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2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Saturday, October 31, 2009 10:00 AM

Reform: Another week, another trillion dollars

After weeks of meetings behind closed doors, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats Thursday unveiled their 1,990-page plan for a government takeover of health care. By taking the go-it-alone approach, Pelosi appears to have drafted another trillion-dollar plan that will raise taxes on our nation’s small businesses, grow the government, further erode our nation’s fiscal stability and put a government bureaucrat between patients and their doctors.

While I do not support any plan that includes a government takeover of health care, I have spent months working on responsible alternative solutions to implement comprehensive medical liability reform, root out waste, fraud and abuse, provide assistance to folks who truly need it and allow small businesses to band together to provide health care to their employees. In addition, House Republicans have offered 25 different bills that address the major problems in the health care system, without a government takeover and without destroying what works for Americans today.

I believe it is important for Kansans to have the opportunity to read this bill so Friday I traveled to five communities (Leavenworth, Atchison, Hiawatha, Holton and Topeka) in eastern Kansas to deliver a copy of the bill to public libraries so folks have access to it.

Go to http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf if you’d like to read the massive legislation. This latest bill from House Democrats comes in at 1,990 pages long. Below will give you some perspective as to the massive nature of this bill and the expanded role it will give the federal government:

The U.S. Constitution — 6 pages

“Stimulus” bill — 1,073

The Bible — 1,200

House National Energy tax bill — 1,201

Pelosi’s Health Care Bill — 1,990

Twilight novel series — 2,379

— Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan.