Washington, DC – Today, the House of Representatives voted on and passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.  The bill, drafted without committee hearings or markups behind closed doors by Speaker Pelosi and a limited number of her leadership team, passed in the House by a vote of 220-215.

“I am very discouraged by the House of Representative’s passage of Speaker Pelosi’s government run health care legislation,” stated Lucas.  “Over the last several months, millions of Americans have expressed their strong opposition to this legislation.  Yet Speaker Pelosi and her leadership team have once again ignored the will of the people and forced this trillion dollar government takeover of our health care system on them.”

This controversial bill, clocking in at 2,032 pages with an estimated price tag of $1.2 trillion over ten years, will establish a public option, also known as government run health care.  It includes more than $700 billion in new taxes on American families and small businesses and creates 111 additional offices, bureaus, commissions, and federal bureaucracies.  In addition, it expands the eligibility of Medicaid to families of four making up to $88,200 per year.  While the federal government pays for a majority of Medicaid, states are saddled with the remaining costs.  A mandated increase in Medicaid costs for states will force states to reallocate funds for current projects and raise state taxes.

“With the passage of this bill, the federal government will become the dominant force behind our health care system, putting bureaucrats in Washington between patients and their doctors,” stated Lucas.  “I will continue to oppose any health care plan that includes a government takeover of our health care system, that burdens our states with additional fees and bureaucracy, and that saddles our future generations with trillions of dollars of debt.”

The Senate also has a version of health care reform, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has yet to say when or if they would vote on it.

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