Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Votes to Repeal Unpopular Obamacare

Statement

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett joined a bipartisan majority of 244 House members who voted today for H.R. 6079, the "Repeal of Obamacare Act." Congressman Bartlett said afterward, "Since the Supreme Court upheld President Obama's unpopular health care reform law, it was important for a bipartisan majority of the House to act immediately so that Americans know that they can help gain the power in the Congress to protect Marylanders and other Americans by repealing the unfolding disaster of Obamacare. As Chief Justice John Roberts noted, just because a law is declared Constitutional doesn't make it wise or even practical. Until it is repealed, Obamacare will worsen health care for most Marylanders, making it more expensive and less accessible. Job losses, higher health care costs, the biggest tax increase ever on middle income earners as well as doctor shortages are among the harmful impacts of Obamacare's bad policy changes that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rammed through the Congress last year."

Congressman Bartlett noted, "MarylandReporter.com just yesterday reported details about the harm that Marylanders will suffer due to Obamacare based upon a discussion by Chester Burrell of CareFirst, Robert Chrencik from the University of Maryland Medical System and Ronald Peterson of the Johns Hopkins Health System. These three leaders of top Maryland health care providers and insurers discussed the implementation of Obamacare at a July 9, 2012 breakfast of the Greater Baltimore Committee. MarylandReporter.com summarized, "The Affordable Care Act upheld by the Supreme Court in late June is unbelievably complicated, results in new tax burdens, require lots of new paperwork, makes the shortage of primary care physicians worse and will likely produce some surprises as unexpected consequences unfold.'"

Congressman Bartlett added, "Among the reasons why Obamacare continues to become more unpopular with each passing day is because, as the MarylandReporter.com article understated, "There was nothing terribly new in the presentations.' On top of that, the MarylandReporter.com article about Obamacare's impact noted, "the new requirements and spending will likely collide with attempts to reduce the federal deficit, and clamp down on Medicare and Medicaid.'"

MarylandReporter.com reported that Robert Chrencik from the University of Maryland Medical System "made clear that businesses needed to prepare to implement the new law, which should provide a lot of work for lawyers and accountants."

During the question and answer period of the July 9, 2012 Greater Baltimore Committee breakfast, an audience member asked if "thousands of new IRS agents would be needed to police the new health regime. [The MarylandReporter.com article quoted CareFirst president and CEO Chester] Burrell [who] said, "The costs to the private sector exceed the costs in the public sector."

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