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Collins expresses disappointment in GOP decision to withdraw health care insurance bill

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Congressman Chris Collins (NY-27) today released the following statement regarding the American Health Care Act.

“I am extremely disappointed with today’s result,” Congressman Collins said. “This bill, while not perfect, was a solution that would have ended the Obamacare nightmare that Western New Yorkers have had to endure for too long.

"By increasing competition and giving people the power to make their own choices with their own health care, the American Health Care Act would have been a drastic improvement over the healthcare system Obamacare has left us with.

“Despite today’s result, this process has provided the opportunity to push for reforms vital to Western New York, specifically my amendment to force Albany to end its unfunded mandate on New York’s counties once and for all.

"I will continue advocating for that critical measure going forward and will remain resolute in my commitment to the taxpayers in my district.”

Rich Richmond

It took President Obama and the Democrats two years to get a heath care bill passed and signed into law on March 23, 2010, after months of revisions, amendments, and debates about the bill. The Democrats voted in lock-step on a health care without first reading the secret bill, now called OBAMACARE.

All the Republicans voted no, for the simple fact that they weren't given the opportunity to read it prior to a vote.

The Republican bill with be re-discussed and rewritten in the House. As before, there will be full transparency. All members of the House, Republicans, and Democrats will have the opportunity to read it first before voting. It will pass the House and move on to the Senate, and with full transparency, all the Senators will read it before they vote on it the same.

The longer it takes, the more OBAMACARE will implode upon itself.

Mar 25, 2017, 2:57pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

As one pundit on talk radio recently said, "It's possible that the current administration might just allow 'Obamacare' to continue to the point where people will realize that it wasn't going to work. Then they will blame the former administration (Obama's) on the debacle that ensues".

The only thing wrong with that is, I honestly don't think the "average" American will look at it like that. They will (probably) just place the blame on whichever political party is currently in.

Yeah, sometimes it's great to be able to say, "See! I told you so!"

But, if you step on a land mine, just to prove to someone that your warning of "It's dangerous to walk here" was true, you're still missing a leg.

What's the old saying? "Don't shoot yourself in the foot".

Mar 25, 2017, 3:27pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

The Affordable Care Act was based on proposals originally put forward by the Heritage Foundation in 1989. It was advanced by Republican senators in response to the Clinton Administration health care reform proposal. It was implemented in Massachusetts and signed into law by Gov. Mitt Romney.

The Republicans knew very well what the plan was at the time it was passed.

"The 1993 Republican alternative, introduced by Senator John Chafee as the Health Equity and Access Reform Today Act, contained a 'universal coverage' requirement with a penalty for noncompliance—an individual mandate—as well as subsidies to be used in state-based 'purchasing groups'. Advocates for the 1993 bill included prominent Republicans such as Senators Orrin Hatch, Chuck Grassley, Bob Bennett and Kit Bond. Of 1993's 43 Republican Senators, 20 supported the HEART Act."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Ac…

As for health care reform, dealing just with insurance does nothing to address the underlying causes of rising health care costs so is doomed to be problematic.

http://cepr.net/blogs/beat-the-press/new-health-care-plan-open-source-d…

Mar 25, 2017, 3:42pm Permalink
Dave Meyer

For the umpteenth time, the United States I'd the ONLY industrialized country in the world without universal health care.
Countries with universal health care include Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
This should be viewed as an opportunity for both parties to put aside the political bull$hit and try to fix the ACA or come up with something better.
That "plan" that the republicans proposed was an abomination and it was rightfully rejected.

Mar 25, 2017, 7:13pm Permalink
Brian Graz

Speaker Ryan and the GOP Establishment goons' Bill to replace ACA sucked just as much as the ACA. The primary beneficiaries were going to be the insurance companies, NOT the American people. All should be thankful to the conservative, liberty caucus and it's friends for it's defeat. What I was most disappointed with was President Trump's seeming support and promotion of the Ryan plan. But then again, the author of 'The Art of the Deal'' is a very shrewd negotiator/business man and I'm inclined to believe he has an ulterior motive in every move he makes dealing with the anti-Trump Establishment. I'm betting on The Donald.

Mar 25, 2017, 8:57pm Permalink
Brian Graz

As far as Representative Collins' disappointment with the Ryan Plan defeat, it's probably because he has invested heavily in the insurance companies that would have benefited immensely under the Ryan Obamacare Lite.

In light of the fact that Collins owns Innate Immunotherapeutics [a pharmaceutical drug developer], and that he helped craft legislation [the 21st Century Cures Act, passed and signed by Obama on December 13, 2016] that would directly substantially benefit Innate Immunotherapeutics. And furthermore, knowing the almost certainty that the legislation was going to pass, he advised several close friends and associates to invest in Innate Immunotherapeutics, which all combined caused a 3-4x increase in the Stock value of Innate Immunotherapeutics. [They all tripled+ their money!]. He better be preparing for the likely coming legal action over his insider trading activities.

http://www.dailypublic.com/articles/01192017/mad-money-chris-collins

Mar 25, 2017, 9:37pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

I'm curious how a bill (or anything else for that matter) could be secret "after months of revisions, amendments, and debates about the bill."

Mar 25, 2017, 9:44pm Permalink
Rich Richmond

There are approximately 2700 pages in Obama care. The average Bible has around 1900 pages.

Further changes were made to Obama Care after the revisions, amendments, and debates and before the day of the vote which is why Nancy Pelosi said, words that went down in history like, “You’ll get to keep your doctor,” except Nancy told the truth for once when she said, “You’ll have to vote on it to see what’s in it.”

Obama Care may only be 2,700 pages, however, when you add in the regulations related to this law, the number of pages becomes ridiculous. According to some in Congress, the stack of rules, regulations, and proposed regulations amounts to as much as 20,000 pages.

Mar 25, 2017, 10:14pm Permalink
Nick Taranko

Perhaps Rep. Collins could demonstrate that resolution to the taxpayers in his district by having a public meeting with them? As opposed to dismissing public forums as useless wastes of his time?
Just a thought...

Mar 28, 2017, 9:32am Permalink
Tim Miller

Why the downvotes to Nick's suggestion that Rep. Collins actually MEET with his constituents to discuss these things?

Sad, so sad, that the Rep. does not care enough about his constituents to actually meet and listen to them.

Mar 29, 2017, 2:20pm Permalink

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