Thu, Nov 26 2009
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Published November 05, 2009 04:25 pm - Four area lawmakers on Thursday outlined their opposition to the House Democrats’ health care legislation that is expected to come to a vote over the weekend. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has said House leaders expect to have the 218 votes needed to pass the 10-year, $1.2 trillion bill that would overhaul the nation’s health care system. Area lawmakers oppose health care bill w/ Affordable Health Care for America Act full text From staff reports
news@joplinglobe.com Four area lawmakers on Thursday outlined their opposition to the House Democrats’ health care legislation that is expected to come to a vote over the weekend. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has said House leaders expect to have the 218 votes needed to pass the 10-year, $1.2 trillion bill that would overhaul the nation’s health care system. The measure is expected to come to a vote Saturday in the House. No Republican support is expected for the bill, and the opposition as of Thursday also included two area Democrats: Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri and Rep. Dan Boren of Oklahoma. Skelton’s position “While the bill unveiled last week is an improvement over the bills considered by House committees during the summer months, it does not represent the right balance for the people I represent, and I do not intend to support it,” Skelton said in a press statement. Skelton has raised concerns about the public plan option, specifically its potential effects on people who already have private insurance plans, as well as impact on rural hospitals and doctors. “And, I worry that the House bill does not clearly prevent federal funds from being used for abortion services,” Skelton said in the statement. “As a pro-life member of Congress, I cannot support a reform bill that would allow taxpayers to fund abortions.” An intraparty disagreement over how to prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortions has not yet been entirely resolved, though Hoyer said language being circulated by one anti-abortion Democrat, Rep. Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, seemed likely to be the basis for an agreement. Boren’s position Boren has reiterated opposition he previously staked out in August, citing concerns about the impact on small businesses and the inclusion of a public option. “The worst thing we could do during a recession is raise taxes and this bill does just that,” Boren said in a statement. “I also believe the public option would ultimately lead to a single-payer health care system. Finally, I do not believe that the possibility for taxpayer funded abortion has been clearly and emphatically removed from this legislation.” Boren said he supports eliminating health insurance companies’ ability to deny applicants coverage based on pre-existing conditions, but he said the proposed bill “is just not the answer to America’s health care problems.” Blunt’s position 
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