Robert Hurt: The president’s health-care law-two years later

As I continue meeting and talking with citizens across the Fifth District, it remains clear that too many are suffering not only from the President’s economic policies, but also from the budget-busting policies put forth in the government takeover of health care that was signed into law nearly two years ago today.

Just this past week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a grim report with new projections of the negative impact that the implementation of the President’s health care law will have on all Americans. The report noted that millions could lose their health care coverage as our small businesses and job creators struggle with more costly regulations stemming from this health care law coming into effect. Additionally, the report projected that the cost of this health care law will increase to nearly $1.8 trillion – increasing the price to far greater than the $900 billion than was projected when it was enacted – raising costs for American taxpayers at a time when we can least afford it.

These projections, coupled with previous reports stating that new benefit mandates will cause the cost of care to skyrocket and add trillions in additional tax liabilities on American families and businesses, reaffirms that this law stands to only cause more hardship for individuals, families, and small businesses across Virginia’s Fifth District.

The unprecedented and unconstitutional mandates found in the law are troubling and the additional economic burdens that the law imposes on Central and Southside Virginians are unacceptable.

That is why the House is committed to putting an end to these policies.　 We have voted to repeal or defund provisions of the President’s health care law over 20 times in the 112^{th Congress and will continue to do so until positive solutions are enacted.}

The law must be completely repealed in order for our country to move forward and replace it with common sense, market-based reforms that give patients control of their health care, improve access to care and reduce health care costs while maintaining high quality care.

In the coming days, the House will once again act on behalf of the American people to repeal yet another troubling provision in the President’s health care law – a provision which has created the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a panel of 15 unelected government officials that will have the ability to interfere with patient choice by putting the government between patients and their doctors.

As we continue to listen to the American people, the House will continue to oppose the job-crushing taxes, spending, and mandates contained in the President’s health care law and fight to replace it with positive solutions that take the government out of our health decisions and make care more affordable.

The recent CBO report is a keen reminder of the negative impacts yet to come and of the urgent need for the Senate to join us in replacing the President’s health care law with free-market reforms that expand access to quality health care for Central and Southside Virginians and Americans across this country.

Robert Hurt represents the Fifth District in the U.S. Congress.