[StBernard] Exclusive New Health Care Video

[Westley Annis]

I don't know what the amendments were that were flashed on the screen but
here's what's on Melacon's website:


Citing Concerns with Current Version, Melancon Votes Against Health Bill in
Committee July 31, 2009 


Click here <http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text>  to read the
bill.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Charlie Melancon (LA-03) voted
against the America's Affordable Health Choices Act (H.R. 3200) in the
Energy and Commerce Committee.  In a statement released following the vote,
Congressman Melancon repeated his support for healthcare reform that will
bring more choice, access, and cost-savings to health care in Louisiana.  

"After weeks of listening to my constituents in south Louisiana and working
with my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee to try to make this
a bill I could support, I have decided to vote against this legislation in
committee," Congressman Melancon said.

"I support health care reform that will lower costs for Louisiana families
and businesses, increase the quality of care provided, and improve access to
coverage and care for every American.   However, I am still concerned about
how the bill, in its current form, will affect individuals and small
businesses in south Louisiana.  Patient choice comes from competition in the
marketplace, and I am concerned that the public option, as designed, would
unfairly undercut anything the private sector could offer.  

"As someone who is personally pro-life and represents a deeply pro-life
constituency, I am also concerned that this bill does not do enough to
ensure taxpayer dollars do not fund abortion.  I am also concerned about the
creation of an unelected health czar.  I believe the government that is
closest to the people governs best, and I am hesitant to give more powers to
the federal government.

"In addition, this bill does not do enough to address the urgent need for
more providers in rural communities.  My hometown of Napoleonville only has
one doctor still practicing, and when he retires, I don't know that we will
find anyone to take his place.  For rural America to survive and stay
healthy, we must reverse this trend through incentives for health care
providers to serve these communities.

"As a fiscally conservative Blue Dog, I am also concerned about the tax
increases included in this bill.  I believe any new spending should be paid
for with cuts in other areas of the budget, and taxes should be raised only
as a last resort.  

"While I don't support the tax increases in this bill, I do believe that we
must be fiscally responsible and find a way to pay for any new spending.  We
can't repeat the mistake that was made before I was in Congress with the
Medicare prescription drug plan, where lawmakers avoided making the hard
decisions to pay for it and instead just added hundreds of billions of
dollars to the national debt for our children and grandchildren to pay.  For
their sake, we must pass health care reform that doesn't add to the deficit,
and we must create more efficiencies and savings within the current system."

Congressman Melancon noted that there were many provisions in the bill he
supported, "I am pleased this legislation would cap out-of-pocket expenses,
so a major illness doesn't send you and your family into bankruptcy.  If
enacted, it would soon ban insurance companies from using pre-existing
conditions to deny you coverage.  It would eliminate the coverage gap in the
Medicare prescription drug plan, so seniors have the peace of mind that they
will be able to afford the medicine they need to stay healthy.  And it would
provide assistance to small businesses to help them offer health care to
their employees."

In conclusion, Congressman Melancon repeated his commitment to continue
working to shape the bill to make the final version better for Louisiana.

"We have a great opportunity to enact meaningful health care reform, and we
must work to make sure it is done right.  We need reform that lasts not just
for the next five or ten years, but for generations to come.

"We are still in the beginning of what will be a lengthy discussion on how
best to reform health care in our country.  I will continue listening to my
constituents and working with my colleagues in Congress to advance health
care reform that will bring more choice, access, stability and cost-savings
to the people of south Louisiana."


Maybe the junior senator from Louisiana could explain what the amendments
were that Melancon voted yea for since Melancon says he voted nay.  Would
that be a lie Dave?

JY