Posted on 03/19/2010 2:47:15 PM PDT by PA Engineer
Altmire Statement on Upcoming Health Care Vote March 19, 2010
"I ran for Congress in large part because I believe we need to find a way to bring down the cost of health care. I also ran for Congress with a simple promise: I would do my best to represent my district and to give western Pennsylvania a voice in Washington, not the other way around.
"I regret that this year-long process of debating health care reform has resulted in a final product that I cannot support. The cost of inaction on health care is great, but it would be an even bigger mistake to pass a bill that could compound the problem of skyrocketing health care costs.
"Simply moving money around within the existing system, rather than enacting real delivery system reform, might change who pays the bill, but it does not improve the quality of care or reduce costs for families, small businesses, or the federal government. It creates a system of winners and losers, rather than reforming the system in a way that lets everyone win. It is estimated that after passage of this bill, federal health care expenditures would likely increase above what they would under current law.
"It has become clear that the vast majority of my constituents want me to oppose this bill. Particularly hard hit would be western Pennsylvania’s Medicare beneficiaries, which many experts believe would experience dramatic premium increases with enactment of this bill.
"I am acutely aware that my decision to vote against the health care bill will disappoint some of my constituents and alienate supporters of the bill. The politically easy vote would have been to vote with my party. But I was not sent to Congress to take the easy way out or to vote the way they want me to vote in Washington. I was elected to represent my district and give western Pennsylvania a voice in Congress. I strongly believe that a vote in opposition to the health care bill is consistent with the views of the district I represent, and is the correct vote based on the impact of the bill on my constituents and the overall health care system."
We have basketball on our talk radio tonight.
We’re going to lose folks.
On to the next fight.
Did you see SnakeDoctor’s numbers from the Hill? We’re only one short with a slew of “undecideds” left. According to THOSE numbers, we should win by a couple.
I’ve seen that, but the Hill’s numbers are one of the farthest apart, while Paul Ryan says their own counts show this is just a few votes away from going to the other side and it’s going to be tougher for us.
Thank you Mr. Altmire
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A bit too early to thank Altmire.
Thank him after the matter is defeated. If the bill passes, its just as likely that the Dem leadership let him off the hook to vote for this because they feel they have the votes already and Almire represents a key swing district.
If the bill passes, every Democrat, without the exception of Mr. Altmire, needs to be keyed for defeat because of this.
I could swear I heard on talk radio just four or five hours ago he’d decided the opposite.
Well, that’s fine, but you have to ask who that the Hill has as a “no” do they have wrong?
FWIW, Larry Sabato said it’s a done deal; Kathryn Lopez said that after the Stupak/Pelosi meeting, one of her twitter libs was not happy.
I could swear I heard on talk radio just four or five hours ago he’d decided the opposite.
Hopefully they are right. I guess we will find out....the counts are all over the place.
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