Senator Pat Toomey's E-Update: "The whole law is unworkable."

Statement

This week, the Obama Administration announced enrollment numbers for the President's health care law. Just 106,185 Americans have been able to sign up. As NBC News reporter Luke Russert tweeted, Penn State's Beaver Stadium can comfortably seat all of those enrollees.

These enrollment numbers are further evidence that the President's health care law is a train wreck. Even more troubling, millions are losing health coverage they like because the President deemed those plans inadequate and failed to make good on his promise that "if you like your plan, you can keep it."

Even the President recognized this was a problem. Yesterday, he announced what is, at best, a temporary fix to postpone this disaster until after the next election. This is little comfort to the millions of Americans who will now lose their insurance coverage next year.

The faulty website is only the tip of the iceberg. It is not technical glitches that will doom this system; it is the fact that the President's health care law forces people to buy overpriced health plans they don't want, hikes taxes, and puts important, personal health care decisions in the hands of politicians and bureaucrats instead of patients and their doctors. The whole law is unworkable.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

In a Senate Banking Committee hearing Thursday, I questioned Federal Reserve Vice-Chair Janet Yellen during her confirmation hearing to be Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Specifically, I asked Dr. Yellen about the benefits of the Fed's practice of keeping interest rates artificially low and expressed my concern that such policies harm middle-class savers, seniors, and retirees who rely on interest from their savings and pensions.

I also urged Dr. Yellen to address the problem of overregulation of community banks that limits the ability of these institutions to assist families and small businesses.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Last weekend, my family and I joined 15,000 Pennsylvanians at the 2013 Walk to End Alzheimer's at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. It was the largest such walk in our commonwealth.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has the fifth-highest statewide total in the nation of people suffering from Alzheimer's. I was honored to stand with so many committed volunteers, caregivers, friends, and family of those suffering from this disease.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Research from the U.S. Census, Department of Labor, National Alliance for Caregiving, and the AARP estimates that Pennsylvania's Alzheimer's and dementia caregivers provide 760 million hours of unpaid care valued at over $9 billion. That's a staggering figure, and a true testament to their compassion and determination.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

I was honored to attend the 54th Annual Delaware County Veterans Day Parade with members of our Armed Forces last weekend in Media. It is so important that we recognize the extraordinary personal sacrifices our veterans have made for us. We would not be the society we are without them.

As a member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, I continue my efforts to help returning servicemen and women find jobs and enjoy the benefits they have earned. They have an incredible work ethic, superb training, and the knowledge and experience valued by employers. We just need to do a better job finding the right match for veterans and employers.

I would like to thank Media Mayor Bob McMahon for working with me to help veterans. I appreciate his leadership and support on this issue.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source