Toomey Challenges Sestak & Specter to Reject Health Care Bill
Urges support for real competition
by News Release
Contact""Nachama Soloveichik "¢ 484.809.7994 "¢ 646.528.1029
Tim Kelly "¢ 484.809.7994
For Immediate Release""December 16, 2009
Former Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean Condemns Health Care Bill for Lacking Competition
Toomey Challenges Specter and Sestak to Reject the Bill and Support Real Competition
Allentown, PA "" Arlen Specter and Joe Sestak have both spoken repeatedly about the need for competition in the health care industry.
"¢ "Here in the Philadelphia region -- where I'm sitting, 40 percent of Pennsylvanians live, and one company, Ed, has 70 percent of all the private health-care plans. And that's a monopoly. So, without a public health-care plan option, you cannot get fair competition." "" Joe Sestak, MSNBC, 08/10/09
"¢ "And the government option, according to his plan, is going to maintain a level playing field. And the option is not going to force out the private sector. And I think competition is good. And it is just an option, one of many alternatives with a government option." "" Arlen Specter, ABC News, 08/16/09
But now, they are supporting a health care bill that does not expand competition and that former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean yesterday deemed"a bigger bailout for the insurance industry than AIG."
Democratic leader Howard Dean also said in reference to the health care bill now working its way through the Senate: "Decisions are being made about the long-term future of this country for short-term political reasons, and that's never a good sign."
And in a moment of glaring honesty that is unusual in Washington, Dean went on to note that, "[Under this health care bill, only] a very small number of people are going to get any insurance at all, until 2014, if the bill works . . . I see little cost control in this bill at all. I really don't."
Toomey campaign Communications Director Nachama Soloveichik responded to these developments: "For months now, Joe Sestak and Arlen Specter have been demanding more competition in health care on the campaign trail, and now that they're back in Washington, they are supporting a bill that, according to the former DNC Chairman, brings no competition to the insurance market."
"In contrast to the health care monstrosity being rammed through the Reid/Pelosi monopoly of Congress, Pat Toomey is long on record supporting commonsense bipartisan health care reforms that would truly bring competition to the insurance market."
Pat Toomey commented, "Currently, Pennsylvanians are forced to choose among very limited health insurance options, and are often forced to pay for mandated coverage from which they will not benefit and which they don't need. Republicans and Democrats should be able to agree on allowing individuals to purchase health insurance across state lines. Without a doubt, that simple reform would inject a tremendous amount of competition into the system and drive down health insurance costs. It also avoids the tax increases and deficit spending that plague the current proposals in Congress."
Toomey continued, "I don't agree with Howard Dean too often, but on this one he is exactly right. Harry Reid's Senate bill would bring no competition or cost containment to the health insurance market. It should be rejected and replaced with a bipartisan effort to allow insurance purchases across state lines."
Paid for by Toomey for Senate