On the recordFebruary 2, 2011
I rise today to urge my colleagues to repeal this highly unpopular health care law. Here is what repealing this health care bill will mean to Georgians. First of all, the Federal Government will not be required to spend $8,470 on health care for every single Georgian every year; 176,000 Georgia seniors who are today enrolled in Medicare Advantage will not have their benefits reduced; and the $500 billion in Medicare cuts will not be used to pay for new programs under this law; around 2.1 million Georgia households making less than $200,000 will not have to pay higher taxes to fund this monstrous bill; 70 percent of small employer purchasers will not face higher premiums; small businesses employing 50 or more people and 8,000 Georgia construction companies with five or more employees will not have to pay higher health care costs or be subjected to new penalties due to government mandates. Under this law, hundreds of thousands of additional low-income Georgians will become eligible for Medicaid in 2014. That is going to result in an estimated $1 billion in new expenses for my State to fund that program. How are we going to fund that $1 billion? We are a State that has to have a balanced budget every year, and we are struggling right now. Our Governor and the legislature are making tough and hard decisions cutting expenses to balance the budget this year. Under this bill, they are going to have to come up with another $1 billion.
