On the recordJuly 10, 2012
Mr. Speaker, there are a number of reasons why we should all vote to repeal ObamaCare: the tax increases on middle class Americans and the debt that is going to be piled onto the next generation of Americans. But I want to talk about the impact of this legislation on our senior citizens, the impact this legislation is going to have on Medicare, and the fact that this bill takes $500 billion out of Medicare and uses that money for ObamaCare. The trustees at Medicare have indicated that Medicare will go bankrupt in 12 years. The CBO says it will go bankrupt in 8 years. Why we would take a half a trillion dollars out of Medicare for ObamaCare doesn't make sense. One of my biggest concerns is the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a board that is going to systematically look at where it can reduce reimbursements to doctors, hospitals, and clinics for Medicare reimbursements. If you reduce payments to doctors, hospitals, and clinics for seniors, you're going to impact the quality and access of care for our current seniors. Not a future generation, but our current seniors. I think that's wrong. I think both parties should come together and find a bipartisan bill that will work for all Americans.
