Text of H.R. 3962, the Demcrats' health care reform bill
Text of the Republicans' alternative, the Affordable Health Care for America Act
An analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation
An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office
CONCERNS: He worried about the public option because he said the private market can’t compete with the government, which can set the price for services.
REP. IKE SKELTON, MISSOURI DEMOCRAT VOTE: No
WHY: Skelton opposed the public option because there were too many unanswered questions.
“I … have serious concerns about its unintended consequences for Missourians who have private insurance plans they like. I would like to see something pass Congress where the American people would say we’ve done a good job and this has been an outstanding accomplishment. With the uncertainty that surrounds this bill, I worry about that not being the case.”
CONCERNS: Skelton said that while the health care system has a lot of problems, a better way might be “to tackle 1-2-3 issues at a time and get bipartisan support.” He also was concerned about the bill’s effect on rural hospitals and doctors.
Skelton is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and re-elections are usually a breeze. But the Republicans recently have been singling him out for a lot of criticism. He acknowledged that the bill was a tough vote.
REP. DENNIS MOORE, KANSAS DEMOCRAT VOTE: Yes
WHY: “I think it’s the right thing to do for our country. We should have adopted a health care package 40 years ago. If we had, we’d be in a much stronger and better position. But we have to look to the future.”
CONCERNS: Moore is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 52 fiscally conservative House Democrats, but still supported a public option. He said private insurance needs price competition.
He worried about the reform plan’s costs, but said that doing nothing about the rising health costs would mean more serious financial problems in the future.
“But if we do it right, we will end up saving a lot of money. I’ve told people back home that 36 million don’t have any kind of insurance. They get sick; they stay home until they can’t stay any longer and then get so ill they end up in an emergency room. That’s the most expensive kind of care and everybody in the country ends up paying for that as taxpayers.”
Moore comes from a swing district and has always been a top Republican target. His vote will do nothing to change that.
To reach Dave Helling, call 816-234-4656 or send e-mail to dhelling@kcstar.com. To reach David Goldstein, call 202-383-6105 or send e-mail to dgoldstein@mcclatchydc.com.
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