Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, delivered the following remarks today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives in opposition to the Democrat plan for a government takeover of health care that will cut seniors' health care coverage:
"At nearly $1 trillion in spending and tax increases, the Democrat health care bill is a bad deal for taxpayers, but it's a worse deal for American seniors, and senior citizens deserve to know about it. Included in the Democrat health care plan are massive cuts in what's known as Medicare Advantage; $162 billion in reductions in this popular program.
"As a result, Medicare Advantage plans will drop out of the program, limiting seniors' choices and causing many to lose their current health care coverage through Medicare Advantage. This will have a particularly, exceptionally negative impact in rural areas, like my district of eastern Indiana. According to the Congressional Budget Office, as well, the Democrat health care plan will increase the cost of Medicare prescription drug premiums by 20 percent in the next decade.
"The president said, and I quote respectfully, ‘If you like your current plan, you can keep it.' Well, after looking at the Democrats' plans for seniors, I guess he wasn't talking about senior citizens when he said that."
