Research Briefing

Gov. Schwarzenegger Calls On California Democrats To Oppose “Health Care To Nowhere”

GOV. SCHWARZENEGGER CALLS DEMS’ HEALTH CARE EXPERIMENT “A TROUGH OF BRIBES, DEALS AND LOOPHOLES”

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA): “California's Congressional Delegation Should Either Vote Against This Bill That Is A Disaster For California Or Get In There And Fight For The Same Sweetheart Deal That Senator [Ben] Nelson Of Nebraska Got For The Cornhusker State. Because That Senator Got For The Cornhusker State The Corn And We Got The Husk.” (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), State Of The State Address, 1/6/10)

Gov. Schwarzenegger: “It Is Not Reform To Push More Costs Onto States That Are Already Struggling While Other States Are Getting Sweetheart Deals.”  “And now Congress is about to pile billions more onto California with the new health care bill. Now, as you know, while I enthusiastically supported health care reform, it is not reform to push more costs onto states that are already struggling while other states are getting sweetheart deals. Health care reform, which started as noble and needed legislation, has become a trough of bribes, deals and loopholes. Yet you've heard of the bridge to nowhere. Well, this is health care to nowhere.” (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), State Of The State Address, 1/6/10)

White House Earlier Bragged About Having Schwarzenegger’s Support. “On Tuesday, the White House rolled out its latest trophy -- a letter from Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger saying he shares many of the same healthcare goals as the president, including ‘slowing the growth in costs’ and ‘enhancing the quality of care.’” (Peter Nicholas, “Obama Finds Support Outside Party And Washington For Health Care,” The Los Angeles Times, 10/7/09)

DEMOCRATS ARE PUSHING THE COSTS OF THEIR HEALTH CARE EXPERIMENT ON THE STATES

State Officials Worry About Paying For New Patients On Medicaid. “What is known is that, nationwide, about 11 million uninsured Americans will be able to sign up for Medicaid under the proposed eligibility rules, the biggest expansion of Medicaid since its inception. Without an accompanying massive infusion of federal cash, state officials worry that the crush of new patients could cripple state budgets.” (Kevin Diaz, “Minnesota Fears Hefty Hit From Aiding Poor,” The Minneapolis Star Tribune, 10/10/09)

59 Million Are Currently On Medicaid, And Expansions Will Cause State Budgets Would Explode. “About 59 million people are on Medicaid today—which means that a decade from now about a quarter of the total population would be on a program originally sold as help for low-income women, children and the disabled. State budgets would explode—by $37 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office—because they would no longer be allowed to set eligibility in line with their own decisions about taxes and spending. This is the mother—and father and crazy uncle—of unfunded mandates.” (Editorial, “Max’s Mad Mandate,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/27/09)

States Will Be Burdened With $26 Billion In Unfunded Mandates From Medicaid That Would Force Them To Increase Taxes. (Douglas W. Elmendorf, Letter To Senator Harry Reid, 12/19/09)

OBAMA-REID-PELOSI GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE EXPERIMENT ISN’T REAL REFORM WE NEED

GOP’s Common-Sense Ideas Won’t Add To The Deficit And Will Protect The Doctor-Patient Relationship. “Our Republican leaders in Congress have already proposed an action list of thoughtful, targeted reforms Congress could pass by Christmas. Empowering Americans to shop for the best health insurance deal anywhere in the country, not just their state, giving small businesses and individuals the same advantages big businesses have, ending expensive junk lawsuits and discrimination because of pre-existing conditions, these and other common-sense, incremental reforms have bipartisan support. They won't add to the national deficit. They will protect the doctor-patient relationship. And they will make health care more accessible and affordable.” (RNC Chairman Michael S. Steele, Op-Ed, “Las Vegas On The Potomac,” Politico, 12/7/09)

CBO Confirms House Republican Alternative Would Have Lowered Premiums For Americans By Up To 10 Percent. “CBO estimates that the combination of provisions included in the amendment would reduce average private health insurance premiums per enrollee in the United States relative to what they would be under current law. The average reductions would be larger in the markets for small group and individually purchased policies, which are the focus of many of the legislation’s provisions. In the small group market, which represents about 15 percent of total private premiums, the amendment would lower average insurance premiums in 2016 by an estimated 7 percent to 10 percent compared with amounts under current law.” (Douglas W. Elmendorf, Congressional Budget Office, Letter To Honorable John A. Boehner, 11/4/09)