Thompson Decries New Unemployment Figure of 10.2%

Yet Democrats Continue to Push Job Killing Health Care Bill

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson, R-Howard today blasted the Democrat leadership, who are proceeding with a vote on the Pelosi Health Care bill that promises to kill jobs in small business. “It flies in the face of reason when you see the new unemployment figure of 10.2%,” said Thompson.

“The American people are hurting, and you can hardly talk to anyone who doesn’t have a relative or friend out of work. We haven’t seen a level of unemployment like this since April of 1983,” Thompson explained. “More than 190,000 Americans lost their jobs in October.”

Tomorrow the House of Representatives will vote on the Pelosi Health Care bill, which raises $150 billion in taxes from small businesses. It is small businesses who generate the majority of new jobs in this country and employ just over half of all private sector employees.

More than 2.8 million jobs have been lost since the stimulus was signed by the President. “I disagreed with the stimulus at the time it was passed and believed that the alternative economic recovery plan would have created twice the jobs at half the costs of the plan that passed,” Thompson said.

“I believe the majority is preparing to make another huge mistake. This bill is 2,000+ pages of tax hikes, red tape, and federal mandates,” said Thompson. “The $1.3 trillion measure is a stunning federal power grab – granting a new breed of federal super-bureaucrat the authority to reshape our health care system from the inside out. The new federal Health Choices Commissioner will have some 67 new authorities including: Assessing civil money penalties against QHBPs (qualified health benefit plans) for violating federal requirements, and suspending enrollment of individuals enrolled in QHBPs that violate federal requirements. Everyone must have exactly the same health care plan whether it is what you want or not.”

“This time around, I am again supporting an alternative measure. The Congressional Budget Office has looked at the bill I support and written that it will lower premiums by up to 10 percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses. It addresses medical liability tort reform, allows small businesses to pool together to offer health care at lower prices and establishes Universal Access Programs to guarantee access to affordable care for those with pre-existing conditions. Perhaps its biggest asset is that it does not kill jobs while it is making healthcare more affordable,” Thompson said.

Thompson concluded, “At last count there were 79 Democrats still said to be in opposition to this bill. It will be interesting to see if backroom deals are cut overnight.”