wildly understated and this program will not sustain itself. ALG leans toward the latter,” Wilson declared. “Either way, why should the American people accept a declining quality of care and spiraling deficits all to provide ‘health care for all.’”

“What’s worse, the CBO estimates that a government program in which 91.5 million people under the age of 65 are technically eligible for will only result in 29 million new enrollees,” Wilson said. “That just does not pass the smell test.”

According to the CBO letter to Senator Max Baucus, taxpayers would subsidize care for those making 400 percent above the poverty level, or individuals who make $43,320 a year or less. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that includes 91.5 million people under the age of 65, or 125.8 million in total. Currently, 80.5 million now receive their health care from the government.

“So, in total, one should reasonably expect that, eventually, government-run health care will expand to cover about 45 million more individuals, or 125.8 million in total,” Wilson explained, saying that once fully implemented would cost an additional $2.1 trillion over ten-year intervals.

“The apparent cuts to Medicare and Medicaid of approximately $404 billion, and the tax increases of $406 billion, that the bill proposes over ten years will not even come close to paying for it,” Wilson said.

“Plus, the bill will do nothing to actually contain the costs of medical treatment, equipment, and keeping doctor’s offices and hospitals open,” said Wilson. “In other words, the average cost of health care per individual in the U.S. will still go up.”

Wilson concluded, “The Senate Finance Committee must not fool itself with rosy, low-ball estimates. The true cost of expanding coverage to tens of millions of Americans, increasing taxes, and offering substandard care for seniors will be devastating. They must reject this abomination.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Alex Rosenwald at (703)383-0880 or at arosenwald@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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“Once again, the Democrat-controlled House has voted to sweep outright corruption under the rug on behalf of a fellow party member who failed to report more than $1 million in outside income as required by House rules,” Wilson said.

“The least Congress can do is not have Rangel serving as Chairman of a committee that deals with taxes while an ‘ongoing’ ethics probe into his undisclosed income is taking place,” Wilson added.

The Resolution, proposed by Congressman John Carter, called for Rangel to be removed as Ways and Means Chairman until the Ethics Committee concludes its probe.

Instead, the House voted 246 to 153 to refer the resolution to the Ethics Committee. “A vote to refer the Rangel resolution to the Ethics Committee was a vote against the resolution, plain and simple,” said Wilson.

Rangel is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, but Wilson stated that the committee may be deliberately stalling, writing in a letter last month to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, “[T]he Ethics Committee — comprised of some of Mr. Rangel’s most ardent apologists — has clearly decided to turn its ‘internal investigation’ into an ‘eternal investigation.’ And justice delayed has long since become justice denied.”

According CBS’ Marcia Kramer, Rangel may have gone as far to “influence” members of the Ethics Committee to look the other way: “CBS 2 HD has discovered that since ethics probes began last year the 79-year-old congressman has given campaign donations to 119 members of Congress, including three of the five Democrats on the House Ethics Committee who are charged with investigating him.

The report continues, “Charlie’s ‘angels’ on the committee include Congressmen Ben Chandler of Kentucky, G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina and Peter Welch of Vermont. All have received donations from Rangel.”

“The House Ethics Committee is a joke. And despite months of inquiry into known and blatant infractions of law and House rules, no action has been taken,” Wilson said, comparing the delay to the speed that Congressman Joe Wilson had a resolution brought against him for shouting “You lie!” at Barack Obama during a joint session of Congress. On September 15th, the House voted 240-179 in a resolution against Congressman Wilson, just six days after the speech.

Wilson cited several transgressions that he said could have already been acted upon by the House at large:

1) failure to report over $1 million in outside income and $3 million in business transactions as required by the House,

2) failure to disclose at least $650,000 in assets he had previously failed to list on his House financial disclosure forms,

3) failure to disclose to the IRS or on his financial disclosure forms $75,000 in rental income for a beach villa in the Dominican Republic,

4) violation of state laws by claiming three primary residences and broke municipal laws by maintaining four rent-controlled apartments,

5) violation of House rules by using congressional letterhead to solicit donations for an education center bearing his name at City College of New York, and

6) delinquency in paying his property taxes on two New Jersey parcels and failure to report the sale of a $1.3 million brownstone.

“There was no reason why these repeated violations could not have been addressed today by the House,” said Wilson

Americans for Limited Government recently a petition website, RangelOutNow.org, to encourage Attorney General Eric Holder to immediately investigate Rangel’s “repeated violation of public disclosure laws… [and] exactly how Mr. Rangel came into at least $650,000 in undisclosed income, and to audit the extent of his income.”

Wilson also called upon Holder to “prosecute Mr. Rangel to the fullest extent of the law for any and all infractions of the law.”

Said Wilson, “This is completely upside down. The Ethics Committee is supposed to act on a non-partisan basis. But instead, it is stonewalling the conclusion of the Rangel investigation. And now the House majority has made it clear that no matter what the ethics probe produces, they will do nothing to remove Rangel from his powerful chairmanship. Nancy Pelosi is encouraging the culture of corruption in Washington to blossom.”

Attachments:
ALG President Bill Wilson Letter to Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, September 16th, 2009.

“The Man Who Knew Too Little,” by Carter Clews, August 31st, 2009.

Interview Availability: Please contact Alex Rosenwald at (703)383-0880 or at arosenwald@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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“The Baucus bill would create the equivalent of a public-private partnership like Fannie Mae, Amtrak, or the post office,” said Wilson. “Invariably, just like every other public-private partnership started by the federal government, it will not sustain itself and the final bill will belong with American taxpayers.”

“This is just ‘Fannie Med,” said Wilson, quoting Senator Jim DeMint.

Americans for Limited Government estimates that the Senate bill would cost around $122 billion a year once fully implemented, or $1.2 trillion over ten years, with 26 million receiving government-subsidized health care.

“The Baucus bill would not be implemented until 2013, which is supposed to keep the bill under the $1 trillion mark. But the American people are not stupid,” said Wilson, adding, “They know this is government-run socialized medicine. They know it creates an unsustainable entitlement.”

Proponents of the Senate Finance Committee version of the bill tout that the so-called “public option” has been removed, which is still a part of the House plan for which 45 million additional Americans would qualify. According to ALG’s Wilson that tout is an “artless deception.”

“It doesn’t really matter much that Baucus has slightly watered down the bill,” said Wilson. “Baucus advocates establishing government-run ‘co-ops’ in the place of private health options. It still contains a rationing board. It still sets up mandatory health care for individuals. It still does nothing to allow Americans to purchase insurance across state lines. It still cuts Medicare to pay for everyone else, increases taxes, and has no tort reform.

“And it is still does nothing to bring the ballooning national debt—nearly at $12 trillion—under control. Making matters worse, it will still result in a government-run health system,” Wilson added.

According to Rasmussen Reports a full 50 percent of voters oppose the Barack Obama’s plans to reorganize the health system.

“The groundswell of opposition to both the House and Senate versions of this bill tell us one thing: Congress can call this whatever they want, but the American people are not biting,” Wilson concluded.

Interview Availability: Please contact Alex Rosenwald at (703)383-0880 or at arosenwald@getliberty.org to arrange an interview with ALG President Bill Wilson.

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