McHenry: Health care bill 'radical'

Iredell County's two members of the U.S. House of Representatives are convinced the bill that passed a preliminary House vote over the weekend is not the solution to the high cost of health care in the country.

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, whose 10th District includes much of southern Iredell, held a number of town hall meetings in August decrying the proposed health care plan.

He released a statement explaining his vote against H.R. 3962, which was narrowly passed in the House largely along party lines late Saturday night.

Alluding to statements made by constituents at his town hall meetings and other similar gatherings held by fellow Republicans, McHenry said the message to Washington was clear.

"Reform healthcare, don't take it over," McHenry said in the statement. "Unfortunately, the leadership of House Democrats either was not listening or simply did not care."

H.R. 3962 — known as Affordable Health Care for America Act — passed by a vote of 220-215.

Only one Republican, Rep. Ahn "Joseph" Cao of New Orleans, voted for the bill.

And 39 Democrats — mostly the more conservative Blue Dogs — voted against it, including Rep. Heath Shuler, whose 11th District covers much of western North Carolina.

"It is easy to understand why so many centrist Democrats voted against this radical plan," McHenry said. "The remedy is worse than the disease."

He said the solutions to affordable health care can be found, but added the Democratic leadership is not interested in examining those options.

"There are many common-sense healthcare reforms that are strongly supported by the American people and healthcare professionals," he said. "Unfortunately, this legislation: fails to reform lawsuit abuse; insurance companies are not forced to compete across state lines; and small businesses are prevented from pooling their resources to purchase affordable coverage for their employees."

Rep. Virginia Foxx has been saying for months that while health care does need some major adjusting, the tools for that job should not all be supplied by the federal government.

"This is the wrong prescription for this problem," said Foxx Press Secretary Aaron Groen. "Raising taxes on small businesses and working families is not the way to reform health care."

Groen said there have been a couple of monkey wrenches thrown into the mix: the so-called public option and a rift over whether or not to include coverage of abortions in the plan.

"The Democrats got so sidetracked on this bill with the public option," Groen said, "that they forgot that the purpose of the bill in the first place was to make health care more affordable."

Groen said that the "abortion issue has been simmering for a long time. And it came to head this weekend."

In an earlier statement, Foxx said another consideration is the effect the plan will have on the flagging economy.

"During this time of economic upheaval we cannot afford a massive expansion of government and increased spending that does not solve our health care problems," she said. "With unemployment already at 10.2 percent, the Democrats' plan will make our unemployment problem worse."

Foxx said she also worries about what the bill will do to the elderly.

"As if that were not enough, this bill slashes Medicare funding and will eliminate Medicare Advantage for the 40,000 seniors in North Carolina's 5th District who enjoy the convenience and excellent care of this program."

Groen said that despite its passage by the House, the bill still has a long way to go before it lands on the desk of President Barrack Obama.

"There will be at least three more votes, and I think it will take several months," he said. "A lot can happen between now and then."