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Boehner: Democrats’ Health Proposal Would Cut Seniors’ Medicare Benefits
GOP Leader: “I have 27,000 Medicare Advantage enrollees in my district, … some 80 percent of them are likely to lose their health coverage under this proposal.”

Washington, Oct 27 -

            WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today delivered remarks on the House floor on the impact of the Democrats’ $500 billion in Medicare cuts on seniors’ health care.  Boehner also highlighted the better health care solutions House Republicans are offering to lower health care costs for seniors and all Americans, and called on Democrats to make their closed-door health care bill-writing sessions public, as President Obama promised they would be.  The full text of Boehner’s speech follows:


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            “Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, as we stand here, the health care bill is being written in secret. In the Speaker's office, Speaker Pelosi's office, and over in the Senate by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  Even though the President of the United States during his campaign made clear that these negotiations ought to be out in the public, that we ought to have C-SPAN cameras in there to allow the American people to see who’s fighting for what side.  But yet it’s not happening.  It’s being written in secret. 

            “And no wonder it’s being written in secret. It’s because the Democrat Majorities are doing exactly what the American people don’t want – a big government-run plan.  I wonder if the 53 new agencies, boards, commissions and mandates that were in the original House bill will continue to be in this bill that’s being written in secret. 

            “But this bill’s [being written] in secret for one big reason – it’s going to cost over $1 trillion, it’s going to raise taxes, it’s going to have mandates on individuals, it’s going to destroy jobs, and it’s going to cut Medicare for our seniors.  What cuts to seniors are going to be in this bill?  No one knows.  All I know that there are a $162 billion worth of cuts to Medicare Advantage in the original house bill. $162 billion.  I have 27,000 Medicare Advantage enrollees in my district, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, some 80 percent of them are likely to lose their health coverage under this proposal. 

            “Republicans have better solutions.  Just go to healthcare.gop.gov and see the Republican solutions that will help make our current system work better, and not have this big government takeover of our health care delivery system.”

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