News for the Ninth

By U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, District 9

During a recent discussion in the District, a point was made by a constituent that it seemed extremely odd that this Administration has spent a lot of time trying to sell their government control of health care well after it was passed by the Majority in Congress. It was an interesting point and one that illustrates how much continuing opposition there is to the new law among hard-working Americans.

The Majority and President have not convinced the people that this new government-centered health care system will do anything but raise costs and diminish quality. The latest multi-million dollar campaign by the White House to sell their health care bill ignores a simple fact: the
Administration has a substance problem. The substance of the government takeover of health care is what concerns the majority of American families.

Speaker Pelosi said they had to pass the bill so the American people can see what is in it. The bill has passed and what the American people have found are state governments facing billions in unfunded federal mandates, doctors looking to retire, and a new cost estimate by the Congressional Budget Office that says the new law will cost an additional $115 billion. Most recently, the independent Chief Actuary of Medicare released a report that stated ObamaCare would increase national health care expenditures by at least $311 billion by 2019.

The more I discuss the issue with the people at home, the more I hear that folks do not accept a law that raises taxes, levies job-killing mandates, gives Washington greater decision-making power, makes huge cuts to Medicare, and provides for taxpayer-funded abortions.

My colleagues and I have been listening to your concerns about this new law, and we recently voted in favor of a measure on the House floor to repeal the individual mandate. And while the measure was rejected by the Majority, we will continue to listen to your concerns about this massive
government takeover of health care.

I have long been a supporter of an approach that best serves Missourians. To reform our health care system, we need to first consider defunding this disastrous government takeover and replace it with positive, patient-centered reforms that put patients, families, and doctors in control of personal health care decisions, not government bureaucrats. We must immediately begin work to stop the $569 billion in tax hikes, Medicare cuts that reduce care for seniors, costly mandates,
and work to enact positive reforms, such as liability reform and equal tax treatment for individuals and small business that do not rely on budgetary gimmicks.

I know that you believe that the health care status quo is unacceptable. You want to fix what is wrong, like runaway costs, while maintaining access to quality care. This should be our goal. We should accept nothing less.

CONTACT US: As always, for those of you with Internet access, I encourage you to visit my website http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/ . For those without access to the Internet, I encourage you to call my offices in Columbia (573-886-8929), Washington, Mo. (636-239-2276), or Hannibal
(573-231-1012) with your questions and concerns. If you want even greater access to what I am working on, please visit my YouTube site http://www.youtube.com/user/BLuetkemeyer and my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/people/Blaine-Luetkemeyer/1358702716.