T H E M A N Y F A C ES O F
E X T R E M ISM  
Lawmakers opposing the Affordable Care Act have espoused positions that, if enacted, would have
devastating consequences for the people they represent. This report exposes the reality of their
rhetoric and extreme consequences of repealing the new health care law.  

By E rik ka K nuti and T ravis W aldron

 Meet the New Kids

Part 1

M eet the New K ids

With a new wave of inexperienced legislators and governors rolling into
office, the Health Information Campaign presents examples of extreme
statements and positions from newly elected officials.

Meet the new lawmakers and opponents of health reform elected in the
2010 cycle. Some of them misrepresent the facts, some are out of touch, and
some of them MXVWGRQ¶WOLNHthe health care reform law. Either way, their
ideas about repealing the Affordable Care Act would have a negative impact
on their constituents and are too extreme for America.

1
 Meet the New Kids

M eet Rand Paul...

«+HVD\VVHQLRUVµQHHGWREHSD\LQJmore¶IRUKHDOWKFDUH
Sen.-elect Rand Paul (R-.<FDOOHG³IRUDGHGXFWLEOHRQ0HGLFDUHSD\PHQWV´

Paul F act: .HQWXFN\¶VQHZSenator wants a $2,000 deductible for Medicare.

During a September 2009 town hall meeting on health care, Rand Paul advocated for higher-
deductibles, saying:
³A $2,000 Medicare deductible would solve a huge amount of problems.´ [Lexington
Herald Leader, 10/6/10]

Paul reiterated his belief that people were not paying enough for health care during a later
interview.
" It sounds funny, but you need to be paying more for your health care. " [Details, 8/2010]

Too E xtreme for K entucky: 1 in 6 state residents are enrolled in Medicare and
.HQWXFN\¶VVHQLRUVDUHWKHIRXUWK-poorest in the nation
$SSDUHQWO\3DXOWKLQNV.HQWXFN\¶V Medicare enrollees [Kaiser 11/4/10] should pay a
$2,000 deductible. 1HYHUPLQGWKDW.HQWXFN\¶VVHQLRUVDUHWKHIRXUWK-poorest in the nation. Never
PLQGWKDWQHDUO\SHUFHQWRI.HQWXFN\¶V0HGLFDUHHQUROOHHVIDOOLQWKH0HGLFDUH3DUW'GRQXW
hole and already have to pay the full cost of the prescriptions a portion of the year [AARP, 2009].
Paul thinks they need to pay more.

2
 Meet the New Kids

M eet A ndy H ar ris...

«+HLVRXWUDJHGKHKDVWRZDLWIRUKLVJRYHUQPHQWKHDOWKFDUH
The first question Rep.-elect Andy Harris (R-MD 01) asked at new member orientation was:
When do I collect my government health care?

H ar ris F act: 3ROLWLFLDQVDUHµWRQH-GHDI¶VRYRWHIRUPHDWRQH-deaf doctor.

As an anesthesiologist for Johns Hopkins, Andy Harris campaigned against health care and
promised to vote for repeal. Throughout his campaign, Harris frequently noted he was a doctor in
order to position himself as an expert on health reform.

$QH[FHUSWIURP+DUULV¶RS-ed on health care reform:

³3ROLWLFLDQVDUHXVXDOO\WRQH-deaf to those who know the most about the issue: patients and their
health care providers. What's going on now is no exception: No one appears to be listening to
ZKDWSHRSOHDUHDVNLQJIRULQKHDOWKFDUHUHIRUP´>Harris, 9/17/09]

E xtremely O ut of Touch+DUULVDVNVµ:KHUH¶VP\JRYHUQPHQWKHDOWKFDUH"¶

New members of Congress, including Harris, will be sworn in January 3, but the insurance
provided to them through the federal government is effective February 1. Harris was surprised and
upset at the very idea that his new health insurance did not start immediately.
³7KLVLVWKHRQO\HPSOR\HU,¶YHHYHUZRUNHGIRUZKHUH\RXGRQ¶WJHWFRYHUDJHthe first day
you are employed.´ [Politico, 11/15/10]

Harris asked ³µZKDWKHZRXOGGRZLWKRXWGD\VRIKHDOWKFDUH¶ said a congressional staffer

ZKRVDZWKHH[FKDQJH´ [Politico, 11/15/10]

3
 Meet the New Kids

A self-proclaimed health care expert, Dr. Harris is completely out of touch with the real life health
care issues Americans face. The reaction above demonstrates tone-deafness to the three out of four
FRYHUHGZRUNHUVZKRZDLWHGDQDYHUDJHRIPRQWKVIRUWKHLUHPSOR\HU¶VFRYHUDJHWRNLFNLQ
[Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/10]; or the 59 million Americans who were uninsured at some point
in 2010, according to the CDC. [CBS, 11/10/10]

4
 Meet the New Kids

M eet Renee E llmers...

«6KHGRHVQ¶WZDQWWRFRYHUPDWHUQLW\FDUH,W¶VµYHU\FRVWO\¶
Rep.-elect Renee Ellmers (R-NC ZRXOGQ¶WJXDUDQWHHFRYHUDJHIRUSUHJQDQWZRPHQRUWKRVHZLWK
pre-existing conditions

E llmers F act: W ants to repeal the pre-existing condition provision of the health
care law.
During her campaign, Renee Ellmers told the Clayton News-Star she did not think insurance
companies should be required to accept people with pre-existing conditions.
 

³µ/HWWKHSULYDWHLQVXUDQFHFRPSDQLHVGHFLGHKRZWKH\¶UHJRLQJWRKDQGOHWKHSUH-­existing  
conditions  situation¶  she  [Ellmers]  said.´ [Clayton News-Star, 9/29/10]

E llmers F act: She dRHVQ¶WWKLQNmaternity care should be covered.

In  the  same  interview  Ellmers  was  asked  whether  all  insurance  customers  should  have  to  help  pay  
for  maternity  care,  as  pregnancy  is  typically  considered  a  pre-­existing  condition  by  insurers.  
 

³µ0aternity  coverage  ±  WKDW¶VDQRWKHURQH«6KRXOG\RXKDYHWRSD\IRUVRPHRQHHOVH¶V

[maternity  care]?  0D\EH\RX¶YHGHFLGHG\RX¶YHKDG\RXUFKLOGUHQRUPD\EHZHKDYHD-­
year-­ROGIHPDOHZKR¶VKDGDK\VWHUHFWRP\6KRXOGVKHKDYHWRSD\PDWHUQLW\FRYHUDJH"
MatHUQLW\FRYHUDJHLVYHU\FRVWO\¶  Ellmers  said.´ [Clayton News-Star, 9/29/10]
 
Ellmers and her husband travelled across the country on the Americans for Prosperity bus tour
protesting the health care law. The group was founded and is financially supported by billionaire
tea-party patron David Koch. [The New Yorker, 8/30/10]

5
 Meet the New Kids

Too E xtreme for North C arolina: Nearly 2 million T ar H eels have pre-existing
conditions that could preclude them from coverage.
care law.
More than 1.8 million North Carolinians, including 50 percent of those between ages of 55 and 64,
have a pre-existing condition that could prevent them from accessing coverage [FamiliesUSA,
5/10]. Ellmers wants to let insurers figure out how to deal with pre-existing conditions, but they
had their chance and dealt with it by denying coverage. A congressional investigation found that
from 2007 to 2009, tKHWRSIRXULQVXUDQFHFRPSDQLHVGHQLHGRQHRXWRIVHYHQDSSOLFDQWV¶Foverage
based on conditions such as pregnancy, angina, diabetes and heart disease [CNBC 10/13/10].

Too E xtreme for Women: E llmers WDNHVZRPHQ¶VKHDOWKDVWHSEDFN.

Lack of insurance is often cited as a major barrier to quality prenatal care. Before the Affordable
Care Act passed, maternity coverage was an exception, not the rule. Only 14 percent of private
individual plans offered it in 2009 [1DWLRQDO:RPHQ¶V/DZ&HQWHU, 2009]. More than two women
die every day in the United States from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Quality,
accessible maternity care could prevent approximately half these deaths [Amnesty International,
3/2010].

6
 Meet the New Kids

M eet A ustin Scott...

«+HVD\VµWKHUHMXVWDUHQ¶W¶DQ\JRRGWKLQJVLQWKHQHZODZ
Rep.-elect Austin Scott (R-GA 08) opposes the entire health care law; even the patient protection
provisions supported by 75 percent of Americans.

Scott Fact: +HZDQWVUHSHDO«ZLWKRXWUeplace.

During an October 2010 debate, Austin Scott said he did not support any of the provisions of the
new health care law.

MODERATOR: A re they any provisions of the health care bill passed that you support,
WKDW\RX¶GOLNHWRNHHS"
SCOTT: 1RPD¶DPWKHUHDUHQRW7KHUHMXVWDUHQ¶W. [Think Progress, 10/14/10]

In fact, Scott is opposed to Congress passing any laws regarding the health care system. CNN
reporter T.J. Holmes pressed Scott about his extreme position on repeal. He confronted Scott with
the two provisions most popular with the public: extending dependent coverage to young adults up
to age 26 and banning coverage denial based on pre-existing conditions.

SCOTT: I would like to start over completely. I think those things should be left up to the
individual states. And I think that the states should determine --
HOLMES: But not the federal government? You don't think those are good enough that the
federal government should keep those in place?
SCOTT: I do not believe that the federal government should have control over the health
care system. I think that the states should determine whether or not they want those issues
in their health insurance at a state level. [CNN, 10/20/10]

7
 Meet the New Kids

Too E xtreme for G eorgia: 43,500 G eorgia young adults gained access to health
care because of the A ffordable C are Act.
6FRWWGRHVQRWWKLQN&RQJUHVVVKRXOGSDVVDQ\ODZVµFRQWUROOLQJ¶WKHKHDOWKFDUHV\VWHPHYHQWKRVH
WKDWSURWHFWSDWLHQWVDQGH[WHQGGHSHQGHQWFRYHUDJH6SHFLILFDOO\6FRWW¶VH[WUHPHYHUVLRQRIUHSHDO
would eliminate coverage for the estimated 43,500 young adults in Georgia who gained access to
KHDOWKFRYHUDJHWKURXJKWKHLUSDUHQWV¶SODQDVDUHVXOWRIWKHQHZODZ>WhiteHouse.gov]. It would
also threaten the more than 1.8 million Georgians who have pre-existing conditions that could
prevent them from accessing health coverage [FamiliesUSA, 5/2010].

8
 Meet the New Kids

M eet Blake F arenthold...

«+H6D\V<RX'RQ¶W+DYH(QRXJKµ6NLQLQWKH*DPH¶
Rep.-elect Blake F arenthold (R-TX 27) proposes high-deductible plans that could bankrupt low-
income Americans

F arenthold F act: He thinks the 170 million A mericans who have employer-based
health insurance have no personal responsibility.
During his campaign, Blake Farenthold, blamed employer-EDVHGKHDOWKLQVXUDQFHIRUWKHFRXQWU\¶V
health care problems:
³O ur healthcare system is broken because we have taken personal responsibility out of it.
&RQVXPHUVKDYHQR³VNLQLQWKHJDPH´ Employers pay for the insurance, doctors bill the
insurance companies and all the consumer is out of the loop. There is no incentive for anyone to
NHHSFRVWVGRZQ,I,KDGJURFHU\LQVXUDQFH,¶GEHHDWLQJVWHDNDQGOREVWHUHYHU\QLJKW´
[Farenthold]

E xtremely O ut of Touch: Medical costs are the leading cause of bankruptcy.

)DUHQWKROGFODLPV$PHULFDQVGRQRWKDYHHQRXJK³VNLQLQWKHJDPH´EXWEDQNUXSWF\VWXGLHVVD\
otherwise. Unpaid medical bills are the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States,
causing 62 percent of bankruptcies in 2007. Of those who filed for bankruptcy, nearly 80 percent
had insurance. [American Journal of Medicine, 6/5/09]

On his website, Farenhold proposes high-deductible health plans featuring expanded Health
Savings Accounts to reduce health costs. High-deductible plans create a high financial hurdle that
Americans struggle to clear. They often lead to severe financial problems that put care out of reach.
More than half of adults in the highest-deductible plans report difficulty paying bills or accumulated
debt. Nearly 60 percent of Americans with an illness would have trouble paying medical bills under
a high-deductible plan [Commonwealth Fund, 2005].
9
 Meet the New Kids

M eet Rick Scott...

«+H¶VHLWKHUD6FKQRRNRUD&URRN
Gov.-elect Rick Scott (R-F L) SUHVLGHGRYHUDFRPSDQ\JXLOW\RIQDWLRQ¶VODUJHVW0HGLFDUHIUDXG
VFDQGDOVWDUWHGDJURXSWRµ6ZLIW%RDW¶KHDOWKUHIRUPDQGQRZSUHVLGHVRYHUWKHVWDWHRI)ORULGD

Scott Fact: Scott was C E O of company fined $1.7 billion for Medicare/Medicaid
fraud.
Scott presided over Columbia/HCA, the largest private, for-profit health care company in the
country, as it committed massive fraud. The company paid $1.7 billion in fines in the largest
Medicare fraud settlement in American history. 6FRWW¶VFRPSDQ\KDGDORQJUHFRUGRIFRPPLWWLQJ
fraudulent activities, including:

x Billing Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs for tests that were not necessary or
ordered by physicians. [Politifact, 6/10/10]
x Upcoding, or claiming patients were sicker than they were to increase Medicare reimbursement
to the hospitals. [Politifact, 6/10/10]
x Illegally claiming non-reimbursable marketing and advertising costs as community education.
[Politifact, 6/10/10]
x Providing physician kickbacks, such as lavish fishing trips to Costa Rica, free office rent,
discounted pharmaceuticals, bogus consulting jobs, and free ownership shares in Columbia
hospitals, to doctors in return for Medicare referrals. [Miami Herald, 6/27/10]
x Improperly billing patients for home health visits. [Miami Herald, 6/27/10]

10
 Meet the New Kids

E xtremely Bad O ptions for F lorida : C riminal v. C riminally Incompetent

The fact LV6FRWW¶VFRPSDQ\FKHDWHG,WGHIUDXGHGWD[SD\HUVDQGLWVWROHPRQH\IURPWKHKHDOWK
care system. Scott wants Floridians to think is that his level of responsibility and his role in his
FRPSDQ\¶VFULPHVDQGSUDFWLFHVLVGHEDWDEOH

Was he responsible?
³µ$s I have said repeatedly, Columbia/H C A made mistakes, and I take responsibility for
what happened on my watch as C E O¶ Scott said in a written statement´ [Miami Herald,
6/27/10]

Or was he ignorant?
KLAS7KHZHEVLWHGRHVQ¶WVD\ZKDW\RX¶GNQRZQDQGZKHQ&DQ\RXVD\\RXGLGQRWVXVSHFW
WKHUHZDVDQ\WKLQJTXHVWLRQDEOHJRLQJRQLQWHUPVRI«
SCOTT: ,I,¶GVHHQDQ\WKLQJ,¶GKDYHILUHGWKHP 7KLQNDERXWLW,¶GSXt my life savings and
started this company from scratch and then somebody would have done something wrong and I
ZRXOGQ¶WKDYHGRQHDQ\WKLQJDERXWLW7KDW¶VQRWFRQVLVWHQW [St. Petersburg Times, 10/29/10]

Scott is trying to play it both ways. He eagerly boasts about being a successful, shrewd
EXVLQHVVPDQ%XWZKHQFRQIURQWHGZLWKKLVFRPSDQ\¶VIUDXG he pleads ignorance of the criminal
activity that was rampant throughout his company. Either Scott is a crook who defrauded his
patients and the Medicare system out of millions of dollars, or he is the schnook who was not
competent enough to identify the widespread fraud taking place right under his nose. But they are
mutually exclusive, and neither inspires much confidence in his ability to lead Florida toward better
health care for its citizens.

E xtremely Shady: 6FRWWWULHGWR³6ZLIW-%RDW´KHDOWKreform.

Regardless of his ruined reputation in the health industry, Scott had the audacity to found a so-
FDOOHG³SDWLHQWV¶ULJKWV´JURXSLQHDUO\WRRSSRVHany attempt by the new administration to
reform health care. He brought on the public relations firm CRC, the masterminds behind the Swift
Boat Veterans for Truth campaign, to coordinate the campaign. [Washington Post, 5/11/09]

11
 Remember These Guys?

Part 2

Remember T hese G uys?

The ³new kids´ aren¶t the only ones going to extremes to oppose the
Affordable Care Act. The Health Information Campaign presents examples
of currently elected lawmakers who have also made extreme statements
against health care reform.
Some of them try to scare the public, some of them ignore the facts, and
some of them are just plain hypocritical. Just like the ³new kids,´ the
positions of these lawmakers would be devastating to the health coverage of
the people they represent.

12
 Remember These Guys?

Remember Rick Per ry?

«+H6D\V7H[DV6KRXOG6HFHGHIURP0HGLFDLG
Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) is pushing a plan that would cost Texas billions and could leave millions
without health insurance

Per ry F act: T exas can deliver health care better than the feds.

As his state tries to find answers to a budget shortfall, Gov. Rick Perry and a few state legislators
proposed the idea that Texas should withdraw from the federal Medicaid program.
³:Hknow how to deliver healthcare to more people in a less expensive way than what the
IHGHUDOJRYHUQPHQWGRHV6WDWHVQHHGWRVWDQGXSDQGVD\µ:HGRQ¶WZDQW\RXUVWULQJV
DWWDFKHG:HGRQ¶WZDQW\RXGRZQKHUHWHOOLQJXVKRZWRUXQRXUEXVLQHVV¶´ [Ft. Worth
Star-Telegram, 11/13/10]

E xtremely O ut of Touchµ6HFHGLQJ¶IURP0HGLFDLGFRXOGFRVW7H[DVELOOLRQ
and leave 2.6 million without coverage.
Of the 3.3 million Medicaid enrollees in Texas, nearly 2.6 million ± mostly poor children ± would
lose coverage if Texas opted out of the program [Dallas Morning News, 12/3/10]. Beyond that,
ZLWKGUDZLQJIURP0HGLFDLGFRXOGKDYHGLUHFRQVHTXHQFHVIRU7H[DV¶HFRQRP\:LWKRQHLQ
Texans employed by the health care industry, secession could cost the state $900 billion in lost
economic activity. [Dallas Morning News, 11/30/10]

And while Texans would no longer benefit from Medicaid, they would still pay for it. Because
0HGLFDLGLVIXQGHGWKURXJK7H[DQV¶IHGHUDOWD[HVWKHSHRSOHRIWKH/RQH6WDU6WDWHZRXOGVWLOOEH
subsidizing the program for other states. [New York Times, 11/19/10]

13
 Remember These Guys?

Remember Jon K yl?

«+H'RHVQ¶W:DQWWR3D\IRU0DWHUQLW\&DUH%HFDXVH+H¶V$0DQ
Like Rep.-elect Renee Ell mers (R-NC 02), Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) does not want to pay for maternity
care for American women

K yl Fact+HGRHVQ¶WVHHWKHQHHGIRUH[SDQGLQJPDWHUQLW\FDUH

6HQ-RQ.\ODWWHPSWHGWRVWULNHLWIURPWKH6HQDWH)LQDQFH&RPPLWWHH¶VKHDOWKELOODQGRSSRVHGLW
again  as  part  of  the  Affordable  Care  Act.  
   

³µ,GRQ
WQHHGmaternity care,¶.\OVDLGµ6RUHTXLULQJWKDWRQP\LQVXUDQFHSROLF\LV
VRPHWKLQJWKDW,GRQ
WQHHGDQGZLOOPDNHWKHSROLF\PRUHH[SHQVLYH¶´  [TPM  9/25/09].  

E xtremely O ut of Touch: Women pay more for health insurance, and not
because of maternity care.
%HFDXVHRIDSURFHVVFDOOHG³JHQGHUUDWLQJ´ZRPHQKDYHSDLGPRUHWKDQPHQIRULGHQWLFDOKHDOWK
care plans. Often, non-smoking women paid more than male smokers. And maternity care was not
responsible for the price difference, given that it was offered on only 14 percent of private
individual health plans in 2009. Last year, a 25-year-old woman was charged up to 84 percent more
than a man of the same age on plans that did not include maternity coverage. [1DWLRQDO:RPHQ¶V
Law Center, 2009]

The Affordable Care Act ends the discriminatory practice of gender rating, lowering health
FRYHUDJHFRVWVIRUZRPHQ,WDOVRLQFOXGHVPDWHUQLW\FRYHUDJHDVDQ³HVVHQWLDOKHDOWKEHQHILW´WKDW
must be covered by certain plans beginning in 2014. While two American women die every day due
to pregnancy and childbirth complications, quality maternity care could cut that number in half.
[Amnesty International, 3/2010]

14
 Remember These Guys?

Remember John E nsign?

«+H:DQWV6RPHRI7KDWµ:DVWHIXO¶+HDOWK&DUH0RQH\
Sen. John Ensign (R-19FDOOHGKHDOWKUHIRUP³ZDVWHIXO´WKHQVRXJKWWKHIXQGVLWSURYLGHGIRUD
project in Nevada

E nsign F act: H e condemned health care spending in the A ffordable C are Act as
wasteful.
On his Senate website, Senator Ensign says:
The new health law is filled ³ZLWKELOOLRQVLQZDVWHIXOJRYHUQPHQWVSHQGLQJDQGH[SDQGHG
JRYHUQPHQW´[Ensign]

E xtremely H ypocritical: E nsign sought a piece of health care spending he called

 
wasteful.
 

Ensign penned a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services requesting grant money
authorized by the law for the University of Nevada, School of Medicine, despite his concerns for
WKHQHZODZ¶VFRQVWLWXWLRQDOLW\DQGFRVW(QVLJQZDVZLOOLQJWRDGmit these funds would help
Nevadans face their growing health care challenges in his letter, however spews anti-health reform
rhetoric on his official website. [ThinkProgress, 11/15/10]

15
 Remember These Guys?

Remember C huck G rassley?

«+H:DUQHG,RZDQVDERXW*RYHUQPHQW'HDWK3DQHOV
End-of-life counseling was included in a Medicare bill Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) supported in 2003

G rassley F act: G rassley told Iowans about a government program that would
µSXOOWKH SOXJRQJUDQGPD¶
Grassley was working on a bipartisan health reform bill when he attacked the Affordable Care Act
at an Iowa town hall meeting.
³µ7KHUHLVVRPHIHDUEHFDXVHLQWKH+RXVHELOOWKHUHLVFRXQVHOLQJIRUHQG-of-OLIH¶*UDVVOH\
VDLGµA nd from that standpoint, you have every right to fear. You shouldn't have
counseling at the end of life. You ought to have counseling 20 years before you're going to die.
You ought to plan these things out. And I don't have any problem with things like living wills.
But they ought to be done within the family. W e should not have a government program that
determines if you're going to pull the plug on grandma.¶´>Huffington Post, 8/12/09]

E xtremely H ypocritical: H e was for death panels before he was against them.
7KH³GHDWKSDQHO´SURYLVLRQWKDWFDXVHGVXFKDVWLUZDVQRWDGHDWKSDQHODWDOO,QIDFWLWVLPSO\
provided Medicare coverage for optional end-of-life planning. In 2003, Grassley voted for a bill
WKDWFRQWDLQHGDSURYLVLRQVLPLODUWRWKH³GHDWKSDQHO´SURYLVLRQKHXVHGWRVFDUHYRWHUVLQ
[Time, 8/13/09]

16
 Remember These Guys?

Remember Steve K ing?

«+H&DOOV+HDOWK5HIRUPD&DQFHURQ$PHULFD¶V6SLULW
Rep. Steve King (R-IA 05) compared the Affordable Care Act to a tumor and called for a full repeal,
even of consumer protection provisions.

K ing F act: W ants entire health reform bill repealed immediately.

%UHDNLQJZLWKKLVSDUW\¶VOHDGHUVKLS5HS6WHYH.LQJWROG)R[1HZV¶1HLO&DYXWR that the entire
Affordable Care Act needed to be repealed immediately, including provisions others in his party
have supported.
³,FDOOHGLWDWR[LFVWHZZHHNVDJRDQGDWR[LFVWHZ\RXFDQ
WVHSDUDWHLW<RXFDQ
WWDNHD
teaspoon of it and say, 'well that wasn't so bad.' But now it's become the tumor of a cancer in
our legislation, and you can't take a tumor out in part. You've got to pull it all out. A nd some
will say, 'well there's some viable tissue there,' but that's the price of something that is a
cancer on A merica's spirit and vitality´>TPM, 4/2/10]

E xtremely O ut of Touch: O ne in four Iowans have a pre-existing condition that

could prevent them from getting coverage.
0DQ\VXSSRUWHUVRIUHSHDOLQFOXGLQJ.LQJ¶VSDUW\OHDGHUVKLSKDYHYRZHGWRNHHSFHUWDLQ
provisions of the law. These include provisions protecting those with pre-existing conditions,
DOORZLQJ\RXQJDGXOWVWRUHPDLQRQWKHLUSDUHQWV¶SODQVXQWLODJHDQGVWUHQJWKHQLQJ0HGLFDUH
Removing these provisions would have disastrous effects for many Iowans, including:
x T he 596,000 (24%) with a pre-existing condition who, if King got his way, could be denied
health coverage. [FamiliesUSA, 5/2010]
x T he 8,330 young adults who would not have insurance coverage if they could no longer
UHPDLQRQWKHLUSDUHQWV¶SODQXQWLODJH>HealthReform.gov]

17
 Remember These Guys?

x More than 57,000 small businesses that could qualify for a small-business tax credit to help
provide health coverage to their employees. [HealthReform.gov]

x T he 23,098 Medicare beneficiaries who hit the Medicare donut hole in 2010 and received
$250 rebate checks to help cover the cost of prescription drugs.

18
 Remember These Guys?

Remember Virginia Foxx?

«6KH6D\V7KHUH$UH1R8QLQVXUHG$PHULFDQV
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC 05) derided health reform as a massive tax increase

Foxx F act: T hinks all A mericans already had access to quality health care.
At a press conference in July 2009, Virginia Foxx slammed the idea that there were Americans who
did not have access to health care.
³µ7KHUHDUHQR$PHULFDQVZKRGRQ¶WKDYHKHDOWKFDUH(YHU\ERG\LQWKLVFRXQWU\KDV
DFFHVVWRKHDOWKFDUH¶VKHVD\V´ [ThinkProgress, 7/24/09]

Then, in November, Foxx took to the House floor to battle health care reform again:
³A nd I believe the greatest fear that we all should have to our freedom comes from this
room ² this very room ² and what may happen later this week in terms of a tax
increase bill masquerading as a health care bill. I believe we have more to fear from the
SRWHQWLDORIWKDWELOOSDVVLQJWKDQZHGRIURPDQ\WHUURULVWULJKWQRZLQDQ\FRXQWU\´
[ThinkProgress, 11/2/09]

E xtremely O ut of Touch : A n estimated 1 million uninsured North C arolinians

will gain coverage under the new law.
The Affordable Care Act addresses one of the major problems facing the American health care
system: access to coverage. Studies estimate as many as 22,000 unnecessary deaths occurred in
2006 due to lack of insurance coverage [Urban Institute, 1/2008]. An estimated 9,600 North
Carolinians would die prematurely due to lack of insurance coverage over the next decade. In
addition, more than 1 million uninsured North Carolinians will have access to health insurance by
2019. [FamiliesUSA, 5/2010]

19
 Remember These Guys?

Foxx claims the Affordable Care Act is a tax increase. But the law will provide tax breaks to more
than 1 million North Carolinians, the total value of which will exceed $4 billion. Half of those will
be uninsured, with the tax credit allowing them access to coverage that was previously
unaffordable. [FamiliesUSA, 9/2010]

)XUWKHUPRUHRIWKHVWDWH¶VVPDOOEXVLQHVVHVZLOOEHHOLJLEOHIRUDVPDOOEXVLQHVVWD[FUHGLW
that makes it easier for businesses to provide insurance to their employees. [HealthReform.gov]

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