On the recordJanuary 19, 2011
I rise in support of H.R. 2. Last year the previous Speaker of the House told Members that we needed to pass the health care bill so that we could find out what was in it. Now Members and the American people have had the opportunity to read it, and they don't like it. What they have found includes a $1.2 trillion price tag and more than 100 new Federal programs and onerous mandates that reflect how out of touch the previous majority was with the American people. This Congress will reject these policies, replace them with market-based reforms that will provide greater access and affordability of health care. Repealing the bill would help more Nevada employers and their workers keep the insurance that they currently enjoy. An estimated half of all employers and 80 percent of small businesses will be forced to give up their coverage under current law, which I find unacceptable. Uncertainty in the business community means fewer jobs created. In my home State, where unemployment persists at more than 14 percent, it also means thousands of Nevadans continue depending on unemployment benefits when what they want is a decent job to provide for their families. Furthermore, we must act to prevent last year's bill from further impacting the pocketbooks of hardworking Americans who are already struggling.
