Research Briefing

Connecticut Urging You To Stand Strong, Slow Down On Dems’ Health Care Experiment

CONNECTICUT OPPOSES DEMS’ HEALTH CARE EXPERIMENT

51 Percent Of Connecticut Voters Oppose The Obama-Reid-Pelosi Government-Run Health Care Experiment. (“Election 2010: Connecticut Senate Race,” Rasmussen Reports, 12/8/09)

• And 60 Percent Say Dems’ Bill Will Increase The Deficit. (“Election 2010: Connecticut Senate Race,” Rasmussen Reports, 12/8/09)

The New Haven Register’s Editorial Board: Dems’ Bill Does Nothing To Reduce Health Care Costs. “[The] plan gives insurance companies almost everything they want by requiring everyone to have coverage without providing any check to insurers’ ever-rising premiums … Without cost controls that emphasize quality of care over the present fee-for-service system, the cost of insurance will continue to rise, making it unaffordable for more individuals and businesses.” (Editorial, “Real Reform Elusive For Health Care,” The New Haven Register, 9/25/09)

CEO Of Connecticut Association For Home Care And Hospice Says Dems’ Medicare Cuts “Would Put More Than 50 Percent Of The State’s Home Health Agencies In Financial Peril Within Two Years.” (Brian D. Ellsworth, President And CEO, Connecticut Association For Home Care & Hospice, Letter To The Editor, “Home Health Care Hurt By ‘Reform,’” The Hartford Courant, 10/10/09)

SEN. LIEBERMAN, WILL YOU STAND STRONG AND OPPOSE THIS $1 TRILLION GAMBLE?

Lieberman Said Democrats Are “Trying To Do Too Much At Once.” “We’re trying to do too much at once. … To put this government-created, government-run insurance company on top of everything else is just asking for trouble for the taxpayer, for the premium payer and for the national debt. I don’t think we need it now.” (Alexander Bolton, “Lieberman To Vote Against Public Option,” The Hill, 10/27/09)

Lieberman: “If The Public Option Plan Is In There, As A Matter Of Conscience, I Will Not Allow This Bill To Come To A Final Vote.” (Martin B. Cassidy, “Himes Touts Benefits Of Health Care Reform To Seniors,” The Stamford Advocate,11/10/09)

Lieberman Says He Will Filibuster Dems’ Bill If It Includes Public Option. “Lieberman has threatened to go along with a Republican filibuster to stop the Democratic bill if it includes a public option -- a government-run plan to compete with private insurers.” (Foon Rhee, “Liberal Group Slams Lieberman,” The Boston Globe, 12/7/09)

Lieberman Told Harry Reid He Will Not Vote For Bill If It Contains Medicare Buy-In. “[On] Sunday, Mr. Lieberman told the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, to scrap the idea of expanding Medicare and abandon any new government insurance plan or lose his vote.” (Robert Pear & David Herszenhorn, “Lieberman Rules Out Voting For Health Bill,” The New York Times, 12/13/09)

• Lieberman Criticized New Medicare Buy-In Compromise As “Additional Burden” For Program “Going Bankrupt.” “I want to make sure we’re not adding a big additional burden to the Medicare program, which we need to figure out how to save, because it’s going bankrupt …” (“White House Lauds Senate Democrats’ Health Care Deal,” CNN, 12/9/09)

• Lieberman On The Medicare Buy-In: “It Will Add Taxpayer Costs. It Will Add To The Deficit. It’s Unnecessary.” (CBS’s “Face The Nation,” 12/13/09)

Lieberman Says Controversial Provisions Like The Medicare Buy-In, Public Option, And CLASS Act Have To Go To Pass A Bill. “[W]e’ve got to stop adding to the bill. We’ve got to start subtracting some controversial things. … You’ve got to take out the Medicare buy-in. You’ve got to forget about the public option. You probably have to take out the Class Act, which was a whole new entitlement program that will, in future years, put us further into deficit. And you’ve got to adopt some of the cost containment provisions that will strengthen cost containment, that all of us favor.” (CBS’s “Face The Nation,” 12/13/09)