Paul Tonko: “I am committed to working with my colleagues to create jobs. But here we are, debating repeal of health care reform…”

“I am committed to working with my colleagues to create jobs. But here we are, debating repeal of health care reform instead of focusing on job creation. In fact, health care reform was a good start. Since enactment in March of 2010, private-sector job growth has grown by some 1.1 million jobs. Among those, over 200,000 jobs were created in the health care sector alone. That is why my top priority remains job creation and growing our economy--not obsessing on repealing a bill that is working. If my friends on the other side of the aisle are successful, then seniors, young people, and small businesses in the capital region of New York would be hurt. Take my constituent Tim from Albany, New York, for example. Tim is forced to dig into his pocket to pay for prescription drugs even though he is a retired pharmacist on Medicare. However, health care reform provides Tim extra assistance in paying for his prescriptions and ensures that the so-called doughnut hole payment will be no more in the very near future.”