Bennett: Obama and Senate Democrats Plan to Give Americans Higher Taxes for Christmas

Press Release

Says this Christmas gift doesn't come with a return policy

- Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) issued the following statement today regarding the early morning vote that moves Democrats a step closer to final passage of their 2,000 page health care bill:

"After making backroom deals in exchange for votes, the Democratic leadership voted in the middle of the night to continue to jam through their multi-trillion dollar, job-killing health care bill despite the will of the American people. The Obama administration and the Senate Democrats have decided that Washington knows better than the people and so they are gearing up to issue a prescription that the Americans do not want.

"It is outrageous that the Obama administration is touting this bill as a chance to make history. There is no doubt that this bill is historic. It is historic in the way that the voices of the American people have been ignored. Among other objectionable provisions, the bill is historic because it ensures that for the first time taxpayer dollars will be used to pay for abortions."

"The Obama administration and the Senate Democrats have wrapped up a giant Christmas gift for Americans that will be passed down to future generations: tax increases, higher premiums, cuts to Medicare, and trillions of dollars in spending that will drive the country further into debt. Unfortunately, this Christmas gift doesn't come with a return policy."

Along with the vast expansion of the federal government and the massive costs associated with the health care bill, below is list of just some of the many provisions in the bill Bennett opposes:

- Medicare: The bill slashes hundreds of billions from Medicare to fund a new government program. The $500 billion in Medicare cuts includes reductions in funds for hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices that care for senior citizens. The bill still includes cuts to home health care services despite the opposition of four Senate Democrats on December 5.

- Abortion funding: The bill violates the Hyde amendment and ensures that federal funding will be used to pay for elective abortions.

- Taxes: The bill includes significant tax increases on American families and businesses at a time when the national unemployment rate is 10 percent. The legislation would not allow President Obama to honor his pledge that no American earning under $250,000 would see their taxes increase under his health care plan. Five Senate Democrats voted to uphold that pledge by supporting the Crapo amendment just last Tuesday.

- Medicaid: The legislation will further burden states through the expansion of Medicaid and increase taxes in some states to subsidize Nebraska, Vermont and Massachusetts, which will receive special treatment.

- CLASS Act: Although eleven Democrats voted to strike the CLASS Act, the provision remains in the bill to create a massive new entitlement program despite the fact that the government can no longer afford the rising costs of the current entitlement programs.

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