King Urges Texas Congressmen to Oppose President Obama’s Costly Public-Option Health Care Proposals

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In a letter to the Texas Congressional delegation, State Representative Phil King (R-Weatherford) joined thirty-five of his colleagues in the Texas Legislature in urging opposition to pending federal health care legislation that would vastly increase government spending, necessitating tax increases.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the insurance coverage provisions of H.R. 3200 would cost more than $1 trillion over ten years (2010-19). The legislation would be funded in part by a “surtax” on households with annual incomes above $350,000. Clearly, given CBO estimates, taxes will have to be raised on other income-earning households in the future.

King stated in the letter, “Legislation being considered by Congress would place the federal government directly in the center of our health care system in competition with providers in the private marketplace, and at the expense of taxpayers and consumer choice.” King continued, “People are demanding health care reform; not a government takeover of health care. There is a major difference between the two.”

King went on to say, “I strongly oppose more government spending and even more government intrusion in the name of health care. Anyone who believes that the federal government should run our health care system need only to look at the failure of Fannie Mae to see all the warning signs.”

“The health and well-being of each Texan is too precious to be entrusted to a massive, government-run, federal health care scheme that will be expensive and untrustworthy. Leaving health care decisions to unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. is a disaster waiting to happen,” stated King.

He concluded, “America needs health care reform, but there is a better way. Reducing health insurance mandates, passing sensible tort reforms like those passed by the Texas Legislature in 2003, encouraging innovation, and improving price and quality transparency are four positive health care reforms that could help to lower costs and improve care without massive government intervention.”