CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND MEDICARE PROTECTION ACT OF 2007 - Continued
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Mr. WESTMORELAND. I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the debate, and I haven't heard of any way that this is going to be paid for, the 130 something billion dollars over 10 years, except for 45 cent a pack increase in the tax on tobacco. So while I heard some Members over there talking about this is going to be a deterrent to people smoking, you better hope a bunch of people start smoking because you're going to have to sell a ton of cigarettes to come up with $132 billion. But then the closer you look at it, you find out that this is, again, smoke and mirrors from this majority in Congress.
What this is going to do in 2011 is actually cut doctors' pay 12 percent. Now, if anybody really believes in this room that we're going to cut doctors' pay by 10 or 12 percent, they're kidding themselves. This is another gimmick, more smoke and mirrors, more illusion for the people of this country.
Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah).
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Mr. WESTMORELAND. I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the debate, and I haven't heard of any way that this is going to be paid for, the 130 something billion dollars over 10 years, except for 45 cent a pack increase in the tax on tobacco. So while I heard some Members over there talking about this is going to be a deterrent to people smoking, you better hope a bunch of people start smoking because you're going to have to sell a ton of cigarettes to come up with $132 billion. But then the closer you look at it, you find out that this is, again, smoke and mirrors from this majority in Congress.
What this is going to do in 2011 is actually cut doctors' pay 12 percent. Now, if anybody really believes in this room that we're going to cut doctors' pay by 10 or 12 percent, they're kidding themselves. This is another gimmick, more smoke and mirrors, more illusion for the people of this country.
The people of this country are smarter than that. When they recognize what this is, then I think that the majority is going to find out that they do not want the CHUMP bill passed.