Toomey, Dent Blast Health Care Overhaul

Of course, the recently enacted federal health care overhaul was a hot topic at Friday's candidates' night, hosted by the local tea party.

Republican Senatorial candidate Pat Toomey: (See his video here.)

"It's over $2 trillion in spending of money that we clearly don't have and can't afford. It's going to increase our deficits and debt, and destroy jobs. And it's over a half a trillion dollars in new taxes, taxes on pharmaceuticals, on medical devices, taxes on employers, taxes on workers. Taxes on jobs! Imagine! With the unemployment rate nearly ten per cent, we pass a bill that taxes job creation. This makes absolutely no sense at all.

"One of the things that's as disturbing as all of that to me is the fact that it's really designed to expand dependency, make people more dependent on government, and less able and less willing to have an independent access and control to health care.

"So what we should have done is and we still can do when we repeal this thing is - and the day will come when we can repeal this thing - is we can have the kind of reforms that will make health care more affordable, more accessible. I have long argued that we ought to give individuals the same tax deductions that workers' employers get. Employers get to deduct the cost of health insurance when they buy it for their workers, that's fine. Individuals ought to get the same opportunity. That would immediately make it more affordable for individuals who have to go out and buy health insurance on their own.

"Speaking of insurance, I can buy car insurance from a little green lizard but I can't get health insurance from a guy in New Jersey. This makes no sense to me at all. We ought to force the insurance companies to compete for our business. That is a big source of the problem. Some of the Democrats say they think the only answer is the government. How about some competition? That would make such a big difference.

"I think we need medical malpractice reform as well.

"The goal should be repealing this bill and replacing it with the kind of reforms I've advocated. But let's be clear. President Obama's not gonna' sign a repeal bill, and he's going to be President for at least a couple more years.

Congressman Charlie Dent: (See his video here).

"One of the big fears I had is that, once the Congress enacts a law like this, it's very hard to take it back. It's very hard. So what do we do?

"We're going to have to find ways to defund this. That's one of the most effective things we can try to do in the short term.

"In the intermediate term, we're going to have to try and repeal the major provisions. We have to get rid of the mandates, the employer mandates, the individual mandates, the tax law increases, the Medicare cuts. They didn't cut Medicare to save Medicare. They didn't try to fix it. They cut Medicare to create a new entitlement program. You can't do that, you can't do it.

"So what else are we gonna' do? Defund it, repeal where we can, s best we can, but let's be honest. In the short term, between now and November, the people who just voted for that law aren't going to vote to repeal it. And should we get it through to the President, he won't sign a bill to repeal it. So what we have to do right now in order to stop this damage that they've just done, is we need to elect a new Congress. We're going to need a new President. That's what we're gonna' do. That's probably the best thing we could do.

"Now during this health care debate, I went before the House Rules Committee. That's where they were going to try the 'deem and pass,' you know, Congressman Slaughter, the Slaughterhouse rule and all that sort of thing. I go up into the Rules Committee and offer amendments to the Bill on medical liability reform and to strike the medical device tax. Alcee Hastings, presiding, from Florida, impeached judge, now a member of Congress, he basically didn't like my amendments and basically, two hours before I got the colloquy with him, said, 'We make up the rules here as we go along.'

"We need to replace the people on that Committee. We need to replace them. It is an outrage.

"And that's what we're fighting against right now in Washington. That kind of arrogance, and a Speaker of the House who can stand up and say 'we need to pass this Bill so you can find out what's in it.' Please.

"And now we are finding out what's in it. We're finding out how retirees are at risk of losing their prescription drug benefits because of one change they made, and that's Medicare Part D. Now Henry Waxman is waxing indignant, waxing indignant because people are reporting a loss that's going to occur, and he's going to scold them next week."